Taste of the Wild Cat Food Reviews: Top 5 Formulas Ranked & Compared

In this Taste of the Wild cat food reviews, we will be discussing what makes Taste of the Wild cat food different from other brands, variants offered, and if there are any safety issues you should be paying attention to.

Taste of the Wild cat food is a line of pet sustenance that appeals to the undomesticated palate of your furry companion. Question is, should you heed the call of the wild when it comes to your feline pal’s nutrition?

According to the company, key ingredients in their pet food line include roasted venison, roasted duck, smoked trout, smoked salmon, quail, and Angus beef. These proteins are said to be similar to what cats’ ancestors would have eaten in the wild.

The brand believes that giving felines nutrition similar to the diet of their ancestors will be optimal for their health.

For some, attempting to entice felines with wild flavors may seem far fetched, but have you noticed your kitty’s behavior when it comes to your food? You may sometimes notice that they try to steal something off your plate while other times, they won’t even give it a second look.

Next time you’re eating, take note of which cuisines interest them and which ones don’t. There’s a good chance that they’re trying to take food high in protein like meat or fish. After all, before becoming domesticated, kitties are known to hunt for their food in the wild.

Taste of the Wild Cat Food Reviews

Taste of the wild cat food is available in wet and dry food. There are various reasons for choosing one over the other, but it all comes down to your kitties’ preferences.

Canned Taste of the Wild cat food contains chunks of meat and vegetables that have been fortified with vitamins and minerals. These protein cubes are covered in gravy. The sauce not only makes it easy to go down, but it also heightens flavor intensity.

1. Roasted Venison & Smoke-Flavored Salmon

The Rocky Mountain is home to some great big felines like cougars and bobcats. It is also a stomping ground for their prey which includes elks and deers, great sources for venison.

What’s in it

Aside from roasted venison, protein sources include smoked salmon, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, pea protein, potato protein. This recipe also contains peas, sweet potatoes, chicken fat, dried chicory root, tomatoes, yucca schidigera extract, blueberries and raspberries, which provide vitamins and minerals to your kitty’s diet.

To top things off, it also has probiotics that aid in keeping your pet’s digestive tract running smoothly and healthy. Amino acids, like taurine, are also present which keeps eyes and heart, healthy.

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2. Salmon & Venison in Gravy

If you like the ingredients of the kibble above, but your cat prefers wet foods, check this canned food variant out.

What’s in it

Just like the dry food version, it uses roasted venison and salmon as the primary protein sources. Other proteins include fish broth, chicken broth, chicken liver, chicken, dried egg whites and ocean fish.

It also features ingredients that bump up its vitamin and mineral content, including yucca schidigera extract, raspberries, tomatoes, and blueberries. It also has amino acids from copper and manganese chelate.

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3. Canyon River Trout & Smoke-Flavored Salmon

The low-lying area of the Canyon River is rich with protein-sources in and out of the water. If your feline companion loves fish, this Taste of the Wild cat food variant may just be the right fit.

What’s in it

The key ingredients in this formulation are trout and smoked salmon. Both fish are excellent sources of fatty acids that promote healthy skin and fur. Other sources of protein include ocean fish meal, pea protein, and potato protein.

As for vitamins and minerals, sources of it include raspberries, blueberries, yucca schidigera extract, and dried chicory root. It also has fermentation products that aim to keep the digestive tract healthy.

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4. Canyon River Feline Recipe with Trout & Salmon in Gravy

If you love the content of the Canyon River dry food, but your furry pal is more fond of chowing down wet cat food, then this variant may just be what you need.

What’s in it

The primary protein source for this canned food is trout and smoked salmon. It also contains broth from fish, vegetable, and ocean fish, which gives it flavor and moisture.

Other ingredients include dried egg product, potato starch, pea flour, carrots, guar gum, natural flavor, sunflower oil, sweet potatoes, sodium phosphate, salt, potassium chloride, inulin, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, taurine, DL-methionine, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate, yucca schidigera extract, vitamin E supplement, sodium selenite, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid.

Amino acids from iron, zinc, copper, and manganese chelate are also present.

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5. Lowland Creek Premium Real Meat Recipe

If your feline fancies a subtler flavor profile, one other option is this variant that contains protein from flying animals.

What's in it

Its main protein comes from roasted quail and duck. It also contains duck meal, turkey meal, chicken meal, and lentils for muscle building. As for binders and carbohydrates, it has sweet potatoes and peas.

