Gather Free Acres Organic (Dry) Review

Gather Free Acres Organic product range is made of one recipe which  receives the Cat Food Advisor rating, 5 stars.

Gather Free Acres Organic cat food uses sustainably sourced chicken as the single source of protein. It is grain and gluten-free with no GMO ingredients.

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.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Gather Free Acres Recipe with Organic Free-Run Chicken 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.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is organic 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 ingredient is organic dehydrated chicken. Dehydrated chicken is considered a meat concentrate and contains more than four times as much protein as fresh chicken.

The third ingredient is organic peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber. However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.

 The fourth ingredient is lentils. Lentils are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber. However, lentils contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this cat food.

The fifth 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 sixth ingredient is organic flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber. However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this cat food.

The seventh ingredient is natural flavor. Natural flavors doesn’t give us much information about the particular ingredients included in this cat food for flavoring purposes. We’re pleased that the flavorings used are natural, but more details are required to give any further information about these natural flavoring ingredients. Flavorings are used to make the foods more appealing and tasty for our cats.

The eighth ingredient is blueberries. Blueberries are a good source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

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.

Since this recipe contains a number of organic ingredients, we feel compelled to grant this line a more favorable status as we consider its final rating. That’s because organic ingredients must comply with notably more stringent government standards — standards which significantly restrict the use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, hormones or antibiotics.

This recipe receives a 5–star rating.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Gather Free Acres Recipe with Organic Free-Run Chicken looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33.3%, a fat level of 17.8% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 40.9%, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 53%.

This means Gather Free Acres Recipe with Organic Free-Run Chicken contains below-average protein, above-average carbs and above-average fat when compared to typical dry cat food.

Has Gather Free Acres cat food been recalled in the past?

No, there have been no recorded recalls for Gather Foods.

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

Gather is made by Petcurean, a Canadian pet food company that has been in existence since 1999. The food is manufactured in Ontario, Canada and Petcurean headquarters are located in Abbotsford, Canada.