It’s time for our long-awaited Tiki Cat food review. We have heard so many people raving about this particular brand of cat food in the past, we figured it was time to take a closer look.
Not only did our boys love the wide range of products available from this premium brand, we realized we had found a cat food that meets their nutritional needs.
There are a lot of products to choose from, including wet food, dry cat food, toppings, and treats. But for the purposes of this review, we decided to take a closer look at Tiki Cat’s Born Carnivore dry kibbles cat food.
It goes without saying, as much we enjoyed reviewing this high-quality range of cat foods, our boys were in their element doing the.taste testing.
More About Tiki Cat Food
In the early 2000s, there was a pet food scare where hundreds of brands were recalled. Dogs and cats didn’t only become seriously ill; some even died as a result of questionable ingredients.
Suddenly there was more of a focus on what was going into pet food, and stricter guidelines were put in place for manufacturers. This is where Tiki Cat comes in.
Described as ‘cat food cats would make if cats could make food,’ the range includes dry, wet, and pouched food for cats of all ages.
Founded in 2005 by Christine Hackett and her husband, Tiki Cat Food was created to meet cats’ nutritional needs, with as many natural ingredients as possible.
The range is low in carbohydrates, doesn’t include grain or artificial flavors and preservatives, and provides cats with the protein they need from reliable sources.
Tiki Cat's Products
Although we’re reviewing Tiki Cat’s dry cat food, they offer a wide variety of products. These include:
- Born Carnivore – A range of dry kibbles, which has a high protein content of 44%.
- Aloha Friends – This wet food is especially suitable for cats that suffer from sensitive stomach issues. The recipes contain pumpkin, which is easy to digest, along with quality proteins, including fish and chicken.
- Luau – The Luau range of wet cat food uses delicious flaky fish combinations like salmon and ahi tuna with chicken.
- Velvet – Even the fussiest of felines find it hard to resist this range of moreish mousses.
- After Dark – The After Dark wet cat food range is made up of tasty recipes using chicken as the main protein. Other ingredients include duck and quail egg, as well as organ meats.
- Grill – For cats that love seafood, the Grill range features whole shellfish and flaky fish pieces.
- Senior – For senior cats, Tiki Cat offers a range of products that contain green tea extract and pumpkin. This helps boosts the immune system and improve digestion, respectively.
- Kitten – With all the goodness growing kittens need, the Kitten range offers wet and dry options with added DHA for healthy eye and brain development.
New products are being added all the time, but one thing stays the same. Tiki Cat’s recipes use chelated minerals and vitamin supplements to meet your cat’s nutritional needs. Unlike many cheaper, low-quality brands, there are no cheap fillers in any of their formulas.
Regardless of the one you choose for your kitty cat, you won’t go wrong with any of the Tiki Cat products. But for the purpose of this food review, we’ve decided to take a closer look at the Born Carnivore range.
As you would expect from high-quality cat food, Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Chicken & Fish Luau is AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) approved, which means it meets the nutritional levels for all life stages. So far, so good.
Ingredients
When it comes to choosing food for your cat, it is essential that you know and understands the list of ingredients. This particular product’s first five ingredients include:
- Deboned chicken
- Chicken meal
- Herring
- Salmon meal
- Herring meal
But what does this mean? And more importantly, how do these ingredients benefit your cat? Let’s take a look at each one in a bit more detail.
Deboned chicken
Deboned chicken is good quality, highly digestible protein, but it does have a reasonably high water content of around 60%.
Chicken meal
The chicken meal in cat food goes through a process known as rendering where a lot of the natural moisture is removed. This makes it a more concentrated source of protein. And contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t contain feet, feathers, or beaks.
Herring
Herring is the third ingredient and is an excellent source of protein, vitamin D, zinc, and omega-3 fatty and 6 acids. Fatty acids are especially good for your cat’s cellular structure, neurological function, and they help reduce inflammation.
