Rachael Ray Cat Food is a popular brand that was created with a vision of bringing something new to the table. This brand promises to bring quality that will nourish your cat, all at an affordable price that pet owners can access.In this article we’ll discuss the specifics of Rachael Ray Cat food, and discuss each product in detail.
Quick Review: Top-6 Cat Foods From Rachael Ray
History of Rachael Ray Cat Food
Rachael Ray Cat Food was created when Ainsworth Pet Nutrition and Rachael Ray teamed up to help bring something different to the pet food industry. This food was created in a time where pet food recalls were at a high, so consumers were excited to welcome a new brand.
Ainsworth had previously focuses on value nutrition, but knew it was time to move into the world of premium nutrition at a more affordable price. With teaming up with the well known animal advocate Rachael Ray, they were able to achieve this goal with a large amount of support.
Along with this brand’s ability to deliver premium nutrition at a price that everyone can afford, is the brand’s involvement in animal charities. Proceeds from each purchase go toward animal charities, and has helped to raise millions towards multiple animal welfare charities.
Ingredients that Rachael Ray’s Cat Food Focuses On
Rachael ray’s Cat Food focuses on offering premium ingredients for pet owners of all budgets. Each recipe aims to deliver ingredients that will nourish your cat and bring you comfort that your cat is eating something that fulfills their dietary needs.
This brands protein comes from animal meat, poultry, eggs, and fish, and also delivers vitamins and antioxidants from vegetables and fruit. With an array of dry and wet food options, customers and their cats seem to really love this food.
What options does Rachael Ray’s Cat Food offer?
Rachael Ray Cat Food currently offers 4 lines of cat food in dry and wet form. These options include:
- Rachael Ray Nutrish: This line of food offers real meat or fish as the first line of protein. It promises to never include and poultry byproduct meal or artificial ingredients, so you can trust that your cat is nourished with natural ingredients.
- Rachael Ray Peak: This line of offers high protein dry food without the addition of any gluten or fillers.
- Rachael Ray Zero Grains: This line of food offers real meat or fish as the first line of protein, with a zero grain promise. This diet offers balanced nutrition for the feline friends who cannot tolerate other diets that include grain.
- Rachael Ray Purrfect Broths & Entrees: This food has the same premium qualities as Nutrish but in a broth and soft food form.
Each line of cat food has a variety of flavors that are sure to satisfy the taste buds of each individual cat.
What do customers think about Rachael Ray Cat Food?
Since Rachael Ray is a well known brand, there are thousands of reviews that can help you make your decision about this diet. Below are a few reviews of the Rachael Ray Cat Food brand:
Positive Reviews
“My cat ADORES this product. IN fact, she snubs her nose now at anything less. So, I’m hooked on RRays’ products for my cat. My cat hates wet food, too, so this is wonderful.
The kibble size is perfect for cats. It’s a nice dark color with a very fishy smell that is appealing for my cat.”
“This food has changed my cats COMPLETELY! I have 4 of them and have been wanting to change their food from Purina One to something else for a while. I did a lot of research and saw the reviews for this one so I thought I’d give it a try. I followed the feeding directions by starting with 25% Nutrish/75% Purina One and my husband and I were shocked how different our cats started acting just within the first 3 days. That was with only 25% of the Nutrish! They all seemed to be a lot more active and their coats completely changed. I thought my cats were just fine with Purina One before but now I feel awful that I didn’t switch sooner. I’ve also noticed that they don’t seem to need to eat as much because the food is more nutrient based and not just fillers and Nutrish is actually cheaper than what I was paying for Purina One. They’ve now been eating it for well over a month and I’m just amazed at how much of a difference it made. They play with us and each other more and just seem to have an overall healthier life.”
“I was feeding another brand called 4Health for the past year, and my cat seemed to be getting increasingly tired of it. Due to some occasional puking issues and overall disinterest in the other dry food, I decided to switch brands and try out Nutrish to see how she responded. My 14 year old cat was so excited about it that she dove head first into the bin as I was filling it! She has been eating it for about 2 months now with no issues and no sickness. The kibbles are a nice size (smaller than the previous brand I was feeding) and very easy to store/feed. I occasionally mix things up and feed wet foods but primarily feed Nutrish. A+ rating from me!”
