Unbiased Natural Balance Cat Food Review

Liz Coleman / Cats.com

Natural Balance cat food offers a solid selection of limited ingredient recipes and novel proteins, making it a popular choice for cat owners dealing with allergies or food sensitivities. But is it the right choice for your cat? We’ve taken a close look at Natural Balance and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, product variety, price, ingredient quality, customer experience, and recall history.

The Cats.com Standard—Rating Natural Balance on What Matters

We’ve rated the Natural Balance brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.

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Ratings

Species-Appropriateness – 4/10
Ingredient Quality – 5/10
Product Variety – 8/10
Price – 8/10
Customer Experience – 5/10
Recall History – 4/10

Overall Score: 5.7/10

In total, we give Natural Balance cat food a 34 out of 60 rating or a C grade.

Read on to learn more about Natural Balance and how we reached this conclusion.

Why Trust Cats.com

Liz Coleman / Cats.com

With the overwhelming amount of cat foods available, it can be difficult to choose. We’re committed to making it easier by delivering well-researched, unbiased cat food reviews. To evaluate Natural Balance cat food, I read about the company’s history, manufacturing & sourcing practices, and recall history. Then I ordered three popular recipes to test at home.

To evaluate this brand, I looked at recipe’s nutritional content and species-appropriateness for cats. I considered each ingredient including, and I assessed the food’s smell, texture, and overall cat appeal. This review was also informed by my years of experience researching and testing cat foods.

About Natural Balance

Natural Balance Pet Foods was created in 1989 by Dick Van Patten and Joey Herrick after a conversation about the two entertainers’ shared love of animals. Herrick, then a drummer for The John Davidson Show, was interested in animal rescue, while Van Patten had always wanted to open up a pet shop. By the end of the conversation, they were thinking about starting a pet food company.

The resulting company was called Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods and it became one of the first to take advantage of the growing demand for organic and filler-free pet food. Their food was marketed as “Food for a Lifetime” and “the finest food you can buy for your pet.”

After a brief dip in popularity, Natural Balance was picked up by Petco and came to be featured in over 600 stores. In 2013, the company merged with Del Monte, a conglomerate behind numerous other pet food brands, including Meow Mix and Milo’s Kitchen. Two years later, J.M. Smucker purchased Natural Balance as part of their Big Heart Pet Brands acquisition.

In 2021, the brand was sold to Nexus Capital Management LP, which puts them in prime position to capitalize on their commitment to research, development, and product innovation. In 2023, Natural Balance announced it would merge with Canidae Pet Foods. Consumers can expect new specialty products to be released under the Natural Balance brand in the coming years.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

Natural Balance sources ingredients from around the world, with suppliers in the United States, France, India, New Zealand, and Canada. The brand is willing to disclose the origins of its protein sources but will not reveal specific sourcing information for its plant ingredients or additives.

Most of the brand’s foods are made in the United States by multiple manufacturers, including one company-owned facility in Brownwood, TX. Some canned cat foods are made in USFDA-approved plants in Thailand.

Though Natural Balance doesn’t provide too many details about the sourcing of its ingredients, the brand is very transparent about the manufacturing standards it follows. This brand offers customers a “Feed With Confidence” promise and has its products tested by third-party ISO 17025 accredited labs. In fact, customers can enter the UPC and lot number from their bag of pet food to view test results. Natural Balance follows WSAVA guidelines, and the brand’s Research & Development team includes a PhD animal nutritionist, veterinarians, and food scientists.

Recall History

Natural Balance was one of the numerous companies involved in the melamine recalls of 2007.

In April of 2007, the company learned that dogs and cats were getting sick after eating Natural Balance venison-based foods. These reports prompted lab testing, which revealed that these foods contained trace amounts of melamine. Rice protein concentrate was identified as the probable source.

Shortly thereafter, the recall was expanded to include three more canned dog foods and one canned cat food. Again, the foods contained melamine from rice protein concentrate. In all cases, the rice protein concentrate was not listed on the ingredient list, nor did Natural Balance know that it was in the food.

Natural Balance maintains that its manufacturer, American Nutrition Inc., was responsible for adding the tainted rice protein without the company’s knowledge or consent. All told, the melamine fiasco resulted in recalls of over 60 trucks’ worth of cat and dog food and cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in customers’ medical bills.

The company updated its food safety lab with additional equipment and instituted the “Buy with Confidence” program, which allows customers to read lab results for their pet’s food.

Later in 2007, Natural Balance issued another recall. This time, it wasn’t related to the melamine scandal, but involved a potential botulism outbreak affecting Castleberry’s Food Company, which was one of the company’s manufacturing partners.

After 2007, Natural Balance didn’t have another recall until 2010. In June 2010, and later in May 2012, the brand was involved in a recall of products manufactured at a Diamond Pet Foods facility. The reason for the recall was potential salmonella contamination.

