Dec. 21, 2024
EVO Cat Food Reviews
| Top 5 Ingredients* |
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| Artificial Ingredients | No |
| Contains By-products | No |
| Price Range | $$ |
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*EVO Turkey & Chicken Formula Dry Cat and Kitten Food was selected as the recipe for this ingredient list
| |
- high-quality proteins
- no grains
- fruits
- vegetables
- none
Our Analysis
The Word on the Street...
Reviews of EVO Cat Food are extremely positive overall. Cats cannot seem to get enough of the enticing flavors, which include turkey and chicken, herring and salmon, venison, and beef. Owners report that after a few months of eating EVO food, their cats are more energetic, leaner, and have clear eyes, healthy skin, soft fur, and more defined muscles.
Some owners have even commented that their cat’s stools are harder and more compact than before they started eating the food. The high levels of protein and lack of grains in EVO formulas seem to be a winning combination for many cats. However, some pet owners claim that their cats have a hard time adjusting to the high levels of protein in the food, and some suffer stomach upset as a result. A few owners have had to slowly introduce the food into their cat’s diet in order to see optimum results.
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http://www.catster.com/cats/1048446
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More Information
EVO Cat Food
EVO cat food has gotten a great reputation among many cat owners. Made by the popular company Natura Pet, EVO cat food is one of the first options for many cat owners. However, since Natura Pet was acquired by Procter & Gamble, has anything changed about EVO cat food? Is EVO cat food a good choice for your cat? What are some other cat owners saying about EVO cat food? Learn more about EVO brand cat food here!
Who Makes EVO Cat Food?
The company who makes EVO cat food is called Natura Pet Products. Natura Pet is a popular pet food company, who owns brands such as California Natural, Karma and Innova. Natura Pet was founded in 1989, in Santa Clara, CA. Natura Pet was purchased by Procter & Gamble in 2010, which caused a stir among their loyal fans. In general, Procter & Gamble is associated with poor quality pet food products. So far, there have been no noticeable changes to Natura Pet Products, either in their formulas or their website, and we are hoping that this does not change in the future.
EVO Cat Food Recall
In March 2013, Natura recalled specific formulas of EVO cat food due to Salmonella found in one of the products. Please read about the recall on our blog.
On April 19, 2013, Natura expanded the recall for all dry food and treats. You can read about it on our blog.
In order to make sure that your cat’s food is safe, it’s always highly recommended that you check the FDA’s pet food recall website. This will help you to stay updated on the latest pet food recall information.
EVO Cat Food Ingredients
EVO currently has both grain free dry and canned cat food. All of the foods have high-quality proteins are all natural. Whole fruits and vegetables are added to supplement the missing minerals, vitamins and fiber.
EVO Allergies
There are no significant ingredients in EVO cat food that are known to commonly cause allergies in cats. Since EVO is grain-free, this eliminates the high-carbohydrate ingredients that are often the cause of digestive problems in cats. However, if your cat has a specific allergy, you should always read the ingredients of any cat food formula.
EVO Recipes:
- Turkey & Chicken Formula Dry Cat and Kitten Food
- Herring & Salmon Formula Dry Cat Food
- Weight Management Dry Cat Food
EVO Canned Recipes
- Turkey & Chicken Formula Canned Cat and Kitten Food
- Chicken & Turkey Canned Cat Food
- Beef Canned Cat Food
- Venison Canned Cat Food
- Duck Canned Cat Food
EVO Consumer Info
Where can I buy EVO?
You may be wondering, “Where can I buy EVO Cat Food?”. To assist you, we have included links on the specific EVO formula pages to purchase EVO cat food.
How much EVO should I feed my cat?
A common question that many pet owners have, is “How much EVO cat food should I feed my cat?”. Since the answer is dependent on several factors (such as your cat’s age, weight, activity level, etc) always follow the specific instructions on your formula’s packaging.
EVO Cat Food Coupons
Sometimes, pet food manufacturing companies will offer us coupons to share on our site. Are you searching for EVO cat food printable coupons? We will let you know when they are available! Please check back soon for EVO cat food coupons!
Ingredient List*
EVO Cat Food Ingredient List
Cat Food Coupons
- For first time customers only.
- On your 1st delivery - Use code 12OFF
- New Customers Only
- Enter code AF5BUCKS at OnlyNaturalPet.com!
- Use coupon code FBTAKE15 at checkout.
Has anyone experienced constipation with this new formula? I tried Young Again but was having diarrhea issues so switched to Evo. Now they are constipated.
Natura has pulled all of their products out of Canada. My cats ate the EVO wet and the Health Wise dry. Now I am stuck trying to find alternatives for my picky pants 14 year old cats. So frustrating.
The ingredients on the wet food can list “Carrageenan” fifth. Please post ingredients on this website for wet food as well.
BEWARE: Evo has recently changed its ingredients. The top are now: Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Meal, ***TAPIOCA STARCH, Chicken Fat
I believe the change happened at the same time as the bag design change.
The starch–which seems to be some sort of gluten free flour (how is this still grain free?) was never in the food previously, and as of right now I believe the sudden, unwarranted change sent my ferret into the vets on an emergency gastrointestinal upset (as the change occurred in the ferret variety as well).
Between the Salmonella outbreaks, and now this, I have lost total faith in this company and am in the market for a better quality food.
I just recently went back to Evo and ever since my cats have had bouts of constipation. I’m wondering if it may be the addition of the tapioca starch…
It probably is. I am actually a fan of tapioca starch for cats with sensitive stomachs as it seems to be a lot more palatable and to slow digestion down. I think they probably changed it to tapioca starch because their formula has a high fat % and some cats were experiencing a little bit runny consistency (from what I’ve read) due to the fat. Who really know’s what’s best, but I feel like tapioca starch is better than many other grains and carbs and I’m pretty okay with it as foods that contain it seem to really help regulate one of my cats. Most of the rest of them get raw, but raw never sat well with him.
