June 20, 2023
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
We’ve rated Hare Today cat food on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Hare Today cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Hare Today Cat Food On What Matters
We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 9/10
- Ingredient Quality – 9/10
- Product Variety – 8/10
- Price – 6/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 7/10
Overall Score: 7.8/10
In total, we give Hare Today cat food a 47 out of 60 rating or a B+ grade.
How We Review Cat Food
To review Hare Today, we spent hours researching the brand, learning about its history and product lineup. We studied the company’s sourcing and manufacturing practices and scoured recall databases for reports related to safety issues. To understand how other customers feel about the brand, we read dozens of customer reviews, identifying any common patterns or trends.
Finally, our reviewer independently purchased several packages of Hare Today cat food and tried it out with their cats, taking notes on palatability, texture, smell, and more.
Based on this research and hands-on testing, we’ve rated the brand according to the Cats.com Standard. Learn more about the Standard here.
About Hare Today
Hare Today was established in 1999 as a small rabbit farm run by Tracy Murphy. It was originally founded under the name Hare Today Gone Tomorrow (HTGT) but the name was changed to Hare Today in 2019 when Murphy’s daughter, Ashlee Luke, purchased the farm along with her husband, Josh.
As a raw food brand, Hare Today advocates for carnivore-appropriate diets for cats and dogs. Though the operation began as a rabbit farm, Hare Today has greatly expanded their offerings. In addition to common proteins like chicken, beef, and pork, the brand sells products made from mice, pheasant, goat, duck, bison, and alpaca.
Hare Today’s website also serves as the archive for the Feline Nutrition Foundation and offers a variety of raw feeding resources for pet owners.
Note that Hare Today’s cat food products are not nutritionally complete and balanced diets. Instead, they sell raw ingredients to use in homemade food.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
Hare Today is a retail-only manufacturer licensed and inspected through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. They raise their own rabbits and beef and strive to raise and slaughter their animals humanely. All grinding, cutting, and packaging of their products are performed on site.
The poultry, fish, and exotic proteins Hare Today offers are sourced from USDA and/or FDA-inspected sources. They note that their pork, sheep, llama, beef, alpaca, goats, and rabbits – those they don’t raise themselves – are sourced from local farmers, largely Amish farms. These products are processed in a state-licensed facility.
Most of Hare Today’s products are made with ingredients sourced in the USA. The only exceptions appear to be certain supplements that are largely sourced from Australia and New Zealand.
Recall History
Hare Today has not experienced any product recalls, but there was one 2019 incident worth noting here.
On January 23rd, 2019, the FDA issued a warning to consumers regarding possible Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) contamination in a batch of Hare Today Ground Chicken/Bones/Organs. The warning was issued after samples collected during an FDA inspection tested positive for Salmonella and/or L. mono. A customer complaint involving a kitten who had become sick with Salmonella after eating the food prompted the FDA to perform an inspection.
While the inspection revealed the presence of Salmonella, the strain isolated from the kitten did not match what was found in the samples. Due to the time that had elapsed, the kitten’s owner did not have any of the specific product left for testing, nor did Hare Today.
Upon receiving notice of the FDA’s test results, Hare Today declined to initiate a product recall. Rather, the brand alleged in a Facebook post that the samples had been “compromised and any results are null and void.” Hare Today cited the lack of government seals on the samples when they arrived at the laboratory and the omission from the lab report of product temperature at the time of testing.
It’s difficult to say what happened in this instance, but the suggestion of improper storage and transport of frozen raw food samples had previously been made by another raw food company, Rad Cat. Hare Today specifically mentioned a Rad Cat blog post about the issue when declaring their decision not to initiate a product recall.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Hare Today Offer?
Hare Today’s freeze-dried formulas are extremely fine-ground which makes them easy to rehydrate in warm water. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Hare Today is a raw pet food company that offers an assortment of frozen and freeze-dried options. Their products are not specifically formulated for one species but are recommended for carnivorous species including cats, dogs, and ferrets.
The protein options Hare Today offers include:
- Alpaca
- Beef
- Bison
- Cavies
- Chicken
- Duck
- Eggs
- Elk
- Goat
- Goose
- Llama
- Mice and rats
- Pheasant
- Pork
- Quail
- Rabbit
- Seafood
- Sheep and lamb
- Turkey
- Venison
The Hare Today website has an older design but is still very easy to navigate. Customers can shop by product type (whole prey or freeze-dried) or by protein.
