Our Verdict
Canadian Naturals cat food receives the Cat Food Advisor rating, 3 stars
This range of dry food is formulated for cats and kittens. It contains antioxidants and some recipes are grain and gluten-free, others have non-GMO ingredients.
Pros
- Grain-free
- Gluten-free
- Non-GMO ingredients
Cons
- Contains plant based proteins
- Relatively high in fat
- Not a complete and balanced food
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
The Canadian Naturals product line includes four dry cat foods.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey & Salmon Cat Recipe | 3 | U |
| Chicken & Rice Cat Recipe | 3 | U |
| Grain Free Salmon Cat Recipe | 3 | U |
| Grain Free Whitefish Cat Recipe | 3 | U |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Canadian Naturals Turkey & Salmon Cat Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Canadian Naturals Turkey & Salmon Cat Recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Turkey meal, peas, potatoes, chicken fat (stabilized with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of vitamin E), salmon meal, natural flavor, tomato pomace, egg, flaxseed, choline chloride, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, dl-methionine, l-lysine, apples, blueberries, carrots, spinach, tomato, sweet potatoes, cranberries, broccoli, pumpkin, bananas, brewer’s yeast, sodium chloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, rosemary extract, taurine, yucca schidigera extract, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, peppermint, garlic, parsley, green tea extract, turmeric, thyme, rosemary, cayenne, cinnamon, chamomile.
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is turkey meal. Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.
The second ingredient is peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.
The third ingredient is potatoes. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a cat.
The fourth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The fifth ingredient is salmon meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.
Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations. 1
The sixth ingredient is natural flavor. Natural flavors doesn’t give us much information about the particular ingredients included in this cat food for flavoring purposes.
We’re pleased that the flavorings used are natural, but more details are required to give any further information about these natural flavoring ingredients. Flavorings are used to make the foods more appealing and tasty for our cats.
The seventh ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
The eighth ingredient is egg. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.
Recipe star rating 3
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Canadian Naturals Turkey & Salmon Cat Recipe looks like an average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 35.6%, a fat level of 20% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 36.4%.
As a group, the brand features a near-average protein content of 37.2% and an above-average fat level of 18.6%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 36.2% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 51%.
This means Canadian Naturals contains near-average protein, near-average carbohydrate and higher than average fat, when compared to typical dry cat food.
Final Word
This range of dry food includes four recipes that provide an acceptable diet. However, peas and grains are a significant feature which needs to be considered when evaluating the protein levels of this food.
Has Canadian Naturals cat food been recalled in the past?
No. Canadian Naturals have not had any product recalls.
You can view a complete list of all cat food recalls since 2021 here.
To stay on top of any cat food product recalls, sign up for our free email alerts, here.
About
Canadian Naturals is a family-owned pet food company. Its products are made in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Canadian Naturals states that it uses locally-sourced and Canadian-made ingredients in its foods. The company follows the most stringent certification in the pet food industry by cooking its products in a SQF3 and HACCP-certified kitchen.
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Julia Ogden, is a former journalist with more than 10 years’ experience in content marketing; specializing in writing for people as well as a Google algorithm.
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