Our Review Process
Our reviews are based on extensive research and, when possible, hands-on testing. Each time you make a purchase through one of our independently-chosen links, we’ll receive a percentage of the proceeds. Read more about how we’re supported here.
We’ve rated Open Farm on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Open Farm cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Open Farm 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 – 8/10
- Ingredient Quality – 9/10
- Product Variety – 8/10
- Price – 7/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 10/10
Overall Score: 8.5/10
In total, we give Open Farm cat food a 50 out of 60 rating or an A- grade.
Open Farm Cat Food Explained
As part of our review process, we’ve submitted samples to an independent lab. You can see the full report here, here, and here.
In addition to performing our own qualitative analysis of the brands reviewed here, we submitted samples for analysis at an ISO 17025 certified food testing and analysis lab.
Also Read: Why We Lab Test Cat Food and How to Interpret the Reports
We bought the products at full retail price, and the entire testing process was funded by Cats.com without direct input or influence from the companies involved.
Analytical testing in a food chemistry lab gives us the exact macronutrient and micronutrient content of each recipe. The tests also look at microbial content, yeast, mold, and heavy metals, helping you ensure that you’re only putting the best in your cat’s bowl.
To access the lab reports for each food reviewed here, click the “view lab report” link in the product review.
How We Review Cat Food
To review Open Farm, we spent hours researching the brand, learning about its history and product lineup. We studied the company’s sourcing and manufacturing practices and scoured recall databases for reports related to safety issues. To understand how other customers feel about the brand, we read dozens of customer reviews, identifying any common patterns or trends.
Finally, our reviewer independently purchased several packages of Open Farm cat food and tried it out with their cats, taking notes on palatability, texture, smell, and more.
Based on this research and hands-on testing, we’ve rated the brand according to the Cats.com Standard. Learn more about the Standard here.
About Open Farm
The story of Open Farm began with a rescue dog named Bella. Immediately upon adopting Bella, Jacqueline Prehogan, co-founder of Open Farm, set out to find a natural, nutritious pet food that would help her grow up strong, happy, and healthy. Appalled at the number of pet food on the market that were filled with ingredients that compromised her standards for transparency, sustainability, and animal welfare, Prehogan decided to create her ideal pet food herself.
Prehogan partnered with her husband Isaac and brother-in-law Derek to engage in years of research before starting Open Farm. Not only did they change the ingredients in their pet food, but they completely re-envisioned the way it was made. Focusing on high-quality ingredients and supporting farmers who treat their animals right, Open Farm also provides full transparency to their customers.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
Open Farm’s core values are transparency, premium nutrition, and ethical sourcing. These values guide every decision they make from how they procure ingredients to how they package their products.
Open Farm uses only the highest quality, ethically sourced ingredients including humanely raised meat that is free from antibiotics and growth hormones as well as non-GMO fruits and veggies.
While Open Farm is a Canadian company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, their manufacturing facilities are located in Minnesota in the U.S. All of their formulation and recipe development is done in Canada but their products are made in the USA to facilitate their local ingredient sourcing program.
Recall History
Though Open Farm is a Canadian company, their products are manufactured in the USA and therefore subject to FDA regulations. To the best of our knowledge, Open Farm has never had a product recalled.
What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Open Farm Offer?
Open Farm currently offers a selection of dry cat food, wet cat food, and bone broths. Their dry food formulas are packed with real animal-based protein and low in carbohydrates, making them highly appealing to your carnivore’s tastes and senses.
Their wet food formulas are made with 100% human-grade ingredients including ethically and sustainably sourced meat. These recipes are sold in 5.5-ounce cardboard cartons, making them easy to serve and resealable for convenience.
In addition to their dry cat food and wet cat food products, Open Farm offers three types of bone broth: chicken, turkey, and grass-fed beef. These are sold in resealable 12-ounce pouches.
What Do Customers Think of Open Farm Cat Food?
Each of Open Farm’s cat food products has over 100 customer reviews on the brand website and most carry at least 4 stars out of a possible 5-star rating. Many customers comment that even their picky eaters seem to love the food, and some noticed an improvement in the quality of their cat’s coat.
