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We’ve rated KatKin on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our KatKin cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating KatKin on What Matters
We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 9/10
- Ingredient Quality – 9/10
- Product Variety – 7/10
- Price – 7/10
- Customer Experience – 9/10
- Recall History – 7/10
Overall Score: 8.1/10
In total, we give KatKin cat food a 50 out of 60 rating or an A- grade.
NOTE: These ratings are based on an in-depth exploration of the brand and reading dozens of customer reviews. I was not able to personally test the cat food given that KatKin is a UK-based company.
About KatKin
KatKin is an exclusively fresh nutrition and wellness brand for cats based in the UK. It is KatKin’s mission to provide cats everywhere with access to a fresh, species-appropriate diet that enables them to live happier, healthier, and longer lives.
This brand uses only the freshest human-grade ingredients in their formulas and they personalize each recipe to your cat’s specific calorie requirements. You simply provide some basic information about your cat and his dietary preferences and KatKin takes care of the rest.
Dr. Justin Shmalberg, whose name you may recognize from Nom Nom, is the veterinary expert responsible for formulating KatKin’s fresh cat food recipes. All of these recipes conform to FEDIAF standards and AAFCO recommendations.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
What sets KatKin apart from traditional cat food companies is the fact that they prepare their foods using a gentle steam cooking method to eliminate the threat of food-borne pathogens without destroying the nutritional integrity of the food. Every recipe is made with 100% fresh meat and high-quality produce then frozen fresh to lock in the goodness.
When it comes to their recipes, KatKin is extremely transparent. You don’t have to create an account to view their formulas like you do with some subscription services. Simply visit the Recipes tab and click on each recipe to view the list of ingredients and nutritional values.
All of KatKin’s recipes are prepared in their human-grade, company-owned kitchen located in Park Royal, London. All ingredients are sourced in the UK and every one of KatKin’s suppliers conforms to the UK Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations.
Recall History
To our knowledge, KatKin has never had a product recall. It’s important to recognize that UK pet food companies aren’t regulated by the FDA. They are, however, held to the standards determined by the FEDIAF, the trade body representing the European pet food industry.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does KatKin Offer?
KatKin is an exclusively fresh cat food company. They currently offer six fresh cat food recipes (though certain parts of their website reference seven recipes), all made with human-grade ingredients. Their formulas are primarily meat-based and supplemented with KatKin Nutrient Mix, an expertly formulated nutrition blend.
Here’s a list of KatKin’s fresh food recipes:
These recipes are made with 100% fresh meat and organs with no added carbohydrates. Aside from the meat, organs, and nutrient mix, the only other ingredient is fish oil.
What Do Customers Think of KatKin Cat Food?
Because KatKin is based in the UK, I wasn’t able to order samples of the food myself. This makes it all the more important to read customer reviews for the brand. KatKin has over 580 reviews on TrustPilot.com, over 90% of which are “Excellent” or 5-star reviews.
Many customers have commented that their order arrived quickly and their cats seemed to like it. Some noticed a visible improvement in the quality of their cat’s coat and others noticed a reduction in vomiting and other symptoms related to sensitive stomach. Several customers noted that they’d like to see a fish recipe included in the lineup, but most were pleased with the recipe selection.
In reading reviews for KatKin I got the impression that their customer service team makes a strong effort to ensure customer satisfaction. Almost every review on TrustPilot had a response from the company and customers who complained about their delivery updated their reviews with positive comments about KatKin’s attempts to remedy the issue.
Let’s take a look at a few customer reviews for KatKin.
Positive Reviews
“Today was Katie Kat’s first day on Katkin food. The smell was enough to get her excited. I didn’t even get her bowls off the counter before she dived right in. Looks like this new diet is going to be hugely successful. Thank you to everyone at Katkin. They provide a really personal service and are really friendly.”– TP
“We tried KatKin, I was very impressed, my fussy Siamese less so. We tried other foods but she turned her nose up and we went back to KatKin. (Mostly because it didn’t make me balk when serving it up) She got used to it second time around and we’re now sticking with it! Excellent customer service and follow-up.”– Mel Eldridge
Negative Reviews
“It seems decent, and the packaging is lovely and seems like it would be very healthy. Unfortunately my cats refuse to touch it. So much so, that they’ve pushed it out of their bowl during trial period. Even my dogs (who usually try to polish off the cat food) won’t go near it. Even with the little chicken powder. I also felt it was quite expensive.”– Katrina Hutchings
“Unfortunately my cat Maise didn’t take to it, I persisted with it for 2 weeks but she just wouldn’t eat the food. I very much wanted it to work, I tried everything. I have nothing bad to say about KatKin, they were very good, however it is what it is.”– Peter Falk
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
Unfortunately, because KatKin is a UK-based company, I wasn’t able to test the food myself. That being said, I do have some comments about the sign-up process and some overall impressions about KatKin.
As I’ve made abundantly clear, KatKin is a fresh cat food subscription service that sends you regular deliveries of fresh frozen cat food. During the signup process, KatKin collects the kind of information you’d expect – details about your cat’s sex, age, breed, and weight. What I appreciated was that KatKin also asks about your cat’s body condition.
Body condition is often a better indicator of optimal health in pets than body weight alone. KatKin asks you to indicate whether your cat’s body is skinny, just right, chubby, or obese and they provide a visual for each option to help you make the right selection. This information helps KatKin determine your cat’s caloric requirements, so they send you the right amount of food.
