Essence Cat Food Review 2025

Essence has gained a reputation for its high-protein, grain-free cat food recipes focusing on quality ingredients. The website claims to be "the next generation of pet food," using only the highest quality ingredients in their foods — but is it as good as it sounds?

We give Essence cat food an excellent 4.5 out of 5 paws up. Essence's recipes are grain-free and consist of anywhere from 86% to 96% animal protein ingredients. Above-average fat contents in some recipes and a lack of added probiotics means it misses out on a top rating.

Read on as we examine Essence's recipes, highlight their key features (and potential drawbacks), and share feedback from real customers.

Essence has a limited cat food range, with just three dry and and three wet varieties on the market. 

All Essence cat foods are "complete and balanced," meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient profile guidelines for all life stages or adult maintenance. 

Essence dry cat food

All essence dry cat foods are grain-free, each comprised of at least 86% animal proteins. Besides being grain-free, these recipes are also free of artificial additives and low-quality fillers. All three recipes are sold in 4-lb and 10-lb bags.

Essence Air & Gamefowl has changed over the years but is still a high-quality, meat-forward product. The original formula centered around guinea fowl as the leading ingredient but has since changed to a turkey-based recipe. The first five ingredients are still high-quality meat products, including turkey, chicken, duck, duck meal, turkey meal, and chicken meal, lending to the impressive 44.4%* protein content.

 This recipe also has a moderately high-fat content, at 22.2%, based on the dry weight of the recipe. While animal fat is a great source of energy and omega 3, it is pretty calorie-dense, and since this recipe comes out to 448 calories per cup, it may not be ideal for obese cats.

The Essence Ocean & Freshwater recipe also boasts an impressive 44.4% protein content*. It's slightly lower in fat than the poultry-based recipe, with just 19.4%*. Salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel primarily comprise this recipe and are excellent sources of brain-nourishing omega fatty acids. Further down the list we see various fish meals (another great protein source), legumes, and pumpkin, which give kitties the fiber they need for healthy digestion. This recipe is slightly lower in calories than the other dry recipes, coming in at 418 calories per cup.

At 43.4% protein*, 19.4% fat*, and 421 calories, the Essence Ranch & Meadow recipe is a nutrient-dense option and is a great choice for active cats. The recipe centers around named meats (lamb and pork), which, like the other dry recipes, is followed by meat meal, legumes, and pumpkin. This recipe also features boar and goat, but considering how far down on the ingredients list these are, they are likely more for flavor than nutrients.

*On a dry matter basis.

Essence dry cat food flavors:

• Air & Gamefowl
• Ocean & Freshwater
• Ranch & Meadow

Essence wet cat food

You're not seeing double — Essence's wet food recipes share the same names as the dry recipes and even have similar ingredients. All Essence wet food contains a whopping 96% animal-based protein. with top four ingredients in each recipe is real cuts of meat or broth. Aside from added vitamin and minerals, Essence wet foods contain limited ingredients and are ideal for cats with food allergies or sensitivities. 

The Essence Air & Gamefowl and the Essence Ranch & Meadow wet recipes have nearly identical macros with a minimum of 45.5% protein and 31.8% fat on a dry matter basis. The Air and GameFowl recipe has a slightly higher calorie content, at 207 calories per can, versus the 194 calories per can of the Ranch & Meadow version. 

Each recipe centers around named proteins like turkey, trout, or lamb, followed by various meats and broth. For example, the first few ingredients in the Essence Ocean & Freshwater recipe are trout, salmon, whitefish, fish broth, catfish, and mackerel—a heart-healthy lineup of protein and fatty acid sources. Despite being the highest protein (at 47.7%), this recipe has the lowest calories. At just 184 calories per can, this is a great food for overweight cats.

Essence wet cat food flavors:

• Air & Gamefowl
• Ocean & Freshwater
• Ranch & Meadow

Now that we've analyzed the recipes let's talk about what Essence gets right with its products.

High in animal protein

Essence proudly boasts that its food is "equipped with the protein power your feline needs to conquer their day," and its ingredients list and guaranteed analysis seem to match those claims. Essence recipes have between 43% and 47% protein as factored on a dry matter basis, which is super impressive considering most adult cat food is around 26% protein.

Trustworthy brand history

Essence is part of a family-owned business with a trustworthy reputation for producing quality foods. Pets Global brands are produced in the same factories and have never undergone a recall. As a result, we gave Essence an extra half paw on their review score for brand trustworthiness!

Free of artificial additives

Something you won't find in Essence recipes are food dyes and preservatives. Instead, its recipes use natural preservatives like rosemary to extend the shelf life and keep the foods tasting great.

Made in the USA

Unlike many top cat food brands, Essence does not outsource product production to other countries. All their recipes are made right here, at its Minnesota and South Dakota factories.

Here are some things to be mindful of if you plan on trying Essence for your feline.

No specialized recipes

Essence has a minimal product range and, sadly, has no specialty formulas designed for hairball relief, weight management, sensitive stomach, skin and coat, or seniors.

Recipe changes

Multiple reviews from pet parents were disappointed in the recent recipe changes to the dry food recipes. Sadly, some pet parents expressed that the new formulation caused their cats to refuse the food and others to become gassy. Unfortunately, Chewy still has the old ingredients list on their website, leading some customers to purchase recipes with ingredients their cat is sensitive to.

Stock concerns

While researching for this article, we found several Essence products out of stock on the Chewy website. Select sizes of the dry food were out of stock, as were all flavors of the individual wet food cans — which could be due to a supply chain issue. Our fingers are crossed that this will be resolved in the near future.

No added probiotics

Essence products do not have added probiotics since the recipes are designed to have a long shelf life, and adding probiotics would be counterintuitive. According to Essence's FAQ page, "With an 18-month shelf life for Essence®, we believe that most probiotics won't survive in the bag. Our philosophy is to have the consumer use fresh probiotics if they so choose."

"I've tried all three flavors of Essence with my 11-year-old cat, and he loves them all! Rotating the flavors each time gives him some variety to look forward to. He's in great health and his fur is in excellent condition. And I feel good knowing that he's eating a quality kibble that's made with real meat as the top ingredients, rather than something like corn or soy."

"They totally changed the formula and Chewy has not updated. Guinea fowl used to be the first ingredient, now it's down to number 12 and turkey is the first ingredient. The reason I was feeding my cat this food was to get more variety from chicken and turkey.."

"I recently switched my cat's diet to this Cat Food for its impressive protein content and limited ingredient. While the nutritional profile is excellent, the kibble's extreme hardness is a concern. It may affect my cat's eating comfort and dental health. My cat acts like she wants it but seems to have discomfort while eating. Overall, a great choice, but the kibble texture needs improvement. I'll continue search for a different dry food."

Read more reviews on Chewy.

Essence Pet Food hit shelves in March 2019 and is owned by Pets Global, a pet wellness brand that brought us brands like Inception and Fussie Cat. Pets Global hails from Valencia, California, and is proud to be family-owned.

Initially, Essence products were only sold in stores, but it has since partnered with Chewy. When asked about the brand's mission, Pets Global President Daniel Hereford stated, "We wanted to create a product that would aid consumers in obtaining the highest level of nutrition for pets and contribute to their pet's overall healthy lifestyle." 

Essence recipes are made in the US at factories in Minnesota and South Dakota. The brand launched with just three wet foods, but it has released three dry food recipes since its inception. 

There has never been a recall of Essence cat food at the time of writing.