Negative Reviews
“It says corn free but has Corn Gluten Meal in the ingredient list? That’s derived from corn, it’s a by-product of corn. Haven’t done a ton of research but technically this isn’t a corn-free food.”
“Thought this would be a great natural food for my (cat) boys. But as soon as I started to feed this food to one of my cats he was itching non stop. I stopped giving it to him for a day and he stopped scratching. I thought this was an all natural food but saw one main ingredient is corn gluten meal. Sad to say it was a waste of money”
Rachael Ray Cat Food Recalls
Below is a list of all recent Rachael Ray Cat Food recalls.
2015: Multiple Rachel Ray food products were pulled from the shelves due to high levels of Vitamin D in their products.
2018: In 2018 a customer filed a $5million dollar class action lawsuit against the Rachael Ray brand. The reason behind the lawsuit was due to the mislabeling of products by claiming that the foods are “natural”. Lab testing showed that the food did indeed contain traces of an undisclosed herbicide called glyphosate. This lawsuit was not about the effects of this chemical, but instead about the mislabeling of products that claim to be all natural and free of chemicals.
Rachael Ray Cat Food Product Breakdown
- Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken & Brown Rice
Pros
- Chicken is the #1 ingredient.
- Minerals and antioxidants from vegetables
- Free of artificial flavors or preservatives
- Cats love the taste of this food
Cons
- Some claim that the carbohydrate content is a bit high for cats
- Does contain chicken, so cats with poultry allergies may not be able to enjoy this food.
- Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete Chicken & Salmon
Pros
- Chicken and chicken meal are the first ingredients
- Rich in fiber that can help to prevent hairballs
- Free of any artificial flavors or preservatives
- Cats love the taste
Cons
- Some claim that the carbohydrate content is a bit high for cats
- Does contain chicken, so cats with poultry allergies may not be able to enjoy this food.
- Rachel Ray Nutrish Zero Grain Indoor Whitefish
Pros
- Grain and gluten free
- Whitefish is the first ingredient
- Helps to keep weight under control
- Made specifically with indoor cats in mind
Cons
- Some claim that the carbohydrate content is a bit high for cats
- Does contain chicken, so cats with poultry allergies may not be able to enjoy this food.
- Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Open Water Recipe
Pros
- Salmon is the first ingredient
- 40% higher protein than other diets
- Cats love the taste
Cons
- Does contain chicken meal, so cats with poultry allergies may not be able to enjoy this food.
- Rachel Ray Nutrish Wet Food Chicken
Pros
- Chicken is the #1 ingredient
- Shredded chicken throughout the chicken sauce
- Grain free for cats with grain allergies
- Cats love the taste
Pros
- Does contain chicken meal, so cats with poultry allergies may not be able to enjoy this food.
- Rachael Ray Nutrish Purrfect Entree Fin-tastic
Pros
- Customers discuss just how much their cats love the taste
- Packed with chunks of tuna and savory veggies
- Grain free
Cons
- Some claim that this food is high in carbohydrates.
*A portion of the proceeds from each purchase of Nutrish is donated to the Rachael Ray foundation. This foundation helps animals in need by donating food, medical supplies, money for treatment, and more!
FAQ
Do cats need to eat protein from meat sources?
Yes, cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they depend on protein from animal tissues. Cats depend on animal sourced protein and taurine to perform their metabolic functions, and will not be able to survive on plant proteins alone.
How can I avoid an upset stomach when I switch my cat to a new food?
When you switch your cat to a new food, it’s important to take this process slowly. If you abruptly switch them from one food to another, you risk causing them to have diarrhea, vomiting, and a number of other gastrointestinal symptoms. Start by slowly combining the food over the time span of two weeks. Each day add more and more of the new food to their old food until you have completely transitioned to the new diet.
How long can I store canned food after it’s been opened?
Canned food can be stored for up to 3 days as long as it’s covered and in the fridge. Leaving out a can of food can invite bacteria which could cause your cat to become extremely ill. If you are unsure how long a can of food has been out after it’s been opened, it’s best to just throw it away.