Tapioca comes from a root, hence the company can still claim the grain-free label. However, be aware that tapioca is all carbohydrates (!) and has very little nutritional value
I, like Lynn, have a diabetic cat; has been for 3-4 years. After searching long and hard for a low carb dry food I found the “Janet & Binky” list of all wet and dry food and their carb contents. EVO is definetly the lowest in carbs for dry foods <10% which is a must for any cat. I feed EVO dry food along with Purina Fancy Feast wet food that is gluten free. My cat was on 5 units of insulin. He is now down to 2 units. I firmly believe this is due to the low carb EVO and the low carb wet food. My cats sometime throw up their food, but it's usually due to eating too fast. I have 4 cats and they are all on EVO and wet food. I have nothing bad to say about this food so far. My research into cat obesity and diabetis points to high carbs in almost ALL dry foods and many wet foods, as the cause. It's time for cat food manufacturers to get with the program. Cats are NOT dogs or cows. Take the corn, potatoes, tapioca, rice,etc out of our cat foods. When did you see a cat digging up a potato to eat? At least EVO is close to being the perfect food for cats. I'm sorry that so many have had problems with this food. Basically, no cat should eat dry foods, but they love them and it's easy for us. Want to know more? Google "diabetis in cats" and read what some vets have to say about dry food.
This is the only website I’ve been to that has consistently negative reviews for Evo. If you read some of them carefully, you can tell some of them are exaggerations or outright lies (e.g., cat food does *NOT* cause feline stomatitis). Must be because anybody can submit a comment on this website and disguise who they are (i.e., multiple submissions are not only possible, but easy to make).
At any rate, I’ve been feeding my overweight cats EVO for the past 2 months and have seen a huge difference in their lifestyles. They’ve both lost some weight (few ounces), their coats are silky like a mink, and their energy levels are unbelievable! They are acting like kittens again, so it’s great to see them be so active again without my having to prod them with toys (probably the other reason for their weight loss). The difference was like night and day after I started feeding them Evo, and I’ll continue feeding them Evo for a long time.
My cat was diagnosed with diabetes last christmas. I searched and found what I thought was a great dry food for him – EVO. No problems switching him, and he seemed to like it. I saw no outward issues for a long while, and he even went into remission. I thought that was awesome, he would be diet controlled. 4 months later, he’s out of remission, has such bad mouth sores and infection, is throwing up and has diarrhea. I knew about the recalls and had chucked those bags and purchased post recall supplies. He’s still quite sick on the stuff, and now has to have all his teeth removed on top of it all. He’s on anti-biotics, back on insulin, and most definately OFF the EVO. I will never buy the stuff again.
I had no idea EVO sold out to the horrid Proctor and Gamble corporation until the pet store told me recently. I will never buy EVO again – it’s no longer made by a small family owned business and their product bags certainly do not mention P&G affiliation. My elderly cat with health problems started throwing up after this last bag. Switched to Taste of the Wild and the vomiting stopped.
Evo and Taste of the Wild made at the same processing plant in South Carolina. I would switch to Fromm or Acanna
My cat loves EVO Turkey and Chicken.
Because of the recall I couldn’t find it anymore,
my cat doesn’t like other kinds of cat food, I was wondering when can I get the cat food from EVO?
We’ve stopped selling it at the clinic I work for. The company was dragging it’s feet on replacing the recalled product, which factored-in to our decision to stop selling it. Orijen makes a comparable food, if you’re interested in switching… hope that helps :/ I was equally disappointed because my kittens were doing so well on it.
This is Natura’s 2nd recall. At $50 for a 15 lb. bag I expect it to be safe. I’m DONE with Natura and will try to find another quality, SAFE food.
EVO was not for my cat and the wet food was not for my dog because he had an upset stomach from it. Who is rating this stuff high? My cat would not eat it and we were trying something else because she had a problem with her digestive system. DO not buy this if your cat or dog has problems with the digestive system. Buy this for those healthy dogs and cats that are fed this from the time they are pups and kittens.
What’s equally important to ingredients is the manufacturer. Recently Innova (Nutura Pet Products) was bought out by Proctor and Gamble. Iams used to be a good food until Proctor and Gamble bought them. Nutura never had product recalls and within months of being bough out by Proctor and Gamble, they had a huge Salmonella recall.
Premium diets should not only include premium ingredients but need to be manufactured properly. Those that manufacture their own foods are the best to deal with. When pet foods are manufactured at bulk plants, ingredient quality goes down and risk of contamination goes up.
Recently Natural Balance was also just bought by Del Monte. Except the quality of Natural Balance to take a dive also.
Our Bengal loves the EVO Turkey and Chicken. We’ve not had any issues based on the recall problem and hope this gets corrected sooner not later. Been on it since a kitten 4 years now. Regular visit to the vets office shows no issues based off eating EVO
Changed to Evo dry cat and kitten based on lots of research. Have 2 cats, and 1 got sick…lethargic, vomiting, etc. Took her to vet, said she had a stomach virus of some sort. Low and behold, out comes the pet food recall for Innova Evo. Sure enough, the lot number was part of the recall. This company had a great reputation until it sold out to Proctor and Gamble.Will Proctor and Gamble pay my $200 vet fee? Doubt it.This is what happens when big corps. get involved. All they care about is their bottom line. I guarentee recipes,processing and quality control have changed, regardless of what the company will tell you.
I fed my Bengal EVO Turkey and Chicken from the 2.2 lb recalled bag. He got deathly ill and 2 months later is still fragile and barely eating or moving. The company has been awful, EVO took my comments off of their Facebook page and blocked me. They have lied to me, threatened me and finally offered to pay for my first vet bill only! I have been a loyal customer of EVO for years and am so disappointed in the way they are treating me. I suppose it has to do with Proctor & Gamble and big corporations not caring for anything but $$$$!
I believe my cat, too, was sickened. Could not figure out what was wrong—not eating, losing weight—until I found out about the recall by chance. Post-recall I’m giving him EVO again, but your experience gives me pause about supporting this company. I was going to call them about my own vet bill, but now I wonder if it’s worth it . . . which is what they want, of course.
As I understand the recall, some of the food had salmonella contamination which is a bacterium, NOT a virus. If your vet told you your cat was sick from a virus, then it wasn’t from the food.
