Cats.com rates ACANA cat food 7.8 out of 10 overall. Its best marks are for ingredient quality (9/10) and recall history (9/10), and it gives 7/10 for product variety, price and customer experience. ACANA is a credible, protein-forward option for many cats, but it is not a default choice for every cat, particularly those with suspected food sensitivities.
This article explains what that score measures, shows how to check ACANA labels yourself, and separates the reviewer’s findings from the manufacturer’s own claims. It summarizes Cats.com’s assessment and checks it against U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance and ACANA’s published statements. It does not report new laboratory testing of ACANA products.
The scores at a glance
| Category | Cats.com score | What the score tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Species-appropriateness | 8/10 | Cats.com’s judgment of how well the recipes suit cats. The published summary gives no further breakdown. |
| Ingredient quality | 9/10 | The highest score in the review and the strongest reason to consider the brand. |
| Product variety | 7/10 | A broad dry lineup, but no single-protein limited-ingredient recipes in the cat range. |
| Price | 7/10 | Mid-range pricing. See the price section for the figures behind it. |
| Customer experience | 7/10 | Cats.com’s published summary does not break this score down further. |
| Recall history | 9/10 | Reports no ACANA cat-food recalls. See the recall section for the limits of that statement. |
These scores are Cats.com’s own framework and judgment. They are not a veterinary consensus, and they should be read as one reviewer’s assessment rather than an independent certification.
What ACANA sells for cats
ACANA built its reputation on dry food. According to Cats.com, the brand introduced wet cat food in 2023 and now offers indoor and life-stage dry recipes alongside recipes that carry regional names. The reviewer notes that the regional focus appears to have changed even though the recipe names were kept. A name such as “Wild Atlantic” therefore does not reliably tell you where the ingredients come from or what the formula contains. Read the label for each product.
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- One (1) 4 lb bag of ACANA Indoor Entree Free Run** Chicken and Turkey Dry Cat Food
- Craveable free-run** chicken and turkey and whole herring recipe that is uniquely suited to the needs of your domesticated, indoor cat
- Dry cat food*** made with 65% animal ingredients* and 35% fruits, vegetables and botanicals****
- ACANA Cat food kibble with a blend of protein, fiber, probiotics and nutrients to help support cat digestive health, weight management and hairball control
- Cat food crafted in the USA with the world’s finest ingredients
US dry lineup named in the review
- ACANA Meadowlands
- ACANA Grasslands
- ACANA Wild Atlantic
- ACANA Indoor Entree
- ACANA Indoor Entree Seafood
- ACANA Indoor Cat
- ACANA Bountiful Catch
- ACANA Senior Entree
- ACANA First Feast
Recipes are added, renamed and reformulated over time, and availability differs by country. Confirm that a given recipe is sold in your market and that its current package matches what is described here.
Wet food
The wet recipe Cats.com covers is ACANA Lamb + Lamb Liver in Bone Broth Grain-Free Wet Cat Food.
Three recipes Cats.com graded
| Recipe | Format | Cats.com grade |
|---|---|---|
| ACANA Meadowlands Grain-Free Dry Cat Food | Dry | B- |
| ACANA Indoor Entree with Free-Run Chicken & Turkey Adult Dry Cat Food | Dry | B |
| ACANA Lamb + Lamb Liver in Bone Broth Grain-Free Wet Cat Food | Wet | A |
These are Cats.com’s product grades, not grades from an independent testing body. The highest grade goes to the wet recipe, but the two dry recipes and the wet recipe cannot be compared directly on the grade alone, because moisture changes how the nutrients read on a label. The conversion method is explained below.
