Apr. 27, 2024
Orijen Cat Food Reviews
| Top 5 Ingredients* |
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| Artificial Ingredients | No |
| Contains By-products | No |
| Price Range | $$$ |
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*Orijen Cat and Kitten 80/20 Formula Dry Cat Food was selected as the recipe for this ingredient list
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- human grade meats
- fruits
- vegetables
- none
Our Analysis
The Word on the Street...
Cat owners are raving about Orijen Cat Food for its low carbohydrate, high protein blends. Many claim that even the pickiest of cats love this healthy and nutritious food.
Cat owners with a mix of small kittens and older cats love the fact that the food is suitable for all cats, regardless of breed or age. Owners with multiple cats can simply pour the food and let the all the cats dig in as they please.
Many owners also claim that cats that previously had gastrointestinal problems can eat this food without issue, and that pets exhibit many positive features after eating the food, including shinier coats, less hairballs, and more energy.
The only negative aspect of Orijen Cat Food is the price, as this food is a bit more expensive than generic blends. That being said, customers do not seem to mind the price so much as their cats are generally healthier after eating the food, so they require less trips to the vet.
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We just did a taste test here and my Tonkinese chose Orijen cat & kitten. Here’s hoping it will be good for her as she has a very sensitive stomach and tends to barf her food quite often. If this will help with that it will be worth every penny. I’ve got to get some weight on this girl!
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http://www.chat-siberien.ca
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More Information
Orijen Cat Food
Orijen has become a commonly used brand name when cat owners talk about their idea cat food formula. Orijen has a good reputation among most consumers, and continues to garner rave reviews from nutritional experts.
Who Makes Orijen Cat Food?
The company who makes Orijen cat food is called Champion Pet Foods. Champion Pet Foods was first founded in 1975, and now ships their formulas to retail locations all over the world. Champion Pet Foods is a Canadian company, which is currently based out of Alberta. Aside from producing Orijen, Champion Pet Foods also produces Acana, which is another brand of pet food.
Orijen Cat Food Recall
Orijen cat food is not listed on the FDA’s pet food recall website, and has not been involved in any recent recalls. However, 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.
Orijen Cat Food Ingredients
None of the proteins used in Orijen’s cat food formulas have been previously frozen, and are also advertised as being free of added hormones. A significant percentage of the ingredients in Orijen cat food formulas are sourced local to the company’s location in Alberta, Canada. In most of Orijen’s cat food formulas, all five of the first five ingredients are protein-based. Orijen only sells formulas for cats that are completely grain-free. The carbohydrates in Orijen come from sources such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and peas.
Orijen Allergies
There are no significant ingredients in Orijen cat food formulas that are known to cause allergies in cats. Some cat owners use Orijen as a replacement formula for cats that have developed grain allergies, since Orijen is completely grain-free. If your cat has a specific allergy, you should always read the ingredients of any cat food formula.
Orijen Recipes:
- Cat and Kitten
- 6 Fish Cat
Orijen Consumer Info
Where can I buy Orijen?
You may be wondering, “Where can I buy Orijen Cat Food?”. To assist you, we have included links on the specific Orijen formula pages to purchase Orijen cat food.
How much Orijen should I feed my cat?
A common question that many pet owners have, is “How much Orijen 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.
Orijen Cat Food Coupons
Sometimes, pet food manufacturing companies will offer us coupons to share on our site. Are you searching for Orijen Cat Food printable coupons? We will let you know when they are available!
Please check back soon for Orijen Cat Food coupons!
Ingredient List*
Orijen Cat Food Ingredient List
Orijen 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.
I just transitioned my 4-yr-old rag doll to Orijen over the past couple of weeks. He has suddenly quit urinating over the past couple of days and suddenly urinated on my dog’s bed this morning. He is a very mature and conscientious cat, and would be mortified to ever act like that on his own. I do believe after conducting research online today, that the Orijen is probably not giving him enough moisture in the food. He has had some canned food as well, but probably not enough to make up for the change in food. I am going to call the vet in the morning and hopefully will be able to resolve this without our cat having too many medical issues from just a few days. Why doesn’t Orijen recommend feeding wet food with their cat food? What is the best way to feed a cat Orijen? I have read so many different opinions that my head is spinning. Called an animal hospital today, but didn’t take the cat because the hospital had never heard of Orijen…
tdr; Feed your cat high quality wet food as much as possible, and high quality dry food when it’s not convenient. How do you think your health would fare if all you ate was dry cereal?
