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We give Open Farm cat food a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Open Farm is a family-owned pet food company based in Canada. They produce a range of dry and wet diets and food toppers for dogs and cats, including freeze-dried raw food. The company focuses on not only making healthy food but doing so with minimal environmental impact and high ethical standards.
Open Farm is transparent about where its ingredients come from and supports humane farming practices. The products from this company appeal to pet parents who value spending their money in a way that fits with their ethics, not just on the cheapest food they can find.
In this article, we review three of Open Farm’s cat food and food topper products with the help of two hungry test cats. Spoiler alert: the cats thought the food was tasty, but they aren’t that picky! Because you’re the one choosing and paying for your cat’s diet, please keep reading to find out what works and what we don’t like about the Open Farm products we tried.
At a Glance: What We Reviewed
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Our Favorite
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Homestead Turkey and Chicken Recipe |
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Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend Wet Food |
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Harvest Chicken Bone Broth |
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Open Farm Cat Food Reviewed
Who Makes Open Farm Cat Food and Where Is It Produced?
Open Farm cat food is headquartered in Canada, and the products are developed and formulated in Canada. However, production takes place over the U.S. border in the state of Minnesota. The company is focused on using locally sourced ingredients, and the location of the plant allows easy access to farms that meet their strict animal welfare and quality standards.
Which Types of Cats Is Open Farm Cat Food Best Suited For?
The Open Farm products we reviewed are best suited for adult cats. They are especially well-suited for picky eaters or kitties who need to increase their daily fluid intake. Because all three products contain chicken, they are not a good choice for cats with poultry allergies.
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)
Chicken/Turkey
Open Farm uses fresh chicken as the primary ingredient in the Rustic Blend and features it alongside fresh turkey in the dry diet. They typically specify that the meat is from “certified humane” farms and “human grade.” In pet food, the standards can be a bit murky regarding how these labels are applied.
Fish Meal (Herring, Ocean Whitefish, Menhaden)
Fish meal is made by drying and grinding whole fish into a fine powder. This method provides a concentrated, cost-effective source of protein for dry cat food. While fish can be a good source of protein for cats, many kitties suffer from fish allergies. In the case of Open Farm, the multiple protein sources (including chicken, another common allergy trigger) could make it hard to determine which ingredient is causing the allergies.
Chicken Bone Broth
Chicken bone broth is an ingredient in the Rustic Harvest. It’s made by slow-simmering chicken bones and is packed with nutrients. It is easy to digest and helpful in maintaining hydration, supporting skin and joint health, and providing extra nourishment to sick or senior cats.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil helps support a cat’s skin, coat, and immune health. In dogs, it’s also been shown to benefit older pups struggling with dementia, although there’s no research yet proving similar results in cats.
Legumes (Chickpeas, Lentils)
Open Farm food includes legumes as a source of protein and starch, as do many grain-free diets. You might be aware that using legumes in dog food is under investigation due to a potential link to heart disease. However, the same danger hasn’t been discovered in cats. While grain-free, low-carb diets are trendy, not all cats benefit from eating them. Cats with certain health issues may do better eating grain-free, but you should discuss it with your veterinarian.
A Quick Look at Open Farm Cat Food
- Focused on ethical, sustainable farming and production
- Transparent about ingredient tracing and sources
- Multiple recipes and protein choices
- Kitten diets are available
- Made with simple, easy-to-recognize ingredients
- Only ships to Canada and the lower 48 United States
- Mixed-protein recipes aren’t ideal for cats with allergies
- No senior formula or weight loss recipes
- Limited bag sizes are available
Reviews of the Open Farm Cat Food We Tried
1. Open Farm Homestead Turkey and Chicken Recipe
Open Farm Homestead Turkey and Chicken Recipe is a dry diet formulated for adult cats. It contains 37% protein, 18% fat, and 470 kcal/cup. This food is made with humanely raised poultry as the top ingredients.
The Homestead Turkey and Chicken Recipe also contains fruits and vegetables. Open Farm’s website lists the country or U.S. state of origin for each ingredient found in this food. Although it is labeled as a turkey and chicken food, this kibble also contains several fish meal protein sources. Many cats have fish allergies, and combining so many proteins can make it hard to narrow down what could be triggering allergy symptoms.