I’m feeding 7 cats Evo and I too had some of the recall food. My bag was almost gone so I fed the rest to them. I think the major concern is that the humans that handle the food and then not wash their hands can end up with salmonella.
The March 29, 2013 the FDA is withdrawing food evo and Innova for dogs and cats for possible Salmonella contamination.
THIS FOOD HAS BEEN RECALLED (Other Natura products have also been affected.)
SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION.
BEWARE.
Check out the FDA website for up to date informations on pet food recalls and alerts:
Please visit our blog to find out what pet food has been recalled. Here is the link to the Natura recall: http://petfoodtalk.com/blogs/natura-pet-food-expands-recall/
I started using EVO Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Formula Dry Cat and Kitten Food since my Kitten could eat it (she is now almost 11 mo old). I was delighted with it and how healthy & pretty Shadow is… so you can imagine how dismayed and upset I was today when I learned about the recall due to Salmonella contamination. I am horrified and sick at heart. I have 4 other cats that I had been giving it to, also. I am on the computer every day and listen to the news all the time, and I wonder why I didn’t hear about it before now. I had been purchasing the food from Petflow.com and I am also disappointed that they did not alert me to the problem either. Now all I can do is wait and watch to see if any of my animals or humans get sick, since I just want to scream!!!
From the Press Release: “Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products….Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.”
And on top of all that… now what am I to feed my cats that is of that quality?
Please publicize your recalls. My cat is extremely sick now. Beyond disappointed in your product and the case investigation thus far.
My cat eats the dry turkey and chicken formula daily. He is a big water drinker (odd for a cat, but whatever works for him haha) so I don’t worry about feeding him wet food all that often. Other than the odd wet food purchase for a treat, this is the only thing he has eaten since I got him at around 10 weeks of age.
He is now almost 6 months old and in great health. 10lbs of lean muscle! He has a beautiful, soft coat, clear eyes, and tears around our house at top speed when he’s playing. He’s incredibly talkative, friendly, and cuddly as well! EVO makes a great product and my cat loves it.
My cats ate “Fromm” no-grain dry food and Nutrience canned food for several years. I thought their gastros now and then were caused by something else other than their food. Recently my 17 y.o. Selena had bloody urine, and the 1st ultrasound revealed an extremely swollen bladder with little space to hold the urine. The vet said that my old Selena had a possible bladder cancer. She was on different types of antibiotics for 2 months, after each 10-day treatment, the problem would return. After switching to EVO canned & dry products, Selena’s 2nd ultrasound revealed a totally normal bladder just after 10 days on EVO products. The vet could not believe the ultrasound results. He told me to continue feeding my cats EVO. During the same period, my 13 y.o. cat Andrea was suffering from incontinence and extreme constipation. Bloodwork and x-rays were all negative. Andrea is now doing great since he’s been eating EVO products. I’ve noticed that two of my other cats have soft stools when eating EVO dry, so my cats eat mostly canned EVO and I always have some dry EVO on hand if the need arises.
My ten-year-old male cat has been eating EVO for most of his life. Until a few months ago, he loved it. Now he has been leaves it in the bowl and throws up what little he does eat. When I offered him the canned version, he symbolically tried to bury it, gave me a withering look and walked away. I don’t know if his rejection of the food has to do with the change to P&G, but I won’t be buying this stuff anymore.
I took away the EVO this morning and gave him some plain roast turkey for breakfast. It settled his tummy and after a nap, he asked for more, so I gave him two more pieces. It is nearly 24 hours without EVO and his appetite is back, he has stopped wheezing, and looks like the kitty I used to know: energetic, happy and playful. Thank God I found this site. Class-action suit, anybody?
I’m sorry, I must have missed the part where you mentioned the reason why the cat was refusing his kibble?
Did you take the kitty to the vet? Or did you assume that it was some sort of negligence on the part of the manufacturer?
I have always found that companies, like Natura, have been very responsive to customer concerns. I have even spoken to nutrition experts and veterinarians on their staff that have taken the time to talk with me. I have known them to make contact with local veterinarians to discuss their products. Maybe you should try to contact the company before you contact a lawyer, just saying…..
Yes, I took my cat to the vet. I’m not an idiot. He diagnosed my cat with GI lymphoma. Started chemo on the advice of another vet who said that her regimen would extend his life 20 months. Talk about snake oil salesmen…I gave this stuff to my poor kitty, but his health declined dramatically. The food they sold me smelled horrible (Science Diet AD). He wouldn’t eat it. He ate baby food for awhile, but then he quit eating at all. I told the vet he was dying. Her suggestion was to have his teeth cleaned. Unbelievable…they had already taken us for over $1000 for treatments that didn’t work. My cat died in my arms on May 16, 2013. Evo killed him and my vet dug the grave. You can’t trust ANYONE anymore.
FOLLOW-UP REPLY:
I took away the EVO this morning and gave him some plain roast turkey for breakfast. It settled his tummy and after a nap, he asked for more, so I gave him two more pieces. It is nearly 24 hours without EVO and his appetite is back, he has stopped wheezing, and looks like the kitty I used to know: energetic, happy and playful. Thank God I found this site. Class-action suit, anybody?
I have been feeding my two cats EVO 95% chicken/turkey canned for last 4 years WITHOUT any problems. My female cat is NOW 18 years of age and my boy is 4 and so far have had NO health or stool issues. I have not noticed any change in the color, smell or texture of the product and we use two full cans (5.5 ounce) each DAILY!
I’ve been feeding my cats Evo herring and salmon dry cat food for well over a year. The last bag I purchased a few days ago seems to be different. It did not have the same pungent fish smell. I checked the expiration date at Petco before I bought the bag, but do not remember the exact date. It was at least July of 2013. Petco was able to switch out the remainder of the food for a different bag, but my cats still will not eat it. I directed my concerns to Evo on their website, but I have not received a response. Has anyone else had any problems? Thanks
I read recently that Proctor and Gamble recently purchased and changed the formulas of EVO pet food. Not sure about the accuracy of them changing the formula, but it figures, huh?
