Now cat food is a product of Petcurean Pet Nutrition from Canada. The manufacturer classifies this food as a “holistic” food – a new generation of products that contain only high-quality ingredients suitable for human consumption. Should I give food to cats?
NOW does not contain soy, grains or GMO products. All raw materials are grown and mined in Canada and used raw. Production is based on low-temperature technologies, which allow maximum preservation of nutrients in finished diets.
Advantages and disadvantages of NOW food
The entire line of NOW dry food is hypoallergenic products, as chicken, wheat, corn and wheat gluten are not used in their production.
These are the foods that most often cause allergies in pets. All diets include fruits and vegetables, as well as beneficial herbs, probiotics and prebiotics. The food formulas are perfectly balanced and contain no artificial flavors, preservatives or dyes.
Disadvantages of the NOW Fresh brand:
- the company does not produce medicinal food;
- there is no food for castrated and sterilized animals;
- no packs of pouches;
- contains “controversial” ingredients – phosphoric acid.
What is Now Fresh kitten food made from?
NOW Fresh Kitten Recipe is marked on the package “made with coconut oil and 100% fresh turkey, salmon and duck” - let’s take a look at its composition and try to create an objective description its basics.
First of all, let’s dispel the “myth” about the presence of fresh ingredients in the food. Interestingly, we did not find any comments about the freshness of the meat in the English-language composition, so the meat components of this product should be regarded as raw, not fresh.
The NOW Fresh diet for kittens contains as many as 52 main components, and the sources of all minerals and vitamins are also deciphered in detail. An analysis of the Russian-language sticker revealed many inconsistencies with what is written in English. We will identify all errors, as well as the pros and cons of the food sequentially, considering the composition of the product.
NOW cat food – types, composition and characteristics
Nau brand dry food is designed for three stages of animal life: for kittens, for adult cats and for aging cats. The manufacturer does not pursue a variety of recipes - the line of food is represented by 4 types of menu:
- NOW Fresh Grain Free Kitten Recipe - diet for pregnant and lactating cats, as well as for kittens;
- NOW Fresh Grain Free Adult Cat Recipe – food for adult animals;
- NOW Grain Free Fish Recipe for Adult Cats – fish-based for animals over 1 year of age;
- NOW Fresh Grain Free Senior Cat Food Recipe - for cats over 7 years old.
NOW Fresh Grain Free Kitten Recipe
Dry food for kittens, pregnant and lactating animals with a high level of proteins. Protein content – 33%, fat – 20%. The food contains 52 ingredients, all components are indicated on the packaging, there is a detailed breakdown of minerals and vitamins.
Protein sources: turkey fillet, salmon fillet, duck fillet, cottage cheese and fresh whole eggs. Carbohydrates and vegetable proteins: potatoes, peas, potato flour, lentils. The food contains a large amount of fruits and vegetables: tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, apples, bananas, cranberries, blueberries, papaya, pineapple, grapefruit, spinach, broccoli, alfalfa sprouts. Sources of vegetable fat: coconut oil and canola oil. Contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids.
- Plus food: does not contain gluten, wheat, corn, soy and by-product flour.
- Disadvantage of the food: phosphoric acid is used for preservation.
Price: packaging 0.23 kg – 235 rubles, 1.82 kg – 1420 rubles, 3.63 kg – 2025 rubles.
NOW Fresh Grain Free Adult Cat Recipe
High-quality diet for adult cats from 1 year to 7 years. Balanced protein content – 31% and fat – 18%.
The composition contains 73 ingredients. Protein ingredients: turkey fillet, whole eggs, salmon fillet, cottage cheese and boneless duck meat. Plant components: peas, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, apples, bananas, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, lentils, broccoli, spinach, alfalfa. Fat sources: canola oil (canola oil), coconut oil. Exotic additives: pineapple, papaya, grapefruit.
The food is enriched with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and medicinal plant extracts. Contains four types of dried probiotics. Chicory root is a source of inulin.
- Plus feed: grain-free composition.
- Disadvantage of the food: a large amount of potatoes and peas.
Price: 0.23 kg – 215 rubles, 1.82 kg – 1525 rubles, 3.63 kg – 2275 rubles, 7.26 – 2980 rubles.
NOW Grain Free Fish Recipe for Adult Cats
Nau cat food based on fish meat is suitable for cats with sensitive digestion. Protein content – 30%, fat – 19%.
