Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food Review

You have probably seen this brand around, considering Rachael Ray is a well-known celebrity chef, TV host and businesswoman. Ainsworth Pet Nutrition recognized this potential and partnered with her in 2008 to create Rachael Ray Nutrish as a pet food brand. Given that Rachael has a warm, friendly person and a public love of animals—it seemed like the perfect fit. Then the J.M. Smucker Company acquired them in 2018. 

Nutrish’s purpose is rooted in providing premium food for the average buyer to nourish and nurture their pets. They use simple, wholesome and natural ingredients to cater to your cat’s nutritional needs. As such, they source only high quality protein to support healthy organs and lean muscle mass. And almost all of their cat foods are formulated with essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids. 

Most of their ingredients come from the US, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. But their wet food is predominantly made in Thailand. Rachael Ray Nutrish adheres to strict safety standards through employing independent third parties that assess and audit their food safety programs at each manufacturing facility. 

They have a diverse range of recipes catered to all nutritional needs, from grain-free, to sensitive stomach to indoor cat recipes and life stage specific food—Nutrish has all the bases covered. 

But what sets this brand apart from the rest is their philanthropic pursuits. A portion of the process from each sale of Nutrish dog or cat food is donated to The Rachael Ray Foundation to help animals in need. 

Now that you have more background on Rachael Ray Nutrish as a brand, it’s time to dive deeper into their cat food. To help you better decide on whether their products are the right fit for your feline, we’ve reviewed their highest rated dry and wet cat food below. 

This chicken and brown rice based dry cat food formula is one of Rachael Ray Nutrish’s most popular products. With U.S. farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient, followed by Chicken Meal, it provides a great source of protein for our carnivorous feline friends. And they need this to maintain healthy organs and lean muscles.

Brown rice is a highly digestible carbohydrate that provides essential B vitamins and fiber. The addition of beet pulp is also welcomed, as this ingredient naturally provides the prebiotics necessary to aid in healthy digestion. That means, this food will be a great choice for cats with sensitive tummies. Additionally, this recipe also includes wholesome vegetables and minerals such as taurine to support your cat’s vision and heart health.

While not cause for concern, this dry food contains a decent amount of plant protein fillers, like corn gluten meal. However, the brand has addressed that corn and corn gluten meal are two independent ingredients; corn gluten meal is derived from the high-protein parts of the corn kernel.

Lastly, the small kibble size makes it easier for your cat to munch on it’s savory flavor and texture. He or she will be meowing for more!

Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium Dry Cat Food with Real Meat and Brown Rice contains 386 calories per cup. 

Check out the complete list of best dry cat food

Available in nine delicious recipes, this grain free, natural wet cat food is a nutritionally balanced meal. It’s packed with all the essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids that your kitty needs.

This wet cat food is also rich in real animal protein, and then slowly simmered in a savory sauce to satisfy finicky taste buds and support healthy muscles. We especially value the presence of omegas, taurine and antioxidants for optimal muscle, skin and coat health.

Cats aren’t always great when it comes to drinking water, and this wet cat food helps mitigate that. It all comes together by the sauce, which provides the essential hydration that cats need as well.

Rachael Ray Nutrish 2.8 Ounce Wet Cat Food Cups contain 78 calories per cup. 

Check out the complete list of best wet cat food

Indoor cats have different nutritional needs compared to outdoor cats. They need fewer calories and more fiber to help with hairballs. If you have an indoor cat, and you want to feed them the right diet, look no further than this dry food from Rachael Ray Nutrish.

Not only does it contain appropriate protein sources like pure chicken and chicken meal, but it’s also a fiber-rich recipe made with dried beet pulp and lentils for healthy weight management. This recipe also includes antioxidant rich ingredients such as berries for a healthy immune system. And natural prebiotics, like pumpkin, aids in supporting your kitty’s digestion.

All in all, this is a complete and balanced diet that provides the essential nutrients for your indoor cat to be healthy and happy. Plus, there’s absolutely no artificial ingredients or additives. It’s a powerful superfood formula to meet your cat’s health needs.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete Dry Cat Food contains 371 calories per cup. 

Check out the complete list of best kitten food

Rachael Ray Nutrish cat food has been recalled once. This was in 2015 when several wet cat food varieties were pulled due to high levels of Vitamin D. 

Recalls are important to be aware of to get a better picture of a brand. However, they can happen for a variety of reasons and we like to see how brands are addressing quality and safety in the present moment. According to their website, Rachael Ray Nutrish is actively working with Pet Food Industry (PFI) to establish and implement “Best Practices” that are aligned with evolving regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act. 

It should also be noted that Rachael Ray Nutrish has been in the media for a couple of legal conflicts, though they have either been inconclusive or dismissed: 

• In 2019, the FDA named Rachael Ray Nutrish one of 16 brands associated with potentially increased risk of heart disease in pets. However, none of these brands, including Nutrish, have been recalled and the investigation remains inconclusive as of May 2020. 
• In 2018, a New York customer filed a $5 million class action lawsuit which alleged that Nutrish was guilty of mislabeling products and that there were traces of an undisclosed dangerous herbicide called glyphosate. But this lawsuit has been thrown out twice and it was officially dismissed in February 2020. 

We have analyzed 102 of Blue Buffalo cat food products on Chewy. We took into account ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, price, product variety, customer experience, and recall history. All of these factors combined produced an overall brand score, ratings for their wet and dry food lines (maybe), as well as individual product ratings.