Raw Food > Premium Wet Food > Premium Dry Food > Generic Wet Food > Generic Dry Food.
Dry food, of ANY brand, does NOT give enough moisture. You either have to supplement with wet food, moisten the dry food, or heavily encourage them to drink water (ex. a water fountain).
This is not the fault of Orijen. It would have happened with most dry foods.
Your cat has a urinary blockage, and should be taken to the vet immediately, if you have not already. You cat can and will die if not treated quickly. This is common in male cats, even ones that are on the healthiest of diets and get plenty of water. It happened to me, and I went to the vet, he got an antibiotic shot, and some special food for urinary issues.
Orijen is still a good dry food for cats with urinary issues (It’s actually considered THE best dry food for cats out there). But there is no PERFECT food for cats, wet, dry, or raw.
Now that you know your cat is more likely to get a urinary issue, you can take precautions. There are wet and dry foods, treats and food additives specifically made to alter the pH of your cats urine to inhibit the growth of crystals. and bacteria.
Personally, because of preference and convenience, I feed my cat a combination of wet and dry food. Primarily wet food, with dry food available when I’m not able to feed him. I give him treats specifically for cats prone to urinary issues. He has not had any urinary issues since.
You should always opt for the least processed and most natural food possible. Your aim as a cat owner is to try and mimic the cats natural diet as best you can, while staying within both your own financial needs and reasonable time/effort.
In order of healthiness:
Balanced homemade raw cat food. That takes a lot of time, effort, and can be expensive.
Pre-made raw cat food. You pay more money for the convenience of not having to prepare it.
Canned food. It is cheaper and easier to prepare than raw food. Cats also adapt easier to wet food because it is fragrant.
Dry food. It is cheap and it is convenient. Literally just scoop it and pour into a bowl.
One of my sacred birman girls had problems with vomiting and loose stools at intervals since I got her at age 3months. About a year ago I tried Orijen and Acana, and she started eating it right away, although she’s normally very choosy when it comes to dry food.
However, the gastrointestinal problems went away, and have not returned. We are so happy with Orijen!
I feed my cats wet food (Iams or Almo Nature) twice a day, and keep the dry food out 24/7, along with fresh water. We also have a water fountain, this is great for making the kitties drink more.
I opened a new bag of taste of the wild cat food (rocky mountain feline) 3 days ago and now all three of us have major stool issues. First my sire, then about 5 hours later my pregnant dame and on day three (today), me. I went through this same cr*p in 2007 and it almost wiped out my cattery using natural balance venison and green pea. This better not be a repeat and I better not loose the kittens due in a week either! I have done nothing for the past three days but sterilize everything, bath Persians, and steam mopping in a continuous loop. I am frazzled and my poor fur babies are worn out!!!! I put them on plain yogurt for one to neutralize their stomach and the will introduced some London broil. Hopefully by Monday, they will be ready for me to introduce a new kibble food, orijen all meat.
My cat loves this brand! She will wolf her food down and never threw up on it. No diarrhea like the Friskie can food gives her.
I was about to switch to this food, but then I noticed that one of the ingredients is peppermint. I thought that peppermint was toxic for cats. I am a bit confused about how this isn’t an obvious no-no, like putting lead in breakfast cereal. Can someone please enlighten me? Sorry if this has already been addressed.
Peppermint, as in the plant, is fine. It’s the same family as Catnip. Peppermint *extract*, as in essential oils, candies and baked goods can cause stomach upset.
My cat’s dry food is Orijen, and she’s never had any health problems.
I have 2 cats on Orijen (Cat & Kitten) and they have very healthy coats, cough up less fur balls and eat less than other dry foods with filler ingredients. I supplement with Almo Nature (Natural?) canned food – there are many flavours including pumpkin and chicken, mixed seafood etc. All of the canned food contain ONLY the protein and water for processing. That’s it, no chemicals, preservatives or weird “gunk” to hold a few little bits of meat together. Yes, Orijen and the quality canned food cost a little more but overall they eat less of it so you save at the end of the day.