Rank #2
- One (1) 10 lb bag of ACANA Indoor Entree Free Run** Chicken and Turkey Dry Cat Food
- Craveable free-run** chicken and turkey and whole herring recipe that is uniquely suited to the needs of your domesticated, indoor cat
- Dry cat food*** made with 65% animal ingredients* and 35% fruits, vegetables and botanicals****
- ACANA Cat food kibble with a blend of protein, fiber, probiotics and nutrients to help support cat digestive health, weight management and hairball control
- Cat food crafted in the USA with the world’s finest ingredients
Ingredients and sensitivities
Cats.com reports that some ACANA recipes contain proteins that do not appear in the product name. It also reports that the cat range has no single-protein limited-ingredient recipes, and that some recipes may be a poor fit for cats with food allergies or sensitivities. That combination matters most when you are trying to identify a trigger, because a multi-protein formula makes it harder to know which ingredient is involved. None of these recipes should be treated as a treatment for a medical condition.
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- Read the full ingredient list on the current package, not the recipe name. Note every animal protein, including those listed after the first few items.
- Check where legumes such as peas, lentils or chickpeas appear. Cats.com flags legume-heavy dry formulas as a buyer concern.
- If your cat has a suspected sensitivity, ask your veterinarian which diet suits a structured elimination trial before you switch to any recipe, including the ones reviewed here.
Reading the nutrition label correctly
FDA’s consumer guidance on the “complete and balanced” statement is the most practical starting point. The FDA states: “If this statement includes the phrase ‘complete and balanced,’ then the product is intended to be fed as a pet’s sole diet and should be nutritionally balanced.” To support that claim, a food must either meet an AAFCO nutrient profile or pass a feeding trial conducted under AAFCO procedures. FDA says a label reference to either method gives better assurance that the claim is valid, so look for that wording on the bag or can.
Why moisture changes the numbers
Guaranteed-analysis percentages are stated as-fed, but AAFCO nutrient profiles use dry-matter values. FDA’s consumer guidance notes that canned food typically contains 75–78% moisture and dry food typically contains 10–12%. Comparing a can’s protein percentage directly with a bag’s can therefore mislead you.
Rank #3
- One (1) 4 lb bag of ACANA Highest Protein* Meadowlands Free-Run** Chicken & Turkey and Chicken Liver Grain-Free*** Dry Cat Food
- High protein cat food made with free-run** chicken and turkey, and chicken liver, containing 75% quality animal ingredients**** and 25% fruits, vegetables and botanicals for a complete and satisfying cat food kibble
- Grain free dry cat food*** recipe includes no added grain ingredients, soy, corn, wheat or tapioca
- Features a protein, fiber, and probiotic blend to help support cat digestive health
- Cat food crafted in the USA with the world’s finest ingredients
To convert any guaranteed-analysis value to a dry-matter basis:
- Subtract the moisture percentage from 100 to get the dry-matter percentage.
- Divide the nutrient guarantee by the dry-matter percentage.
- Multiply by 100.
Consider a hypothetical can that guarantees 10% crude protein and 78% moisture, and a hypothetical kibble that guarantees 30% crude protein and 10% moisture. The can has 22% dry matter, so 10 ÷ 22 × 100 gives about 45.5% protein on a dry-matter basis. The kibble has 90% dry matter, so 30 ÷ 90 × 100 gives about 33.3%. These values are illustrations only, not ACANA measurements. FDA’s own example uses a 26% crude-protein minimum for adult maintenance on a dry-matter basis, and that is the benchmark to apply when you compare converted figures.
Feeding trials and manufacturer testing claims
A technical bulletin from Champion Petfoods, which makes ACANA, states: “All lead ORIJEN and ACANA formulations have successfully completed and passed our enhanced AAFCO feeding trials and are defined as nutritionally ‘complete and balanced’ for dogs and cats at maintenance.” That bulletin is a historical document. It describes the lead formulations at the time it was written and does not establish the nutritional status of every current ACANA cat recipe. Check the current package for the adequacy statement.
Rank #4
- One (1) 4 lb bag of ACANA Bountiful Catch Salmon and Whole Herring Dry Cat Food for Adult Cats.