Hare Today offers chopped or ground muscle meat as well as organs, meaty bones, and whole small animals, fish, and poultry. They also offer nearly two dozen ground blends of meat, organ, and bone.
What Do Customers Think of Hare Today Cat Food?
Because Hare Today is a small, independent company, it doesn’t have a widespread online following. Reviews are limited, but customers appear to be loyal—some mention having used Hare Today for as long as fifteen years. Happy customers mention high product quality, great variety, and strong customer service in their reviews.
Hare Today has a 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Facebook with about 60 reviews. The few customers who stated on this platform that they wouldn’t recommend Hare Today cite issues with shipping and their cat’s refusal of the product.
In each case of a customer complaint, Hare Today responded to the comment on Facebook and provided a record of prior email contact with the customer. To prevent problems with customers receiving thawed food, Hare Today provides detailed information about their shipping policies on their website.
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
When I first set out to review Hare Today, I was excited to find they had a wide selection of novel proteins – specifically rabbit. I feed all three of my cats a rabbit-based diet because one has trouble tolerating several other proteins, but commercial options are limited.
Unfortunately, the rabbit was out of stock at the time. Hare Today does, however, note their current inventory on their website and you can submit your email address to request a product restock notification.
Hare Today has a 10-pound minimum for frozen items and they are shipped separately from freeze-dried food and other products. For simplicity’s sake, I ordered three of the freeze-dried blends: turkey, duck, and alpaca.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Hare Today’s freeze-dried blends are very finely ground – they aren’t shaped into pellets or patties like many commercial freeze-dried pet foods. The product rehydrated thoroughly and quickly in water and my cats absolutely loved it. It comes in resealable packages with oxygen absorbers to keep the product fresh, though it should still be refrigerated after opening.
Hare Today Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Hare Today Freeze-Dried Ground Chicken/Bones/Organs | Freeze-Dried | Chicken | NA | $1.95 per oz | A- |
| Hare Today Ground Duck/Bones/Organs | Fresh | Duck | NA | $0.56 per oz | A |
| Hare Today Freeze-Dried Ground Rabbit/Bones/Organs | Freeze-Dried | Rabbit | NA | $2.50 per oz | A- |
#1 Hare Today Freeze-Dried Ground Chicken/Bones/Organs
Formulated with 80% muscle meat, 10% organs, and 10% bone, this freeze-dried chicken formula is very finely ground and easy to rehydrate.
The muscle meat comes from bone-in chicken quarters (which consist of thighs and drumsticks) and boneless chicken breast. The organs included in this recipe are hearts, gizzard, and liver. The food also contains chicken necks, an additional source of calcium-rich bone.
Keep in mind that the nutrient analysis provided by Hare Today is for the rehydrated product. Hare Today recommends rehydrating 1 cup of the mixture with 1 cup of warm water to yield about 1 pound of food. Be sure to let it soak for at least 3 minutes, so it has time to thicken.
Ingredients
Chicken Quarter (Bone-In, Skin-On), Boneless Chicken Breast (Skinless), Chicken Neck (Skin-On), Chicken Heart, Chicken Gizzard, Chicken Liver.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Quarter, Boneless Chicken Breast, Chicken Neck, Chicken Heart, Chicken Gizzard, Chicken Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- A carnivore-appropriate blend of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Made from a single source of animal protein
- Finely ground texture makes it very easy to rehydrate
What We Didn’t Like:
- Intended for supplemental or intermittent feeding only
- Should be rehydrated before feeding
#2 Hare Today Ground Duck/Bones/Organs
This fresh ground formula features an 80/10/10 ratio of muscle meat, bone, and organ, all sourced from duck. It is delivered frozen and comes in 1-, 2-, and 5-pound packages finely ground or a 3-pound quantity of a coarsely ground mixture.
Like Hare Today’s freeze-dried formulas, this duck blend is intended for supplemental or intermittent feeding only. This simply means that it isn’t considered “complete and balanced” as a stand-alone product according to AAFCO. You may need to add supplements or feed it in rotation with other raw products to ensure balanced nutrition for your cat.
That said, Hare Today states that, in addition to being high in protein, this blend is rich in thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, and selenium.