I notice many vet clinics sell Royal Canin but looking at the ingredients, it’s full of fillers and other chemicals. They must market hard to the vets and give them really good deals if most of them carry it. Just because it’s sold by your vet, doesn’t necessarily meant it’s the best food for your cat friend.
I concur with Kristi in that when I was at a shelter and asked why the Hills as it was not a very good food by the ingredients, they told me they got subsidies for this food. A lot of it was thrown away as the cats in the cages did not eat it. Hopefully when the cats are adopted they got better food. Where is Pet Promise when you need them?
Sorry about the double post
I have a shelter kitty that has been on a half Orijen half wet food diet and is absolutely thriving off it. You’d think a kitten couldn’t get more energy! He’s shedding less, his stools are not as smelly, and his fur is soft and shiny since I transitioned him from the mostly corn kibble the shelter fed him. (Not that I blame them they do wonderful work)
A few things that a few people pointed out already, but this is absolutely not a free feed diet. And should not be fed excessively as it does not contain the moisture needed by cats. Feeding only kibble, even a high quality on like Orijen, will give your cat issues.
Something that may not have been mentioned yet, Orijen has more calories packed in since they use no fillers. So anybody switching to this food may accidentally over feed. Many cat owners neglect to calculate how many calories cats need (about 30 cal per pound for an adult cat). Orijen has approximately 60 cal. per 1/8 cup. That means an 8 lb cat would need only 1/2 cup of kibble a day if they are fed exclusively Orijen kibble.
Also, add some variety! No one wants to eat the exact same thing day after day that is how food allergies start. Rotate between meat sources like red meats, poultry, and fish. This article hasn’t been updated to include the Regional Red variety of Orijen.
And yes, Orijen did change their recipe but I think for the better since it no longer includes potatoes. You’ll find potatoes and peas in many grain free foods(carbohydrates are used as fillers too). Read the labels and you’ll quickly find that Orijen is one of the few, if not the only one, with the most protein and lowest crab balance.
Donna – I’m curious to know what the high quality wet food is that you feed your cats in the morning?
I feed both my dogs, 11years & 18 mos and my cat, an 8 year old Himalayan Orijen food! They love it! All are very active with shiny coats. My cat’s coat is soft and shiny and rarely have hair ball issues. My cat is a rescue from a shelter because he developed kidney stones and the family could not afford health care for him. They fed him Fancy Feast, which is lacking in the nutrient dept. I put him on Orijen, with his history in mind, because of the high protein, no grain, low carb diet. Have had him for couple years and he is thriving! I do give high quality wet food in AM and the rest of his feedings are Orijen. I also keep fresh bottled water for him. Tap water has a lot of metals and minerals that are not good for his kidneys. He urinates 3-5 times a day. His waste is less in volume and smell and is firm. This tells me that his body is using the nutrients. When using low quality food it is not unusual to have a lot of waste because the body does not need all the crap fillers that these low quality foods use. It is most unfortunate that a lot of cats are pre dispositioned for kidney disease because of breeding practices and the only thing we can do is research food to try help prevent and/or alleviate the inevitable symptoms as best we can. And good high protein, low carb diets and lots of fresh clean water can help.
What high qwality wet food do you feed?
I’ve been reading a lot of reviews and comments on this site. The one thing that I’ve learned is that EVERY food is to blame for everyone’s pet issues. Seems like a lot of negative comments from rival food makers. I’m going to try this food and only switch it if they won’t eat it. Orijen, here I come.
Exactly, you hear “Zomg, this food is killing my cat!” on every page.
My persian cat is 5 years old.He is the love of my life .I have never seen such a kind gentle loving cute cat.Since he was a baby,i feed him Orijen as when i research for best cat food,it came out.HOWEVER,3 years ago,He was diagnosed with FLUTD and the vet said food is the cause. I called Orijen and told them how sad i was their replied was they have already formulate the food with balance PH to prevent urine issues,the food shouldn’t be the cause.But obviously,this causes FLUTD in my cat
I had to put him on SO royal canan for a year as FLUTD can be deadly.I know Royal canan is crap but i have no choice.