I was informed about a year ago that P & G had purchased Natura brand pet foods and asked the owner of the local pet supply store to inform me of any changes, if possible.
I’ve been feed EVO canned turkey and chicken formula cat and kitten food for about 4 years, with great results. However, in the past few months, the cats have been leaving some in their dishes, something that hadn’t happened before. The other day, three of them vomited within a few minutes of eating. I had just purchased 3 more cases of EVO, but plan to return them unopened. I don’t know what Proctor & Gamble has done in their quest for profit, but I’m not waiting for a recall to find out.
My one cat was diagnosed with diabetes and we switched him to an all canned food diet. Knowing he likes to nibble, I found EVO. It’s the ONLY dry cat food with less than 15% carbs. He cannot have any more than that. The high carb (grain) dry food is what sends cats into diabetes. He has since gone into diabetic remission and only eats canned food and EVO dry. He also has a sensitive tummy, and EVO doesn’t make him sick like regular food did.
We have been searching desperately for a good quality protein rich, low carb cat food for our two cats, one fat and one with a sensitive stomach. We thought Evo would be the solution based on all the great reviews we saw. Sadly, those reviews seem to have been out of date, and we didn’t see the more current reviews here before we bought a bunch. Both cats are barely eating now, and the sensitive stomach one is throwing up ALL THE TIME. We feed them three small meals a day, and we’re lucky if she keeps one down. We thought maybe she just needed longer to adjust as she’s getting old, and that the protein was making the fat cat less ravenous than he used to be, but after seeing all these reviews here, we’re going to take it back to the store. So disappointing. The search continues!
My husband was talked into EVO at our local pet store. For two days now I have had three cats vomiting and throwing up. All of these reviews, why isn’t EVO doing something about this.
My 2 year old male cat used to eat dry EVO Salmon and Herring since he was able to eat kibbles as a kitten. He did just fine, was in excellent health and had very lean muscles and an extremely shiny coat.
About two or three months ago he began gradually eating less, losing weight and vomiting two or three times a week. After many visits to the vet and in desperation with his situation we finally took him off EVO and gave him Purina One Beyond chicken and oatmeal (this was the best option available at the grocery store, the only store open at the time). He gobbled it up and has been improving ever since.
His bloodwork suggested some gastric problems and the vet prescribed him Prednizone. He continues to improve, and we are now looking for a good grain free dry food to switch to.
Had I read these reviews before I could have spared my cat from this ordeal. EVO never again. It is a pitty. It was a good brand, but it is simply not working anymore. We have also noticed the excessive crumbs other reviewers have noted. I wonder if that is related to the bad quality this food has been presenting.
After several health problems from feeding my cats the “Gold” and “Four Star” products from the “Fromm” pet food co., “Nutrience” and “Wellness” (which caused diarrhea & vomiting in some cats) and “Orijen” from “Champion Pet Foods” (which caused diarrhea and urinary cristals in most of my cats) , I decided to give EVO another try. This time, I did not let the cats overeat, I fed them both canned and dry food, removing uneaten food after 45 minutes or so. My cats are all feeling so much better. My dog is also doing extremely well with EVO products.
Hi guys,
I’ve started my cats on Evo a few months ago and they love it. At first, I only fed Evo but now I’m rotating Evo cat/kitten, California Natural salmon/sweet potato and Innova cat/kitten. I also supplement with the Evo turkey kibble. Like I said, the cats love it and I don’t have any issues with vomiting or diarrhea. I personally think it looks and smells good and I feel it still is a high quality food. I switched to Evo before realizing it now belongs to P&G. Everyone talks about how the formula has or is going to change but the ingredient list still looks impressive. Now I know P&G is a ruthless corporation but am I naive to assume that they would actually have to list changed ingredients on the bags/cans in order to avoid law suits? I really don’t want to switch because with 5 cats I can’t afford to buy the small 3oz or 5oz cans that everyone else offers. I want to feed grain free but companies like Merrick or Nature’s Variety really need to look into expanding their products to larger cans!
I used to work for Natura and if ever we had a formula change, it resulted also in a change to the bags. So if the bag graphics change (probably safe to say for any foods) then the formula has been changed. It could be just the smallest adjustment to a different ingredient. A good company will take your calls and explain it. I hope P&G does not ruin this brand because it is awesome. All my cats use the dry foods they make.
We’ve been feeding our cats Evo dry food exclusively for years. With the last batch purchased we noticed the cats tentatively approaching their food. A few days later one kitty started vomiting. Realizing it wasn’t a fur ball causing the problem, we spent $450 in vet bills to find out there was no foreign object in her belly.
The next day both kitties developed diarrhea . We decided to try a new batch of Evo cat food the symptoms disappeared entirely.
Unfortunately we did not save the original packaging (although our supplier has a record of our purchase) and Evo has refused any compensation. We’re searching for a replacement for Evo cat food.
Try giving Evo or Wellness canned formulas to relieve diarrhea problems. Most of my cats cannot tolerate dry food, especially the Evo dry products. However, any canned formula helps. If cost is an issue, we tend to give too much dry food or cats sometimes eat too much out of boredom. With canned food, the quantities given are more controlled, and because of that it will cost less long term. After a bout of diarrhea, it is best to withhold food for several hours, then feed them small portions of canned Evo food and gradually increase the amount to that of what they should eat daily. Hope this helps resolve the problem.
I have been feeding EVO for some time now to my older cat. I switched to the Herring & Salmon. The first bag was OK but now on the second bag she is throwing up.
Please let me know what has changed in your formula.
The SKU number is 7 51485 41410 2 is this the number on the bags other people are having a problem with?
I am looking for a high protein food and will now have to try a new brand till EVO figures out what the cause of this is.
I switched to Evo for my cats over a month ago. We are still in the middle of introducing it. We have 6 cats. The first couple of bags we went through were fine. Now all of the cats, minus 2 (so far anyway), seem to have diarrhea and are vomiting. Evo is the only food in this area that I can find that is high protein. I was really hoping to find a decent food that wasn’t filled with junk. We bought this bag we have about a week and a half ago. We just opened it this weekend and it is Wednesday now. I was up to half and half old food and Evo. I am sad to see so many people are suddenly having an issue with it. There were a few other websites that also have recent reviews such as these.