Ingredients
Boneless Ground Duck (Skin-On), Duck Wings (Bone-In, Skin-On), Duck Liver, Duck Heart, Duck Gizzard, Duck Neck (Skinless).
Ingredients We Liked: Boneless Ground Duck, Duck Wings, Duck Liver, Duck Heart, Duck Gizzard, Duck Neck
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Species-appropriate blend of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Made from a single source of novel animal protein
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
What We Didn’t Like:
- Intended for supplemental or intermittent feeding only
#3 Hare Today Freeze-Dried Ground Rabbit/Bones/Organs
This freeze-dried product is made from whole ground rabbit and contains an estimated ratio of 75% muscle meat, 15% bone, and 10% organs.
Hare Today makes this freeze-dried product using their fresh Ground Rabbit/Bones/Organs blend which consists of whole-ground rabbit. It includes the meat, bones, head, and organs (liver, heart, lung, thymus, pancreas, thyroid gland, spleen, and kidneys. The fur, stomach, and intestine are removed before processing.
The product details for this blend note that, for feeding purposes, rabbit heart and lung are considered muscle meat. The 10% organ percentage is calculated using only the liver, pancreas, and kidney.
Not only is rabbit a novel source of protein for many cats, but Hare Today suggests it’s a feline favorite. The brand comments that cats seem to prefer poultry and rabbit over red meat flavors.
Ingredients
Whole Ground Rabbit.
Ingredients We Liked: Whole Ground Rabbit
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Carnivore-appropriate blend of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Made from a single source of animal protein
- Finely ground texture makes it very easy to rehydrate
What We Didn’t Like:
- Intended for supplemental or intermittent feeding only
- Should be rehydrated before feeding
How Much Does Hare Today Cat Food Cost?
The cost to feed your cat Hare Today varies greatly depending on the type of product and the protein you choose.
As a small, independent business and raw food brand, Hare Today is likely to be more expensive than international brands like Blue Buffalo and Purina. It is, however, a carnivore-appropriate choice than many commercial foods and offers novel proteins you’d be unlikely to find easily otherwise.
Hare Today doesn’t provide the calorie content of their products, but they recommend feeding cats 2-3% of their ideal body weight per day. Their freeze-dried recipes range from about $1.95 per ounce (chicken) to around $2.50 per ounce (rabbit). They’re similarly priced to Stella & Chewy’s recipes but don’t come with the assurance of being “complete and balanced” according to AAFCO.
The brand’s ground meat/bone/organ blends are less pricey per ounce, but you have to factor in a 10-pound minimum order and additional costs for shipping.
Overall, Is Hare Today Cat Food a Good Choice?
Hare Today advocates for carnivore-appropriate nutrition and has curated their product selection accordingly. When it comes to variety – particularly of exotic proteins – you’ll be hard-pressed to find a wider selection elsewhere. Hare Today also takes care to raise their own animals humanely and supports local farms for the products they outsource.
Before choosing Hare Today, however, keep in mind that there are a few factors that may require some additional thought or effort.
Hare Today is not a cat food manufacturer but a seller of pet-appropriate meats for raw feeders. The company does provide the meat/bone/organ ratio of their products but, depending on the product you choose, you may need to provide supplementation to ensure balanced nutrition. The brand specifically recommends adding a taurine supplement for cats and ferrets.
For these reasons, Hare Today cat food may be most appropriate for experienced raw feeders. If you’re new to raw diets and simply looking to supplement your cat’s nutrition, however, Hare Today offers an excellent variety of options.
Where Is Hare Today Cat Food Sold?
The only place to purchase Hare Today products is on the brand’s website – they do not offer wholesale or resale opportunities. Hare Today offers a rewards program where customers can earn points for purchases, product reviews, social media interaction, and more.
Hare Today has specific shipping policies customers should be aware of before ordering. They have a 10-pound minimum for frozen food orders and only ship those orders on Mondays and Tuesdays. All frozen foods are shipped via UPS or FedEx, though 2-day air delivery is available for an upcharge. Customer pick-up is available at the Springboro, PA farm during business hours and by appointment only.
Hello Kate, I read your “The 8 Best Cat Foods In Singapore” article. Any chance you can write an article on the best cat foods in Israel? Thank you ❤️