Main ingredients: low-fat trout, dried egg, potatoes, peas, low-fat salmon and herring, lentils, potato and pea flour. Fat composition: flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil. Fruit and vegetable additions: apple, pumpkin, tomato, alfalfa, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, sweet potatoes, pomegranate, broccoli, papaya. Chicory root, a source of inulin, has been added to the feed. Enriched with vitamin-mineral complex, prebiotics and amino acids.
- Plus the food: does not contain grains.
- Disadvantage of the food: phosphoric acid is used as a preservative.
Price: pack 0.23 kg – 255 rubles, 1.82 kg – 1380 rubles, 3.63 kg – 2281 rubles, 7.26 kg – 3801 rubles.
NOW Fresh Grain Free Senior Cat Food Recipe
The diet is designed taking into account the characteristics of the body of aging cats (over 7 years old) and animals that are prone to gaining excess weight. The food formula is based on low fat content (14%) and high protein content (30%).
Main ingredients: boneless turkey, peas, whole eggs, potatoes, salmon, duck, cottage cheese. Plant ingredients: tomatoes, apples, carrots, pumpkin, banana, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, papaya, spinach, broccoli, grapefruit, alfalfa, dried seaweed. Fat sources: flaxseed, canola oil, coconut oil. Contains all essential vitamins and minerals. Enriched with probiotics and prebiotics.
- Plus feed: low fat content.
- Disadvantage of the food: contains phosphoric acid.
Price: pack 0.23 kg – 270 rubles, 1.82 kg – 1370 rubles, 3.63 kg – 2080 rubles, 7.26 kg – 3480 rubles.
Wet food has recently been produced under the NOW brand - these are canned food with four different flavors, packaged in 182 g cardboard boxes:
- Grain Free Turkey Stew with Bone Broth – turkey stew with broth;
- Grain Free Wild Salmon Stew with Bone Broth – fried salmon fillet with broth;
- Grain Free Wild Salmon Pâté with Bone Broth – salmon pâté;
- Grain Free Pork Pâté with Bone Broth - pork pate.
You can purchase them in online stores in the USA and Canada.
Price and where to buy
You can buy this cat food in online pet stores:
- “Old Farm” (reference): NoW Fresh packaging 1.82 kg - from 1,615 rubles;
- Packaging NoW Fresh 3.63 kg - from RUB 2,389;
- Packaging NoW Fresh 7.26 kg - from RUB 4,030.
- Dry food, packaging 1.82 kg - from 1616 rubles;
The above prices are valid in May 2021 and may change significantly over time. To see the exact cost at the time of reading this text, follow the information above to pet store websites.
Reviews of Nau cat food - owners and breeders
Margarita : “My Persian is already 12 years old. Almost all his life he ate premium food - Royal Canin. After reading positive reviews about the Nau brand, I decided to buy cat food for cats over 7 years old. Everything is fine, but I see that the animal is not eating enough. We have to give more than the manufacturer recommends.”
Igor, .
Reviews of kitten food
Maria : “Our “noble girl” recently gave birth to three kittens. We fed her during pregnancy NOW for kittens and pregnant cats. As soon as the kids grew a little older, they began to give them this food. The whole family feels great! The kittens crunch the croquettes with pleasure.”
Reviews from veterinarians - expert opinion
Stepan Aleksandrovich : “The Canadian brand NOW is a step higher than super-premium food. This is why I recommend this food to my clients. The only caveat is that it is not very suitable for sterilized animals, like other high-protein and high-fat foods.”
Andrey : “When my charges grow up, they need special food. Nau does an excellent job for this purpose for aging animals. It takes into account all the features of an aging body.”
Attention, top five!
The first five ingredients contain two sources of animal protein - turkey fillet (component No. 1) and dried whole egg (component No. 5). The latter is translated into Russian incorrectly: instead of “whole dried egg,” in Russian it says “fresh whole eggs.” Agree, this is nothing more than a marketing ploy.
The remaining three products are of plant origin and are more likely sources of carbohydrates than vegetable protein. So, ingredient No. 2 is potato flour, which for some reason is simply called “potato”. But in fourth place here are potatoes (potatoes), designated “potato flour”.
