Our Verdict
FreshPet Select cat food receives the Cat Food Advisor rating 4.5 stars.
This food is made with real, fresh ingredients which have been cooked at low temperatures to retain the natural nutrients.
Pros
- 100% farm-raised poultry, beef and fish
- Garden fruits and vegetables
- Eco-friendly
Cons
- Expensive
- Some controversial ingredients
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
The FreshPet Select product line includes four fresh cat foods.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken & Beef | 4.5 | A |
| Chicken | 4.5 | A |
| Chicken & Beef Grain-Free Gourmet Paté | 4.5 | A |
| Salmon Grain-Free Gourmet Paté | 4.5 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
FreshPet Select Tender Chicken & Beef 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.
FreshPet Select Tender Chicken & Beef
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken liver, beef, natural flavors, carrots, eggs, pea fiber, spinach, vinegar, salt, fish oil, beta-carotene, celery powder, taurine, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, dicalcium phosphate, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2%
Red denotes any controversial items
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.
The second ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The third ingredient is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.2. Beef is naturally rich in all eleven essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.
The fourth 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 fifth ingredient is carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient is whole eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The seventh ingredient is pea fiber, a mixture of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber derived from pea hulls. Aside from the usual benefits of fiber, this agricultural by-product provides no other nutritional value to a cat.
The eighth ingredient is spinach. Due to its exceptional vitamin and mineral content, spinach exhibits a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score 3 of 91. For cats who are predisposed to oxalate stones, spinach should be avoided, due to its high oxalate content.
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.
This recipe receives a 4.5-star rating.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, FreshPet Select cat food looks like an above-average raw product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 51.4%, a fat level of 28.6% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 12%, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 56%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 46.6% and a mean fat level of 30.2%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 15.2% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 66%.
This means the FreshPet Select product line contains above-average protein, below-average carbs and above-average fat when compared to typical raw cat food.
Final Word
FreshPet Select is a quality product packed with locally sourced fresh ingredients and preservative free.
Has FreshPet cat food been recalled in the past?
Yes, there was a single voluntary recall in 2022 due to potential contamination with salmonella. The product was ‘kitchen home cooked chicken recipe’. The full details can be found on our recall page.
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
FreshPet was founded in Secaucus, New Jersey in 2006 by Scott Morris, John Phelps and Cathal Walsh. It opened a factory in Quakertown, Pennsylvania in 2006 and another in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 2013.
Sources
Best cat foods
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Article reviewed by
Veterinarian
Dr Georgia Jeremiah has a first class honors degree in comparative pathology with field experience in anatomic and clinical pathology, studying disease processes in a multitude of species.
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