4health Cat Food Review 2025

4health cat food is a Tractor Supply exclusive brand that has become hugely successful over the last decade and a half. Since this brand's conception, it has amassed four different lines of wet and dry food.

We rate 4health cat food 4 out of 5 paws up. It gets high marks due to the quality of its ingredients, especially considering its affordable price tag. However, it misses out on a top rating due to its limited choice of flavors and its recall history. Many recipes also include some lower quality ingredients. 

Read on for our in-depth 4health cat food review, where we examine ingredient quality, recalls, brand history, and more. 

With 31 different wet and dry food recipes across four different lines, including grain-free and grain-inclusive options. 

All of 4health's recipes are "complete and balanced," according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrition guidelines for maintenance (adults) or all life stages.

Let's take a peek at some of these ranges! 

4health dry cat food

4health has four dry cat food lines geared toward different dietary preferences, including grain-inclusive and grain-free options. Here's a closer look at each line. 

4health with Wholesome Grains

4health with Wholesome Grains centers around fiber-rich whole grains and yummy proteins, and it is available in three flavors.

Both All Life Stages Indoor/Outdoor Chicken and Rice and the Adult Indoor/Outdoor Salmon and Rice are marketed to suit active outdoor felines and sedentary indoor cats. 

These recipes seem to follow the same general formula: a real animal protein (like chicken or salmon) specified meat meals (which are an excellent source of protein), followed by rice, various grains, and veggies like peas and oatmeal. Another common thread between these recipes is the addition salmon meal and chicken fat, which is high in omega fatty acids and is great for keeping a cat's coat shiny. 

The Adult Indoor/Outdoor Salmon and Rice and Adult Indoor Chicken recipes both come in at 391 calories per cup, making them a more calorie-conscious choice for kitties. These recipes are slightly lower in protein than the all-life stages recipe, averaging around 34% protein versus the 36% in the all-life stages recipe. 

These recipes contain an array of live probiotics that help balance the intestinal microbiome and could be a great choice for kitties who tend to have sensitive stomachs.

4health with Wholesome Grains recipes contain average protein levels (35.8% as dry matter) and average fat levels (16.6% as dry matter) compared to standard dry cat foods. 

4health with Wholesome Grains flavors:

• All Life Stages Indoor/Outdoor Chicken and Rice 
• Adult Indoor/Outdoor Salmon and Rice 
• Adult Indoor Chicken 

4health Grain Free 

4health Grain Free's Adult Indoor/Outdoor Whitefish and Potato Formula lists a quality cut of whitefish as the top ingredient, with three meat meals providing a protein boost. Potatoes feature in this recipe, which are high in carbs and shouldn't be part of a cat's daily diet. One controversial ingredient in this recipe is dried beet pulp, a manufacturing by-product that is considered by many to be a cheap filler. 

Adult Indoor Chicken Formula Dry Cat Food includes real chicken as the primary ingredient, with chicken meal and turkey meal as sedonary protein sources. Other top five ingredients include peas and garbanzo beans. It also features antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies like tomatoes, blueberries, and cranberries to nourish your kitty's immune system.

4health Grain Free dry cat food recipes contain average protein levels (36.6% as dry matter) and average fat levels (17.2% as dry matter) compared to standard dry cat foods. 

4health Grain Free flavors:

• Adult Indoor/Outdoor Whitefish and Potato
• Adult Indoor Chicken

4health Untamed

Untamed is a grain-free cat food line with a focus on tasty, meaty flavors inspired by the diet of your kitty's wild ancestors. 

4health Glacial Stream All Life Stages Indoor Grain-Free Salmon and Lentils Formula is primarily composed of salmon (the first ingredient) and oceanfish meal, followed by an array of legumes and a blend of vitamins and chelated minerals.  

The ingredients in the Deep Woods recipe and Stillwater Marsh recipe are nearly identical to the Glacial Stream recipe, with one exception: they have different meats and meat meals (turkey and duck respectively) as the first two ingredients.

