Cat food is the key to good health, activity and happiness of your pet. Attentive owners notice that often the cat’s behavior depends not only on external factors, but also on the food consumed. Most owners select food based on personal preferences, advice from friends or via the Internet. To ensure adequate nutrition, you should pay attention to products with the most natural composition. Analysis of product quality, as well as studying the food line will help you find a suitable composition for your cat.
Advantages and disadvantages
The first and main advantage of Orijen brand food is its composition. The basis of dry food is high-quality animal proteins: turkey meat, chicken meat, fish of “noble varieties”. The manufacturer indicates the exact composition of the ingredients and confirms that the raw materials for the feed were used without prior freezing or chemical treatment.
The second feature of the brand is the presence of a line of freeze-dried products for animals, Freeze-Dried Treats. Freeze-dried treats for cats are an innovative product. Sublimation technology does not involve heat treatment of products, which allows you to preserve all the nutrients and taste of fresh ingredients.
The disadvantages of Orijen include:
- limited assortment;
- There is no medicinal food in the assortment;
- the company does not produce wet cat food or canned food.
Daily feeding rate
The amount of food required per day is individual for each individual and depends on such indicators as the dog’s age, weight, mobility, character and lifestyle characteristics, as well as health status.
On the packaging, the manufacturer gives general recommendations for selecting the daily intake for the animal; they are presented in the form of a table on each pack. This greatly simplifies the process of calculating each dose of feed. So, if a dog weighs 10 kilograms, depending on the activity and mobility of the animal, its daily requirement will be from 120 to 150 grams of food.
The rules for feeding puppies and pregnant animals are specified separately: they need increased feed consumption (from 25% to 100% in addition to the above norm). If the dog is lactating, free access to food should be provided at any time.
For convenience, it is recommended to use a measuring cup or scale. It is recommended to feed the animal 2 – 3 times a day. It should be taken into account that the average calorie content of food is 400 kcal per 100 grams.
Be sure to have free access to water at all times of the day!
The most popular Orijen food brands
The Dry Food line (dry food) of the Orijen brand is represented by the following names:
- Cat & Kitten – for pregnant and lactating cats, for kittens;
- Six Fish – for adult cats with fish;
- Regional Red – for all ages with beef;
- Tundra – with goat and wild boar meat;
- Fit & Trim – dietary food.
ORIJEN Cat & Kitten
Nutritious food in granules with a high content of protein (42%) and fat (20%) for feeding kittens and feeding pregnant and lactating cats. The formula contains 48 ingredients.
The first ingredient listed is fresh boneless chicken, which makes up 20% of the protein composition of the product. Sources of animal protein: dry chicken, chicken and turkey liver, whole fresh herring, fresh turkey, pike perch fillet, fresh salmon, chicken heart, whole eggs. A variety of animal proteins provides the food with a complete set of microelements and amino acids. Fat: chicken liver oil, chicken liver fat. Chicken cartilage is used as a source of collagen, glucosamine and chondroitin in the feed.
Plant protein and carbohydrates: green peas, red lentils, chickpeas, sun-dried alfalfa, green lentils. Fiber that is good for the cat's digestive tract: kelp, pea fiber, vegetables and fruits. The food has a rich fruit and vegetable composition: butternut squash, carrots, pumpkin, spinach, Bartlett pears, dried apricots, Red Delicious apples, cranberries, blueberries. The formula is enhanced with medicinal herbs, seasonings and antioxidants.
- Pros of the food: does not contain grains.
- Disadvantage of food: a variety of animal proteins can become a source of food allergies.
Price: packaging 0.34 kg – 410 rubles, 1.8 kg – 1870 rubles, 5.4 kg – 3700 rubles.
ORIJEN Six Fish
Balanced dry food based on fish ingredients contains 42% highly nutritious proteins, 16% low-glycemic carbohydrates and 20% fat.
2/3 of the food consists of fresh and raw fish that has not been preserved. Protein composition: Pacific sardine, whole hake, mackerel, flounder, perch, sole, dry whole blue whiting, cod liver.
Fat composition: herring fat, sunflower oil. Plant Ingredients: Green peas, red lentils, kidney beans, yellow peas, green lentils, chickpeas. Vegetables and fruits: zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, pears, apples, cabbage, beet and turnip leaves, serviceberry berries, blueberries and cranberries, rose hips. The following useful additives are used: burdock root, milk thistle, chicory root, turmeric, marshmallow root.
- Plus feed: high-protein fish composition.
- Disadvantage of food: high cost.
Price: packaging 0.34 kg – 430 rubles, 1.8 kg – 1990 rubles, 6.8 kg – 4900 rubles.
ORIJEN Regional Red
High-quality dry red meat food for cats of all ages. Protein content – 40%, fat – 20%.
Protein component: beef, boneless wild boar meat, goat and lamb meat, boar liver, beef tripe, beef heart, boneless lamb, pork liver, beef kidneys, mackerel, pork heart and kidneys, lamb liver. Fats: beef fat, herring oil. Legumes: peas, green lentils, beans. Fruit and vegetable composition: butternut squash, turnips, carrots, kale, mustard leaves, apples, pears.
The food formula is enhanced with prebiotics, medicinal plant extracts and spices.
- Plus feed: does not contain grains and potatoes.
- Disadvantages of food: high cost, not always available for free sale.
Price: pack 0.34 kg – 700 rubles, 1.8 kg – 3750 rubles, 5.4 kg – 7150 rubles.