If you scroll down the web page at http://www.sahjasiamese.com/index_files/foodcomparisonchart.htm
there’s a helpful comparison chart of cat kibbles.
You can then visit the manufacturers’ websites to get more ingredient information to narrow the selection down for your cat(s).
One of my cats cannot eat any cellulose without getting diarrhea, so Young Again is not for him, but otherwise it sounds good.
However, Instinct by Nature’s Variety sounds great and it’s readily available commercially.
Two of my cats are fish lovers and they like Orijen’s fish kibble. I moisten it with warm water before serving because it’s so hard compared to other kibbles.
I mix two brands together to try and minimize ill effects if either turns out to be tainted, etc.
I’d like to thank everyone who took the time and effort to communicate their recent horrible experiences with EVO after such a long great track record. I had been unaware that P&G bought them out. My cats have been eating it for years, but I’ve been mixing it half and half with Orijen, so maybe that’s why they haven’t had symptoms yet. Regardless, I’m going to replace it with Instinct by Nature’s Variety now. They also make grain-free canned, so my other two cats will hopefully be safe as well and all because of your reviews. Thank you all and I wish your cats well.
As a follow up…
I went to Petco to get Instinct by Nature’s Variety and found it’s about a dollar a can more than what I am used to paying for EVO. I also noticed the second ingredient is always liver, which can lead to one of my cats getting a cloudy eye from herpes and then developing into a black spot if it continues.
So I was very happy to discover the more competitively priced BG (Before Grain) cans having the protein source as 96% of the ingredients, no additional liver, and (surprisingly) no “natural flavor” (which is often monosodium glutamate). They also offer a wide variety of different protein sources.
I got mostly BG (one of each different protein source) and just a couple of Instinct cans. My cats have eaten every last bite so far.
I believe the product has changed or I received a bad batch… About two years ago I bought Evo turkey for my cat and he looked so healthy and shiny. I had some financial issues and could no longer afford evo, however about a month ago I restarted him slowly on evo turkey and all of a sudden my 3 year old cat could not keep his food down.
He threw up everything and seemed so sick, I was thinking it was him adjusting but he never had these issues with evo before. I really did not want to risk my cats health or life over a $25 bag of food, so I discontinued using evo. The next day he was 100% better, happy and was energetic again. I do not think I’ll ever buy evo again, I don’t want to risk losing my furry friend. I hope this review has helped someone, I know evo was a good brand years ago but I’m sure something has changed.
I am beginning to believe that the formula has changed. One of our cats is starting to have terrible diarrhea. We have been using EVO 95% meat for almost 2 years with great results until now. Their coats are not as nice as they used to be and now we are having stomach distress with one of ours. I am now looking for another brand.
Pure Vita cat food contains pre and pro-biotics for a healthy digestive system. My cat was having loose stool and my vet said to change from Evo to Pure Vita. She has improved greatly.
We are pretty sure there is a bad batch of EVO out there. We opened a new case and started feeding (we have been using EVO for some time) and all of our cats began to vomit and have diarrhea. We called the vet and decided that the food might be an issue. We went back to a case with an older expiry date and all of the cats are fine now. EVO needs to evaluate what is going on.
Are you sure? It might be because of the sudden food change, it can upset the animal’s digestive system.
My large 16 lb black fluffy cat did pretty well on this stuff. He was a starving stray with mats and dander when I took him in. His coat improved but he just kept getting bigger and I was afraid he would get too fat so I put him on grain free. I hoped this would help him build muscle as I was having trouble getting him to eat enough wet protein. He had sore shoulders for seven months as that is about how long it took him too muscle up to frame size. I got one bag of EVO Turkey/Chicken that was very crumbly and he wouldn’t eat the crumbs. Igor is a messy eater and besides crumbs dropping all over the place he wouldn’t eat the crumbs out of the bag either.
Our next bag of food was a very respectable rice based on sale and since then I have switched to another brand of grain free: California Naturals Chicken and Pea also made my Natura Pet. It doesn’t crumble. Yea! Igor eats it all and no mess all over the floor.
I guess I got lucky and avoided any contaminated batches.
All these reviews are very interesting to us, as we returned from out of town this week to one of our cats having diarrhea too–pretty severe. We bought a new bag of Evo weight management at Petsmart(?) just before we left town. The cat sitter says she did not have any problems with the cats, but we wonder if that’s the case, due to the obvious gastric distress she had on our return. The cats have been eating the dry Evo weight management, interspersed with Evo canned venison for a few years now with zero problems, but recently the food was made more widely available (no longer just at An-Jan), and I also have noticed a lot more crumbs in the food lately. However, we’ve had a couple of bags of that going on with no other issues. Suddenly our cat that has had gastric issues in the past has them again. I am afraid to feed them the rest of the bag. Our other cat does not seem to be having a problem now. It would be great to find out for certain if there has been a very recent formula change to set this off.
Hi Michele – I’m Tammy with Natura’s Communication Team and am reaching out to you regarding your recent post. I apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced with our products. I can assure you that our EVO formulas have not changed. Our unique formulas have been extremely beneficial for the health of millions of pets, and we won’t compromise on our naturally nutritious recipes. If you have any questions, feel free to call 800.532.7261 between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. CST Monday – Friday or visit http://www.evopet.com/contact-us.
With all of the comments on this site about cats vomiting after eating Natura foods, and what I’ve experienced with my own cats, I can’t believe that the ingredients and/or processing hasn’t changed since P & G took over. There seem to be quite a number of customers who’ve noticed a change. It’s really too bad, as I had been purchasing about 50 cases annually of the EVO Turkey and Chicken Cat & Kitten Formula. Two cases purchased a few months ago had the food almost ‘glued’ to the inside of the can. The explanation was an error in ‘processing’.
Vomiting cats, quality control issues….. you’ve lost a loyal customer.