- High in protein
- You know where each ingredient comes from
- Humanely raised chicken and turkey are the top ingredients
- Made in the USA
- High in fat and calories
- The blend of proteins is not ideal for cats with allergies
2. Open Farm Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend Wet Food
This wet diet is made from a single protein (humanely raised chicken) and includes added fruits, vegetables, and coconut oil. The company publishes the source of each ingredient on its website for full transparency. With 7% protein and 6% fat, this food is made in the USA with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The texture is loose and pudding-like, making it easy to eat, but it could make a bit of a mess if fed on its own. It’s only available in a case of 12 5.5 oz cartons, which are not resealable.
- Single protein diet
- Transparently sourced ingredients
- No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Made in the USA
- Texture can be messy
- Limited sizes
- Cartons are not resealable
3. Open Farm Harvest Chicken Bone Broth
Harvest Chicken Bone Broth is made from slow-simmered chicken bones and veggies and can be offered on its own or poured over dry food to add moisture and flavor. Since it’s low in fat, the Harvest Chicken Bone Broth is an excellent way to encourage your cat to take in more liquids.
If your vet tells you your cat needs to drink more, ask if this bone broth might be a good option. It’s available in two sizes with a handy reusable cap and will last you a while if needed. It also helps support skin, coat, and immune health. If your cat doesn’t care for the taste or prefers to graze at their meal, you may waste some kibble, which quickly turns into a soggy mess.
- A tasty way to add moisture to your cat’s diet
- Low in fat, high in protein
- Reusable screw cap
- Collagen supports skin, coat, and immune health
- Not ideal for cats who prefer to graze at their food all-day
- Turns kibble into a soggy mess
Our Experience With Open Farm Cat Food
I enlisted my cats, Alan and Algernon, to test these Open Farm products. Algernon is a 5-year-old, 8-pound male orange tabby with a sweet, quiet personality. He’s not a picky eater but prefers to take his time when eating.
Alan is a 1-year-old, 15-pound male gray tabby with a playful, outgoing temperament. He is a ravenous beast when it comes to food. If he gets the chance, this cat will eat anything as fast as possible, including his brother’s meal.
The boys’ regular diet is Purina One Indoor Advantage Turkey dry kibble, which they’ve eaten for almost a year. I’ll discuss their response to the three Open Farm products individually.
Open Farm Homestead Turkey and Chicken Dry Food
Alan and Algernon readily ate the Open Farm dry kibble and seemed to enjoy it. Neither cat has ever eaten a fish-based food, nor do they usually receive fishy treats. Despite this, both cats tolerated the Open Farm dry food well, with no digestive upset noted.
Because they live with a 4-year-old human, Algie and Alan spend more time than the average cat cleaning up spilled food daily. This likely gives them stronger stomachs than many cats, which should be taken into consideration when noting their reaction to these new diets.
Open Farm Rustic Chicken Harvest Blend
I fed the Rustic Chicken mixed with dry food, and again, both cats ate it readily. Personally, I found the texture and look of the wet diet a bit off-putting. It also has a fairly strong smell.
While I appreciate that the company prioritizes recyclable packaging, I felt the carton wasn’t the easiest to work with. After peeling it open, you’re meant to squeeze out the food, which is a bit messy and unwieldy. There’s also no easy way to safely seal up any leftovers as there would be with a can and lid.
Like the dry food, Alan and Algernon tolerated the Rustic Chicken diet without visible digestive upset.
Open Farm Harvest Chicken Bone Broth
Like the wet food, I offered Alan and Algernon the Harvest Chicken Bone Broth as a food topper with their dry kibble. Alan quickly drank his broth out of the bowl and finished the rest of his kibble. Algernon rarely finishes his entire meal in one sitting, and this was no exception.
Because of this, while he enjoyed drinking the broth, enough remained to turn his kibble into a mess. Typically, I hide his remaining food from Alan and bring the bowl out periodically throughout the day so Algernon can keep grazing. That wasn’t possible with the soaked kibble, nor did Algernon seem interested in eating the softened dry food.
Conclusion
Open Farm is committed to ethical, sustainable, and transparent pet food production. It fits squarely into the global premium pet food demand boom, driven mainly by younger pet parents. Based on the three products I reviewed, the company delivers on its promise of quality, well-made food.
Most importantly, my cats ate all three happily and tolerated them well. Of the three, I had the most concerns with the Rustic Chicken Harvest wet food because of the packaging and difficulty safely storing any leftovers. The dry diet should appeal to a range of cats, while the bone broth works best as a food topper for kitties who eat quickly rather than those who graze throughout the day.
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