Honest Orijen Cat Food Review
Disclaimer
As a Chewy and Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not impact our reviews and comparisons.
Score: 7/10
Bottom Line
Orijen is one of the better dry cat food choices, but a little high in carbs. Does contain a lot of great meaty ingredients your cat will love.
PROS
CONS
Orijen is a company that focused on dry cat food high in animal based foods. In this cat food review, we find out whether this food is the best choice for you.
The goal of this website is to help cat owners learn more about taking care of their cats. I am not a veterinarian and I recommend seeking the advice of a vet for any further questions.
The advice in this article is not intended as medical advice.
Let’s get into the article.
Orijen Cat Food Review
Orijen is one of the better dry cat food choices on the market. Most dry cat foods are…crappy. They contain a lot of grain protein and miniscule amounts of animal foods. That kind of sucks for cats.
In this article, I’ll break down the products in the Orijen cat food range. I will compare the following:
- Ingredient quality
- Nutrition
Finally, I’ll go over some frequently asked questions about Orijen.
Orijen Cat Food Range
Orijen makes dry cat food (kibble) and freeze-dried products.
Orijen offers a few flavors of cat food:
- Original
- 6 Fish (for fish lovers)
- Kitten
- Regional Red
- Tundra
- Freeze-dried
The Orijen cat food products are AAFCO approved for all life stages (including the kitten). This means they are suitable for senior cats as well.
That’s great!
Alright…now for the the gritty analysis. What are the ingredients like in Orijen?
Let’s find out.
Orijen Cat Food Ingredients
Based on our scoring system, Orijen is an great quality dry cat food. The ingredients in this food match what cats need as an obligate carnivore.
When it comes to cats, there’s no need for fanciness in food.
Cat’s eat mice, fish, insects, and birds. The organs, meat, and bones of these foods provide all the nutrients cats need.
We want an ingredient list high in these foods…and Orijen delivers on that front.
Their dry cat food range is 85-95% animal ingredients from a variety of sources including:
- Chicken
- Herring
- Turkey
- Whole eggs
- Beef
Awesome.
Other ingredients in the bags are plant based ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes. These foods don’t do much for cats despite sounding fancy, and fruits raises the carb content.
Fortunately, none of the Orijen cat food range use grains, gluten, or potato in its ingredients.
Here’s a run down of our score for three selected Orijen cat food choices.
The score is out of 100. A higher score is a sign of a better quality food. I take into account relative weighing of ingredients based on the labelling words (e.g. recipe, dinner) as these words denote different quantities of food.
Read more about what that means over in my cat food labelling guide.
| Orijen cat food | Label type | Ingredient quality score | Ingredients |
| Orijen original | 90% | 93/100 | Chicken, Turkey, Whole Mackerel, Turkey Giblets (Liver, Heart, Gizzard), Flounder, Chicken Liver, Whole Herring, Eggs, Dehydrated Chicken, Dehydrated Turkey, Dehydrated Mackerel, Dehydrated Chicken Liver, Dehydrated Egg, Chicken Fat, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Whole Peas, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Chickpeas, Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Navy Beans, Pollock Oil, Lentil Fiber, Pea Starch, Chicken Heart, Choline Chloride, Dried Kelp, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Whole Cranberries, Whole Pumpkin, Whole Butternut Squash, Collard Greens, Whole Apples, Whole Pears, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Dried Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Citric Acid (Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product |
| Orijen kitten | 90% | 92/100 | Chicken, Turkey, Salmon, Whole Herring, Chicken Liver, Turkey Giblets (Liver, Heart, Gizzard), Whole Mackerel, Eggs, Dehydrated Chicken, Dehydrated Turkey, Dehydrated Herring, Dehydrated Chicken Liver, Dehydrated Egg, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Peas, Pollock Oil, Natural Chicken Flavor, Pea Starch, Chicken Fat, Whole Chickpeas, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Navy Beans, Whole Pinto Beans, Ground Miscanthus Grass, Chicken Hearts, Choline Chloride, Whole Cranberries, Dried Kelp, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Whole Pumpkin, Whole Butternut Squash, Collard Greens, Whole Apples, Whole Pears, Zinc Proteinate, Freeze-Dried Chicken, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Copper Proteinate, Dried Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid (Preservative), Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product |
| Orijen fit & trim | 85% | 92/100 | Chicken, Chicken Liver, Whole Herring, Turkey, Turkey Giblets (Liver, Heart, Gizzard), Flounder, Eggs, Cod, Dehydrated Chicken Liver, Dehydrated Egg, Dehydrated Sardine, Dehydrated Chicken, Dehydrated Turkey, Dehydrated Herring, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Whole Peas, Whole Navy Beans, Chicken Fat, Natural Fish Flavor, Dehydrated Pumpkin, Lentil Fiber, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Chickpeas, Chicken Heart, Pea Starch, Lentil Starch, Choline Chloride, Dried Kelp, Zinc Proteinate, Whole Pumpkin, Whole Butternut Squash, Whole Apples, Whole Pears, Collard Greens, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Dried Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Citric Acid (Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product |
Below is our grade for Orijen ingredient quality.