Natural Balance had another long stretch of recall-free years until July 2020. In early July 2020, the J.M. Smucker Company issued a voluntary recall for a single lot of Natural Balance Ultra-Premium Chicken & Liver Pate Formula canned at food due to concerns related to elevated levels of choline chloride

Choline chloride is a source of choline, an essential nutrient for pets. Due to high levels of this nutrient, however, some cats ingesting the recalled product reportedly experienced nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and poor vision as well as more serious symptoms such as irregular heartbeat, difficult breathing, cardiac or respiratory failure, and in some cases death.

What Kinds of Cat Food Does Natural Balance Offer?

Natural Balance has a wide selection of cat food, including wet products in pouches, tubs, and cans, as well as dry food. These foods are segmented into what Natural Balance calls “special categories”, including grain-free, healthy weight, high protein, indoor, and limited ingredient foods.

Here’s a list of the product lines Natural Balance has to offer:

I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets
Ultra Protein
Ultra Protein Plus
Original Ultra
Platefulls
Fat Cats

A wide variety of protein sources are used in Natural Balance foods. Salmon, chicken, venison, lamb, bison, buffalo, and duck are all protein sources represented in the Natural Balance lineup.

To help customers choose the best formula for their cats, Natural Balance offers a cat food selection calculator. You can select your cat’s life stage, food type preference, and any special needs, and the calculator will serve up a selection of Natural Balance foods that satisfy those needs.

Natural Balance Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

Product Name	Food Type	Main Protein Source	Calories	Price	Our Grade
Natural Balance Reserve Limited Ingredient Duck & Green Pea Recipe Dry Cat Food	Dry	Duck, Pea Protein	375 kcal/cup	$4.30 per lb	C
Natural Balance Reserve Limited Ingredient Duck & Green Pea Recipe Wet Cat Food	Wet	Duck, Pea Protein	34 kcal/oz.	$0.51 per oz	C
Natural Balance Ultra Premium Chicken & Liver Pate Formula Canned Cat Food	Wet	Chicken	33 kcal/oz.	$0.36 per oz	B

All nutritional percentages in this table and hereafter are taken from the manufacturer’s guaranteed analysis. Exact nutritional percentages are not available. All calculated values are determined using these minimum and maximum published values and may differ from actual values.

Natural Balance is the ultimate authority on their products, so please contact the company for more nutritional information.

#1 Natural Balance Reserve Limited Ingredient Duck & Green Pea Recipe Dry Cat Food

$42.98 At Chewy $42.98 At Amazon

Formulated for cats with food allergies and sensitivities, this dry cat food is made with a limited number of ingredients and a single source of animal-based protein. It leads with duck and duck meal; duck is a novel protein suitable for cats allergic to beef or chicken.

Natural Balance Reserve Limited Ingredient Duck & Green Pea Recipe Dry Cat Food

Liz Coleman / Cats.com

While this recipe starts off strong, the first two ingredients are followed by a string of plant-based ingredients, including peas, chickpeas, lentils, pea protein, and pea starch. This contributes to its higher carbohydrate content.

It may be a plant heavy cat food, but it does live up to its claims of being a limited ingredient diet. Aside from a handful of plant and animal proteins, the ingredients list is primarily made up of nutritional supplements.

Overall, this is a plant-based dry cat food with moderate protein, moderate fat content, and high levels of carbohydrate matter.

Ingredients

Duck, Duck Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, Pea Protein, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Pea Starch, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Choline Chloride, Dl-Methionine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), Taurine, Citric Acid (Preservative), Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Rosemary Extract.

Ingredients We Liked: Duck, Duck Meal, Menhaden Fish Oil

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Green Peas, Pea Protein, Pea Starch, Canola Oil, Chickpeas, Lentils

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 30%

Crude Fat: 12%

Crude Fiber: 4.5%

Moisture: 10%

Calcium: 0.8%

Phosphorus: 0.7%

Magnesium: 0.14%

Taurine: 0.16%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 33.33%

Fat: 13.33%

Fiber: 5%

Carbs: 48.33%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 29.23%

Fat: 28.39%

Carbs: 42.38%

Pros

May help minimize symptoms of food allergies
Menhaden fish oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids
Doesn’t contain any common cat food allergens

Cons

High in carbohydrate and plant-based proteins
Limited moisture content (like all dry foods)

#2 Natural Balance Reserve Limited Ingredient Duck & Green Pea Recipe Wet Cat Food

$66.72 At Chewy $66.72 At Amazon

This limited-ingredient canned food is the wet food counterpart to the previous product. Like the previous product, it’s free from common cat food allergens like chicken and beef, relying instead on duck and pea protein as the main ingredients.

Natural Balance Reserve Limited Ingredient Duck & Green Pea Recipe Wet Cat Food

Liz Coleman / Cats.com

This formula is much higher in moisture than its dry food counterpart, which can be beneficial for your cat’s digestion and overall health. Like all Natural Balance pet foods, it’s free from artificial ingredients. However, this food is still heavy on plant-based ingredients like peas, beet pulp, and cranberries.

This food has a pate texture and comes in both 3-oz and 5.5-oz size cans.

Overall, this is a plant-rich canned food with moderate protein content, high fat, and moderate carbohydrate content.