Published Jun 10, 2026
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Interested in homemade cat food but not sure where to start? Rather than investing in lots of expensive equipment and worrying about measuring multiple ingredients, consider a premix supplement like Know Better for Cats. Simply add lean meat and water to create a fresh, healthy meal for your cat.
Know Better for Cats makes preparing homemade food easy, but is it good for your cat? Learn more about this company and its products in this detailed review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Know Better on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Know Better and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Here’s how it rates in each of these six key areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 9/10
- Ingredient Quality – 8/10
- Product Variety – 6/10
- Price – 6/10
- Customer Experience – 7/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 7.5/10
We give Know Better a 45 out of 60 or a B+ grade.
About Know Better Cat Food
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Founded in 2002, Know Better is a pet supplement company that offers a limited selection of homemade pet food premixes for cats and dogs. The company was created by Dana Harris and remains a family-operated business based in British Columbia, Canada today.
Like many pet food companies, Know Better was born from the founder’s desire to improve the lives of pets including her own. Instead of focusing on traditional pet foods like kibble and freeze-dried food, however, the brand seeks to empower pet parents to create their own homemade diets from scratch.
To make homemade cat food, all you need to add is fresh meat. Know Better for Cats eliminates the guesswork with easy-to-use premixes you can stir right into your cat’s favorite protein, and the formula can be used with either raw or cooked meat. All that’s left is to portion out the food and store it in the fridge or freezer.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
In Canada, Know Better Pet Food products are manufactured in company-owned facilities located on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. Any products sold in the USA are manufactured in USDA-inspected facilities by a licensed partner for domestic distribution.
Know Better claims all its ingredients are of human-grade quality with the exception of chicken liver. The company doesn’t provide specific details about the sourcing of ingredients, nor does it specify exactly how the premixes are formulated.
It’s important to note that Know Better doesn’t make any claims that its premix formulas adhere to AAFCO guidelines, nor does the brand use terms like “nutritionally adequate” or “complete and balanced” which typically appear on commercial pet food labels. The brand does suggest rotating different proteins to help balance your pet’s nutrient intake.
Has Know Better Cat Food Been Recalled?
No, Know Better does not appear to have any product recalls in its history. We weren’t able to find any information about the company’s licensing partners in the United States or their recall history.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Know Better Offer?
Technically, Know Better does not sell cat food directly. Instead, the company sells a limited selection of powdered premixes that pet owners can use to improve the nutritional balance of homemade pet food. You simply mix the powder with water and fresh meat (raw or cooked).
At the time of this review, Know Better had two recipes available for cats. Know Better for Cats Chicken Recipe features chicken liver and Know Better for Cats Beef Recipe features beef liver. Otherwise, the recipes appear to consist of the same blend of protein, fat, fiber, vitamin, and mineral sources.
Besides chicken liver or beef liver, both recipes contain the following ingredients:
- Egg yolk
- Calcium lactate
- Gelatin
- Whey protein isolate
- Psyllium husks
- EFA from fish oil
- Taurine
- Kelp
- Vitamin B complex
Know Better for Cats premixes don’t contain any preservatives, artificial flavor, or added color. The brand provides nutritional facts on the website based on a 120 g meal size, including lean meat (which is denoted as chicken). The nutrient composition listed for the chicken and beef formulas is exactly the same, and the brand doesn’t provide sample analyses using other types of meat.
While premixes like this are generally designed to improve the nutrient balance of homemade diets, Know Better doesn’t claim the resulting product will be nutritionally complete. Nor does the formula appear to follow AAFCO guidelines, which is worth considering if you’re thinking about using this product as a foundation for your cat’s daily diet.
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
To test Know Better for Cats, I ordered a trial size packet of both the chicken and beef recipe premixes. I don’t feel comfortable feeding my cats raw food, so I prepared both recipes using cooked meat. For the beef recipe, I used boneless pork loin and, for the chicken recipe, I used boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Preparing homemade food with Know Better premixes was quick and easy. It only took a few minutes to cook and cool the meat, then I just stirred in the recommended amount of water and premix powder.
