Addiction is the brand of healthy pet food based in New Zealand and is known for using ethical proteins and farm-grown vegetables and fruit to provide pets all over the world with a high-quality, balanced, and safe diet.
The brand’s story started in 2002 when Jerel Kwek, Addiction’s co-founder, found out that his golden retriever Zack was plagued with allergies that caused scratches and rashes all over his body.
Like any caring pet parent, Jerel started the search for the remedy for Zack’s health problem. One day he went to the holistic vet, the best at the time in his area, and they both revealed that the quality of dog food was the reason for numerous issues like rashes, poor digestion, and some others. Zack didn't get enough healthy nutrients through the food because all the meals were stuffed with fats, grains, by-products, fillers, and some other additives.
Then Jerel thought that he would create the cure for his pet and initiated this process with the professional vet and nutritionist. New Zealand was the perfect place to start a pet food company because it offered a wide selection of meat sources free of antibiotics, hormones, and other unhealthy stuff.
Now Addiction is one of the most technologically advanced pet food manufacturers in New Zealand, and it distributes its products all over 15 countries, including the USA, Japan, Singapore, and others.
What Is Manufacturing Facility Location?
Addiction cat food is manufactured in their own facilities in New Zealand. As of now, their plant is one of the biggest and most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in that country.
Most of the Addiction cat food ingredients are sourced from New Zealand and Australia. These countries are known for having the purest air and the best conditions for growing animals and plants. Farmers treat New Zealand terrains with care and don't use pesticides or hormones to promote the growth of vegetables, fruits, or grass. Animals live in a cage-free environment and eat pure grass and no antibiotics.
The pristine water of New Zealand lakes and the ocean provide Addiction with the most delicious fish, which was wild-caught by eco-friendly and nature-preserving oriented fisheries.
However, I do not exclude that Addiction sources some ingredients outside New Zealand and Australia. But as there’s no information about that on their website, let’s assume that these are the only countries that provide the company with ingredients for their pet food (but that’s a big question if it’s really the case).
What Is Addiction Recall History?
There are no reported Addiction cat food recall cases as of now. However, 355 cases of dog food were recalled due to the high level of vitamin A and some deviations in calcium and phosphorus ratios in September 2016.
What Kind of Cat Food Does Addiction Offer?
As Addiction claims, it is dedicated to making a difference in the pet’s nutrition. They are committed to producing species-appropriate meals that are rich in quality animal proteins and other essentials like vitamins and minerals. They promise to balance the level of fat, fiber, and carbs in their food so that the cat could stick to a healthy diet.
Addiction develops easy-to-digest recipes that are packed with proteins that are easily palatable by cats. For example, they use duck, salmon, and venison, the meats that are very unlikely to cause food allergies or any type of intolerance. As these formulas are free of grains, carbs are mainly derived from kelp or peas. No potatoes, starch, rice, and other vegetables that might lead to a sore tummy.
All the Addiction cat recipes are made to be a balanced diet, so they include fruit to bring antioxidants, oils that provide essential omega 3 and 6, and probiotics for a healthy gastrointestinal system.
Addiction Grain Free Cat Food Reviews
I would be a liar if I told you that Addiction cat food was all about variety. In fact, the company offers only dry cat food in a very limited product line. There are only three products for you to choose from:
Each of them targets the specific dietary needs of the feline. Addiction Duck Royale is a high-protein formula that would help develop the lean muscles of your pet. Besides, this cage-free duck recipe is packed with amino acids that promote healthy skin and a silky coat. Since it’s formulated without grains and gluten, it makes a perfect choice for cats with sensitivities.
The Salmon Blue Cat formula is made to support healthy skin and coat. Real King salmon is rich in essential fats a feline requires for the overall well-being. It’s then enriched with herbal botanicals, amino acids, and other nutrients that ensure optimal growth and development.
And, finally, Viva La Venison recipe is made with real free-range venison with a generous dose of fruit, vitamins, and probiotics to be a great nutritional option for felines with sensitive stomachs and allergies.
These formulas are very close to what the cat would eat in the wild. But your furry baby is lucky to find you, such a caring owner, who wants to find the best nutrition for it. I hope it will pay you back with the tenderness and happy cuddling time. And calm nights, of course.
Anyway, Addiction uses only real meat or fish raised in natural farms of New Zealand without the use of antibiotics or other growth stimulators. All the meat ingredients are of great quality because the brand stands against adding by-products or low-grade ingredients.
New Zealand is a beautiful country, indeed. But it’s also the country of great pastures for wild animals and poultry. That’s why New Zealand meat is considered to be one of the healthiest ones as the animals are raised free-range and eat only natural and fresh food.
As you take a look at the ingredient list of these three recipes, you’ll find that it’s very simple. Meat, meat meal, some vegetables or fruit, vitamins, and that’s it. No colors, preservatives, corn, soy, wheat, gluten, and other stuff you wish the cat food wouldn’t have. In fact, this is one of the best kibble ingredient compositions I’ve ever seen.
But let’s stop talking and take a closer look at one of the recipes by Addiction. As duck and salmon are pretty common flavors for cat food, let’s see what’s in the venison formula. This is Addiction maintenance cat food that is suitable for sensitive felines of all life stages. It is made of free-range venison bred in New Zealand and a variety of vegetables and fruit that contribute to the optimal growth and development of all body systems and organs. The formula is free of grains, corn, soy, by-products, or fillers that are proved to be harmful to the cat’s health. This is a hypoallergenic diet that excludes common allergens and has only one animal protein source, so you can try this formula for your allergic pet. All the ingredients on the list are familiar to every cat owner as these are the products we have in our fridge or on the shelf.
