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Score: 8/10
Bottom Line
Grass-fed and meat rich for easy digestion, but a bit pricey (and smelly).
PROS
CONS
We did this Ziwi Peak cat food review with the help of our cat taste testers.
Ziwi Peak is an independent brand from New Zealand, offering grass-fed cat food. I’ve tested a few of their products with our cats.
Review summary:
The good?
Allergy relief.
Ziwi Peak offer air-dried lamb cat food, which is one of the only dry cat foods suitable for allergies.
This cat food also offers complete nutrition for cats of all ages.
The bad?
Chickpeas.
The main gripe I had with Ziwi Peak is the use of chickpeas in some of their range. This bumps up the carbs a little.
The ugly?
Price.
Ziwi Peak isn’t cheap, but it’s a quality option.
In short:
Very good.
Ziwi Peak is a top tier cat food brand. Their wet and dry foods are suited to cats of all life stages.
Best for:
- Senior cat weight gain
- Kidney health
- Allergies
>> Check out Ziwi Peak here.
After more info on Ziwi Peak?
In this short Ziwi Peak cat food review I’ll go into more detail about nutrition, ingredients, and taste.
This includes testing results with our cats.
Finally, I’ll go through frequently asked questions about this cat food brand.
I am not a veterinarian and I recommend seeking the advice of a vet for any further questions. This article is not intended as a replacement for medical advice.
About Ziwi Peak Cat Food
Ziwi Peak are a New Zealand based cat food brand. They use locally sourced produce in their cat foods.
This brand offers wet and air-dried cat food. The price of most products is on the high side.
Ziwi Peak Cat Food Review: Top 3 Foods
In this review I’ll take a closer look at:
- Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe
- Ziwi Peak East Cape (currently unavailable)
- Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Lamb
Whilst this doesn’t perfectly encapsulate all products, I hope it gives a close idea of what to expect.
1. Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe Review
Pros and Cons
Nutrition
Ziwi Peak venison recipe meets the dietary needs for cats of all life stages.
Whilst the protein is high quality from animal produce, the carbs a little high. This is due to the added chickpeas in this product.
For that reason I’ve deducted a few points from this cat food.
Nutrition (Dry Matter Basis)
- Protein: 54%
- Carbs: 10%
- Fat: 25%
- Ash: 6%
- Fiber: 4%
- Energy: 1,200 kcal/kg
Nutrition: 8/10
Ingredients
Venison, Water Sufficient for Processing, Venison Tripe, Venison Liver, Chickpeas, Venison Lung, Venison Heart, Venison Kidney, New Zealand Green Mussel, Venison Bone, DL-Methionine, Dried Kelp, Minerals (Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex), Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid)
Overall, this is a great ingredient list.
All animal based food sources are named. There’s green mussels which offer omega 3 fatty acids.
The main downside is the use of chickpeas. This raises the carb content a little.
Ingredients: 8.5/10
Taste
Great.
Our cat Felicia enjoyed Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe. The texture was a little thick, which I had to mash to help her with.
Customers online are generally positive for this cat food.
Here are the results of testing Ziwi Peak with our cat Felicia:
- Product Test: Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe
- Amount Eaten: 100%
- Time to Finish Eating: ~2 minutes
- Food Appearance: Lean, chunky, and thick
- Smell: Smelt a bit like rare steak. Strong raw beef smell
Taste: 9/10
2. Ziwi Peak East Cape Review
*Note: This product is not sold currently, but I’ll keep this review up in case it returns.
Pros and Cons
Nutrition: 10/10
Ziwi Peak East Cape meets the dietary needs for cats of all life stages.
There’s nothing to fault here. This is optimal nutrition for any cat.
The only drawback is this cat food is a little high in fat. Overweight cats benefit from a lower fat cat food.
Nutrition (Dry Matter Basis)
- Protein: 44%
- Carbs: 2%
- Fat: 39%
- Ash: 10%
- Fiber: 4%
- Energy: 1,500 kcal/kg
Ingredients: 10/10
Mutton, Lamb Broth, Goat, Whole Kahawai, Goat Tripe, Whole White Trevally, Mutton Tripe, Mutton Lung, New Zealand Green Mussel, Lamb Plasma, Whole Mackerel, Goat Liver, Lamb Bone, Mutton Liver, Lecithin, Goat Heart, Mutton Bone, Goat Lung, Goat Kidney, Minerals (Dipotassium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex), DL-Methionine, Goat Bone, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Dried Kelp, Taurine
All the ingredients are named animal ingredients.
