Our Verdict
The Nutrience dry product range is made up of 20 recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 4 stars.
Nutrience dry cat food is an extensive range of food that offers several different product lines including grain-free, raw infused and a few specialist recipes for skin, stomach and teeth.
Pros
- High in protein
- Animal meat listed as first ingredient
- Good range to choose from
Cons
- Contains plant based protein
- High carbohydrate in most recipes
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrience Healthy Senior Cat Food | Chicken | 4 | M |
| Nutrience Healthy Adult Indoor, Fish – Cat Food | 4 | M |
| Nutrience Healthy Kitten Food, Chicken | 4 | G |
| Nutrience Care Hairball Control Cat Food | 4 | M |
| Nutrience Care Oral Health – Dental Kibble for Cats | 4 | M |
| Nutrience Care Urinary Health Cat Food | 4 | M |
| Nutrience SubZero Fraser Valley – High Protein Cat Food | 4 | A |
| Nutrience Grain Free – Ocean Fish Formula | 4 | A |
| Nutrience SubZero Prairie Red – High Protein Cat Food | 5 | A |
| Nutrience Care Sensitive Skin & Stomach | Hypoallergenic Cat Food | 4 | M |
| Nutrience Turkey, Chicken & Herring Dry Cat Food | 4 | A |
| Nutrience Grain Free Indoor Cat Food – Turkey, Chicken & Duck | 4 | A |
| Nutrience Healthy Adult Indoor Cat Food | 4 | M |
| Nutrience Healthy Adult Cat Food | Chicken | 4 | M |
| Nutrience SubZero Canadian Pacific – High Protein Cat Food | 4 | A |
| Nutrience Care Weight Management Food for Cats | 4 | M |
| Nutrience Adult Weight Control Cat Food | Chicken | 4 | M |
| Nutrience Healthy Kitten Food – Chicken Meal with Brown Rice Recipe | 4 | G |
| Nutrience Healthy Adult Indoor Cat Food – Chicken Meal with Brown Rice Recipe | 4 | M |
| Nutrience Healthy Adult – Chicken Meal with Brown Rice Recipe for Cats | 4 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Nutrience Healthy Senior Cat Food Chicken recipe 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.
Nutrience Healthy Senior Cat Food Chicken recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned chicken, chicken meal, pearl barley, lentils, peas, oatmeal, pork meal, natural chicken flavour, sun-cured alfalfa meal, chicken fat, choline chloride, calcium propionate (preservative), fish oil, lecithin, taurine, freeze-dried chicken, coconut oil, dried chicory root, yeast extract, potassium chloride, salt, DL-methionine, L-lysine, Yucca schidigera extract, glucosamine hydrochloride, calcium carbonate, zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, chondroitin sulfate, L-carnitine, ferrous sulfate, iron proteinate, apple, blueberry, carrot, cranberry, ginger root, pumpkin, niacin supplement, dried Bifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, vitamin A supplement, manganese proteinate, d-calcium pantothenate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, manganous oxide, biotin, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%
Red denotes any controversial items
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is deboned 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 chicken meal, which is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is pearl barley. Pearl barley is produced when the seed hull and bran is removed from barley grain. Fiber is distributed throughout the barley grain, rather than being contained within the hull meaning that cracked pearled barley is still a source of fiber. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a cat.
The fourth and fifth ingredients are lentils and peas which are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, lentils and peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this cat food.
The sixth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.
The seventh ingredient is pork meal. Pork meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh pork. Yet it can also be high in ash — about 25-30%.
However, the ash content of the final product is typically adjusted in the recipe to allow its mineral profile to meet AAFCO guidelines.
The eighth ingredient is natural chicken flavour. 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.
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.
This food also contains chelated minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better cat foods.
Finally, the company appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a cat’s digestive and immune functions.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Nutrience Healthy Senior Cat Food Chicken recipe looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 37.8%, a fat level of 13.3% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 40.9%.
As a group, the brand features an near-average protein content of 38.1% and an above-average fat level of 18%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 35.9% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 47%.
This means this Nutrience Dry range contains near-average protein, near-average carbohydrate and higher than average fat, when compared to typical dry cat food.
Final Word
This range of food offers many options. Each one lists the first ingredient as quality animal meat, which delivers a high protein level . Plant-based proteins are also used, so this needs to be considered when evaluating protein content.
The Cat Food Advisor recommends this food.
Has Nutrience cat food been recalled in the past?
No. Nutrience cat foods have not had a product recall.
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
Nutrience is a Canadian company. Its mother company, Hagen, was founded in 1955.
All Nutrience dry pet foods are manufactured in a jointly held facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Nutrience sources its ingredients from Canada and the U.S.
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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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