This year I am switching him to wet food :).I dont want to feed him Royal canan anymore as i know it is not a high quality food.
hello alisha, i’m sorry to hear that. my cat eats orijen dry plus 1 can a day(i add water on can), and she doesnt have blood urine anymore. i think the cause of FLUTD is not about the brand, it’s about dry food and water. Because 1 kg cat need 60ml water a day, but dry food contain only 10% water, and i dont believe a 4kg cat can drink 240ml water itself per day. orijen meets very good nutrition requirement but not water. Therefore, u can still feed him orijen plus wet food, or change it to all wet.
Falling back on Ennah’s response, I too find it disconcerting that a large amount of responses speak to issues of dehydration and diarrhea. However, after reading through many comments, it seems that most owners only feed Orijen. I understand that it is quite common to just feed dry food; however, it’s important to provide your cats with wet and/or raw food as well.
I feed both my cats Orijen and Weruva wet food. Both are shelter cats who were given economy cat food. After transitioning them to Orijen, as well as Arcana, they are both thriving beautifully. Their coats are incredibly soft, they have bundles of energy, and neither has had a single issue with bloody stools or diarrhea. They are both extremely happy – if not a bit plumper.
In addition, it seems that most owners feed a single type of Orijen. I recommend switching the bags every time you buy a new one. Variety will not only revitalize your cats interest in their food, but also improve their overall health. Giving the same food over and over again will not benefit them in the long run. As I said above, I also provide Arcana dry food which is a subsidiary of Orijen, so I know that my cats receive high quality food, and Arcana has a bit wider selection.
It seems that the majority of the comments revel in the negative, and I must say that the negatives are few and far between. People tend to go to internet commentaries when they’ve had a bad experience thus diluting any positive responses. It may also be coincidental that some cats had health problems during the food switch – my previous cat passed away as I was switching her to Orijen but her health was already deteriorating – or the food, with its high protein, may have brought already failing organs to light, as others have suggested.
If you want to provide your cats with an outstanding life, use Orijen and Arcana. Consult your vet first about the switch and what he/she may suggest. Ultimately it is your decision, and it’s a wonderful one to make
A recurring thing I notice with people’s comments on here is about diarrhoea and dehydration.
Dont buy a grain free food for your cat if no one can tell you how to properly feed it.
Grain free foods for both cats and dogs need more attention. You ABSOLUTELY CANNOT free feed an animal on this food. Because of the high protein content, you have to watch what you feed them VERY CLOSELY. My cat gets Orijen 6-Fish and has for the past year (after being emaciated and pulling out her own fur in CLUMPS) and is doing better than most animals. It is true that raw diets are truly the best for cats but I don’t have the money to feed Primal or Natures Variety raw.
Even after watching your cat’s food closely they may develop issues such as loose stool or flatulence. If this happens, it means you’re feeding them too much and theyre getting too much protein. Just feed less. (Their poop should be similar to tootsie rolls.) Also, if theyre losing too much weight then add a little more and alternatively if theyre gaining too much weight, reduce the amount.
And, as it should be with any cat/food combination, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have fresh,clean water available for them.
For my own cat, I feed her with a thing called a Slim Cat. It’s a little ball with holes in it that I fill with her food and when she gets hungry, she pushes it around to dispense the food. It helps keep her occupied, makes the food last throughout the whole day and makes her feel like she would be getting as much as she got when she was on poorer quality foods.
I an writing this to every single person on this site. I adopted a kitten three years ago. I called him Levi. I researched the web, and many speciality stores. and always came the name orijens. So I put Levi on it and continued for three years. Last Sat night I could not get Levi to guite trying to sleep in his litter box. So I gathered all the cash that I had. I have no credit card. I took my grocery money, gas, laundry money, just everything I had and took Levi to an hospital. the first thing the vet ask me was “what have you been feeding him?. I told him the seafood combo by Orijens. He look me in the eyes and said that is what is killing Levi. the surgery would cost $3000’00. but it would be to no avail. because the damage over three years had been done. The food was to high in protein among other things. And even if they did the surgery Levi would be back in three to six months because the three years had done damage to his urine track. So that night I said good bye to Levi who had this amazing giving heart, who was so kind and loved life. When they put the needle into him I whispered in his ear how much I loved him, and I would do everything I could to make sure this did not happen to another cat. I am going after not only Orgjins but also fairplay, who backed this cat food up. You would think that if you go to a fabric store that someone would know something about fabric, or a stereo store or what ever. But when it comes to animals I guess its just not that important. So Levi I miss you and I cry for you every night. I love you. I will post a great web site by a renouned vet you can email me at Katherine_g@telus.net we need the word to get out. Levi’s death should not mean nothing
Katherine
Katherine – your story is tragic, but your vet is wrong about the cause. Cats are designed for a very high protein diet. It cannot kill them. If a cat has kidney disease (normally brought on my eating dry food with carbohydrates and vegetable protein) the cat may not be able to eat normal cat food, because it is damaged. But eating a high protein diet from meat or fish will NOT make a healthy cat ill.