My two cats, Munchkin and Biscuit, seemed to enjoy the food prepared using Know Better premixes. They liked the food best when it was freshly made and still warm, but still seemed to like it when I gently reheated it in the microwave. They found it less appealing when served cold.
Know Better Cat Food—Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Primary Protein | Calories Per Ounce | Price | Our Grade |
| Know Better for Cats Chicken Recipe | Premix Supplement | Egg | NA | $2.91 per ounce | B |
| Know Better for Cats Beef Recipe | Premix Supplement | Egg | NA | $2.91 per ounce | B |
#1 Know Better for Cats Chicken Recipe
This product consists of a fine powder designed to be mixed with water and fresh meat to create homemade cat food. It’s not a nutritionally complete product on its own, and it’s not intended to be used as a food topper. You can mix it with any type of ground or chopped meat, though Know Better recommends leaner varieties with 8–15% fat content.
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Like any premix, Know Better’s chicken recipe is designed to supplement the nutrient content of fresh meat. The first ingredient is egg yolk, which is rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential vitamins. Both gelatin and whey protein isolate offer additional sources of protein while psyllium husks provide fiber and fish oil provides essential fatty acids.
Chicken liver powder is another good source of protein, particularly the amino acids lysine and methionine. It’s also rich in vitamin A, iron, and B vitamins. Taurine is another essential amino acid for cats, one that’s crucial for heart health in particular.
Egg Yolk, Calcium Lactate, Chicken Liver Powder, Gelatin, Whey Protein Isolate, Psyllium Husks, EFA from Fish Oil, Taurine, Kelp, Vitamin B Complex.
Ingredients We Liked: Egg Yolk, Chicken Liver Powder, Gelatin, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis (Per 65 g)
- Crude Protein: 48%
- Crude Fat: 19.7%
- Crude Fiber: 0.9%
- Moisture: 9.8%
What We Liked:
- Finely powdered formula is easy to mix with ingredients
- Rich in animal-sourced protein and healthy fats
- Available in trial size and bulk options
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- May not be formulated according to AAFCO guidelines
- Product-specific nutrient breakdown not available
#2 Know Better for Cats Beef Recipe
This premix formula is identical to the chicken recipe, with the exception of beef liver powder which is used in place of chicken liver powder. Beef liver is rich in essential amino acids as well as iron, omega fatty acids, and essential vitamins (especially vitamin A and B vitamins).
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Know Better lists the guaranteed analysis for both products as being identical, even down to the micronutrients, which could be a little misleading for consumers. Though the nutrient composition of beef liver and chicken liver are similar, they are not identical. Beef liver is much higher in vitamin A, copper, and vitamin B12 while chicken liver has higher levels of folate and selenium.
In practice, there’s not much difference between Know Better’s beef and chicken recipes. It might simply come down to which flavor your cat prefers and whether they have any food allergies. Keep in mind that even the beef recipe contains egg, which might set off chicken allergies, and the chicken recipe contains gelatin, which could come from beef (the brand doesn’t specify).
Egg Yolk, Calcium Lactate, Beef Liver Powder, Gelatin, Whey Protein Isolate, Psyllium Husks, EFA from Fish Oil, Taurine, Kelp, Vitamin B Complex.
Ingredients We Liked: Egg Yolk, Beef Liver Powder, Gelatin, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis (Per 65g)
- Crude Protein: 48%
- Crude Fat: 19.7%
- Crude Fiber: 0.9%
- Moisture: 9.8%
What We Liked:
- Finely powdered formula is easy to mix with ingredients
- Rich in animal-sourced protein and healthy fats
- Available in trial size and bulk options
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- May not be formulated according to AAFCO guidelines
- Product-specific nutrient breakdown not available
What Do Customers Think of Know Better Cat Food?