Salmon meal and herring meal
Salmon and herring are rendered down until the moisture content is less than 10%. The concentrated protein powder makes an already nutritious meal even better.
Additional Ingredients Worth Mentioning
When choosing food for your cat, it’s essential to look at the main ingredients. Because these are listed by weight, we already know Tiki Cat Born Carnivore is an excellent choice because the first five are all proteins from an animal source.
But what about some of the other ingredients in this recipe? Do they have a purpose, or are they just fillers? Let’s take a look at these more closely.
- Dried egg product
- Whole peas
- Tapioca flour
- Whole chickpeas and pumpkin
Dried egg product
Not sure what dried egg product is? The easiest way to explain this is that dried egg is to eggs what powdered milk is to milk. The dehydrated or dried egg is easy to digest and provides cats with an excellent source of protein.
Whole peas
Whole peas are an excellent source of grain-free carbohydrates and provide your cat with protein and essential minerals and vitamins. In the wild, cats eat a small number of carbohydrates, which are usually a by-product of their prey. If you think about it (even though it’s somewhat gross), there are the bits of grain and fruits and vegetables found in the stomachs of field mice, rats, and birds.
Tapioca flour
Another carbohydrate source in this particular formula is tapioca flour. It is a gluten-free carbohydrate from the cassava root and is necessary when making dry cat food.
Whole chickpeas and pumpkin
Unlike other brands that use fillers such as rice, potatoes, and grain as a fiber source, Tiki Cat adds whole chickpeas and pumpkin to their recipe. Not only does pumpkin provide much-needed fiber for your cat, but it is also packed with vitamins and antioxidants, and helps with digestion.
Guaranteed Analysis
Then, there’s the Guaranteed Analysis, or GA, which lists the minimum or maximum amount of nutrients in the food. It’s one of the best and quickest ways to tell how good, or bad, a particular product is. The GA for Born Carnivore Chicken & Luau indicates that it is high-quality dry cat food with good amounts of protein, fat, fiber, moisture, taurine, and fatty acids.
What we like:
- It is high in animal-based protein, including chicken, salmon, and herring
- It is rich in omega-3 and 6 fatty acids
- The formula is grain-free and low in carbohydrates
- It contains chickpeas, which are excellent sources of protein and fiber
- Pumpkin is included, which aids with digestion and soothes sensitive stomachs
- There are no artificial flavors, colorants, or preservatives
- Delicious dry kibbles for cats of all ages
What we don't like:
- It is not suitable for cats that are allergic to poultry as it contains chicken and chicken fat
- Tiki Cat food is more expensive than other brands
Our Findings
Want to know if we were impressed with Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Chicken & Luau cat food? Absolutely! And even better was how much Joey and Oscar enjoyed these dry kibbles.
In a nutshell, after reviewing this product, we have to say we are really pleased. The first 5 ingredients listed are proteins, which are all derived from animal-based sources.
These meat-based proteins provide your cat with all the essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids he needs to stay healthy.
If you are looking for delicious, nutritious, and natural food for your cat, Tiki Cat is your best bet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tiki Cat Food
Who manufactures Tiki Cat?
Owned initially by Petropics, in 2015, the company merged with Cloud Star to form the parent company Whitebridge Pet Brands. The company is known for manufacturing high-quality pet food that is natural, nutritious, and tasty.
Where are the ingredients sourced?
Tiki Cat is manufactured in Thailand, and the ingredients are sourced as close to the plant as possible.
Is Tiki Cat a brand with a conscience?
Tiki Cat prides itself on manufacturing human-grade pet food while also looking after the environment.
- The brand’s fisheries are members of ISSF (International Seafood Sustainability Foundation)
- Their fisheries are certified by the International Dolphin Program
- They use methods of fishing that support the preservation of other sea-life, such as sea turtles
Is Tiki Cat Food Healthy?
If you are wondering whether Tiki Cat Food is a healthy choice, the answer is an unequivocal yes! Every product in the range is made using natural ingredients and contains no by-products, fillers, artificial flavors, or colors.