I am nothing to do with Orijen – I would not let my cats eat any dry food on a regular basis. They eat raw meat. And are much healthier for it. That said, the ingredients in Orijen look far healthier than most other cat foods, including some of the other expensive ones.
Andrew,
If you are so sure why don’t you test the food on your pets and let us know the results. Otherwise, you have no opinion in my eyes.
Macrena
Andrew,
If you are so sure why don’t you test the food on your pets and let us know the results. Otherwise, you have no opinion in my eyes.
Macrena
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that 98% of their diet consists of meat, organ, and bones. Their digestive tracks are short, and lack the enzymes to break down carbohydrates which are present in most kibbles. The reason why Levi (very sorry for your loss Ms.Katherine) got sick may have more to do with the actual kibble than the high protein diet though. Modern house cats evolved from felis silvestris, a wildcat found in Africa. To adapt to Africa’s dry climate, those wildcats developed efficient kidneys which can rehydrate themselves just through the fluid they ingest from their prey. Even after thousands of years our furry friends haven’t deviated far from their wild ancestors. They lack a “thirst drive” present in humans, because it wasn’t needed when they lived in the wild (remember, they got most if not all their fluid from their prey). This causes dehydration and concentrated urine, which can easily lead to feline cystitis.
This person is spot on and is either a veterinarian themselves or has done the research on the feline diet. Cats do not die from excessive protein intake.
Sorry to hear about Levi. I have to agree with Andrew though. Very doubtful that a high protein diet damaged him. Either or, it’s obvious Levi was a very lucky cat to have you as an owner. My thoughts on the cat food issue, give them a variety of high quality foods.
Katherine,
Go with your gut instinct. I switched my dogs to Orijen a few weeks ago and I almost lost my smallest to severe dehydration due to loose bloody stools and vomiting. She spent two days in the hospital getting rehydrated. I also noticed my other dogs eating lots of grass. I fed the leftovers to the deer and switched back to my old dog food. Sorry for your loss.
Macrena
Katherine,
Go with your gut instinct. I switched my dogs to Orijen a few weeks ago and I almost lost my smallest to severe dehydration due to loose bloody stools and vomiting. She spent two days in the hospital getting rehydrated. I also noticed my other dogs eating lots of grass. I fed the leftovers to the deer and switched back to my old dog food. Sorry for your loss.
Macrena
Your vet is incorrect in the fact that this brand food was killing your cat. Any food not specifically for your cat’s problem could cause issues IF you knew your cat’s issue beforehand. I am a board certified veterinary technologist and studied diets specifically. Your vet was being dramatic and he should have said that type of food was not best for your cat but it is actually one of the best diets for most cats.
Your cats problem is one I have seen and is often found when. Cats often start urinating frequently (and sometimes drinking more than usual) or in unusual places. Normally it is noticed before three years go by so your cat was very unusual to not have signs before this.
I am very sorry for your loss but it is not Orijen at fault here, it was a sad disease that took your sweet cat from you. My sincere condolences.
100% fake review. Pooooor (Fake) Levi R.I.P.
We had been feeding our 11 cats orijen 6 fish for over a year. In that time, we have seen increasing numbers of our cats develop bloody stool. Our vet found nothing wrong with our cats. Once we switched to another food, the bloody stools stopped.
Dave: what food did you switch to?
We have fed our cats Orijen Cat and Kitten food since they were kittens. Orijen recently changed their formula and I am wondering if you still give their new formula five stars? Thanks.
