Published Mar 6, 2025
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Some cat owners turn to raw feeding to provide their cat with a diet that’s closer to what a cat would eat in the wild, but it can be tricky to prepare a nutritionally well-balanced raw diet at home. Complete and balanced raw cat foods like RAWR—Eat Like a Lion take out the guesswork because they are formulated to provide the essential nutrients your cat needs.
We’ve rated RAWR on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our RAWR cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating RAWR 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 – 10/10
- Ingredient Quality – 10/10
- Product Variety – 3/10
- Price – 5/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 10/10
Overall Score: 7.8/10
In total, we give RAWR cat food a 46 out of 60 rating or an A- grade.
Why Trust Cats.com
Before testing and reviewing RAWR raw cat food, we conducted extensive research about the brand and products offered. We took a look at the brand’s background, processes, and the nutritional quality of their food, focusing on the food’s ingredients, appearance and consistency, and real cat reactions to it.
About RAWR
RAWR food comes in meat patties (‘sliders’). Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
RAWR launched 2010, starting as a small brick and mortar in Oakland before moving to a full production facility in Grass Valley, California. The company’s tagline—Eat Like a Lion—speaks to their mission to provide high-quality, thoughtfully sourced, and consciously crafted food for cats that mimics a natural feline diet.
The company owner Sabrina Simmons started RAWR to solve the health concerns she had for her own cat, Milton, who suffered from low energy, significant digestive problems, and an unpredictable temperament. After unsuccessfully trying many specialty diets to remedy Milton’s ailments, she created RAWR and credits his improved health and long life to the food. Unlike some pet food companies that manufacture both dog and cat food, RAWR only offers raw food for cats, focusing on their unique nutritional needs.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
RAWR sources most of its meat ingredients from sustainable and humane farms in California, going so far as to identify the specific farms that provide some of the meats, including chickens from Pitman Farms (Mary’s chickens), turkeys from Mary’s & Diestel, and ducks from Liberty Ducks. RAWR lamb treats are sourced from Marin Sun Farms. Rabbit is sourced from a humane-certified farm in the EU.
RAWR uses only whole, human-grade meats and supplements in their food. The chicken and turkey ingredients are GAP-certified, a designation given by the Global Animal Partnership, which monitors farm animals for humane treatment. RAWR has also signed on to the Better Chicken Commitment, a national humane movement to improve the lives of chickens used for meat.
All RAWR products are manufactured in a USDA-certified facility. The company utilizes bacteriophage technology—a method that uses safe viruses to kill specific, harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. Coli—and has a test-and-hold protocol through a third-party lab. Every batch of food is tested for Salmonella, E. Coli, Listeria, and H5N1 (avian influenza). As of February 2025, test results for each batch of food are accessible on the company website.
Recall History
At the time of this review, none of RAWR cat foods have been recalled since the company launched in 2010.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does RAWR Offer?
RAWR foods come as single-protein foods including chicken, rabbit, turkey and duck. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
RAWR offers a variety of single-protein, nutritionally balanced raw food for cats. RAWR’s bone-inclusive recipes are formulated to meet and exceed the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles for all life stages, which means they are appropriate for adult cats and kittens. RAWR’s boneless formulas meet AAFCO’s nutrient profiles for adult maintenance (RAWR recommends their boneless recipes for senior cats).
All RAWR cat food formulas are 99.5% animal protein (including muscle meat, organ meat, and egg yolk) and 0.5% supplements (including wild Alaskan salmon oil, cod liver oil, kelp, vitamins and minerals, and ground bone or eggshell powder).
RAWR raw cat food offers four bone-inclusive recipes and three boneless recipes with the following protein options:
- Chicken Eats
- Rabbit Eats
- Turkey Eats
- Duck Eats
- Boneless Chicken Eats
- Boneless Turkey Eats
- Boneless Beef Eats
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
To test RAWR raw cat food we ordered four recipes: Chicken Eats, Rabbit Eats, Boneless Turkey Eats, and Boneless Beef Eats. The food arrives frozen. Each resealable bag contains forty 1-ounce meat patties (“sliders”). The patties are thawed in the refrigerator before serving; once thawed, they have a soft consistency and fall right apart, making it easy to cut and mash them into a small pile of ground meat.