I am not sure why everyone else seems to have had a bad experience with Evo on this review board. Evo has been working very well for my cat for the past year. Before deciding to feed Evo I did call the company to make sure they were not planning to change their recipies. One thing I will say — I did notice some unusual vomiting when my cat was fed wet Evo EXCLUSIVELY for more than a month or two at a time. I was told by a local holistic pet store owner that this is a normal reaction to food that may be too rich, and Evo is known to have a much higher fat content than other high protein foods. Cats are designed to eat meat protein & fat, but perhaps some of the Evo canned food has too much fat. As soon as I started substituting some dry Evo Weight Management for one of her meals, my cat’s occasional vomiting disappeared.
When introducing a high quality brand of food for the first time the process must be done very GRADUALLY over a week or more, or there may very well be diarrhea & vomiting.
I’ve been a cat and large breed dog owner for over 40 years. All rescue pets. I still own many cats and one Australian Shepherd. My pets tried all pet food available in Canada. The greatest problem caused by pet food is chronic diarrhea. In my opinion, the best solution is: stop feeding dry food. Dry food causes obesity, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, skin problems, agressivity… and expensive vet bills, to name a few. Some cats & dogs don’t show any sensitivity to dry food for years, then become intolerant. Some tolerate better one dry food than another. But eventually, they all build up an intolerance for dry food over time. Dogs will drink more water and could tolerate dry food better than cats. The best canned foods for dogs and cats are from Evo and Wellness. Cats and dogs also enjoy the variety of canned formulas offered by both Evo & Wellness. Pet owners often think it’s more costly to feed their pets canned food than dry. In fact, it’s the contrary as the pets will consume more dry food to feel better after vomiting and diarrhea, and very frequently due to boredom. When cats & dogs feel well with canned food, they are more calm, they sleep better, they eat less. I recommend dry food as an option, i.e. when indoor cats cannot be fed at their regular time when you plan to arrive home later than usual.
For about a year now since her adoption (summer 2011-2012) our cat has been happily eating Evo canned/Weight Management dry food with no horrible effects, and has even lost her few extra pounds with careful portion control.
The only time we noticed any unusual vomiting was when she was strictly eating canned Evo for more than a month at a time, and this completely stopped when we substituted some dry Weight Management Evo for one of her meals. We were told by a local holistic pet store owner that cats can develop digestive problems when their diet is too rich (or of course when a new brand of food is not fed gradually enough); and Evo is much higher in fat than other high-protein, low-carb brands. Cats DO need mostly meat protein and fat in their diets but perhaps the fat levels in Evo (especially the canned food) are a bit too high.
In our experience the canned Duck and Beef varieties seemed to particularly trigger vomiting when fed alone, and to be safe we now only feed the Venison & Turkey varieties in combination with the dry Evo. This has proven to work well. Our cat has been and continues to be healthy and happy – alert, playful, sporting a shiny soft coat with minimal shedding. She had a clean bill of health on her last vet visit. Since overall Evo has been working so well for us, we will probably continue feeding the dry/wet combination unless more hard evidence turns up, in which case we’d switch to Orijen, Wellness Core or Nature’s Variety Instinct.
We have noticed the color of the Beef and Venison canned foods seems to have gotten lighter in color within the past year, but nothing else of note.
Our vet recommended that we switch our cats to grain-free wet food as one of them was getting a bit overweight. We slowly began switching them to Evo 95% chicken/turkey and within one week they began vomiting horribly after every meal and then stopped eating all together. Our cats are not picky with their food as we are known to change their food often. Yet they got very sick from this food. They had never rejected any food and had never vomited their food in the past. So sad. We will never buy this brand again. The can batch is 15ECM212 0040.
WHAT I KNOW..NATURA WAS RUN BY A REAL JERK WHO CARED ZIP ABOUT THE CUSTOMER. THEIR VITAMIN E IS IMPORTED FROM CHINA (INSIDER SOURCE). THE COMPANY IS BEING SUED (CLASS-ACTION). CK IT OUT.
*PET OWNERS BEWARE DO NOT BUY PRODUCTS FROM “8 IN 1” OR “SUPER PET” OR ANY PRODUCT MADE BY PARENT COMPANY “SPECTRUM BRANDS”. UNSAFE, TOXIC INGREDIENTS, DYES, CAGES PAINTED WITH COATINGS IN CHINA.
I seem to have lucked out and gotten a good batch. (EXP FEB2613 2053) When I transferred it to airtight containers that I keep in the refrigerator, there were very few crumbs. My cat has eaten it for several days with no adverse effects. I think she may actually like it better than the previous bag that I purchased in July 2011. (She mostly eats Fancy Feast.)
May 15, 2012. I purchased both Turkey and Chicken dry cat food and Weight Management Adult dry cat food about a month ago. Both my cats began to vomit after eating the food for a couple weeks. One of them got so ill she threw up bile for 4 days and would not eat. She ended up in the kitty hospital for 3 days on IV fluids, antibiotics and steroids. An object on the xray led the vet to think that she had cancer. After 5 days of anguish thinking my cat was dying, they did an ultrasound which revealed either an ulcer or a reactive lymph node related to the gastrointestional tract. The vet feels there was an intolerance or allergy to the food which has caused the GI/node issues. My cat will remain on the medications for another 10 days. Then we will ultrasound again, and perhaps surgery will be required. This has cost about $1200 so far and I would not recommend this food to anyone.
I have been using Evo Turkey/Chicken Formula for several years with great resutls and the last couple of months my cats have gotten ill from it. I brought back a small bag thinking it was a bad batch. I bought something else for a month and then returned buying the large bag and the same thing happened. My male cat chewed all the fur off his stomach and and is not well while the other two just starting throwing up regularly and just look terrible overall. Eyes sunken in and watery. What is going on with your product and quality? It is horrible product!
After my cats last bag of Evo chicken/turkey they had horrible diarrhea. IMO they have clearly changed the recipe to some substandard that P&G are known for. I switched to Orijen Cat & Kitten after some research and am very happy with it – I feel like I did about Evo before P&Gs purchase, a perception that they may actually care. My cats diarrhea almost instantly went away after the switch and they seemingly much more excited about feeding time than before.
