Taste of the Wild Cat Food Review 2024

Taste of the Wild is a popular name in the pet food world. This US-based manufacturer aims to create high-quality but affordable foods that mimic the diet your pet’s ancestors would have eaten in the wild.

The Taste of the Wild cat food range offers 7 grain-free recipes, including dry and wet foods. Animal protein is the first ingredient in every recipe, and Taste of the Wild food is formulated in line with AAFCO nutrient profiles.

So, is Taste of the Wild cat food the best choice for your fur-baby? Keep reading to find out about the recipes featured in the Taste of the Wild range, benefits and drawbacks, recalls, customer reviews, and more.

Taste of the Wild’s cat food range includes dry and wet foods, including two limited-ingredient diets as part of the brand’s PREY product line. Let’s break down the range to find out what Taste of the Wild food has to offer.

Taste of the Wild dry food

There are 3 dry food recipes in the Taste of the Wild cat food range. These recipes are formulated to meet the nutritional needs of cats at all life stages, are high in protein, and feature fruits and vegetables to provide essential antioxidants for your cat.

These recipes also include Taste of the Wild’s proprietary Viables Probiotics which have been developed specifically for cats to promote healthy digestion and a strong immune system. Other key features include taurine for eye and heart health, omega fatty acids to look after your pet’s skin and coat, and unique protein sources like salmon, duck and venison.

Taste of the Wild dry food variations:

• Lowland Creek Feline Recipe with Roasted Quail & Roasted Duck
• Rocky Mountain Feline Recipe with Roasted Venison & Smoke-Flavored Salmon
• Canine River Feline Recipe with Trout & Smoke-Flavored Salmon

Taste of the wild wet food

If dishing up wet food at dinner time really gets your furry friend purring, there are 2 recipes worth checking out in the Taste of the Wild cat food range. These wet recipes can be mixed with the matching dry food recipe to increase palatability for your cat, or they can simple be fed as a complete and balanced diet.

The formulas are grain-free and meet the AAFCO nutrient profiles for growth and maintenance. They also come in 5.5oz and 3oz can sizes, and once again feature non-traditional protein sources like trout and venison.

Taste of the Wild wet food variations:

• Rocky Mountain Feline Recipe with Salmon and Venison in Gravy
• Canyon River Feline Recipe with Trout and Salmon in Gravy

Taste of the Wild PREY Limited Ingredient

If your fur-baby has a sensitive stomach or is intolerant of certain ingredients, the Taste of the Wild PREY Limited Ingredient range could be just what they need. Featuring 2 recipes, this product line helps you keep things simple.

Each recipe features 3 key ingredients — angus beef or turkey to provide easily-digestible protein, lentils for protein and fiber (among other things), and chicken fat for the omega fatty acids that maintain skin and coat health. Probiotics are also included to aid healthy digestion, along with essential vitamins and minerals to help your cat live life to the fullest.

Taste of the Wild PREY variations:

• Angus Beef
• Turkey

Vet recommended

Taste of the Wild is one of the brands that Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants, recommends to her clients. “Taste of the Wild cat food features grain-free options with novel proteins such as venison, and added probiotics for your cat's gut health,” she says. “While it is affordable, their formulas are high in pea and potato plant-proteins, and the presence of guar gum in the ingredients may contribute to digestive issues in sensitive cats.”

High in protein

Taste of the Wild recipes are high in protein to provide the essential nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Protein provides essential amino acids like taurine for your fur-baby and is also a crucial energy source.

Contains probiotics for healthy digestion

Taste of the Wild cat food contains the brand’s proprietary Viables Probiotics to support immunity and gut health. Each pound of food contains 80 million of these species-specific active cultures, which are added after the cooking process to ensure that they can pass on their goodness to your fur-baby.

Limited-ingredient recipes available

If your cat can’t tolerate specific protein sources or other ingredients, the PREY range of limited-ingredient recipes makes it easy to look after their dietary needs. In both recipes, 98% of the protein comes from just 2 ingredients, helping to ensure balanced nutrition, a happy stomach, and healthy skin and coat for your cat.

All life stages recipes available

All of the dry recipes in the Taste of the Wild cat food range meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages. This makes them a convenient option to continue feeding as your kitten reaches adulthood and moves into their senior years. Discover a recipe they love and you can stick with it for life.

Affordable

While there are cheaper pet food brands on the market, Taste of the Wild cat food is reasonably priced. Compare its price per pound to that of other cat foods to decide whether it’s a good fit for your budget.

Limited variety

There are only 7 recipes in the Taste of the Wild cat food range, so it doesn’t offer the same wide variety of formulas and flavors as some other brands. Keep this in mind if you like to vary up your kitty’s meals while still sticking with a single brand.

Grain-free recipes

The fact that Taste of the Wild offers grain-free recipes only may concern some pet parents. There’s no conclusive scientific evidence that cats need a grain-free diet, so feeding grain-free food is a controversial topic.

Multiple protein sources

PREY limited-ingredient recipes aside, it’s common for Taste of the Wild recipes to feature multiple protein sources. This won’t be an issue for many pet parents, but it could be cause for concern if your fur-baby suffers from food sensitivities.

Recipe names

It’s important to be aware that some Taste of the Wild recipes may not feature the protein listed in their name as the main protein source. For example, although it’s called Rocky Mountain Feline Recipe with Roasted Venison & Smoke-Flavored Salmon, the first ingredient in this recipe is actually chicken meal. Be sure to check the ingredients list before deciding whether any food is the right choice for your pet.

“I have been feeding my cat Taste of The Wild Rocky Mountain variety for 12 years now. His name is Diesel and he goes crazy for his food. He won’t even eat the other varieties!!! Taste of the Wild has kept him feeling young and happy, and his coat is silky and beautiful. Thank you, Taste of the Wild!!!! I will always feed any of my animals Taste of the Wild!”

“This was the best food I found for my cats. I like that it is grain-free, high [in] protein, good ingredients, and affordable. I noticed when my cats [were] on Taste of the Wild, they stayed trim and fit, ate less food, and pooped less. I could really see the difference in my cats' weight from changing from cat food with grains to grain free.”

“My cats love this food! It is amazing how shiny their coats are and how happy this food makes them! They love all of the flavor options as well. And it’s a bargain because we don’t have to feed them huge amounts of food for them to be happy — they would eat it all if we let them though! Much appreciation from Sagwa and Thelonious Monkey.”

Read more reviews on Consumer Affairs.

Taste of the Wild is owned by Diamond Pet Foods. Diamond Pet Foods was established in 1970 by brothers-in-law Gary Schell and Richard Kampeter, who wanted to create a company that offered high-quality but affordable pet food. The company is based in Meta, Missouri.

Taste of the Wild food is made in 6 manufacturing facilities across the United States.

The last time Taste of the Wild was recalled was in May 2012. Diamond Pet Foods recalled Taste of the Wild products along with products from 13 other brands due to potential Salmonella contamination.