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Simply Nourish Cat Food Review 2024: Top Picks, Pros & Cons

Nicole Cosgrove Profile Picture

By Nicole Cosgrove

simply nourish cat food review

Review Summary

Our Final Verdict

We give Simply Nourish cat food a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Simply Nourish is a “simple and understandable” pet food brand, and not unlike their competitors, they strive to produce healthy and affordable cat food. Using high-quality ingredients to create nutrient-dense formulas, their line of cat foods have drawn favorable reviews. We decided to take a closer look.
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At a Glance: The Best Simply Nourish Cat Food Recipes:

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Simply Nourish Shreds & Flaked Adult Wet Cat Food Simply Nourish Shreds & Flaked Adult Wet Cat Food
  • Helps cats stay hydrated
  • Different flavors to choose from
  • Great alternative for cats that don’t like pate texture
  • Second place
    Simply Nourish Adult Dry Cat Food Simply Nourish Adult Dry Cat Food
  • It’s popular with many picky cats
  • It’s a good option for indoor cats
  • Packed with essential vitamins and minerals
  • Third place
    Simply Nourish SOURCE Pate Adult Wet Cat Food Simply Nourish SOURCE Pate Adult Wet Cat Food
  • Good option for cats with food sensitivities
  • Contains nutrient-packed whole ingredients
  • Natural meat protein are the top five ingredients
  • Simply Nourish SOURCE Indoor Adult Dry Simply Nourish SOURCE Indoor Adult Dry
  • Formulated for indoor cats
  • Real deboned chicken is the first ingredient
  • Free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives
  • Simply Nourish Kitten Dry Cat Food Simply Nourish Kitten Dry Cat Food
  • No preservatives added
  • Formulated for young cats
  • Real deboned chicken is the first ingredient
  • hepper cat paw dividerSimply Nourish Food Reviewed

    Who Makes Simply Nourish Cat Food and Where Is It Produced?

    Simply Nourish is a PetSmart brand with facilities in the US and Thailand. Simply Nourish mostly manufactures dry foods in a facility in Utah and wet foods in Thailand. It manufactures wet foods in Thailand because the ingredients are local to regions in South East Asia. The brand’s parent company is Mars Petcare.

    Which Types of Cats is Simply Nourished Best Suited For?

    Simply Nourish has many options for indoor and outdoor adult cats. They have a decent selection for kittens and a fairly limited selection for senior cats that are 10 years old and above. Overall, Simply Nourish produces a great cat food line that promotes and sustains general health for adult cats.

    Which Types of Cats Might Do Better with a Different Brand?

    Simply Nourish has a minimal selection for cats with special needs and specific health concerns. For example, they have just one recipe each for weight control, skin and coat, and hairball control. Therefore, if your cat has specific needs, you might want to look into other brands that have science-based pet foods. Royal Canin, Hill’s, and Purina Pro Plan are all science-based brands that address life stage and lifestyle needs and particular health conditions. Chewy’s Science Shop lists many different kinds of science-based formulas.

    hepper cat paw dividerDiscussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

    Simply Nourish’s recipes follow a similar ingredient format. This brand makes a point to use real meat as the first ingredient in all the recipes. The recipes also have a blend of superfoods and natural ingredients to keep your cats healthy.

    Real Meat is the First Ingredient

    Since cats are carnivores, they need a protein-heavy diet. Simply Nourish’s recipes all have carefully sourced meat as their first ingredient. The formulas typically use chicken, salmon, and turkey. Dry foods often have a meat meal listed as the second ingredient, and wet foods often have a meat broth listed as the second ingredient. Meat meal and broth contain additional nutrients that are missing in deboned meat. Simply Nourish’s Source line all contain 35% protein or higher. Recipes in this line are also all grain-free.

    It’s also best to stick to grain-free recipes because cats are obligate carnivores and often have trouble digesting carbohydrates.

    Healthy Fats

    Cats also need a good amount of healthy fats. Fat is necessary for cats because it provides energy and supports their cell structure and function. Simply Nourish has a lot of recipes that contain chicken fat and sunflower oil.

    Taurine

    All of Simply Nourish’s recipes contain taurine. Taurine is an essential amino acid, and a taurine deficiency can cause severe health concerns. Cats need taurine, but they can’t synthesize much of it on their own. Therefore, they have to obtain it from the food they eat. Research links taurine deficiencies to reproductive failure, poor growth in kittens, and central retinal degeneration.

    Fillers

    Many poor-quality cat foods contain high volumes of carbohydrate fillers and other unnecessary and unhealthy components, such as artificial flavors and preservatives. Simply Nourish’s cat food aims to use a lower volume of carbohydrates. It also offers many grain-free options and any recipes that do contain grain use whole grains like oatmeal. When Simply Nourish includes carbohydrates, it tries to use nutrient-packed carbohydrates, such as potatoes and peas. However, it’s important to keep in mind that some cats may have difficulty digesting potatoes. Carbohydrates often find their way into cat food because of their binding properties. Even though potatoes may not be the best for cats, they’re certainly a better alternative to corn gluten meal.