In any case, there is a “split” of potato derivatives, which made it possible to formally divide the volume of the root crop into two parts. Since the dosage of the first five components of the NOW Fresh Kitten Recipe is not indicated, we can safely assume that in total, potato flour and potatoes occupy a larger part of the composition than turkey fillet, and only thanks to the “split” the marketers were able to bring the meat ingredient to the first place on the list.
The third place in the food is occupied by peas - a legume ingredient, another source of vegetable protein and carbohydrates.
conclusions
NOW food is an excellent alternative to expensive imported holistic products (Origen, Akana). It is produced only in our own production facility in Canada, which allows us to monitor the entire production process and control the quality of the product.
Natural composition, high-quality ingredients and a balanced formula - all this suggests that you can safely buy food for your pets. The main thing is to choose the right diet and be constantly monitored by veterinarians.
We recommend the food for purchase.
Feed evaluation
Advantages:
- Meat is in first place, and not in the form of dehydrated proteins, but fillet. As stated on the packaging, the meat was raised without added hormones;
- there are no grains, but fiber is present, which should have a beneficial effect on digestion;
- an adult cat weighing three to four kilograms needs only 40–55 g of food per day, which, firstly, indicates a fairly high protein content in it, and secondly, it is economical;
- contains useful vitamins and microelements; contains essential amino acids;
- balanced in composition of proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
- natural preservatives, does not contain impurities and pests;
- the taste of the food will not deteriorate by the end of its shelf life;
- quite widespread;
- Competitive price - on par with premium foods and cheaper than many other holistic foods.
Flaws:
- contains pesticides in trace (extremely insignificant) quantities;
- flavorings are present.
Veterinarians' opinions on Now food vary widely. Some say they are too high in fruits and vegetables for a cat's diet, but others recommend this food to their patients and give it to their cats themselves. Most experts agree that Now foods are well balanced and can be the basis of a cat's diet.
Personally, I have twice encountered a sharply negative attitude towards holistics in general and Now food in particular. One veterinarian argued that holistic foods are not subject to such aggressive processing as other foods, and due to this they contain hormones and antibiotics. However, Now does not contain hormones, and gentle processing allows you to retain more nutrients. Another veterinarian said that according to her personal statistics, cats whose owners feed them holistic food are more likely to develop urolithiasis, but there was no evidence or scientific explanation for this.
There are definitely more advantages. Does this mean that the food is useful for absolutely all cats without exception? Of course not, animals with liver, kidney or intestinal diseases, as well as individual intolerance to some components, should eat food specially selected by a veterinarian.
Feedback from cat owners
I noticed that the cat eats more of this food. She asks less and doesn’t pester everyone around her)) After a month of using the food, her fur became as if it were plush. Everyone who knows my cat has noticed improvements in her fur.
Ketty-lala
https://irecommend.ru/content/novaya-shuba-dlya-koshki-vsego-za-1-mesyats-razbiraem-sostav
We have been feeding on it from the very beginning (about a year), when it first appeared in Russia. Before this we tried all the holistic methods. At the moment I don’t want to change anything. The wool is super!!!
fposad
https://www.mainecoon-forum.ru/printthread.php?t=8340&pp=1000
My cat really likes the food, she has been eating it with an enviable appetite for several years now. I often hear that cats find Now Natural appetizing. It smells really delicious - for cats, and very strong.
Olga Leprechaun
https://irecommend.ru/content/now-natural-kholistik-pomog-izbavitsya-ot-allergii
We need to put things in order!
This food contains two sources of vegetable fat: canola oil, which, instead of its rightful 6th place in the Russian-language composition, for some reason ended up in 11th place, and coconut oil, which, instead of 11th place, occupies place No. 14 in the Russian-language sticker. The Russian translation of these components is also incorrect - strictly speaking, they are preserved with vitamin E, and are not its sources.
The creators of the Russian-language sticker not only mixed up the order of many food ingredients, but also forgot to indicate the last 15 ingredients. This is a serious violation because the information on the label does not correspond to the actual product information printed on the bag.
The source of fiber in this food is ranked #7. This is pea fiber (pea fiber), which they also forgot to indicate in the Russian composition. But lecithin (technological additive, emulsifier) is listed there as many as two times, while in the English composition it occupies position No. 35.
To place correct information on our website, we have brought the sequence of the Russian list of ingredients into full compliance with the English composition printed on the pack. Vitamin and mineral supplements are placed at the very end of the list of ingredients to make the composition look more correct.
