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Orijen Cat Food is considered a very high end brand and as such, many cat owners find the price to be too high. However, Orijen also has a fantastic reputation for providing high quality ingredients that are locally sourced. Orijen was founded in 1985 by Champion Pet Foods. The company believes in producing “biologically appropriate” dog and cat foods. They own their own manufacturing plant in Alberta, Canada and source most of their ingredients from the local area.
Even with the higher price of this food, their online reputation is excellent and there have been no reported recalls as per the FDA. It is a bit difficult to find their products as they aren’t carried in most grocery stores, however, many speciality pet food stores do carry the products and it can also be purchased online. Touted as some of the best pet food in the industry, they have a very loyal following.
Below, you will find an analysis of the top 10 ingredients in this food. Please let us know what you think of this food by using our rating system above and by also leaving a comment below this article. We want to know what you think!
List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food
Whole salmon*, whole herring*, salmon meal, herring meal, Pollock meal, whole flounder*, boneless walleye*, boneless northern pike*, boneless lake whitefish*, salmon oil, herring oil, chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, green peas, pea fibre, canola oil, sun-cured alfalfa, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, cranberries*, mixed tocopheral.
Top 5 Ingredients Analysis
Whole salmon
Salmon is an excellent source of high quality proteins for cats and is extremely rich in healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Some people worry about mercury levels in fish. It’s true that all fish contains some degree of mercury, the level in salmon is much lower than other types of fish and the FDA doesn’t believe it is cause for concern. Most salmon in cat food is farmed salmon, but higher end cat food (especially those labeled “natural”) can often times be fished from natural lakes and streams. The biggest problem with fish ingredients, including salmon, is if the fish includes an antioxidant called ethoxyquin (EMQ). It is believe that ethoxyquin could be very harmful to cats and other animals. Always make sure you are using “Ethoxyquin free” cat food blends when they include fish ingredients. When in doubt, call the customer service number and ask.
Whole herring
Herring is a silvery fish that is most abundant in coastal waters. Fish provides an excellent source of proteins as well as high amounts of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Some people worry about mercury levels in fish. It’s true that all fish contains some degree of mercury, the level in salmon is much lower than other types of fish and the FDA doesn’t believe it causes any problems. Most herring in cat food is likely farmed herring, but higher end cat food (especially those labeled “natural”) can often times be fished from natural environments. The biggest problem with fish ingredients, including herring, is if the fish includes an antioxidant called ethoxyquin (EMQ). It is believe that ethoxyquin could be very harmful to cats and other animals. Always make sure you are using “Ethoxyquin free” cat food blends when they include fish ingredients. When in doubt, call the customer service number and ask.
Salmon meal
Salmon is an excellent source of high quality proteins for cats and is extremely rich in healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Some people worry about mercury levels in fish. It’s true that all fish contains some degree of mercury, the level in salmon is much lower than other types of fish and the FDA doesn’t believe it causes any problems at all. Most salmon in cat food is farmed salmon, but higher end cat food (especially those labeled “natural”) can often times be fished from natural lakes and streams. The biggest problem with fish ingredients, including salmon, is if the fish includes an antioxidant called ethoxyquin (EMQ). It is believe that ethoxyquin could be very harmful to cats and other animals. Always make sure you are using “Ethoxyquin free” cat food blends when they include fish ingredients. When in doubt, call the customer service number and ask.
Herring meal
Herring is a silvery fish that is most abundant in coastal waters. Fish provides an excellent source of proteins as well as high amounts of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Some people worry about mercury levels in fish. It’s true that all fish contains some degree of mercury, the level in salmon is much lower than other types of fish and the FDA doesn’t believe it causes any problems. Most herring in cat food is likely farmed herring, but higher end cat food (especially those labeled “natural”) can often times be fished from natural environments. The biggest problem with fish ingredients, including herring, is if the fish includes an antioxidant called ethoxyquin (EMQ). It is believe that ethoxyquin could be very harmful to cats and other animals. Always make sure you are using “Ethoxyquin free” cat food blends when they include fish ingredients. When in doubt, call the customer service number and ask.
Pollock meal
Pollack is a greenish-brown fish of the cod family. Like just about any other type of fish, cats gain quite a bit of protein value from this ingredient and can also make good use of the healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Since all fish contains trace levels of mercury, many cat owners like to shy away from fish based products. However, to date the FDA and EPA indicate mercury levels are still within safe limits.
Additional Ingredients Of Interest
Whole flounder
Flounder is a popular fish found on the ocean floor in many places in the world. Many types of fish naturally contain low levels of mercury, including in flounder, which makes some cat owners a bit worried about long-term and extended exposure. However, the FDA claims there is little to no risk and this ingredient does supply a healthy amount of essential fatty acids as well as meat proteins.
Boneless walleye
Walleye is a popular fish for both human and pet foods. Unfortunately, many of the fish products used in pet foods are from “fish waste” products (heads, scales, etc). While these ingredients aren’t necessarily bad for your cat, fish ingredients in pet food may lack some of the most beneficial parts of the fish. Some fish comes from fish farms as well. Otherwise, this ingredient should supply some healthy fat sources and help boost the protein levels in the food.
Boneless northern pike
A northern pike is a popular fish that is found in fresh water lakes around the world, but especially throughout the United States. This ingredient will supply a great amount of essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Some cat owners worry about the long-term effects of fish products since all fish contains some level of mercury naturally. However, the FDA claims mercury levels are too low to pose any health threats.
Boneless lake whitefish
Whitefish is a species of tilefish native to the eastern Pacific Ocean. This ingredient is likely included for its protein content as well as very healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. While this ingredient probably isn’t something most cats would eat in a natural or wild environment, the ingredient does contain some very essential nutrient sources. Some cat owners worry about the mercury content in fish since all fish contains some level of mercury, but the health risk is considered to be pretty low.
Salmon oil
Any type of fish oil will produce some very high quality fatty acids, namely omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Even though cats do not digest many sea food ingredients in the wild, most people consider this to be a higher quality ingredient. There is some concern about the mercury levels in fish, but so far the FDA claims mercury levels in fish are safe for humans and pets.