Of the limited negative reviews, some customers simply found their cats didn’t like the product, but few had issues with the product themselves.
Let’s take a look at a few customer reviews from some of the most popular recipes from Open Farm.
Positive Reviews
“My cat ate dry food for the first time in preference to the canned food. It smells like its’ ingredients – you can tell the different flavors apart. The fact that the animals are raised humanely and this is a sustainable effort is important for me, and that’s why I happily pay more.”– NLH reviewing Open Farm Homestead Turkey & Chicken Grain-Free Dry Food
“My cats enjoyed this food. I have a cat that is allergic to just about every food on the market so it’s very hard to find something she is able to digest without getting sick. This food is not only sourced ethically and naturally, but it has nothing she’s allergic to in it!”– Brianne Thomas reviewing Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon Grain-Free Dry Food
Negative Reviews
“She ate small amounts (compared to the amount she usually eats) about three times and then would not touch it anymore. Gave it away.”– Gray Vegan reviewing Open Farm Catch-of-the-Season Grain-Free Dry Food
“Cats do not eat vegetables!!! Pumpkin is a vegetable which contains a lot starch!!! Don’t know why the company even put coconut oil in the cat food. For that reason, I think this cat food is overpriced and probably won’t buy it again.”– Joyce Huang reviewing Open Farm Pasture-Raised Lamb Grain-Free Dry Food
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
Overall, my test cats seemed to enjoy Open Farm cat food. They dug eagerly into the dry food and loved the wet food as well. All of the products tested had a strong meaty aroma my test cats found very appealing.
Personally, I appreciated the thought Open Farm puts into their packaging. Their bags of dry food are designed to sit upright and their wet food is packaged in resealable cardboard cartons.
Open Farm Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
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View Lab Report
This dry food formula features three high-quality sources of animal-based protein as the top three ingredients: wild Pacific salmon, ocean whitefish meal, and ocean herring meal.
We also love that this recipe includes two animal-based sources of added fat (herring and salmon oils), though the primary source is plant-based (coconut oil).
What we don’t like about this recipe is that it includes a significant number of plant ingredients include some which are high in plant-based proteins (garbanzo beans and red lentils). These ingredients contribute to a fairly high carbohydrate content estimated around 25%.
Overall, this is a protein-packed dry food rich in essential fatty acids, but it has an above-average carbohydrate content and is low in moisture.
Ingredients
Wild Pacific Salmon, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Ocean Herring Meal, Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Red Lentils, Coconut Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Herring Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Pumpkin, Natural Flavor, Green Lentils, Salmon Oil, Non-GMO Cranberries, Chicory Root, Apples, Dandelion Greens, Choline Chloride, Salt, Turmeric, Dried Yucca, Schidigera Extract, Potassium Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Taurine, Rosemary Extract.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein: 41%
Crude Fat: 20%
Crude Fiber: 3%
Moisture: 8%
Ash: 8%
Dry Matter Basis
Protein: 44.57%
Fat: 21.74%
Fiber: 3.26%
Carbs: 21.74%
Caloric Weight Basis
Protein: 37.42%
Fat: 44.33%
Carbs: 18.25%
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Salmon Ocean Whitefish Meal Ocean Herring Meal Herring Oil Salmon Oil | Garbanzo Beans Red Lentils Coconut Oil | Fish |
Pros
- Two sources of animal-based fat (herring and salmon oils)
- Contains several sources of animal-based protein
- Free from fillers, by-products, and artificial additives
Cons
- Doesn’t contain the moisture your cat needs
- Contains some plant-based protein
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This dry food formula features lamb as the first ingredient but is otherwise incredibly similar to the previous recipe.
In addition to pasture-raised lamb, it contains both ocean whitefish meal and herring meal as well as a number of plant ingredients, including some rich in plant-based protein. The estimated carbohydrate content of this formula is similar, around 25%.
Where this recipe improves upon the previous is in the inclusion of herring oil as the first and primary source of added fat. Sunflower oil appears later in the list but isn’t high enough to be considered a main ingredient.
Overall, this is a protein-rich formula made with high-quality ingredients but it is still fairly high in carbohydrates and isn’t a single-source protein recipe which could be an issue for cats with allergies.
