John Seeberg

Written by John Seeberg

Georgia Jeremiah

Reviewed by Georgia Jeremiah

Updated: May 29, 2024

Love Nala (Air-Dried) Review

Updated: May 29, 2024

Our Verdict

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Highly Recommended

Love Nala air-dried product range is made of three recipes which all receive the Cat Food Advisor rating, 5 stars.

This range of food lists the first two ingredients as good quality animal meat and organs, which provides a high level of protein.  Vitamins and minerals have been added to offer a good diet option to consider.

Pros
  • First two ingredients are named animal meat and organs
  • High in protein
  • Low in carbohydrate
  • Added vitamins and minerals
Cons
  • Contains plant based protein
  • Expensive versus other cat foods

The table below shows each recipe in the range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile.

Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product line Rating AAFCO
Love Nala Turkey & Chicken Grain Free Recipe Air-Dried Adult Cat Food 5 A
Love Nala Chicken Grain Free Recipe Air-Dried Adult Cat Food 5 A
Love Nala Beef Grain Free Recipe Air-Dried Adult Cat Food 5 A

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Recipe and Label Analysis

Love Nala Chicken Grain Free Recipe Air-Dried Adult Cat Food 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.

Love Nala Chicken Grain Free Recipe Air-Dried Adult Cat Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

52.4%

Protein

28%

Fat

11.5%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Chicken, chicken liver, sweet potato, lecithin, inulin, natural chicken flavor, barley grass, salt, fructo-oligosaccharides, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tricalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, apple cider vinegar, magnesium proteinate, carrots, choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D supplement, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, niacin supplement, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement), citric acid, tocopherols (preservative), dandelion greens, taurine, minerals (iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, sodium selenite), rosemary extract.


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3%

Red denotes any controversial items

Ingredients Analysis

The first 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, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The third ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in cat food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.

The fourth ingredient is lecithin, which is a waxy substance obtained from soybeans. Although it’s commonly used to make fats more blendable, lecithin is believed to improve a pet’s skin and coat.

The fifth ingredient is inulin, which is a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and typically sourced from chicory root. 

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a cat’s digestive tract.

The sixth ingredient is natural chicken 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 barley grass. Similar to wheat grass, barley grass is prized for its rich natural vitamin and mineral content.

The eighth ingredient is salt (also known as sodium chloride). Salt is a common additive in many cat foods. That’s because sodium is a necessary mineral for all animals — including humans. Salt can often be found in cat foods to promote cats to drink more water too. This is a means of increasing their hydration and diluting their urine which helps to reduce the likelihood of urinary stones forming.

However, since the actual amount of salt added to this recipe isn’t disclosed on the list of ingredients, it’s impossible to judge the nutritional value of this item.

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.

However, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better cat foods.

Finally, this food also contains taurine, an essential amino acid for cats associated with the healthy function of heart muscle and eye sight, and is crucial for maintaining good health in cats. 

We view the presence of taurine in this recipe as a positive addition.

Recipe star rating 5

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Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Love Nala Chicken Grain Free Recipe Air-Dried Adult Cat Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 52.4%, a fat level of 28% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 11.5%.

As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 48% and an above-average fat level of 26.4%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 17.6% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 56%.

This means this Love Nala air-dried range contains higher than average protein, lower than average carbohydrate and higher than average fat, when compared to typical dry cat food.

Final Word

This range of food  provides high protein derived from named animal meat and organs.  It is free from artificial colors and preservatives, low in carbohydrate and rich in fat.

The Cat Food Advisor recommends this food.

Has Love Nala Air-Dried cat food been recalled in the past?

No.  Love Nala has not had a product recall.

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

Love Nala launched in 2019 and is based in Visalia, CA. The company is partnered with Creative Labs and Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a leading entertainment and sports agency.

The dry Love Nala cat foods are made in Visalia, while the wet foods are made in a human-grade facility in Thailand.

Sources

1: [1. Association of American Feed Control Officials].

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