While Know Better doesn’t allow customers to post reviews on the brand’s website, its products are available on Amazon. At the time of this review, both recipes had between 250 and 300 reviews with an average rating of about 4 out of 5 stars.
Positive Reviews
What customers seem to appreciate most about Know Better premixes is how easy they are to use. Some satisfied customers consider homemade food healthier than commercial options, and many of those find Know Better to be a cost-effective alternative.
“My cat was constantly having lots of shedding and hairballs and not looking great… Within a week of starting this in her ground chicken, I noticed an immediate improvement! It’s been over a month and she hasn’t puke or had any hairballs since. She has better energy and looks better over-all. Also an added bonus is her little box doesn’t smell any more.” – Ryan reviewing Know Better for Cats Chicken Recipe on Amazon.com, April 6, 2026
“My best friend make her cats cat food and goes out to buy all supplies separately i showed her this and she was amazed that it had about everything she was using all in one.
My cats love this and I feel a bit better that it more to a diet they need to stay healthier. Canned food I feel is questionable.” – DCFrench reviewing Know Better for Cats Chicken Recipe on Amazon.com, December 9, 2025
Negative Reviews
Customers who write negative reviews of Know Better premixes largely do so because their cat simply didn’t like the food. Some dissatisfied customers find the smell of the product unappealing, either sour or fishy. Opinions are mixed on whether the product offers good value.
“Overall this was a complete bust in our house, and we have eight cats, all of whom would not touch it after that initial taste. Lots of money wasted on meat and mixtures for the wild forest animals to eat it, since nobody else would.” – janejuliet reviewing Know Better for Cats Chicken Recipe on Amazon.com, May 14, 2026
“The beef flavored one smelled like an old fish barrel once mixed in ruining all the meat. My cats not only didn’t eat it, they jumped back from it. Not a good product.” – Rose S. reviewing Know Better for Cats Beef Recipe on Amazon.com, February 23, 2026
How Much Does Know Better Cat Food Cost?
Know Better for Cats is a nutritional supplement designed to be combined with fresh meat. The premix powder itself ranges from about $2.12 to $4.50 per ounce, depending on the volume you buy. You can start with a 4.8 oz trial size for about $22 or buy in bulk with the 5-pound size for $169.95.
If you’re hoping to save money on cat food by making it yourself, your costs will vary depending on the type of meat you choose. Know Better can be used with any lean meat, but it’s important to rotate types to keep your cat’s diet balanced.
Where Is Know Better Cat Food Sold?
The two best places to buy Know Better premixes are directly from the company or on Amazon.com. Both sites offer the product in all three sizes (4.8 oz, 24 oz, or 5 lb). If you buy directly from Know Better, you’ll get free shipping to the USA and Canada but there’s no subscription offer available.
Know Better is also available for wholesale, so it may be available in-store in some areas. There’s no store locator available on the brand’s website, unfortunately.
Overall, Is Know Better Cat Food a Good Choice?
A homemade diet isn’t the right choice for every cat, and it’s best done with the help of a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. Nutritional imbalances are common with homemade diets, and even minor errors can have serious consequences for your cat’s health over time.
Premix supplements like Know Better simplify the process of making homemade cat food, but they may not guarantee balanced nutrition. Know Better, in particular, doesn’t claim its products are nutritionally complete or formulated according to AAFCO guidelines. The nutrient analysis on the brand’s website only applies to cat food prepared with chicken meat, while the product packaging shows only the guaranteed analysis for the premix itself.
If you simply want to find out whether your cat will even be interested in homemade food before you completely overhaul their diet, Know Better premix offers an easy, cost-effective way to do it. We recommend working closely with your veterinarian if you want to offer homemade food long-term. And it may be worth looking into other premix brands that offer a higher degree of transparency about the formulation and nutritional value of the products.
Similar Brands
Looking for other cat food brands similar to Know Better? Check out some of our other brand reviews.