Venison meal is a great source of animal proteins, and it contains three times more proteins than ordinary meat. This is the only meat type used in the recipe, so it makes a great diet for pets with food allergies. Peas are used as the source of plant proteins, while potatoes, kelp, and tapioca deliver the optimal level of carbs to provide the feline with energy after the meal. Dried berries enrich the formula with antioxidants that protect against free radicals and promote faster inflammation healing. Probiotics serve for ensuring healthy digestion functioning and absorption of all the nutrients. Added vitamins B and C boost the immune system, and taurine supports the cat's heart.
Warning!
Food color might vary from batch to batch as the company uses only natural ingredients and never adds artificial colors to preserve the uniform look of the food.
Good Stuff about This Addiction Viva La Venison Cat Recipe:
Novel animal protein source - venison
Limited ingredients
Packed with probiotics
Berries with high antioxidant content
Common ingredients you know
What You Might not Like about This Addiction Viva La Venison Cat Recipe:
High carb level
More plants than meat
Is Addiction Good For Your Cat?
With all being said, let me tell you what I think about Addiction cat food. This is a holistic pet food brand known for manufacturing hypoallergenic products with ethically sourced proteins and naturally grown fruit and vegetables. Their product line is very limited, and you can choose only between the duck, salmon, and venison kibble flavors. But in fact, these are the recipes with limited ingredients that would benefit felines with allergies and some food intolerance.
The price of these recipes is higher than average, but as you take a look at the ingredient list, you understand that every cent is justified. Meat is also the first ingredient in all the formulas, and you’ll never find grains that are frequently used to add mass to kibble, but in fact, they are poorly digestible by cats. Of course, there are many plants in the Addiction cat kibble like potatoes, peas, kelp, apples, and more, but these are the vegetables and fruit that are not that heavy on the felines’ tummies. Frankly speaking, I expected more meat in the Addiction recipes. But since they aim at providing pets with allergies with a healthy alternative that won’t cause any reaction, the decision to add fewer meat types is a wise one. After all, it’s all about the ratio of meat and plants in the recipe (which we won’t know).
Anyway, I am convinced that Addiction cat food is definitely worth your attention, and I would add it to my top 20 cat food brands I would recommend without any hesitation.
What Are Pet Owners Saying About Addiction?
So, as Addiction seems to be a little bit pricier than the kibble you used to purchase for your feline, you might be wondering if it is really better than other options out there. And that’s completely OK as you are going to spend your hard-earned money on cat food, so you want to make sure it’s quality and safe for your feline.
As a cat parent of two beautiful babies, I know how your decision about pet food is made. At first, you might ask a vet about the best option for your feline. Then you do the research asking Google about brands that look appealing and fit your budget. You read reviews like this one, check product pages, and other stuff. And, finally, you read customer reviews. But, unfortunately, that’s pretty time-consuming because you’ve got to browse through different platforms and switch between products to get a general understanding of companies and their food. But wait, I’ve got a shortcut for you.
In this section, I gathered Addiction cat food reviews Reddit and from other sources so you could make up your mind based on what the brand customers say.
Addiction is one of those pet food brands that is immensely loved by its customers. Most of the Addiction cat food reviews are genuinely positive. People are happy to find a quality single-protein cat food that is suitable for felines allergic to chicken, fish, and beef. The venison formula seems to tackle the allergy issue greatly and the cat doesn’t show any signs of food intolerance or allergy. Both felines love this kibble, so Holly gives this dry food twice a day in small portions as she is a fan of wet recipes.
Great hypoallergenic properties of Addiction cat food have been approved by another customer from Chewy. The cat lover says that that was a tall order to find the formula that doesn’t include fish and poultry. As the venison formula contains some chicken fat, the user was slightly warned about this ingredient but listened to the reviews and decided to give the Addiction recipe a try. It turned out that cats have no issues with that product and just love the new kibble. The price is also a pleasant bonus for this pet parent as food by this brand is lower compared to other options with a similar ingredient composition.
All the flavors by Addiction (duck, salmon, and venison) are loved by cats. The customer purchased three tastes and offered his cats to give the verdict about each flavor. He was very surprised that all the felines just wolfed down food from all the bowls.
But you also want to know about Addiction cat food problems, right? So, here’s what I dug out. Willow assures that the Salmon bag of Addiction was the worst cat food ever. Two of her felines vomited after eating this food. One of her pets even hides when it sees the bag. So, it drives us to the conclusion that some cats just don’t like this cat food.
Tamara proves the same idea - not all cats love Addiction cat food. Her four felines won’t even lick the kibble. But the company contacted her and issued a full refund, which was very nice of Addiction.
Is Addiction Worth Trying?
Addiction is a company with a great mission and a promise to add eco-friendly and naturally-grown ingredients that have never seen antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides.
In general, they live up to their pledge and add simple and organic ingredients to all their recipes. All the formulas are cooked from novel proteins like duck, salmon, and venison. Thanks to this, the Addiction food is great for felines that suffer from chicken, fish, or beef allergy. However, all formulas include chicken fat, which might also be the reason for allergies. But all cat parents assure that none of the issues happened, and the pets seem to tolerate this source of animal fat.
The only thing I didn’t like much about Addiction cat food is the excessive use of vegetables and fruit. As carnivores, cats should have a diet based on meat and proteins rather than carbs and fiber.
In general, Addiction cat food is a great option for allergic and sensitive felines. It would also work great for those families who would like to feed their pets a natural diet free of fillers, by-products, additives, and other red-flag ingredients.
You might not be impressed with the selection of recipes (only three flavors!), but who cares about the variety if the cat cleans the bowl every time you serve it? Most felines love this food, absolutely.
So, as you decide to switch to Addiction cat food where to buy it? This cat food brand is available in 15 countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, and more. You can buy it through your local pet retail stores or shop online.
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