I have four cats and since I had to switch to Evo when I couldn’t get to Red Bandana to get the Pinnacle, one cat was constipated with light diarrhea and another has had significant diarrhea. I have used Evo before with no trouble so I was puzzled but with your post, it may make sense. I’m stopping the Evo immediately and will see what happens. Thanks for the information!
I put my diabetic cat on Evo 95% chicken/turkey in January 2011. It helped his blood sugar stay down due to high protein/low carbs. By May/June 2011, my cat had terrible facial pain attacks after eating Evo- right after he ate he woudl go into a frenzy and paw at his face, pawed his whiskers off even, but it only lasted about 30 seconds of intense clawing. It seemed to go away after a week or so of switching back to Friskies Special diet, which he had been on previously (but so did his blood sugar elevation). A number of vets could not find anything wrong with him, dental xrays and treatment, etc etc. Suggested as allergies to the food perhaps so we switched around Evo 95% flavors and settled on the beef which seemed better for a while. But now the beef is causing it too.
He now, for about a month now, is putting on a hunger strike when Evo is offered. The only way I can get him to eat is to offer something else. He appears to be starving but will not accept Evo and stands miaowing hungrily and will immediately gobble down an alternative if offered. I have been able to reluctantly coerce him by mixing Evo with something else.
About a month ago he started vomiting every day, spittle vomit shortly after meals. He has lost weight because he does not want to eat his food (Evo) and I have been very worried about his health.
I also noticed a lot of white flecks and unusual texture to the Evo lately. I mix it with water and it does not always want to dissolve as readily as it used to.
After reading the comments here I think something is terribly wrong with Evo and I plan to take him off of it immediately. Before I thought it was maybe his diabetes or something else, but now reading these similar timeline and symptoms I think these health signs are likely due to something in the Evo. It is hard to keep his blood sugar down with others I have tried (Fancy Feast, etc) but this could be poisoning him at this point if I try to keep forcing him to eat Evo.
Please anyone with any similar experiences or insight write in here. It has been a big problem and 3 expert vets have been totally mystified.
My 6 year old Burmese has been on Evo turkey/chicken dry food for about 2 years and in the last 2 months she has groomed all of her fur off her belly and legs. It is heartbreaking to watch and the vets have said that she has an allergy to something. I have not been able to figure out what the allergy is to because none of her diet or surroundings have changed. I thought that maybe some cockroaches had gotten into her bowl at night or something, so I took the dry food away, and this morning she woke up looking 100 times better. I forgot to put the biscuits back out during the day and just got online to see where to buy more because the pet store nearme closed down, and I found all these articles on Evo being bought out and changes to products and allergic reactions! Suddenly it all makes sense.
Geez there are way too many low carb cat foods out there of high quality for you to have to force feed Evo. Blue Buffalo and Orijen have great ratings. I have heard great stuff about Young Again pet food – many breeders use this food, in fact I have some on order now. Fancy Feast is not good food dry or wet, particularly for a diabetic cat. Plenty of good reviews on this site to provide you with a nice selection of appropriate food for your kitty. I hope you have found something that your kitty can eat. One thing I learned from the melamine recalls, if your pet won’t eat it – they probably know better than you.
it’s so difficult! i have been using royal canin for four years almost and never any problems but i want a grain free gluten free high protien food. everyone has some sort of bad problem! and i want it us made too. nothing from china. the felide (sp?) i had, half the cans were grey and some weren’t! the royal canin wet is always good smelling and fresh but i wanted a dry for when i leave on errands that is US made, gluten and grain free that has no issues. DOES THIS EXIST? and i will never ever buy any regular store brands. the best litter in the world is World’s Best Cat Litter!
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I have been searching for updated reviews of the Evo can Duck and the Turkey/Chicken. I have been using this for over a year. As of a few weeks ago they absolutely refuse to touch it. One of my persians starting throwing up all over. Thought it might just be my spoiled kitty. I am returning all remaining cans and exchanging for something else. I apprieciate some of your suggestions. Took me 6 months to find
a product they will eat. What are they thinking to buy a company with a great product and changing it. Their dedicated customers will leave. What a loss. Cats are smarter than the P&G product people. They are not dealing with the average cat food shopper.
I have been feeding Evo dry cat food for years. The last few bags have had about 25-33% dust and crumbs. Even after sifting, much dust and crumbs remain. I kept thinking maybe the bags were at the bottom of a pallet getting crushed. But it has happened too many times. Now I see many complaints about this very thing on many different websites. I am very disappointed that this trusted company sold out to P&G. I’m certain they must have changed the formula. I will be switching to another grain free food. I’m tired of wasting money and look forward to settling in to a new brand after I finish with all the time consuming research.
That is exactly what has been happening with the EVO I’ve been purchasing. Almost 1/3 to 1/2 the bag have been crumbs. I too thought it was just a fluke, but every bag has been like that.
Also.. in the past, they have loved the EVO canned turkey/chicken but now they will not touch it. My cat actually tries to bury it with anything nearby! (then stares at me pitifully) Unfortunately he is diabetic and needs low-carb food. This use to be a great product but now has made my fluffy cat’s coat thick with dandruff and both he and my diabetic cat sick. It all makes sense now, procter and gamble, What A Shame!
Our two six year old cats have eaten EVO wet and dry all their lives. Until now. Two weeks ago they started having diarrhea, so last weekend we took them to the vet. Stool samples were negative for parasites. The suspect: Proctor and Gamble’s new EVO formula, which is now just hitting the shelves in stores that still carry it (some stores in our area have dropped it because of reports of animals having problems with it). We were advised to switch to either By Nature or Instinct wet cat food, and for a treat, a little Wellness Core dry food. The cats now eat By Nature Chicken and Mackerel wet food (one 6 oz. can per cat per day), and a little Wellness Core dry food as a treat. So far, no more diarrhea.