Since it's made with duck, the Stillwater Marsh recipe is a great option for kitties who are sensitive to chicken or turkey.

All of these recipes are around 400 calories per cup, so you can rest easy knowing your kitty is getting a nutrient-dense, yummy meal.

4health Untamed dry cat foods contain average protein levels (33.6% as dry matter) and average fat levels (14.4% as dry matter) compared to standard cat foods. These levels are slightly lower than 4health's two main dry cat food lines. 

4health Untamed dry food flavors:

• Glacial Stream All Life Stages Indoor Grain-Free Salmon and Lentils
• Deep Woods All Life Stages Indoor Grain-Free Turkey and Lentils
• Stillwater Marsh All Life Stages Indoor Grain-Free Duck and Lentils

4health Special Care

4health Special Care is a small line of dry cat food formulated to help with specific health concerns like obesity and skin issues.

Feline urinary tract disease is a common problem in cats (especially in males) and can manifest as bladder stones or infections. 4health's Special Care Adult Indoor Urinary Tract Health Formula Dry Cat Food is formulated to support urinary health and reduce the risk of these conditions in adult cats. We recommend adding wet food, broth, or water to this food, since added moisture is essential for cats prone to urinary problems.

This recipe is designed to decrease the PH of the cat's urine and minimize magnesium intake to prevent the formation of bladder crystals and stones.

This is a fairly limited-ingredient recipe, with just 10 ingredients plus the vitamin and mineral blend. The first five ingredients in this recipe are chicken meal, brown rice, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, and chicken fat. While we would like to see a named meat source as the first ingredient, chicken meal is still an excellent source of protein for our fur-babies. 

The Adult Indoor Weight Management Formula is composed primarily of chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, chickpeas, lentils, and peas. These ingredients are protein-rich while also being low in calories. The macros for this recipe are 35.5% dry matter protein, 10% dry matter fat, and just 314 calories per cup, so you can feel good knowing your kitty is getting the same amount of food they're used to — just with fewer calories.

Finally, we have the last recipe in this line, the All Life Stages Indoor Sensitive Stomach and Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food. The first few ingredients in this recipe are chicken and chicken meal, a white and brown rice blend, and fish meal. Fish meal is packed with fatty acids and vitamin E, which are excellent for the skin and coat. 

4health Special Care dry food flavors:

• Adult Indoor Weight Management Formula
• 4health Special Care Adult Indoor Urinary Tract Health 
• All Life Stages Indoor Sensitive Stomach and Skin Chicken

4health wet food

4health offers several different flavors and textures of wet foods to make dinner equally enjoyable and nutritious for all their feline customers. You won't find any artificial dyes, flavors, or preservatives in these tins, either! Let's check them out!

4health Untamed

4health Untamed wet cat food focuses on high-protein, grain-free recipes inspired by a cat's natural ancestral diet. The Untamed line features chunks of real animal proteins like turkey, pollock, and duck, suspended in a yummy meat broth. Some of these recipes include fewer than 5 primary ingredient (aside from supplements and additives) making them ideal for cats with food allergies and sensitive stomachs. 

One ingredient in these recipes which is unfavorable is carrageenan, a natural thickener made from seaweed. While carrageenan is safe for cats, there's anecdotal evidence that it can upset a cat's stomach. 

This line comes in single-serve plastic tins and is available in 6 mouth-watering flavors like Coastal Waters with Pollock, Cod, and Chicken and Heartland Recipe with Chicken and Savory Juices.

4health Untamed wet cat foods contain above-average protein (51.1 as dry matter) and above-average fat (25% as dry matter) compared to standard wet cat foods. 