    While providing our feline companions with high-quality food is paramount, selecting the right food and water bowl is equally important. The modern yet practical design of our Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl combines cat-catered features, like whisker-friendly shallow dishes and slight elevation, with a contemporary style aimed at protecting your floors from messy eating and drinking. The NomNom is entirely dishwasher safe and was thoughtfully created with your cat’s health and well-being in mind. 

    Hepper 360 Cat Feeder, Stainless Steel, Anti-Chew...
    • NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...
    • WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...

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    A Quick Look at Simply Nourish Cat Food

    Pros
    • Recipes have real meat as the first ingredient
    • Recipes use natural ingredients
    • Recipes contain necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals
    • There are many options for wet and dry foods for adult cats
    • Source line has a very high percentage of protein
    Cons
    • Limited options for specialized diets
    • Some kibble sizes in dry recipes are too small, and cats swallow them whole
    • Some dry foods may not have adequate moisture to keep cats hydrated

    Recall History

    To date, Simply Nourish’s cat food line has been recall-free. However, the brand has issued two recalls for their dog food. In October 2014, Simply Nourish issued a recall for its Beef and Biscotti Dog Treats due to potential mold growth. They also issued another recall on August 13, 2021, for frozen dog food manufactured by Wet Noses Natural Dog Treat Company. The food contained elevated levels of vitamin D that were harmful to dogs.

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    Reviews of the 3 Best Simply Nourish Cat Food Recipes

    Here’s a review of three popular and widely available Simply Nourish cat food recipes.

    1. Simply Nourish Shreds & Flaked Adult Wet Cat Food

    Simply Nourish Shreds & Flaked Adult Wet Cat Food

    This recipe is a top-rated wet food option. It’s grain-free, and you can choose from three flavors:
    • Chicken
    • Chicken and duck
    • Chicken and salmon

    The recipe has many supplemental whole ingredients such as carrots, peas, and tomatoes. It also includes essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamins A, D, E, and zinc. The recipe doesn’t contain any potatoes, so it can work well for cats that have trouble digesting potatoes.

    Pros
    • Cats have different flavors to choose from
    • Wet food helps cats stay hydrated
    • Price is affordable compared to other competitive brands
    • Great alternative for cats that don’t like pate texture
    Cons
    • Pieces might be a little too big

    2. Simply Nourish Adult Dry Cat Food

    Simply Nourish Adult Dry Cat Food

    This dry cat food is grain-free and made with natural ingredients. Deboned chicken is the first ingredient, and it also has chicken meal and chicken fat. It contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, essential vitamins, and taurine. The recipe balances an optimal number of calories from protein and fat. This balance makes this formula great for indoor cats by helping them maintain a healthy weight. You may have to be cautious if you have cats with sensitive digestive systems because the recipe does list dried potatoes as its third ingredient.

    Pros
    • Packed with essential vitamins and minerals
    • Recipe is grain-free
    • It’s popular with many picky cats
    • It’s a good option for indoor cats
    Cons
    • Recipe contains potatoes and some cats may have trouble digesting it

    3. Simply Nourish SOURCE Pate Adult Wet Cat Food

    Simply Nourish SOURCE Pate Adult Wet Cat Food

    The SOURCE line of cat food contains a high percentage of protein and is grain-free. This particular recipe lists venison, chicken, turkey, venison broth, and chicken liver as its first five ingredients. Venison is easy on the stomach, so it’s an option that many owners give to cats with food allergies and food sensitivities. The food texture is a pate, so it’s great for cats that tend to swallow kibble or have trouble eating larger chunks of food. This recipe also has a high moisture content, so it can be a good option if your cat doesn’t like to drink water.

    Pros
    • Natural meat protein is the top five ingredients
    • Good option for cats with food sensitivities
    • Contains nutrient-packed whole ingredients
    Cons
    • Price can be more expensive than other canned cat food brands
    • Recipe contains potatoes, potato protein, and sweet potatoes
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    What Other Users Are Saying

    Simply Nourish generally has positive reviews from real cat owners. You can directly read Amazon reviews here. A lot of cat owners mentioned how their picky cats love the Simply Nourish recipes. The SOURCE food line also received positive reviews and has customers that appreciate all the natural ingredients. Several owners noticed a positive impact on their cats’ health thanks to their switch to Simply Nourish.

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    Conclusion

    The highlight of Simply Nourished is that it develops cat food with nutritious natural ingredients for a relatively affordable price. The recipes contain a lot of protein and healthy fats, and they don’t use artificial coloring or preservatives. It is also a brand that’s accessible to many cat owners, and it offers a wide selection of flavors and textures to match a cat’s unique taste preferences. In short, we believe that Simply Nourished is one of the better options for cat owners who want to give their cats high-quality food without paying a fortune.

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