Test cat ‘Oliver’ mainly eats dry kibble daily and wet food a few times a week, but he does eat and enjoy raw recipes. Although Oliver was hesitant to try a new food at first, after a few curious sniffs, he took a taste of the Chicken Eats recipe and then he couldn’t get enough. Oliver also sampled the rabbit, turkey, and duck flavors, but he particularly preferred the chicken.
RAWR Cat Food—Top 4 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories Per Ounce | Price Per Ounce | Our Grade |
| Chicken Eats | Raw | Chicken | 31.71 kcal/oz | $0.73 | A |
| Rabbit Eats | Raw | Rabbit | 31.42 kcal/oz | $1.10 | A- |
| Boneless Turkey Eats | Raw | Turkey | 36 kcal/oz | $0.83 | A- |
| Boneless Beef Eats | Raw | Beef | 36 kcal/oz | $0.82 | A |
#1 Chicken Eats
Our test cat Oliver particularly enjoyed the chicken flavor. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Like all RAWR formulas, Chicken Eats contains one meat ingredient—chicken, which includes chicken muscle meat and organs, and makes up more than 99% of this food. This complete-and-balanced recipe also contains egg yolk and salmon oil for omega-3 fatty acids, ground bone, organic psyllium husk powder for fiber, and supplements.
Measured as dry matter, Chicken Eats contains more than 57% crude protein and about 27% fat. The food’s dry matter carbohydrate content is zero. This is species-appropriate for cats, which are obligate carnivores with no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates in their diet.
Overall, RAWR’s Chicken Eats recipe appears to be a high-protein, moderate-fat recipe that provides lots of hydrating moisture with no carbohydrates. It contains no artificial additives and has a short list of main ingredients.
This food contains about 32 calories per ounce and is nutritionally complete for cats in all life stages.
This was test cat Oliver’s favorite recipe. He gave each recipe a good smell, and decided to try Chicken Eats first, gobbling it down.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Neck, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizzard, Egg Yolk, Water (sufficient for processing), Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil, Organic Psyllium Husk Powder, D-Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E derived from sunflower), Dulse, Icelandic Kelp Blend, Copper Chelate, Manganese Chelate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1). This product contains ground bone.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Species-appropriate blend of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Contains more than 57% dry matter protein
- Contains no carbohydrates
- Relies on animal-sourced fat
- Nutritionally appropriate for adult cats and kittens
What We Didn’t Like:
- Extremely expensive at $11.71 per pound
- Not all cats will eat raw food
#2 Rabbit Eats
Test cat Oliver enjoys sampling the Rabbit eats. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Rabbit Eats contains one meat ingredient—rabbit, which includes rabbit muscle meat and organs, and makes up more than 99% of this food. This complete-and-balanced recipe also contains egg yolk and salmon oil for omega-3 fatty acids, ground bone, organic psyllium husk powder for fiber, and supplements, including taurine.
Measured as dry matter, Rabbit Eats contains more than 67% crude protein and about 18% fat. The food’s dry matter carbohydrate content is zero. This is species-appropriate for cats, which are obligate carnivores with no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates in their diet.
Overall, RAWR’s Rabbit Eats recipe appears to be a high-protein, moderate-fat recipe that provides lots of hydrating moisture with no carbohydrates. It contains no artificial additives and has a short list of main ingredients.
This food contains about 31 calories per ounce and is nutritionally complete for cats in all life stages.
Rabbit Eats is a lighter color than the Chicken Eats, but almost identical in consistency. Oliver took a few contemplative bites of the rabbit recipe before deciding to return to the chicken, which tends to be his preferred flavor in general.