ORIJEN Tundra
Orijen complete cat food for all breeds. The formula contains 69 natural ingredients, 2/3 of which are fresh and raw ingredients.
The high protein (40%) and fat (20%) content makes the food suitable for feeding pregnant and lactating cats. Main ingredients: goat meat, venison, duck, lamb, arctic char, trout, salmon, boar liver, mackerel, duck liver, blue whiting, herring, venison liver, boar heart, lamb tripe.
Fats: herring oil, duck fat. Vegetables, fruits, herbs: pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, parsnips, apples, cabbage, pears, spinach, beet leaves, cranberries, brown algae, blueberries, juniper berries, rose hips, chicory root. To strengthen the immune system - bifidobacteria, Omega-3, Omega-6.
- Plus food: balanced high-protein formula.
- Disadvantage of food: high cost.
Price: pack 0.34 kg – 536 rubles, 1.8 kg – 2500 rubles, 5.4 kg – 2490 rubles.
ORIJEN Fit & Trim
Dietary granulated food for cats prone to gaining excess weight. Protein content – 44%, fat – 15%. The food is based on fresh meat from free-range chicken.
Protein components: whole eggs, herring, turkey meat, flounder, hake, mackerel, sardine, pollock, chicken and turkey heart, turkey liver. Legumes: chickpeas, green peas, red lentils, yellow peas, green lentils. The source of chondroitin and glucosamine is chicken cartilage. Vegetables, fruits, greens: apples, pumpkin, spinach, carrots, parsnips, zucchini, turnip greens, cranberries, serviceberry berries, kale, beet tops, rose hips.
The food is enriched with magnesium, taurine, Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids.
- Plus feed: low fat content.
- Disadvantage of food: it is not always available for free sale.
Price: packaging 0.34 kg – 430 rubles, 2 kg – 1610 rubles, 5.4 kg – 3920 rubles.
Reviews of kitten food
Sofia : “I want to share my experience of feeding ORIJEN Cat & Kitten. I switched my kittens to it after natural food. For the first week, the babies ate reluctantly. This means that there are no cheap flavors, as in premium foods. Then we tried it. I've been breastfeeding for about a year. The stool is regular, but very “fragrant” - this is perhaps the only negative.”
Nikita : “I read a lot of reviews on the Internet that this food contains too much protein. Strange statements - cats are predators!”
Reviews of Orijen cat food - owners and veterinarians
Albina: “My Bengali beauty loves meat. She is ready to eat only him. I spent a long time looking for suitable dry food to satisfy her appetite until I found ORIJEN Regional Red. It contains only red meat. Excellent food. One thing that upsets me is that you can only buy it in some online stores. You can’t find it in pet stores in our city.”
Andrey Petrovich, veterinarian : “I recommend Orijen food to all owners. Don't look at the fact that this brand doesn't have a very wide range - cats don't need a lot of variety. If my clients are confused by the high price, I always say that holistic foods are very economical. Cats fed Orijen have excellent digestion and no intestinal irritation. One note - the food is not suitable for neutered cats.”
Valentina, veterinarian : “Some of my patients complain about Orijen food, they say that it is not suitable for sterilized cats. This is understandable. Orijen food is high in protein, so sterilized animals may gain excess weight on it. In such cases, I recommend choosing dietary ORIJEN Fit & Trim or selecting high-quality super-premium food.
Manufacturer
Champion Petfoods, which manufactures and sells the Orijen line of food, was established more than 30 years ago. The founders set their goal to develop and promote to the masses an international guideline for pet nutrition that would be as close as possible to their natural needs and would not contradict the rules and regulations in nutrition that had been in effect for many years.
Orijen products are manufactured in compliance with all the principles of carnivore nutrition (and cats are carnivores, which some manufacturers seem to forget): meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, vegetables, spices and plants. All components are purchased from local farmers and undergo strict pre-selection.
Champion Petfoods produces another holistic food - Acana.
Conclusion
Orijen is a cat food whose composition is close to natural. The high quality of the ingredients used in its production is beyond doubt.
The production technology, aimed at maximizing the preservation of all nutrients, is worthy of the highest ratings. But do not forget that each animal is individual. Even the highest quality food may not suit him. Consult your veterinarian and carefully monitor your pet's condition when you start giving him a new food.
We recommend the food for purchase.
Which is better: Orijen or Acana?
There are significant differences between these lines of holistic-class food:
- In Orijen food, the meat content reaches 85%; in the case of Akana products, the figures are more modest - 50–75%.
- In ready-made Orijen diets, the amount of protein is 38–44%, in Akana feeds it is 29–35%.
- In Orijen products, the share of fresh (not raw) meat is 66%. For Akana feed the figure is lower: 33–50%.
- Orijen formulas use many types of meat (more than 5). Akana food does not have such variety.
- Orijen products contain fewer carbohydrates due to a reduction in the proportion of plant components: 15–18% versus 20–30% in Acana food.
Acana dry foods are inferior to Orijen products, but in some cases they are preferable
The Orijen line is more suited to the needs of animals, but if it is switched abruptly, it can cause side effects due to the fact that the pet’s body has already adapted to digesting plant ingredients. Akana food is a more versatile product. These formulas in most cases do not cause negative reactions. They can be used to transition to Orijen as an intermediate link. In general, buyers are advised to choose on their own, based on the individual characteristics of the pet and its reaction to ready-made diets.
