Carnivore Meat Company Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food, Mini Nibs Duck Starter, 12 Oz

First time my cats have ever shown interest in their dry food!

This brand & product is absolutely one of the best health choices for cats regarding kibble. We are leaning out of kibble due to all of the more recent information about the crucial importance of water content for the cats. But our cats still want that kibble! And this is, in my opinion, the best brand, in regard to high quality nutritional value. BUT….. I had to go to another brand because the cost this company is setting, is ridiculous! So what I try to do is get this occasionally and try to find deals when I can. When I first found this company, over a year ago, we purchased a great deal of kibble and other snacks from this maker but it was costing us a fortune. It’s very sad that companies get greedy, especially concerning health Products. Hopefully they will find a balance. Hopefully they care about their customers and about fur friends, and will get these prices down. I don’t know if they realize how hard it is on people when we are trying to make healthy choices not only for ourselves but also for our sweet fur babies, to get out of the old cycles of toxic food. When companies charge ridiculous amounts, in my opinion, they are not holding their responsibilities in a fully honorable way. They are doing the task of creating healthy products and I understand the cost in that, but integrity is also a part of this. The other product we have decided to move to and have tested with great success is the Nulo brand. Their kibble was seriously 1/5 of the price for twice as much. This speaks a great deal to what I am saying!!

Cat loves it !

I use it as a topping for one of my cats. The teeth cleaning part of this food due to it being hard is what attracted me. My other cat has issues with her teeth I handle at the vet so she is not too good with very hard foods.

I hope this information is helpful for other pet parents who are exploring healthy food choices. Craftsmanship and Use: Several years ago I tried to feed my cats a raw/natural diet, but there were few commercial options and doing it all ‘homemade’ was not practical for me. I am pleased to see there has been progress in this pet food space and a range of great products like the freeze-dried duck food and other options offered by Vita Essentials. While the packaging states the product is ‘Proudly American’ it notes in smaller letters that the food is made from ‘globally sourced ingredients’. I appreciate the clearly visible Daily Feeding Guidelines that are provided on the packaging, and find it frustrating with other brands when I have to search the internet to try to find how much I should feed my cats. I was also pleased to see customer service information and the company website listed on the bottom of the cat food bag. The tan and gold food bag does a good job of sharing details on the quality of the food, the benefits for your pet, and more. Was I able to test and independently verify those claims? No, and while any human or pet food company may face production challenges and occasional challenges in quality control, I found nothing in my online research that made be overly concerned about this company, or the quality of this food for my cats. I did not find the smell of the food offensive at all and visually, all of the food pieces I inspected looked consistent in shape, texture, color, and how they were manufactured. Packaging: The cat food shipped in a standard Amazon box and took 13 days to arrive, far longer than what I, and most Amazon shoppers, might expect. The box included some air filled plastic pillow padding to protect the bag, and it arrived in great shape. The resealable bag is brown and yellow, and the duck-shape cut out on the front lets you see the food inside. That’s a nice touch especially for anyone new to the product category, and allows them to see what they are buying to minimize any surprises. Final Recommendation: My cats were 50/50 on the freeze-dried duck. One loved it (although he literally eats pretty much anything), while the other did not tolerate it well and ended up with an upset GI system and refused to go near it again. This is a premium priced product. For comparison, this product is ⅕ of the amount of food for more than double the cost of a healthy alternative recommended by my vet. Bottom line, I believe this to be a great product, but it may not be tolerated by all cats, and it is a definite hit to the wallet. My one cat who does like it/tolerate it, receives the dried duck as a treat only from now on. Of course, all pet parents should consult with their vet before changing foods especially if your cat faces specific health issues, or weight challenges.