Ingredients
Rabbit, Rabbit Liver, Rabbit Kidney, Rabbit Heart, Egg Yolk, Water (sufficient for processing), Organic Psyllium Husk Powder, Taurine, Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil, D-Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E derived from sunflower), Dulse, Icelandic Kelp Blend, Zinc Chelate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Manganese Chelate, Copper Chelate. This product contains ground bone.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Species-appropriate blend of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Contains more than 67% dry matter protein
- Contains no carbohydrates
- Relies on animal-sourced fat
- Nutritionally appropriate for adult cats and kittens
What We Didn’t Like:
- Extremely expensive at $17.60 per pound
- Not all cats will eat raw food
#3 Boneless Turkey Eats
The Turkey Eats has a smoother texture and lighter color. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Boneless Turkey Eats contains one meat ingredient—turkey, which includes turkey muscle meat and organs, and makes up more than 99% of this food. This complete-and-balanced recipe also contains cod liver oil and salmon oil for omega-3 fatty acids, eggshell powder, organic psyllium husk powder for fiber, and supplements.
Measured as dry matter, Boneless Turkey Eats contains more than 72% crude protein and about 15% fat. The food’s dry matter carbohydrate content is zero. This is species-appropriate for cats, which are obligate carnivores with no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates in their diet.
Overall, RAWR’s Boneless Turkey Eats recipe appears to be a high-protein, moderate-fat recipe that provides lots of hydrating moisture with no carbohydrates. It contains no artificial additives and has a short list of main ingredients.
This food contains about 30 calories per ounce and is nutritionally complete for cats in all life stages.
Boneless Turkey Eats is similar in color to Chicken Eats, but has a bit of a smoother texture. Oliver enjoyed it almost as much as the Chicken Eats.
Ingredients
Turkey, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver, Turkey Gizzard, Water (sufficient for processing), Eggshell Powder, Organic Psyllium Husk Powder, Cod Liver Oil, Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil, D-Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E derived from sunflower), Kelp Blend, Manganese Chelate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1)
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Species-appropriate blend of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Contains more than 72% dry matter protein
- Contains no carbohydrates
- Relies on animal-sourced fat
What We Didn’t Like:
- Extremely expensive at $13.34 per pound
- Not all cats will eat raw food
- Not nutritionally appropriate for kittens
#4 Boneless Beef Eats
Beef Eats is darker in color but with the same soft texture. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Boneless Beef Eats contains one meat ingredient—beef, which includes beef muscle meat and organs, and makes up more than 99% of this food. This complete-and-balanced recipe also contains cod liver oil and salmon oil for omega-3 fatty acids, eggshell powder, organic psyllium husk powder for fiber, and supplements.
Measured as dry matter, Boneless Beef Eats contains more than 68% crude protein and about 20% fat. The food’s dry matter carbohydrate content is zero. This is species-appropriate for cats, which are obligate carnivores with no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates in their diet.
Overall, RAWR’s Boneless Beef Eats recipe appears to be a high-protein, moderate-fat recipe that provides lots of hydrating moisture with no carbohydrates. It contains no artificial additives and has a short list of main ingredients.
This food contains about 32 calories per ounce and is nutritionally complete for cats in all life stages.
Boneless Beef Eats is darker in color than the other recipes but has a similar soft texture. The beef recipe was Oliver’s least favorite meal. He gave it a sniff and a lick, then went back to the chicken. If only given the beef without other choices, he might have enjoyed it just as much.
Ingredients
Beef Heart, Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Eggshell Powder, Organic Psyllium Husk Powder, Cod Liver Oil, Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil, D-Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E derived from sunflower), Kelp Blend, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Manganese Chelate.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Species-appropriate blend of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Contains 68% dry matter protein
- Contains no carbohydrates
- Relies on animal-sourced fat
What We Didn’t Like:
- Extremely expensive at $13.12 per pound
- Not all cats will eat raw food
- Not nutritionally appropriate for kittens
What Do Customers Think of RAWR Cat Food?