I, too am concerned about P&G buying out Evo. I’ve been feeding my cats for a couple of years now with EVO Grain-Free Dry Cat Food with no problems. This new bag seems to be causing problems….one of my cats is vomiting right after she eats it and my other cat takes a sniff and walks away and starts meowing that she is hungry but doesn’t want the Evo food. I tried an old bag with a trademark date of 2009 and she ate quite a bit of it. I think they’ve changed the formula and now my cat doesn’t like it (she is a finicky cat) so I don’t know what to do now. The trademark date on the new bags that I purchased is 2010. These two bags smell differently and one is lighter in color.
Is anyone having success with a quality dry Grain-free cat food that their cats like and will eat?
Try orijen 6 fish formula, my cat was itchy all the time and she is an indoor cat so I thought maybe she is allergic to grain? I have been feeding her innova for 8 years and it has grains in it so I just switched to Orijen and she lvoes it and I think she is scratching less or so it seems. I would try it.
Well said. I too,am very upset at the fact that P&G (nasty company) bought the Evo. My cats used to chow down on this food, but prefer Wellness canned grain free varieties. I do mix the Evo 95% in with the wellness ,but only buy the chicken/turkey 95% meat. I use Weruva canned and Nature’s Variety instict for since my cats like variety. If Pg continues to tamper with their products, they’re going to lose a lot of customers, Also to try is the Stell&Chewys dehydrated patties it says it’s for dogs,but the company reassured me that cats can eat it as well.I feed felidae dry grain free as snack only and mix in other grain free dry food so they can have different tastes,but ony a handfull a day. Hope this helps our fur baby’s mommys and daddys.
after the 2007 poisonings i started feeding Evo, thus far it’s been fine.
i am not however happy with there sell-out to proctor and gamble, and may
change food. i have had good results with Origen. there are options to Evo.
if Evo ends up a dangerous product i will do everything in my power to declare War on these corporations. especially “menu foods”. there is NO
excuse for poison in pet food.
I have been feeding my cats EVO Duck for the past 5-6 years. I recently changed back over to Wellness and Felidae as I have noticed that the EVO food has been changing colors. It (EVO Duck for cats) is now a nasty gray color, no longer the rich red/brown color duck is known to have. It also has no congealed juice/gravy on the top of the food any more. This is usually found in good cooked food made with fowl.
Over the past 2 months I have noticed a change in smell, color and consistency. Another clue that something was different was that my cats had started getting sick after eating, lots of vomiting. It was starting to smell like regular old rancid cat food where with old EVO you could actually smell what meat was used (it actually smelt GOOD). It makes me wonder what kind of rendered crap is in there now!
I have written P&G and was promised that there would be no change made in recipe, meat sources and other ingredients within the first year. The year anniversary for the buyout was in January 2011. I had been assured a few months ago that they would still be procuring everything (same grade) from the same sources that EVO had used before being bought out. With that year over with, I have seen new changes every time I look in a can.
Having worked in a vet hospital in the past, I know that pet food industries are NOT required to make changes on the food label until 6 months AFTER the change has been made in the formula. I am very aware of the mess P&G got into with the Melamine a few years ago and I don’t want to risk it. I have opted to go back to Wellness (yes they had a recall recently, but were great about quickly buying back food. They also have put in other measures that I am comfortable with to prevent this from occurring again)and Felidae. Both of these foods are manufactured by original owners who have set standards with both brands.
I will not risk it and I would advise anyone thinking about EVO to do a little homework before purchasing. It looks to me like they are charging top dollar for sub standard quality.
I too have been concerned about the switch of ownership. I have to agree with you that the last batch I purchased showed a perceptible decline in quality. You mentioned the smell. That’s what I noticed right away–that stinky smell you usually only get with cheap substandard pet food. Evo used to be touted as made from “human-grade” ingredients. It no longer is. My cats still eat it but I feel as if I’m being ripped off. They would eat regular store shelf food with the same enjoyment. I’m looking for other cat food–some have promise but I’m not happy with any of them so far. Any suggestions?
Actually Wellness was bought out by a former coal mining company. I am looking to replace them. Just another big corp who doesn’t care. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berwind_Corporation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellness_pet_food
Unreal…I was going to possibly try Wellness, but not now. Ridiculous, Sad, and the sign of the times. If you want to find out where the bullcrap lies, follow the money…
Dont buy Wellness either. My dog is very ill recently puking??? I am wondering if this is why ?? I am researching as I give my cats EVO but they also just started the puking about a month now ?? MMMMMM
Now I am wondering about all of this !! I want to feed my animals closest to organic as possible I am leaning this direction now. Unsure about Rachel Ray anybody know anything on her dog food ? I am going to switch to organic but have to stay away from turkey for the dog and all those extra herbs/veges my animals dont need really
We have 13 cats, all healthy. I’d been feeding Wellness and Blue Buffalo grain-free dry foods. Then one of my youngest kitties came down with full-blown stomatitis. The vet said it had nothing to do with diet, but I went online and searched and read, searched and read, but I wasn’t able to find any hard reasons for why it occurs and how to treat it, but everyone has ideas and theories and I tried to keep all the possibilities in mind. Anyway, I switched to EVO dry and wet food, and my cats had been eating the dry food for about 4 days now. Well, you would not believe it, because I can hardly believe it myself! At least seven of my kitties are now vomiting. My husband said this morning that he could not walk down the hallway because of all the vomit! At first I thought it was hairballs(?), or something they might have ingested outside(?), or worms even, etc. Now I am sure it is the food. No more EVO anything, which stinks because I ordered it online and I ordered enough of it. The wet food (and I only started opening the EVO cans about 24 hrs. ago) triggered A LOT of throw up. I was listening to vomiting all night! It was terrible, and now, of course, I must go and clean it all up. Also, I am sure it was the food, because they did not even finish what I gave them yesterday. It is incredible — I have never experienced anything like this, and I have had cats all my life.
My cat was on Evo regular and weight management which worked well for a few years. Since aug. 2012 she has been getting loose stools. My vet recently told me to switch to Pure Vita cat food because it has pre/probiotics which aids the digestive system. She is having solid stools now and from what I have been hearing about evo, maybe that’s why she began having loose stools. I also remember that the bottom of the bag had crumbs too. So try pure vita. Good luck.