Learn more about the ingredients in Orijen cat food on their website.
Ingredient Quality Grade: A
Orijen Cat Food Nutrition
The nutrition quality of Orijen is average. As with most dry cat food, Orijen is a little high in carbohydrate.
Orijen uses a lot great animal-based ingredients…
…but they also include fruit and vegetable ingredients on the bag.
This is why ingredient lists are tricky. They can look great on the surface, but not match a cats nutrition needs.
Let’s take a closer look.
Cat food over 12% carbohydrate on a dry matter basis is not recommended.
Why?
A cat doesn’t have the ability to digest and metabolize carbs as well as humans. They lack digestive enzymes and their liver doesn’t adapt well to carbs.
Whilst they can digest a small amount, too much ‘pushes the limits’ and poses a risk to health. This can include things like an increased risk of kidney disease long term.
Orijen cat foods are around 20% carbohydrate on a dry matter basis. Most dry foods are high (usually 30%+).
Whilst Orijen is closer to a good carbohydrate target, it’s still too much. If all you feed your cat is dry food, then this would be too much carbohydrate for long term health.
The protein in Orijen is great at over 40% on a dry matter basis for all products. The quality of the sources of protein is good, as they are from whole animal-based foods.
I recommend choosing a cat food with 40-50% protein on a dry matter basis. AAFCO suggest at least 30% for all cats.
I prefer 40% as this is good for senior cats, that tend to struggle with protein digestion. Cat’s also prefer a diet closer to 50% protein on a dry matter basis.
Moving onto fat.
The products are around 20-25% fat. Cat’s prefer a diet with 25-40% fat on a dry matter basis. This is the ‘tastiest’ amount.
Cat’s also prefer meat based sources of fats, which is in all Orijen cat foods (e.g. chicken fat).
Taurine is an essential amino acid for cats. A deficiency can lead to health problems related to the heart as well as reproductive issues.
AAFCO recommends that all dry food contains 0.1% taurine on a dry matter basis. All products in the Orijen dry cat food range are around 0.2% taurine which is good (although it could be higher).
The minerals calcium and phosphate should fall at 1:1 or greater on a ratio. All products are over 1:1 on a ratio, with a higher amount of calcium to phosphate.
This is beneficial to maintain bone strength and kidney health. A low calcium diet in cats can lead to bone defects and depression.
Overall, for a dry cat food this food is one of the better options.
But because of the high carbohydrate content I have to be critical of Orijen.
As a supplementary source of nutrition…ok.
As a sole source of nutrition…no. It’s better to give your cat a diet of mostly wet foods (see my recommendations here).
That’s why I offer the following score. See below for our nutrition analysis.
Nutrition Score: C
| Orijen cat food | Life stage | Calories/kg | Kcal/g dry matter basis | Protein | Fat | Carbohydrate | Fiber | Ash | Moisture | Taurine | Calcium: Phosphate Ratio |
| Orijen original | All | 4,120 | 4.6 | 44.4%* | 22.2% | 20.0% | 3.3% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 0.2% | 1.1:1 |
| Orijen kitten | All | 4,120 | 4.6 | 44.4% | 22.2% | 20.0% | 3.3% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 0.2% | 1.1:1 |
| Orijen fit & trim | All | 3,700 | 4.1 | 46.7 | 15.6% | 21.1% | 6.7% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 0.2% | 1.2:1 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Orijen cat food cost?
Per ounce, Orijen cat food is mid-priced compared to other cat food options on the market. This brand is pricier than most dry cat food choices. This is due to the quality and quantity of animal protein in the products.
Cat food prices are always subject to change. Buying in bulk usually saves a good amount of money.
I compare options on a ‘per ounce’ basis to find out how it compares to other options.
Here are some more affordable dry cat food options to check out:
- Crave cat food (see our review here)
- Made By Nacho cat food (see our review here)
- Nulo cat food (see our review here)
A more pricier option is Ziwi Peak air-dried cat food. This is lower in carbohydrate than Orijen. See our review our Ziwi Peak cat food here.
The freeze-dried options are more expensive, which is not uncommon in this food type.
Freeze-dried foods are nutrient-dense source of animal foods intended for treats.
How do I transition my cat to Orijen cat food?
A gradual introduction of new food is vital to helping your cat transition to a new food.
Use the following strategy:
- Mix 25% new cat food with 75% old cat food
- Increase the amount of new cat food over the course of 2 weeks
- Transition to 100% new cat food
It is important to rotate the flavors of cat food.