Other animal byproducts include salmon oil and chicken fat. To complete their nutritional needs, this variant also has DL-methionine, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, taurine, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, and dried chicory root, among other vitamin and mineral supplements.

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Taste of the Wild PREY

Taste of the Wild offers a special variant called PREY. What makes it different is that it caters to felines with food sensitivities. It has fewer additives, focusing on the protein sources and essential vitamins and minerals that support bodily functions.

Taste of the Wild PREY cat food comes in two flavors: Angus Beef and Turkey. Aside from these proteins, its two other vital ingredients include lentils and sunflower oil. A lentil is a legume that is high in fiber but low in fat and calories.

It is also a good source of protein. The third key ingredient is sunflower oil. This oil is rich in Vitamins A, B, D, and E, and omega fatty acids that are all important in maintaining healthy skin and shiny fur.

Though it still has supplements and probiotics found in other Taste of the Wild cat foods, its carbohydrate sources are significantly reduced. Taste of the Wild PREY cat food doesn’t contain potatoes or sweet potatoes. It also lacks potato protein, chicken fat, and chicken meal found in other non-PREY variants.

Brand background and manufacturing

Taste of the Wild is a line of pet food manufactured by Diamond Pet Food Inc., which is owned by Schell and Kampeter, Inc. They have advanced facilities located in California, Missouri, Arkansas, and South Carolina to process and prepare ingredients for their offerings.

Components they use are sourced from both local and international suppliers to ensure they are of high quality, and it allows them to meet market demands.

Give wet cat food if:

• Your kitty doesn’t drink enough water. Wet cat food contains 60% more water compared to kibble. This ensures that your kitty stays hydrated. Dehydration in felines, like other mammals, can result in kidney failure and other health issues.
• Your feline is a picky eater. Wet food can be quite appealing to cats since it has different textures – solid bits for them to nibble on mixed with a flavorful gravy.

Remember! Because wet food spoils quickly, you should refrigerate leftovers, so it doesn’t go to waste. You can give their leftover wet cat food during their next feeding.

Give kibble if:

• Your furry pal is a messy eater. If you have a quirky feline that tends to paw at his food while eating, then giving him kibbles would be best. Trust me, cleaning up spilled cat food off the floor is way easier compared to cleaning spilled wet food.
• Your kitty likes to portion his meals. Some kitties don’t eat their food in one seating. Some prefer to eat a few bites, go about their merry way playing and wreaking havoc in your abode, and then going back for more when they get hungry again. Since kibbles are dry, they won’t spoil even when left out for long periods. Your wallet will surely thank you if you choose it. 

Remember! Dry foods are densely packed, which means a cup of dry cat food has more calories compared to a cup of wet cat food. This should be kept in mind to avoid overfeeding them.

What to look for in cat foods?

We love our fur babies; thus, we do our best to give them food that would satisfy them. But this may not always be ideal. Allowing them to take a slice of pizza off our plate may look cute, and they would appear contented after chowing it down, BUT that slice could result in digestive problems a.k.a vomit on the carpet.

To avoid this, be sure to give them food with quality ingredients. Felines are carnivorous, which means their primary source of protein is animal meat. Giving them chicken, fish, or steak will keep their system running smoothly. But giving them prime cuts of protein can get expensive, really quick.

The next best option is purchasing either wet or dry cat food or both. But that doesn’t mean merely picking up any bag or can of pet food. You need to check labels for ingredients to be sure that it is mostly made out of protein.

Be careful of pet foods with a lot of carbohydrates, especially grains. As mentioned above, grains can cause skin and digestive allergies in some felines that cannot tolerate ingesting them. Two ingredients you should watch out for are wheat and corn. On another note, potatoes and sweet potatoes are good for cats so be sure to take not of carbohydrate sources in cat foods.

Now you’re probably asking, ‘If grains are bad for kitties, then why do dry cat foods use them?’ Grains serve as a binder in kibbles, allowing manufacturers to densely-pack them. They also serve as an extender or a way to bulk up food while cutting costs. But there are other kitty-food-friendly binders like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and peas that can be used instead. Chicken meal also serves as a binding agent, especially in dry pet food.

So, which brand offers such pet foods? Taste of the Wild cat food.

The ingredients

In the wilderness, prey on small animals like mice, rodents, frogs, squirrels, fishes – devouring every bit of them, from head to tail, to get proper sustenance. Today, Some owners give raw meat to their kitties as a way of mimicking a feral diet. However, not everyone is keen on giving raw protein to their cat, much less feeding them live bait, for that matter.