As soon as I transitioned my cat to Orijen she developed loose stool with blood in it. I took her to the vet to be tested but she was perfectly healthy, and I was told it was her diet. (Yes, I did transition her very gradually, but this food just did not agree with her). I agree that it seems like an excellent food, it just wasn’t right for my cat. My friend just switched her cats both to Orijen and has only good things to say about it, so I guess it just depends on the cat.
I buy the 6 Fish Origen for the cats. They like it and it’s not crumbly. I don’t like crumbly kibble.
I purchased a 5lb bag of Cat and Kitten Orijen dry earlier this month and put it in freezer containers. My cat was eating it for a few weeks with no problems, but all of a sudden had vomit & diarrhea and will now not touch it. I feed him half Tiki Cat puka puka chicken (wet), and half Orijen dry. I’ve been using Orijen for about a year now. This is probably attributable to something else, but thought I would post it just in case someone has a similar issue.
I have an 11 year old Siamese male cat who has always been a picky eater and threw up a lot of undigested food. Vet could not find anything wrong with him. I heard of Orijen, tried it and not only did he eat it, but stopped throwing up. A few weeks ago found not find the product to buy. Finally last week was able to find it. Ever since I got this new bag, he is back to throwing up and the litter box smells. Anyone have an idea what I should feed him. He is very, very picky eater. Any ideas would be helpful.
Have you tried putting him on real food diet? Fish, chicken, other meat, a small amount of carbs (they still need those), and greens. I have a two-year old Persian. He loves wet food, hates dry food, but loves real meat, and surprisingly loves veggies too.
I find that it’s best not to make cats stick to one kind of food for a long time. I alter their food because they get tired of it every now and then, and I was told there’s no one-brand solution for their entire lives (nine of them). Try giving him some fish. They can’t resist fish. Hope this helps.
hello, i have a 18 months old female peterbald cat. she is six weeks pregnant. what is your suggestion to what she should be eating. i know they should have kitten food and what else. what about wet food should she have some dry out at all time and feed her wet food twice a day thank you charlene arsenio
You should not be breeding your cat if you do not know what to feed a pregnant cat.
My 3 Ragdolls have been eating evo for a couple years. With the recall I switched to Origen. I gave only a small amount in with leftover evo (not on recall) but they all had diarrhea and vomiting no matter that I was adding only small amt. when I stopped feeding it the symptoms stopped. Is it just too rich for some cats? I want to feed quality cat food but not at this cost.
Orijen has very high protein its normal to have diarrhea. Specially when their used to a certain brand. Had the same experience with my cat, the vet advised to change brand every 3 months so he’d get used to different foods and eliminate diarrhea and it worked.
Nooooooo. It is NOT normal to have loose stool. If your cat has loose stool on this food, reduce the amount that youre giving them. Also. EVO has a higher protein percentage than Orijen. So it’s not Orijen.
I too was caught up in the “My cat will die if he doesnt eat a premium food”
Well guess what? He’ll DIE if he doesnt eat. I tried to coax my 15 year old rescue boy to eat “healthy” but he decided he liked one food and one food only. While Fancy Feast wasnt the best he kept him alive for another two years. If it comes down to a cat who will not eat I will give him whatever he wants.
Oh and I’m not about to starve a cat in order to force a switch to wet food. My current girl would rather eat a shoe than canned food. I have read all about the tricks to force a cat to switch over gradually. Well she will have none of it and if a cat that wont eat it is far more dangerous than dry kibble.
Ive been reading a lot of Positive Reviews for Orijen Cat Food. Knowing that Royal Canin is not the best for my Cat due to the By Products and Meal Content, i decided to introduce Orijen but its been a week of trial and still my Cats did not eat the Orijen, they choose RC and leaves the Orijen pellets in their bowl. I even mixed in Orijen to their Favorite Fancy Feast Can Food and still they ignored the food, maybe they know its not RC but Orijen mixed in the wet food. they seem hungry but still they just choose RC. Now they are back in RC and i kept Orijen in the cupboard. I know Orijen is Good but how is it my Cats dont really like it. My vet said Good Cat Food is essential but even we think Orijen is Good if my cats would not eat it, then no choice but to stick with RC. Help!
what flavor was the Orijen that you bought? i have 9 cats and not all of them like to eat the same flavor of orijen. Majority of my cats love both of the Poultry and Egg and 6Fish flavor, but my very first rescue who is not really picky eater but for this she only eats the 6Fish flavor, once she smells the bag of Poultry and Egg she would always turn around, leave and would not eat not even try to taste the food.