If you intend to use Orijen cat food for your cat’s diet, provide a range of different flavors to reduce boredom.
Cat’s have neophilia, which means they get tired of the same old thing every day.
Sounds like me to be honest!
Where can I buy Orijen cat food?
You can find Orijen cat food on their company website, which has a search function. This helps you find Orijen at your location.
You can find Orijen on various online retailers.
Which cats are best suited to Orijen cat food?
Orijen is suitable for cats of all life stages, underweight, and overweight cats. Their dry food options match the nutritional requirements established by AAFCO for cats of all life stages.
AAFCO stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials. It is a non-profit organization that provides recommendations for manufacturers.
Orijen’s kitten dry product suits kittens with smaller kibble sizes. This product also has added calcium and essential fatty acids for developing bodies.
The high amount of animal protein in this product is helpful for senior cats. Senior cats tend to lose muscle and have poorer protein digestion.
Learn More:
Is Orijen a healthy choice for your cat?
Orijen is an above average choice and a good dry cat food brand. Orijen is nutritionally balanced and has all the nutrients cats need for health. The main downside of Orijen is the somewhat high carbohydrate level.
Cat’s are obligate carnivores in the wild. They thrive off a diet of animal based foods including meat, organs, and bones.
As Orijen is a dry food, it lacks the hydrating benefit of wet foods. This is a problem with all dry foods and why you need to be mindful about water intake with cats eating more kibble.
Learn more:
Does Orijen make wet cat food?
Orijen appears to have started making wet canned cat food. These options are new to the market and don’t seem to be available to try yet.
Check their website for updates for availability of Orijen wet cat food.
What are the pros of Orijen cat food?
The main benefits of Orijen cat food is better digestion, taste, and less food rejection. This is due to the use of animal protein sources as the main ingredient source. Orijen is also suitable for cats of all life stages.
The animal protein is from free-range meats and fresh regional ingredients. Their cat food is free of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).
Orijen also don’t use rendered animal fats, artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or sweeteners. They also don’t source any ingredients from China.
What are the cons of Orijen cat food?
The main downsides of Orijen cat food are the higher price, use of legumes, and lack of a wet cat food option. Their dry foods are a little high in carbohydrate than we’d like.
Whilst the price is higher than average, the benefits of this cat food are worth the price compared to other dry foods.
Some customers report taste changes that reflect the use of US kitchens. The company Orijen is Canadian based, but opened new kitchens in the US using local products (may affect taste).
Another issue is the size of the kibble which may be too large or hard for some cats. Cat’s tend to gulp down foods (sometimes without chewing).
Larger hard pieces may cause discomfort.
On the other hand, Orijen uses rounder shapes that are easier to swallow and a smaller size for their kitten product.
What cats are suited well to Orijen?
Orijen is AAFCO approved for cats of all life stages and all breeds.
Is Orijen cat food AAFCO approved?
Yes, Orijen cat food is AAFCO approved as complete and balanced cat food for all life stages.
Who is Orijen?
Orijen is a subset brand from Champion Pet Foods Ltd. Champion Pet Foods began in 1985 with a desire to make the world’s best pet foods and owns two brands Acana and Orijen.
Reinhard Mueller founded Orijen and the company is Canadian-based.
Where is Orijen sourced?
Orijen is sourcing its foods locally and internationally.
Like many cat food brands, the description of their sourcing is somewhat vague.
Per their website:
Our strong network enables us to source only the best, including lamb from New Zealand, fish from Scandinavia, and other premium ingredients from our neighbors. No matter what, every ingredient we choose is selected for its nutritional value, digestibility and superior flavor. Our commitment to trust and transparency has led to a robust supplier vendor audit approval program and detailed ingredient traceability system.
Orijen Website FAQ
Where is Orijen manufactured?
Orijen is manufactured in Alberta, Canada in Champion Pet Foods kitchens. Some food is US based.
They manufacture all their products in their own facilities and do not outsource to other facilities.
The formula has minor changes in US kitchens due to Orijen using regionally sourced ingredients.
Has Orijen cat food been recalled?
Orijen cat food has no food recalls per a search on the FDA website.
In 2008, Orijen was recalled in Australia due to a contamination issue due to Australia irradiating their cat food. This resulted in the euthanization of 4 cats due to illness.
No repeat issues have occurred.
How long does Orijen cat food last?
When stored in cool, dark, and dry location Orijen lasts 12 months from the date of manufacture.
Final Review: Is Orijen Cat Food Worth It?
If you want to feed your cat dry food, Orijen is one of the best choices out there.
Still…it’s a little high in carbohydrate. Better than almost all the other dry cat foods out there, but still high.
As a side source of nutrition…great.
That’s where Orijen stands for me. A great food for occasional feeding only. It would be great if they tone down on the fruits and vegetables…