4health Untamed wet food flavors:

• All Life Stages Coastal Waters Recipe Pollock, Cod, and Chicken
• All Life Stages Heartland Recipe Chicken with Savory Juices
• Adult Wild Grasslands Recipe with Liver in Savory Juices 
• Adult Glacial Stream Recipe with Salmon in Savory Juices 
• Adult Grain-Free Stillwater Marsh Recipe with Duck in Savory Juices 
• Adult Grain-Free Deep Woods Recipe with Turkey in Savory Juices 

4health Grain Free Wet Food

4health Grain Free wet cat food comes in different textures, including pate recipes (like Adult Chicken) and shreds in gravy (like Shredded Salmon Dinner and Shredded Chicken Dinner).

Each recipe lists either broth or a real cut of meat as the top ingredient. Organ meat and dried egg product serve as secondary protein sources — no meat meals here! Like the Untamed line, these recipes include carrageenan, which could upset your cat's stomach. 

These foods contain grain-free and gluten-free thickeners like potato starch and guar gum to achieve the desired consistency. These recipes typically begin with a meat broth followed by a meat protein and are on par with the Untamed line as far as the protein and fat content.

4health Grain Free wet cat foods contain average protein levels (42% as dry matter) and above-average fat levels (25.8 % as dry matter) compared to typical wet cat foods. 

4health Grain Free wet food flavors:

• Adult Shredded Salmon Dinner in Gravy 
• Adult Shredded Chicken Dinner in Gravy 
• Adult Chicken 
• Adult Turkey and Giblets
• Adult Salmon in Broth 
• Adult Chicken in Broth 

4health with Wholesome Grains Wet Food

4health with Wholesome Grains is a good option of you're searching for a grain-inclusive wet cat food. This line comes in five irresistible recipes like the Adult Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe and the Adult Turkey and Salmon Recipe.

This wet food line has just about everything you could ask of a wet cat food. Real meat is the first ingredient, followed by a meat broth (a nice change, since most wet foods just use water for processing!). Healthy fruit and vegetables like carrots, cranberries and apples are added to provide a natural nutrients boost, with whole grains like barley and rice sprinkled in.

Some of these recipes even have multiple animal proteins in the first few ingredients, like the Adult Salmon Recipe, which has salmon, chicken, chicken liver, and salmon broth as the first few ingredients. At just over a dollar a can, this food is on par with premium brands at a fraction of the cost!

4health wet cat foods contain above-average protein (41.6% as dry matter) and above-average fat (26% as dry matter) compared to standard wet cat foods. 

4health with Wholesome Grains wet food flavors:

• Adult Chicken
• Adult Salmon 
• Adult Turkey and Salmon 
• Adult Chicken and Brown Rice 
• Adult Chicken and Beef 

4health Special Care Wet Food

With ingredients like turkey, liver, broth, and quinoa, we can see why 4health's Adult Sensitive Stomach Formula Turkey Recipe is a big hit with kitties prone to upset stomachs. Besides the animal proteins, quinoa offers a healthy dose of plant-based protein and fiber, which is important for healthy digestion and can even lower the risk of heart disease. 

The Adult Skin and Coat Formula Turkey Recipe Wet Cat Food features biotin, zinc, omega fatty acids, and vitamin E — all skin-nourishing ingredients that can add shine to the coat. Flaxseed flour is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, while poultry liver is a source of vitamin A which is great for skin health. 

4health's Adult Weight Management Whitefish and Chicken Recipe Wet Cat Food includes whole grains like buckwheat, probiotics, and insoluble fiber to help balance the gut biome, stabilize blood sugar, and keep your kitty content longer. Plus, at just 94 calories a tin, you'd be hard-pressed to find a weight management recipe with better macros.

4health Special Care wet food flavors:

• Adult Sensitive Stomach Formula Turkey 
• Adult Skin and Coat Formula Turkey 
• Adult Weight Management Whitefish and Chicken

Here are a few reasons that 4health gets 4 stars from us! 

It's budget-friendly

Premium pet foods can be pricey, so it is refreshing to see an affordable, high-quality cat food brand. Nutrition is a cornerstone of pet health — and our kitties deserve the best! With cans of 4health cat food costing just over a dollar per can and a 18 lb bag of dry food costing around $35, you can feed your feline a nutritious meal without breaking the bank. 