- Crafted with raw** salmon and whole herring for a nutrient-dense high protein cat food with a craveable taste
- Balanced dry cat food recipe with 65% animal ingredients*
- Includes Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids to help support healthy skin, heart and eyes; and helps support cat digestive health with a blend of protein, fiber, and probiotics
- Cat food crafted in the USA using quality ingredients from around the world
ACANA’s US FAQ adds details about its methods. It describes a team of animal-food scientists and nutritionists, palatability testing, digestibility testing through stool analysis, and AAFCO feeding trials. These are manufacturer statements. They are not independent audits, and the FAQ itself is the only source for them.
Where ACANA cat food is made
| Product type | Where it is made, per Cats.com | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dry and freeze-dried, sold in the US and South America | Champion Petfoods’ DogStar kitchens, Auburn, Kentucky | ACANA’s FAQ also describes DogStar food-safety certifications and traceability. |
| Dry, sold in Canada, Europe and Asia | NorthStar, Edmonton, Alberta | Ingredient suppliers and formulations can vary by production region. |
| Wet (canned) | A third-party producer | ACANA’s FAQ says the partner works under oversight from in-house specialists. Formulas are developed by in-house Research & Innovation specialists. |
Because the same recipe name can be produced in different facilities with different suppliers, the label on your bag is the only reliable record of what you are buying.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Recall history and lawsuits
What Cats.com reports
Cats.com states that ACANA cat-food products have never been recalled, and it notes a 2008 recall of ORIJEN, a sister brand. That statement underlies the 9/10 recall score. It is the reviewer’s account, and the review does not show a complete audit of every historical notice.
Best Value
- One (1) 10 lb bag of ACANA Bountiful Catch Salmon and Whole Herring Dry Cat Food for Adult Cats.
- Crafted with raw** salmon and whole herring for a nutrient-dense high protein cat food with a craveable taste
- Balanced dry cat food recipe with 65% animal ingredients*
- Includes Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids to help support healthy skin, heart and eyes; and helps support cat digestive health with a blend of protein, fiber, and probiotics
- Cat food crafted in the USA using quality ingredients from around the world
The 2018 class action
Cats.com describes a 2018 class-action lawsuit that alleged misleading representations about heavy metals and toxins. According to the review, the reported average amounts fell within FDA maximum tolerable levels. ACANA’s FAQ says courts dismissed or affirmed the dismissal of several lawsuits, and it reports that its testing results fell below National Research Council maximum tolerable limits. These are two sides of the same dispute: the allegations, and the company’s rebuttal with its own test results. Neither is an independent safety verdict.
Checking recalls yourself
- Open the FDA’s recalls page for pet food and check its current listings.
- Search for “ACANA” and for the exact recipe name on your package.
- Compare the lot code and best-by date on your bag with any notice you find.
The FDA recalls page is a live listing of recent entries. It does not establish a complete historical record for ACANA, so an absence of recent notices is not the same as a clean history.
What the price actually buys
| Format | Price range (US) | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | $4.20–$5.50 per pound ($0.26–$0.34 per ounce) | Cats.com, updated August 19, 2026 |
| Wet | $0.55–$0.63 per ounce; per-pound price not stated | Cats.com, updated August 19, 2026 |
| Daily cost for a 10-pound cat | $0.50–$3.50 per day, depending on product | Cats.com estimate, updated August 19, 2026 |
These are Cats.com’s figures for the US market and are not guaranteed current prices. Retailers change prices frequently, so confirm the current figure before you budget. On these ranges, wet food costs about twice as much per ounce as dry food, which is why the price score is 7/10 rather than higher for a brand with a wet line.
Who ACANA fits, and who should look elsewhere
A good fit
- Owners who want protein-forward recipes and rate ingredient quality highly.
- Owners who read complete ingredient lists and convert label values before comparing products.
- Owners buying in a market where the recipe is sold under a current, verifiable label.
Look at other options or ask your veterinarian first
- Cats with suspected food allergies or sensitivities, which often need a structured elimination trial.
- Owners who need single-protein or limited-ingredient recipes, which the cat range does not offer according to Cats.com.
- Owners with a tight food budget, given the price range above, especially if they plan to feed wet food.
Use the nutrition and recall steps above with any brand, not only ACANA. The same label checks apply whichever recipe you choose.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