There aren’t many reviews of RAWR cat food online. This is likely because the food is only sold directly through the RAWR website and in smaller retail stores and veterinary clinics. RAWR is not available on Chewy or Amazon. The reviews I was able to find were mainly on the RAWR website, and all of them were positive and undated.
Positive Reviews
“My cats, Nico and Simone, were less than a year old when we first started them on the RAWR diet. Simone had always had digestion problems, and I tried a number of different vet-recommended diets to solve them. Some diets worked, some didn’t, but Simone didn’t seem to like any of them. Then my aunt recommended Sabrina and RAWR food to me. Nico and Simone both loved it from the beginning, and Simone’s digestion problems soon cleared up completely. They are both happy and healthy cats, with soft, beautiful coats. The food comes directly to my house, making it super convenient, and Sabrina is a wonderful resource for any questions about cat health and behavior. Buying RAWR food has been a great experience!”—by Marisa reviewing on eatlikealion.com
“I have 4 cats that have been eating RAWR food for the past year. The food is always fresh and my animals are thriving on it. Having purchased raw foods for my pets for over 15 years, RAWR is the highest quality I have found. It is reasonably priced and packaged for ease of use. Dealing with Rawr has been easy and efficient and supportive of the special dietary needs of my animals. Five stars!”—by Janis reviewing on eatlikealion.com
Negative Reviews
I was unable to find negative reviews of RAWR products, but this is likely because there aren’t many reviews posted online other than those posted on the RAWR website, which are all positive and used for marketing purposes.
How Much Does RAWR Cat Food Cost?
Commercial raw cat food is generally the most expensive type of cat food available, and the cost is even higher when the ingredients are organic and or sustainably and humanely sourced. All of the meat ingredients (with the exception of rabbit) in RAWR raw cat foods are locally sourced from named farms in California. Additionally, their chicken and turkey ingredients are GAP-certified which means the farm animals are monitored for humane treatment. For these reasons, RAWR is an extremely expensive cat food, but for pet owners who value the quality of their cat’s food, as well as the treatment of the animals used in the making of that food, the cost might feel worth it.
RAWR recommends feeding three to four sliders per day for a 9-pound cat. Each package of food contains 40 1-ounce sliders. This means one package will feed a 9-pound cat for 10 to 13 days, and cats will consume two to three packages of RAWR a month. To feed a 9-pound cat RAWR’s Chicken Eats (the least expensive formula), you’ll pay between $58 and $88 per month. To feed a 9-pound cat RAWR’s Rabbit Eats (the most expensive formula), you’ll pay between $88 and $132 per month.
Where Is RAWR Cat Food Sold?
RAWR can be purchased online directly from the company website. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
At the time of writing this review, RAWR cat food was sold at more than 400 retail locations nationwide, including two in Hawaii. Availability is regional. More than half of the retail stores that sell RAWR are located in Washington, Oregon, and California. RAWR has a store locator tool on their website that you can use to search for a retailer near you.
RAWR is also sold directly through the company’s website. Shipping is extremely expensive unless you sign up for a recurring delivery of four bags a month, which includes free shipping, but this service is only available in four states (California, Washington, Arizona, and Oregon). Each order, whether stand-alone or recurring, has a four-bag minimum.
Overall, Is RAWR a Good Choice?
RAWR produces high-quality, species-appropriate raw cat food for cats. Each recipe is limited-ingredient, grain and carbohydrate-free, and single-protein, which is helpful for cats with food allergies or intolerances. RAWR offers one novel protein recipe—rabbit—for cats that cannot eat poultry or beef. RAWR only sells raw food, so the brand is limited to pet owners who wish to feed a raw diet and cats that enjoy eating raw food.
Nutritionally, this brand is a great choice for cats that enjoy raw food and for owners who strive to feed their felines fresh, high-quality ingredients. The necessity to order four bags at a time might not be the best option for those with limited freezer space, and the shipping costs can really add up for anyone living outside of the specific subscription states. If you have any concerns or questions about ordering, the customer service team is responsive and helpful.
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