This is a great range of foods perfect for cats.
No gripes here!
Taste: 7/10
I served Ziwi Peak East Cape to five cats who had mixed feelings about this food.
Customers online agree, with mixed results.
Here’s a summary and presentation of the food.
- Food Test: Dine Classic Slices With Succulent Chicken
- Cat Approval: 3/5 approved
- Smell: Overpowering fishy smell
- Texture: Loaf texture
3. Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Cat Food Review
Pros and Cons
Nutrition
Excellent.
The only downside with this cat food is like all dry food it lacks water.
Aside from the low carb content and high protein is awesome for cats.
This cat food is balanced for cats of all life stages.
Nutrition (Dry Matter Basis)
- Protein: 41%
- Carbs: 4%
- Fat: 39%
- Ash: 14%
- Fiber: 2%
- Energy: 5,600 kcal/kg
Nutrition: 8/10
Ingredients
Excellent.
All five of the first ingredients are meat based which provide strength and energy for cats.
The label is an amount, stating 96% meat content from beef, venison, lamb, southern blue whiting, and Hoki.
All ingredients are named (e.g. beef heart). This means you know what you’re getting in the bag, as opposed to ‘meat by-products’ which is a vague term.
Here’s a short run down:
| Ingredient | Rating | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | A | Tasty and high in essential amino acids for muscle strength |
| Venison | A | High in zinc and iron for energy production |
| Lamb | A | High in all essential amino acids for strength |
| Southern blue whiting | A | Low in fat and high in protein New Zealand fish |
| Hoki | A | Another low fat fish high in protein |
| Beef kidney | A | Rich in B vitamins, for energy production |
| Lamb tripe | A | Inside lining of stomach high in selenium for joint health |
| Beef heart | A | High in Vitamin B12 |
| Venison lung | A | High in protein and fat |
| Lamb lung | A | High in iron for energy production |
Ingredients: 10/10
Taste
Ok.
I tested Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Otago Valley cat food to my cat Felicia who enjoyed the smell, but took her time.
When I left, the rest of the food was eaten and her kittens also enjoyed it.
Customers online are mostly positive for this cat food.
Other notes:
- Faint meat smell
- Easy to chew
- Small squares
Here are the results of testing Ziwi Peak with our cat Felicia:
- Product Test: Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Otago Valley
- Amount Eaten: 70%
- Time to Finish Eating: ~5 minutes
- Food Appearance: Crunchy, small meaty squares
- Smell: Meaty smell that isn’t too strong
Taste: 6/10
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ziwi Peak Too High in Protein?
No.
Ziwi Peak is between 43-64% protein (dry matter). In the wild, cats eat ~52% protein (dry matter) from prey.
AAFCO recommends cat food with at least 30% protein (dry matter).
There’s is no evidence of adverse health effects of high protein intakes.
Cats with kidney disease may need a protein restricted diet for kidney protection.
Learn More:
Is Ziwi Peak Cat Food Good for Kittens?
Yes.
All Ziwi Peak cat foods meet the AAFCO guidelines for all life stages. This it has the nutrients needed for kittens, adults and senior cats.
Kittens need a higher protein and fat diet. They also need calcium to help with bone development.
Ziwi Peak offers these benefits to kittens.
Learn More:
Does Ziwi Peak With Water Mix?
Yes.
Ziwi Peak wet cat food contains over 75% water. You can add more at your cats discretion.
Is Ziwi Peak a Complete Meal?
Yes.
All Ziwi Peak cat foods offer complete nutrition for all life stages. This means you can feed your cat Ziwi Peak as a sole food source.
Is Ziwi Owned by China?
Yes.
Chinese private equity company FountainVest Partners acquired Ziwi Peak in 2021.
There is not much other information about the acquisition. By all reports, the cat food is still made and produced in New Zealand.
Conclusion
Good.
Ziwi Peak is suited to cats of any age, and is chock full of grass-fed animal produce.
The main downside is the steep price and mixed taste results.
Best for:
- Senior cat weight gain
- Kidney health
- Allergies
Where to find Ziwi Peak?
