Did you know that the pet food market in the US is estimated to be worth close to 40 billion dollars? That, as we’re sure you will agree, is a whole lot of cat and dog food being bought. So how can you be sure, in such a competitive market, that the one you choose meets all your cat’s nutritional needs?
You could scour hundreds of forums and different sites for reviews, or read our comprehensive reviews to help you decide. In this article, we’re looking at Crave, a cat food brand that comes highly recommended. There is a wide range to choose from, including food for kittens as well as indoor cats.
Our Top 5 Crave Cat Food Choices
Overall Winner: Best Tasting Wet Cat Food
There’s a lot to like about Crave Salmon Pate wet food trays, from the easy to open containers to the delicious taste. The pate contains 12% protein, with salmon as the main ingredient. Like all of Crave’s cat food products, this is grain-free, so there’s no wheat, soy, corn or meal, making it the perfect choice for cats that suffer from food allergies of any type. There are also no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
The pate includes all the essential vitamins and minerals cats need to stay healthy, Joey and Oscar couldn’t get enough of the taste. As soon as we realized the 24-pack wasn’t going to last as long as we hoped, we started using it as a topper over their dry cat food. Our boys scoffed up their food, which doesn’t happen very often. However, having said that, each tray is enough for one serving, so there’s no waste or worry that any uneaten food is going to go off.
As much as Joey and Oscar enjoyed the salmon pate, it’s worth mentioning that some cats might not enjoy the texture of the pate. It feels almost jelly-like, which could be off-putting for some picky felines. However, it’s worth trying if you want to mix your kitty’s diet up a little with a high-quality, grain free food made using salmon.
What we like:
- Salmon is the main ingredient and animal protein source
- The grain free pate contains no wheat, corn or soy and is free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- The recipe is enriched with all the essential vitamins and minerals cats need
- Serve on its own or use as a topper over dry food to add variety to your cat's diet
What we don't like:
- Not all cats like the jelly-like texture
The Best Dry Food for Indoor Cats
Indoor cats have different nutritional needs compared to cats that spend a lot of time outside. As Joey and Oscar have gotten older, they’ve gotten a little bit lazier, and less active, which is why we thought we would give Crave Grain-Free High Protein Chicken & Salmon Dry For Indoor Cats a try.
With chicken as the main ingredient, we know they’re getting a quality animal protein, with no added colors, flavors, or preservatives, and it’s grain free. The dry food includes vitamin A and D3 supplements, as well as Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, which provide cats with vitamin B6 and vitamin B1.
Something else worth noting is that with 40% protein, this is a high-protein formula that gives cats the energy they need while providing them with all the essential nutrients to aid digestion, develop strong muscles and promote a healthy immune system. Of all the Crave recipes, this was Oscar’s least favorite, but Joey enjoyed every kibble, down to the last one.
What we like:
- It is a high-protein dry food formulated especially for indoor cats
- The main ingredient is chicken
- It is grain free, and there are no added preservatives, artificial flavors or colors
- It contains all the vitamins and minerals for healthy digestion and muscle development
- It promotes a healthy immune system
- Premium product at an affordable price
What we don't like:
- The dry kibbles are large, so it might not be suitable for smaller or older cats
- Not all cats like this flavor
Best Dry Food for Cats
Another dry food option from Crave is the Grain-Free High Protein Salmon & Ocean Fish Adult Dry Cat Food. With salmon as the main ingredient, it has a protein content of 40% and is packed with natural flavor. Like all Crave products, this dry adult cat food is grain free, and there are no artificial colors or flavors, and no added preservatives.
The kibbles are relatively large, which we thought might be a problem, but the delicious taste of salmon and ocean fish had Joey and Oscar hooked from the first bite. We also found the smell of the food quite pungent, but our cats didn’t seem to mind this at all.
It’s great to know that such a high-quality cat food is available at such an affordable price. And we’ll definitely be buying this one again.
What we like:
- High-protein dry cat food with salmon as the first ingredient
- Good value for money
- Grain free and doesn't contain artificial colors, flavors or added preservatives
What we don't like:
- It has a strong fish smell, but cats didn't seem to mind it
- The kibbles might be a little too big for smaller or older cats
Crave Grain-Free High Protein Chicken Kitten Dry Cat Food
is the perfect balanced diet for your kitten, providing loads of protein (41%) as well as DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), an essential fatty acid that helps with brain development. Carbohydrates in the form of chicken meal and pea protein provide your growing kitty with the energy he needs up until 12 months old.
Chicken is the first ingredient, and there are no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives included in the recipe. And yes, it’s grain free. This is especially important for little tummies that are still developing. The kitten food is formulated to give your kitten the energy he needs to explore and grow, while also providing all the essential vitamins and minerals for strong muscles, a healthy immune system, and optimum brain development.
The kibbles are the perfect size for little mouths, but some pet owners have mentioned the not-so-great flavor. As you know, with cats, this is entirely subjective, so there is a very good chance some will turn their noses up at food, while others will devour it with gusto.
What we like:
- Rich in protein for growing kittens
- Contains DHA for healthy brain development
- Chicken is the first ingredient, and there are no added preservatives, artificial colors or flavors
- Suitable for kittens up to 12 months old
What we don't like:
- Some kittens didn't like the flavor
Best Wet Chunky Cat Food
Joey gulped down the Crave’s Chicken & Turkey Cuts in Gravy as though his life depended on it. Oscar, on the other hand, licked up the gravy around the chicken chunks and left the rest in his bowl. However, he seemed to enjoy the turkey tray more.