My cat has been eating Orijens for years and recently her blood work came back with extremely high liver enzymes. I’m confused as I thought this was such a healthy food and she does love it. Any one else having any experience with this?
Why do you think it’s Orijen causing the blood work issue? I would say it sounds like there is some other cause if your cat has been eating the same food for years without any problems.
You have to let your cat eat prepared meal 3 times a week not just dry food its also not healthy to just stick to the dry food..
This helps cat drink more water:
My cats used to not drink a lot of water either but I changed the water quality. I think they are just very sensitive to the water taste and for a reason. Since they have been drinking bottled water they drink plenty. Also make sure the bowl is clean (I rinse it every morning) as bacteria and fungus can grow and change the water taste and make them sick even if the water looks clean. Every so often I wash the water bowl with soap to clear off any growing bacteria and my cat likes it. I can tell the cat agrees because it refuses to drink unless I change the water on days the water bowl is dirty. The healthiest thing is to feed your cats raw diet you prepare at home but I like to have dry food too for those days I am in a rush or for traveling and Orijen is the best for it so far. I just wish they would make a chicken, egg, and fish less formula for cats because my cat cannot tolerate it.
My cats liver enzymes just came back extremely high. She has been eating Orijens for years and I’m confused as I thought this was such a healthy food for her and now it seems like others are having a similar experience. Any information on this?
I need to let everybody know about how grateful I am for this wonderful catfood.
I have 4 adult cats and I adopted 2 kittens 7 month ago. One of the Kittens has diarrhea with whatever food I feed, and I tried anything on the market. The other one suffered from a bowl obstruction, it is not clear what caused it but he cannot eat any dryfood. You can imagine how difficult it is to feed so many cats different foods, (everybody likes or needs something different) especially if you work all day. I had to lock the kitties in the bathroom and feed them science diet prescription food so they have food available all day. I also cooked chicken every Sunday to stretch the expensive prescription food.
Then I found Orijen and I am a happy cat mother now. I use 1 cup of kibbles and 1 cup of hot water, close the lid and after an hour, or even the next day in the fridge, it doesn’t go mush, it keeps it form and is just soft. All my cats love it and the one kitty has no diarrhea, everybody is together and when I come home from work- the bowl is empty.
Thank you for this wonderful food!
Elke B.
For all who commented on wishing Orijen would put out a canned food try this: just blend up a cup or so of dry kibble with water. Add enough water to make a consistency similar to peanut butter, jar it up, then refrigerate. When scooping out onto plate just add more water to make it slightly runny. Your cat(s) will definitely get their water, with the added plus that you will keep your piece of mind knowing they’re receiving the much needed nutrients.
This is exactly what I do for my cat. Why buy canned (it’s more expensive and primarily water) when you can add warm water to kibble and make a nourishing wet food. He absolutely loves it. Twice a day we do this while I’m home, so it’s fresh (don’t leave it out for hours), and then I leave dry kibble and water out during the day and at nighttime. He’s a happy, healthy kitten.
I am really delighted with the ingredients in Orijen. However, I am a bit worried about its high protein content as cats get older. I have no problem with giving it to my younger cats but is it ok to feed it to senior cats? I have read so much about senior cats needing less protein that I am now a bit worried. Thanks in advance for any advice you could provide. My vet insists on Royal Canin but I really am not so sure about it.
Roayal Canin is crap. Ask the vet to explain all the chemicals in the stuff. Unless your cat has documented renal (kidney) issues, then there are no issues with his current food.