While cats love the delicious recipes, cat owners appreciate the high protein content, sourced from animals, as well as low to no carbohydrate levels. Their wet foods have a high moisture content, making it the perfect choice for cats with IBD, UTI, diabetes, and other health problems.
Is Tiki Cat Food human-grade?
All of Tiki Cat’s products contain human-grade shredded meat, including ahi tuna, chicken, lobster, and salmon (go ahead, give it a taste), and easily recognizable ingredients. It’s also worth mentioning that the Tiki range of foods is produced in a factory that adheres to strict regulations, and they all have the AAFCO seal of approval.
Have there been any recalls on Tiki Cat Food products?
In a nutshell, no. This is one of the cat foods that has never had a recall on any of its products. Their manufacturing plant is based in Thailand, a country that is regarded as one of the safest places for human and pet food products.
Is Tiki Cat Food good for cats?
To be honest, you will not find a cat food that’s much healthier than this. Tiki Cat’s formulas are grain-free, and they have low to no carbohydrates. The proteins used are all sourced from real ingredients such as succulent chicken, duck, mackerel, sardines, calamari, and scallops. Their wet food has a high moisture content, and there are no artificial colors or flavors, fillers, animal by-products, starches, or sugars in any of their recipes.
Why does Tiki Cat food contain pumpkin?
Pumpkin is an excellent source of fiber, which is good for your cat’s digestion, helps with IBD, and soothes sensitive stomachs. It also moves ingested fur through your cat’s digestive system, reducing hairballs and its associated problems.
How much Tiki Cat food should I feed my cat?
The label on cat food provides all the necessary information on how much you should feed your cat. But keep in mind, this is more of a guideline as cats have different dietary requirements.
Pregnant and nursing cats should be fed more almost twice as much food in the second half of their pregnancy. And while nursing, feed your mommy cat as much food as she’ll eat. For kittens, if you’re feeding them dry food, it’s a good idea to introduce it when they are approximately five weeks old. Allow them to eat as much as they are 12 months old.
What Is The Healthiest Wet Cat Food?
It goes without saying that all the Tiki Cat products are a good choice for your cat, but as far as the healthiest wet cat food goes, we have to give King Kamehameha Grill Variety Pack a PAWesome 5 out of 5. With a recipe that includes tuna, mackerel, and sardines in a lobster consommé, it’s definitely our boys’ personal favorite.
Overall, is Tiki Cat a good choice?
With animal-based proteins as the main ingredients, there’s no denying that Tiki Cat food is an excellent choice for your cat. Their products are rich in protein, have little to no carbohydrates, and are grain-free. Depending on your kitty’s needs, some of the products within the range are particularly good for IBD and diabetes.
Is Tiki Cat an expensive option?
There is no getting around the fact that Tiki Cat is more expensive than some of the other cat food products out there. But looking at the company’s reputation, the fact that they have never had any recalls, and that they use human-grade ingredients, we would say it is money well spent.
Where is Tiki Cat sold?
Tiki Cat is sold through a number of pet stores, as well as online. You can use their store locator to find a stockist near you or, if you prefer, order from online retailers including Chewy, Walmart, Petco, and Amazon.
To Finish Off
It isn’t often that we sing the praises of a specific brand of cat food, but reviewing Tiki Cat Food’s Born Carnivore, we have to say we were more than pleasantly surprised. It is nice to know that there are manufacturers out there that pride themselves on sourcing the very best ingredients in a responsible way.
And with no grains, fillers, animal by-products, or other sub-standard ingredients, it is, without a doubt, one of the healthiest choices for your cat. If you can afford it, you would be doing your kitty a disservice not giving it to him.
Has your cat tried any of the Tiki Cat products? If so, which one, and was it a hit? Let us know in the comments section below, or leave a message on our Facebook page. Our cat crazy community over there would love to hear from you.