Made in the US (& doesn't source from China)

Most 4health recipes are manufactured in Diamond Pet Food factories right here in the US. The only exception to this is a few wet food recipes that are made in the Netherlands. 4health is very cautious about where they source ingredients. The brand doesn't source ingredients from China (which has been linked to mass pet food recalls in the past due to poor quality control and contamination due to illegal toxic additives.)

Real animal protein as the top ingredient

The first ingredient in any recipe is crucial because ingredient lists are organized by weight, which means the first ingredient is the main ingredient in the food. Since cats are obligate carnivores and thrive on protein-rich diets, animal-based proteins are essential. 4health prioritizes real animal proteins in their recipes and even offers multiple animal protein sources in many of their foods. 

Added probiotics

All 4health's dry food recipes contain added probiotics, which are beneficial not just for healthy digestion but also for a healthy immune system overall. Foods fortified with probiotics are great for kitties who battle regular bouts of diarrhea or constipation. Likewise, a balanced gut biome can help fight opportunistic infections by decreasing inflammation and encouraging antibody production.

Here are a few things to be aware of if you plan on trying 4health products.

Controversial ingredients

One of the main reasons 4health's cat foods miss out on a higher rating is due to the quality of some of its ingredients. For example, some recipes include brewer's rice, a manufacturing by-product of milling that's one of the lowest quality grain included in pet foods. Another controversial ingredient in dried beet pulp which is used in several dry recipes and is considered a filler ingredient.

Pea flour and corn gluten meal is used in several grain-free recipes. These ingredients boost protein levels in cat food, but as they're not animal-based proteins, they don't contain all the amino acids your cat needs to thrive. As a result, their inclusion can make protein levels misleading.

Only available at Tractor Supply

Unfortunately, you won't be able to add 4health to your Chewy or Amazon order since this brand is only available at Tractor Supply. However, if you don't have a TSC in your area, you can have it shipped to your door via their website.

Lack of flavor variety

We would love to see 4health expand its lines to offer wholesome treats and food toppers (we know their furry fans would agree. too!) A wet food version of their urinary health food would also be fur-nomenal to see, since added moisture in the diet is crucial for kitties who are prone to urinary problems.

"I have used 4health for my cats and dogs for several years. Their coats are always =], soft and full. Their health has always been good! Please continue making this product, it's awesome!"

"I have 9 cats and two at my grooming shop. They are so healthy and do amazing on this food and my dogs are on the 4health dog formula and they all have beautiful skin and coats. I recommend this food to my customers who's pets have excessive shedding and skin issues and the pets do a fantastic turnover with their skin and coats."

"I have used this food for the past 13 years. My cats are 13 and 14 years old and very healthy."

Read more reviews.

The origin of this 4health dates back to a mail-order farm equipment business that got its start in 1938, Tractor Supply Company. Over the years, TSC's business model evolved to brick-and-mortar stores all over the US, and it expanded its product lines to sell a variety of animal products for both farm animals and pets. 

In the early 2000s, Tractor Supply went to work on one of its most ambitious ventures, creating its very own pet food line. TSC set out to create an affordable pet food line that didn't sacrifice quality nutrition for cost, and 4health was born. 

4health officially launched in 2009 as Tractor Supply Company's own brand of dog and cat foods. Diamond Pet Foods, one of the largest pet food manufacturers in the country, was tasked with producing recipes for 4health. Diamond Pet Foods produces all its recipes in the US and has held out as a family-owned business since its founding in 1970. 

Since its launch, 4health has proven very successful, and many other stores and online retailers like Chewy and Petco have followed suit, creating exclusive pet food lines of their own.

4health cat food has been recalled twice since 2012. 

On May 5, 2012, Diamond Pet foods issued a recall of nine batches of dry pet food, including a batch of 4health dog food, due to a possible Salmonella contamination at its South Carolina facility. 

On March 10, 2013, 4health issued a recall of their All Life Stages Cat food after finding that it had too little thiamine in the batches.