This may be too late for you but regardless: Have your vet check bun and creatinine in the blood and urine specific gravity to help check kidney function and monitor it regularly. if there is evidence of renal disease then you may need to pick another diet, likely a prescription diet. It’s actually not the protein itself that is the problem but the high phosphorous that goes along with the protein. phosphorous at high levels can accelerate kidney disease progression when present. All of the diets except for prescription renal care diets and a few senior diets are high in phosphorous, but higher protein diets are more likely to have the highest phosphorous levels(although i admit i haven’t looked at the true nutritional level of phosphorous per kcal in this diet). I personally wish all of the cat foods would lower their phosphorous levels without lowering protein.
If you aren’t going to do any labwork (which you really should), then I’d stay away from anything with higher phosphorous levels if your cat is 16 and up, given that kidney disease is so common in geriatric cats.
wait i have a 16 year old cat I just bought the 6 fish orijen, is it going to be too much for her? I didn’t realize this about older cats, just thought this sounded like the best ingredients for her. she has never had a health issue and in fact at her yearly check up the only time we go to the vet, the vet mentioned she would have guessed she was 10-12 at the most.
thanks~
We just did a taste test here and my Tonkinese chose Orijen cat & kitten. Here’s hoping it will be good for her as she has a very sensitive stomach and tends to barf her food quite often. If this will help with that it will be worth every penny. I’ve got to get some weight on this girl!
I’ve been feeding my cats Orijen cat food, but I just saw articles on orijen food recall. Now I’m worried. Does anyone else know anything about this?
I was wondering… People on the internet were complaining about Acana and Orijen. I wondered if a recall would follow. Not many choices left!
http://www.petsitusa.com/blog/?p=1459 Australia is the place of recall but read the first comment. Doesn’t sound like a trustworthy company to me….
Ok, the Australia recall is old. (Didn’t pay attention to dates). But owners have complained about the some problems in other countries and one potential problem could be the herbs they use not being fit for animals. Still not finding anything recent on new recall so if you have a link, please post. After much research on this today, I certainly won’t touch the food. Company seems unethical. Very few good choices left.
I have been feeding both my cats ages 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 (1 siamese and 1 japanese bobtail) for the past year and never had a problem. I purchased a new bag of the chicken formula October 19, 2012 and a week later the siamese developed a UTI and now the bobtail is showing signs of the same problem. The siamese has gone through 2 weeks of antibiotics and seemed better for 2 days but now back to where we started. Has anyone had this type of problem?
When I first rescued my two-year old, she had really bad diarrhea. We switched her to orijen’s chicken blend after reading fantastic reviews and her stool hardened, her coat became soft and shiny, and she stopped having such an aversion to us picking her up. Someone at the food store told me I should switch the type I buy each time so when she ran out we tried their 6-fish blend. Now her diarrhea is back, she looks bloated, and she squeaks when we pick her up like she is in pain. I am switching her back to the chicken blend. Im not so sure what happened with the fish but oh well!
We are breeders – Siberian Cats. We feed them Orijen and we are very pleased with it. Siberian cats need muscles, not fat, and they need to have good boning, which Orijen helps getting. I feed my kittens with canned food and then mix it with Orijen.
I wish they would have a canned version, for water.
We are in Quebec, Canada.
This cat food meets all our demands. For a short while, we tried a cheaper brand, and the lesson seems to be that Orijen is, in fact cheaper, since the cat needs a LOT less to feel full. And also, you save money on kitty litter!
dain–I soak Yoda’s food before her meals. boil kettle–pour over desired portion–wait 10-20 minutes….doing other things……serve.
rehydrated deliciousnes
My cats would not try it. I tried mixing it in with their old food, but after 2 weeks I gave up! They refused to eat even one piece.
I live in White Rock .British Columbia,Canada ,Orijen seems to be in every pet store.but I wish they made a wet formula i read that cats in the wild get most of their water intake from the prey and drink little from the bowl,therefore the dry food is not species appropriate.
We feed Orijen Dry Cat food to our two American short hair kittens. Even when they tire of the flavor of their wet food (we use Wellness and Natural Balance), they consistently enjoy the Orijen. My wife and I are happy with the high quality meats used in this formula. While it is expensive, it is well worth it. We order it from a pet food warehouse that has discount coupons that nearly offset the shipping cost. Only downside, is we cannot find it in any pet food stores – online only.
Hey Keith, If you have a Pet Supplies Plus near your area, check them out. They always have Orijen in stock, thats where I buy it for my cats and dog.