I also appreciated the degree to which KatKin allowed me to customize my cat’s plan. They offer six different recipes along with an assortment of extras like treats and food toppers.
KatKin Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
#1 KatKin Cluck! Chicken Recipe Fresh Cat Food
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This recipe is made with 100% fresh chicken thigh, liver, and heart as the primary ingredients. In fact, these are the only ingredients aside from the KatKin Nutrient Mix.
KatKin comments that they use “only the finest, human-grade ingredients” and it certainly seems to be true. We love that this recipe is packed with high-quality animal protein and rich in moisture but contains a negligible amount of carbohydrate – only 0.10% fiber.
Overall, this is a meat-based recipe packed with animal protein with low fat and negligible carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Fresh Chicken (Thigh, Liver, Heart), Minerals, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Zinc Chelate, Iron Chelate, Manganese Chelate, Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein: 18%
Crude Fat: 6.1%
Crude Fiber: 0.1%
Moisture: 73.3%
Ash: 1.8%
Dry Matter Basis
Protein: 67.42%
Fat: 22.85%
Fiber: 0.37%
Carbs: 2.62%
Caloric Weight Basis
Protein: 53.71%
Fat: 44.2%
Carbs: 2.09%
Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
Fresh Chicken | None | Chicken |
Pros
- Packed with high-quality animal protein
- No added carbohydrate ingredients
- Free from fillers, by-products, and artificial additives
- An excellent source of moisture for your cat
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Arrives frozen, must thaw before feeding
- Very low fiber content
#2 KatKin Baaa! Lamb Recipe Fresh Cat Food
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Like the previous recipe, this formula starts out strong with fresh lamb as the primary ingredient. Where this formula differs is in the addition of fish oil which increases the total fat content a little bit.
I love that this recipe contains fresh lamb meat along with lamb heart and liver – these are excellent sources of essential minerals as well as supplementary protein. I’d prefer to see the fish oil come from a named source (like salmon oil), but it may simply be a difference in European pet food labeling.
Overall, this is a meat-based recipe packed with animal protein with moderate fat and negligible carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Fresh Lamb (Trim, Heart, Liver), Minerals, Fish Oil, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Zinc Chelate, Iron Chelate, Manganese Chelate, Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein: 16.7%
Crude Fat: 10.8%
Crude Fiber: 0.3%
Moisture: 70%
Ash: 2.2%
Dry Matter Basis
Protein: 55.67%
Fat: 36%
Fiber: 1%
Caloric Weight Basis
Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
Fresh Lamb Fish Oil | None | None |
Pros
- Packed with fresh animal protein
- No added carbohydrate ingredients
- Free from fillers, by-products, and artificial additives
- An excellent source of moisture for your cat
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Arrives frozen, must thaw before feeding
- Very low fiber content
#3 KatKin Quack! Duck Recipe Fresh Cat Food
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Compared to the previous formula, this duck recipe is a little bit lower in both protein and fat but higher in moisture. It still contains 100% fresh duck as the first ingredient and includes fish oil as well for an added source of omega-3 fatty acids.
One thing worth noting with this recipe is that it contains chicken heart. There’s nothing wrong with chicken heart as an ingredient, but if your cat is allergic to chicken you may want to avoid this recipe.
Overall, this is a meat-based recipe packed with animal protein with moderate fat and negligible carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Fresh Duck (Breast, Liver), Chicken Heart, Minerals, Fish Oil, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Zinc Chelate, Iron Chelate, Manganese Chelate, Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein: 15.9%
Crude Fat: 9.3%
Crude Fiber: 0.1%
Moisture: 72.6%
Ash: 2.1%
Dry Matter Basis
Protein: 58.03%
Fat: 33.94%
Fiber: 0.36%
Caloric Weight Basis
Protein: 41.31%
Fat: 58.69%
Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
Fresh Duck Chicken Heart Fish Oil | None | None |
Pros
- Packed with fresh animal protein
- No added carbohydrate ingredients
- Free from fillers, by-products, and artificial additives
- An excellent source of moisture for your cat
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Arrives frozen, must thaw before feeding
- Very low fiber content
How Much Does KatKin Cat Food Cost?
As a fresh cat food subscription service, you can expect KatKin to cost more than the average kibble. The brand comments that their plans start at just £1.75 (~$2.43) per day.
Your daily cost will vary depending on your cat’s body weight and condition. Using the example of a 5-year-old female cat (spayed) who weighed 4.5kg (10lbs), KatKin estimated my cat’s daily calorie requirement at 200kcal which came to a daily price of £1.29 (~$1.79).
Overall, Is KatKin Cat Food A Good Choice?
Fresh cat food will always receive higher ratings from me than kibble or even canned food, but KatKin is one of the best fresh cat food brands I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. Not only does KatKin offer six different recipes, but they are all made with 100% fresh meat with no added carbohydrates – this makes it incredibly species-appropriate for your cat.
I wasn’t able to test the products myself but reading dozens of reviews leads me to believe that KatKin’s customer experience is top-notch. They seem very responsive, and their website offers complete transparency about their ingredients and formulas. It might be nice to see a fish recipe included in their lineup (as several customers commented), but I really don’t have anything bad to say about this brand.
Where Is KatKin Cat Food Sold?
Like many cat food subscription plans, KatKin is only sold online through the company’s website. Being based in the UK, KatKin only delivers to England, Scotland, and Wales, excluding the Scottish Highlands and Islands. You can start your subscription easily by clicking the “Build My Box” button on the website.
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