Our Verdict
I and Love and You dry product range is made up of seven recipes which each receive the Cat Food Advisor’s second-highest rating, 4.5 stars.
This cat food boasts a meat-first ingredient list with added prebiotics and probiotics to aid healthy digestion.
No fillers or by-products are included and it is also free from grain, soy, corn and rice. here are recipes to support specific health issues including weight management, hairball care and digestive support.
Pros
- Grain-free
- No fillers or by-product meals
- Sustainably sourced fish
- Farm raised ingredients
- Contains prebiotics and probiotics
Cons
- Expensive
The table below shows each recipe in the range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Naked Essentials Grain Free Chicken & Duck | 4.5 | A |
| Naked Essentials Grain Free Salmon & Trout | 4.5 | A |
| Naked Essentials Digestive Support Chicken & Pumpkin | 4.5 | A |
| Naked Essentials Indoor Health Chicken & Turkey | 4.5 | M |
| Naked Essentials Hairball Care Salmon & Whitefish | 4.5 | M |
| Nude Super Food Surf 'n Chick | 4.5 | A |
| Nude Super Food Poultry a Plenty | 4.5 | A |
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Recipe and Label Analysis
Naked Essentials Grain Free Chicken & Duck was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Naked Essentials Grain Free Chicken & Duck
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, dried garbanzo beans, dried peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pea starch, duck, flaxseeds, dried plain beet pulp, natural flavor, sunflower oil, fish oil, salt, dried egg product, dried sweet potatoes, DL-methionine, minerals (iron amino acid complex, zinc amino acid complex, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper amino acid complex, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, manganese amino acid complex, manganous oxide, calcium iodate), ground miscanthus grass, dried chicory root, potassium chloride, choline chloride, taurine, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, menadione sodium bisulte complex, pyridoxine hydrochloride, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin), citric acid (preservative), mixed tocopherols (preservative), dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%
Red denotes any controversial items
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”. 1
Chicken is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.
The second and third ingredients are chicken meal and turkey meal. Both are a meat concentrate and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken or turkey.
The fourth ingredient is dried garbanzo beans. Dried legumes, like garbanzo beans, are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus they’re naturally rich in dietary fiber. However, dried legumes contain about 27% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.
The fifth ingredient is dried peas. Dried peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus they’re naturally rich in dietary fiber. However, dried peas contain about 27% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.
The sixth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The seventh ingredient is pea starch, a paste-like, gluten-free carbohydrate extract probably used here as a binder for making kibble.
Aside from its energy content (calories), pea starch is of only modest nutritional value to a cat. And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label – a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.
The eighth ingredient is duck. Duck is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of duck”. 2.
Duck is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.
From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.
However, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
This recipe receives a 4.5–star rating.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Naked Essentials Grain Free Chicken & Duck Recipe looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 37.8%, a fat level of 15.6% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 38.7%, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 41%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 42.5% and a mean fat level of 15.4%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 34.1% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 37%.
This means the I and Love and You dry product line contains above-average protein, near-average carbs and near-average fat when compared to typical dry cat food.
Final Word
I and Love and You formulate each recipe with high-quality ingredients including non-GMO proteins, vegetables, and legumes.
It is an environmentally conscious pet food manufacturer that uses only ethical means to source its ingredients and manufacture its products.
Highly recommended.
Has I and Love and You cat food been recalled in the past?
No, there have been no recorded recalls for I and Love and You cat food however, their dog treats have.
On 10 July 2015 The I and Love and You dog treats were recalled.
As of July 14, 2015, affected products now include the following identifying information:
- Cow-Boom! Strips Beef Gullet Dog Treats
- 2.0-ounce bags
- Lot numbers ending in 4T1 or 5T1
- Best-By years of 2016 or 2017
You can view a complete list of all cat food recalls since 2021 here.
To stay on top of any cat food product recalls, sign up for our free email alerts, here.
About
I and Love and You was founded in 2011 in Boulder Colorado. The food is sourced nationally and internationally from USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil and New Zealand. The brand is partnered with environmental organizations to comply with strict protection standards. The company carefully vets each of its suppliers to make sure their quality is the highest grade.
Sources
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Article reviewed by
Veterinarian
Dr Georgia Jeremiah has a first class honors degree in comparative pathology with field experience in anatomic and clinical pathology, studying disease processes in a multitude of species.
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