This is where Taste of the Wild food for kitties comes in. A review of its key ingredients reveals that the brand's kibbles and wet food contain protein from animals like trout, deer, elk salmon, duck, cow, and turkey. They provide protein, needed to support growth and development of kittens while also delivering proper nutrition for adults and senior felines.

Taste of the Wild feline food is offered in both dry cat food and wet food to accommodate the various needs of your feline pal.

Is it grain-free?

Some terms you’d immediately see in a bag or can of Taste of the Wild cat food is “grain-free.” But why should this matter to pet owners? As dutiful companions of our furry pals, we want to give them the best to ensure that they stay healthy throughout their lives.

According to historians and researchers, kitties are obligate carnivores. That means that their body is more suited to using meat for their protein needs. A feline’s digestive tract is shorter compared to other mammals that eat a plant-based diet. The short length of their digestive tracts means that kitties can easily digest protein from animals, especially if it's raw, compared to grain.

If you think plants are easy to digest, a good example to look at are cows. They have four stomachs, making it possible for them to digest grass. Now, imagine feeding your felines something they are not supposed to be eating, how do you think their stomach will react?

At one point or another, you may have noticed your cats become gassy, or become constipated for a few days. In some cases, you may have experienced projectile vomiting or diarrhea from your kitties. Though these symptoms are a cause for concern, in most cases, it can be as simple as the food they are eating doesn’t suit them.

Having grain or high concentration of carbohydrates in their diet can also result in cats becoming overweight. Carbohydrates are simple sugars that turn into stored fat if not properly utilized. Also, grains have been identified as culprits in digestive and skin allergies in felines. It is best to avoid giving your kitties food rich in grain.

Which is the best Taste of the Wild flavor?

This depends on your kitties. Do they prefer roasted venison, turkey, salmon, trout, or duck? Taste of the Wild cat foods come in PREY, Rocky Mountain, Canyon River, and Lowland Creek variants. PREY is offered in Angus beef and turkey flavors while Rocky Mountain features salmon and roasted venison as its main ingredients.

Fish lovers will enjoy trout and salmon found in the Canyon River variant, while the Lowland Creek offering features protein from duck and quail. Just note that some of the non-PREY variants have additional components like sweet potatoes and chicken meal, which you may or may not consider for your cat's sustenance.

Recalls and safety issues

Taste of the Wild cat food is carefully manufactured in various plants in the U.S. However, in 2012, it recalled thousands of cat and dog foods. The units were believed to have tested positive for salmonella.

Salmonella in felines causes gastroenteritis and blood poisoning, which could lead to death. Another reason to be wary of salmonella is that it can be passed from cats to humans.

Since 2012, there have been no other recalls issued by Taste of the Wild.

So, is it safe to feed Taste of the Wild to your feline companion? The answer is YES.

Food for kitten

The brand aims to make the lives of cats and cat parents alike as easy as possible. To ensure this, Taste of the Wild formulated all its wet and dry cat food to provide the proper nutrition needed by cats of all ages.

Taste of the Wild cat foods contains Vitamins A, B, D, and E which are all needed for the proper growth and development of kittens. It also has fatty acid ingredients known to aid in the development of brain and eye functions in young mammals.

Main salmon ingredients

Taste of the Wild cat foods comes in various flavors. But regardless of its main protein, all of them contain meat from salmon, or a form of it, like salmon oil or its broth. Salmon is a good source of DHA, an Omega-3 fatty acid. Like in humans, DHA is known for its benefits in brain and eyesight development.

Chunks in their canned foods

It’s easy to assume that the chunks in every can of Taste of the Wild wet cat food is made of pure animal protein. But according to the brand, the cubes are a combination of meat and vegetables. They are also infused with supplements of vitamins and minerals. The chunks bathe in flavorful gravy that makes it easy to eat.

If your cats prefer pâté to chunks, you can add a bit of water to the cubes and gravy then puree it. It will result in a pâté-like consistency that your feline pal can easily lap up.

Parting Words

To sum it all up, this brand stands out for its focus on high-quality, protein-rich recipes inspired by a cat’s natural diet.

With a variety of grain-free options and novel proteins like venison and trout, it caters to both picky eaters and those with sensitive stomachs.

While it may not be the absolute best fit for every feline, its blend of nutrition, flavor, and affordability makes it a strong contender for pet parents seeking a more natural, nutrient-dense choice.

Ultimately, if you're looking for a cat food that mirrors the wild while being backed by science, Taste of the Wild is worth serious consideration.