Ingredients
Humanely Raised Lamb, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Herring Meal, Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Red Lentils, Herring Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Green Lentils, Pumpkin, Natural Flavor, Non-GMO Cranberries, Dried Chicory Root Extract, Choline Chloride, Apples, Dandelion Greens, Choline Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Turmeric, Sunflower Oil, Dried Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Tricalcium Phosphate, Rosemary Extract, Coconut Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols).
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein: 41%
Crude Fat: 20%
Crude Fiber: 3%
Moisture: 8%
Ash: 8%
Dry Matter Basis
Protein: 44.57%
Fat: 21.74%
Fiber: 3.26%
Carbs: 21.74%
Caloric Weight Basis
Protein: 37.42%
Fat: 44.33%
Carbs: 18.25%
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Lamb Ocean Whitefish Meal Herring Meal Herring Oil | Garbanzo Beans Red Lentils Green Lentils | Fish |
Pros
- Contains several sources of real animal protein
- Main source of added fat is animal-based (herring oil)
- Free from fillers, by-products, and artificial additives
Cons
- Not a single-source protein formula
- Doesn’t contain the moisture your cat needs
- Contains some plant-based protein
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This wet cat food formula features ocean herring and mackerel as the top two ingredients and the sole sources of animal-based protein. Like the dry foods above, this formula contains some plant ingredients that contain a significant amount of protein like red lentils and garbanzo beans.
As is true with many high-quality cat food brands, Open Farm wet food is much lower in carbohydrate content and higher in protein than their dry foods. This recipe is estimated under 5% carbohydrates, but we’re still a little bit confused by the number of plant-based ingredients.
Overall, this is an animal-based wet food high in protein and moisture with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Ocean Herring & Mackerel, Water Sufficient For Processing, Pumpkin, Carrots, Spinach, Red Lentils, Agar Agar, Non-GMO Cranberries, Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Chicory Root, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Salt, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Kelp, Potassium Chloride, Dandelion Greens, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Turmeric.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein: 8.1%
Crude Fat: 4.74%
Crude Fiber: 0.97%
Moisture: 82%
Ash: 1.43%
Dry Matter Basis
Protein: 45%
Fat: 26.33%
Fiber: 5.39%
Carbs: 15.33%
Caloric Weight Basis
Protein: 36.21%
Fat: 51.46%
Carbs: 12.34%
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Ocean Herring Mackerel
| Pumpkin Carrots Spinach Red Lentils Agar Agar | Fish |
Pros
- Packed with high-quality animal protein
- Rich in moisture, good for your cat’s digestion
- Free from artificial additives, fillers, and by-products
Cons
- Contains several plant-based ingredients
- Made with some thickener (agar agar)
How Much Does Open Farm Cat Food Cost?
Because it is made with high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients, Open Farm is a fairly expensive pet food. Their dry foods average around $0.35 per ounce and their wet foods are closer to $0.50 per ounce. For the average cat who eats about 2 to 2.5 ounces of food per day, the estimated daily cost for Open Farm cat food is between $0.70 and $1.00 per day.
Overall, Is Open Farm Cat Food A Good Choice?
Generally speaking, Open Farm appears to be a trustworthy brand that has the best interest of pets in mind. Not only do they use high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients, but they offer complete transparency about the sourcing of those ingredients. Their recipes all feature a humanely raised or wild-caught source of animal-based protein as the first ingredient as well.
The complaints we have about this brand primarily have to do with the use of plant-based ingredients. All of the dry food and wet food recipes we reviewed contains plant-based proteins like red lentils and garbanzo beans as well as various fruits and veggies. Given the fact these recipes also contain an extensive list of nutritional supplements anyway, we’re not sure these ingredients are necessary.
*The Nutrient Profile charts listed on this page are based on Nutrient Profiles published on the manufacturer’s official website
Where Is Open Farm Cat Food Sold?
You can find Open Farm cat food in specialty pet food stores and some small independent retailers. Online, Open Farm cat food is sold directly through the manufacturer’s website and on Amazon and PetFlow.
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