What we particularly liked about the variety pack was how versatile it was. Some days we would serve Joey the chunks as a meal, while on other days, we would simply use it as a topper over his kibbles. And of course, with it being a variety pack, we could alternate between the yummy chicken and turkey flavors. For Oscar, we occasionally topped his kibbles with the chicken gravy and fed him the turkey trays every other day.
This wet food is rich in protein, and it has a high moisture content, but it’s worth mentioning that the turkey is slightly higher in calories. As with all of Crave’s products, there are no fillers, no added preservatives, and the recipes are grain free. Of course, this isn’t the best choice if your cat isn’t partial to poultry, and as Oscar proved, not all cats like wet or chunky food.
What we like:
- The two flavors add some variety to your cat's diet
- It's rich in protein with a high moisture content
- Grain free and doesn't have any fillers, artificial flavors, colors or added preservatives
What we don't like:
- Not all cats like texture or taste
Crave Cat Food Reviews
We recruited Joey and Oscar to help review our top Crave cat food picks. They helped provide us with an unbiased taste test, while we looked at the various ingredients and decided whether or not it’s a good option for your cat.
Cat Food Buying Guide
With so many cat food choices available, it’s not always easy deciding which one is best for your cat. We’ve put together a buying guide that will help you choose the right for your pet’s nutritional needs.
- Check the label – if there are ingredients included that you’re not sure of, feel free to ask your vet before giving it to your cat. Cats, like humans, are all different, and while an ingredient might be absolutely fine for one cat, it could affect another.
- Too much of a good thing can be bad – don’t make the mistake of thinking that the more minerals and vitamins in a cat food, the better. Unfortunately, some supplements can do more harm than good.
- Don’t be fooled by advertising and buzzwords – Manufacturers often use catchy buzzwords and false claims to trick you into buying their product. Rather than falling for all the mumbo-jumbo, we suggest you do your homework. Check where the food is made and what kind of ingredients are used.
- Look for ingredients that provide your cat with a nutritional and balanced diet – Ideally, the cat food you choose should be:
- Rich in protein
- Low in carbohydrates
- Low in fat
- Packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin B5, B1, and D3 and Thiamine Mononitrate
What Makes Crave Different From Other Cat Foods
What sets Crave apart from other cat foods is that recipes include real meat, are high in protein, and are all grain free. Let’s take a look at these in a bit more detail.
Real meat
Crave’s recipes all use real meat and have been formulated to mimic the food they would eat in the wild. The first ingredient is always real meat, including salmon, chicken, turkey, ocean fish, trout, and duck. Fish and meat provide essential minerals such as taurine, which is necessary for a cat’s vision, heart function, and digestion. For female cats, taurine is vital for fetal development.
Animal protein also contains amino acids, fatty acids, and healthy carbohydrates to support and promote your cat’s general well-being. Unlike some brands, Crave doesn’t use meat by-products, so that means no bones or tissue. And there are no thickeners, fillers, or preservatives. We like that the meat is of a high quality and fit for us, humans to eat.
Rich in protein
What we really like about this food is that it’s rich in protein, which your cat needs. It is a source of energy for cats and provides them with the nutrients they need to build strong muscles and promote overall well-being. Whether you prefer feeding your cat wet food or dry kibbles, you can rest easy knowing that you’re providing your favorite felines with delicious, high-quality protein that’s easy for them to digest.
Crave, compared to a lot of other more expensive premium brands, is a complete and balanced diet that caters to a cat’s need through every life stage.
Grain free
Cats are not meant to eat grains. In the wild, they eat meat, and any fruit or vegetables they do get are by-products of what’s in their prey’s stomach. Cat food with grains and gluten can cause severe allergic reactions, as well as asthma, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Another real plus when it comes to Crave cat food is that the recipes are free from preservatives, fillers, additives, and growth hormones. This means your cat’s diet is as close to nature intended as possible.
Is Crave a Good Cat Food?
In a word, yes. Crave makes very good cat food at an affordable price. There is a wide range to choose from, including wet and dry food, food for indoor cats as well as specially formulated food for kittens and senior cats. Real meat is the first ingredient, and unlike a lot of other cat foods on the market, there are no fillers, no artificial colors or flavors, and no added preservatives. Their entire range is also grain free.
As per their tag line ‘Satisfy Their Nature,’ Crave’s recipes mimic the high protein diets cats would enjoy in the wild. Cat parents can feed their pets this with confidence, knowing that they’re getting a well-balanced, nutritious and delicious meal that supports their overall health, including strong muscles and joints, and healthy digestive and immune systems.
Has Crave Cat Food Been Recalled?
Keeping in mind that this particular brand is relatively new to the market, there have been no recalls on Crave cat food. We think this is a good sign and is a reliable indicator that the ingredients used are of a high quality. We can only hope the manufacturer keeps up quality control checks and continues to be a trustworthy and safe cat food brand.
Their range includes products for kittens, seniors, and indoor cats, and the flavors are delicious. Variety packs are perfect for when you want to mix things up a bit, while the pate and chunks let your cat experience different textures.
If you’re looking for a premium cat food that is affordable, nutritionally balanced and tasty, then you will definitely want to give Crave cat food a try. Their wet and dry cat food options are packed with protein and have all the essential vitamins and minerals your cat needs to be healthy.
