Evolve Cat Food Reviews, Ratings, Analysis and Recalls

Is Evolve a decent cat food brand? Check out the review to discover all pros and cons of this cat food and whether it’s good for your feline.

Ratings

  • Species appropriate diet: 3/5
  • Quailty of ingredients: 3/5
  • Variety of recipes: 2.5/5
  • Pricing: 5/5
  • Customers experience: 3.5/5
  • Recalls history: 2/5
3/5

What Is Evolve Story?

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Evolve is a family-owned brand established and operated by Sunshine Mills, an American-based company with more than 50 years of experience in the industry of pet food. They are committed to feeding pets with quality and fairly-priced food all over the world. All their recipes are free of fillers, by-products, soy, corn, wheat, gluten, or artificial colors that are harmful to felines. Chicken, turkey, or salmon are always the first ingredient in all the formulas (but for wet food with broth as the primary product), which means the feline will get quality and natural proteins during their meal.

The company’s story started in 1949 in the rural north of Alabama (Red Bay) with the production of animal feed. In 1960 the pet food line-up was added to the assortment. As of now, the company is sold in more than 30 countries and is loved by many pet parents.

Sunshine Mills is the manufacturer of many other pet food brands, including Triumph, Veterinary Secrets, Home Cookin’, and more.

What Is Manufacturing Facility Location?

As Sunshine Mills owns Evolve, all the brand’s recipes are made in Sunshine’s facilities. As the website says, its kibble and treats are produced at its own facilities. Thus, they can control the production processes from start to finish. Evolve cat food is also crafted following the home-kitchen concept so you can be sure of the quality of pet food.

Evolve carefully picks ingredients that go in every cat meal. They avoid by-products or antibiotic-grown meat to ensure your feline gets the best nutrition. They also add wholesome fruit and vegetables to maximize the dietary value of every food intake. Evolve uses its own packages to finalize the manufacturing process. Then, they even ship the packages to your front door, so you can be sure that you get quality fresh food for your pet.

I found no detailed information about where Evolve sources its products. However, the brand assures that all the products added to the recipes are quality and 100% safe.

What Is Evolve Recall History?

Evolve pet food has been subjected to recalls twice. The first Evolve cat food recall occurred in March 2007 when the Evolve Kitten Formulas, 3 lb and 7 lb, were contaminated with melamine.

Another recall happened in November 2018 due to the elevated levels of vitamin D. That was an issue only for some dry dog food recipes, and none of the cat food has been recalled since then.

What Kind of Cat Food Does Evolve Offer?

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Evolve promises to unleash the pet’s potential with a well-formulated and balanced diet that offers a perfect blend of proteins, carbs, fiber, fats, minerals, and vitamins.

The company makes their cat food recipes with real Evolve cat food ingredients that bring great value for cats of all ages. All their formulas are manufactured with wholesome ingredients and do not include artificial additives, fillers, by-products, corn, soy, or wheat.

All Evolve cat products are about the combination of quality and price. Being a budget-friendly brand, it still uses quality meat ingredients, but sometimes it adds carb-rich products that increase the carbohydrate level of the food.

    There are two product line-ups of Evolve cat food:
  • Classic
  • Grain-free

Evolve classic cat food formulas offer two kibble options and seven wet varieties that come in cans and small trays. All the recipes include protein-rich meat or fish, like chicken, salmon, liver, turkey, seafood. They are enriched with wholesome grains, like brown rice and veggies, to ensure your feline has enough energy to explore the world.

Evolve grain free cat food is a great option for felines with digestive problems. So, all the recipes are free of wheat, corn, soy, or rice. Because cats do not need grains in their diet and these ingredients are common allergens, grain-free formulas might be a remedy to numerous health issues like inflammation, itchiness, sores, excessive hair loss, etc. As grains are the source of carbs, Evolve nutritionists have replaced them with peas, chickpeas, sweet potatoes to deliver quality carbohydrates.

All Evolve cat foods are available in dry and wet varieties. So, let’s take a closer look at each of the options.

Evolve Dry Cat Food Review

Whether you are looking for grain-free kibble or want quality grains to be present in your feline’s diet, dry formulas by Evolve will meet your needs. There is kibble variety both from the Classic and Grain-Free line-ups, so you can pick the diet your cat enjoys most of all.

There are only 5 taste options, including chicken, turkey, salmon, and whitefish. Evolve kibble is suitable for felines at any stage. They also offer a specially formulated diet for kittens.

Evolve Maintenance Cat Food with Deboned Chicken & Brown Rice is a great formula that will provide your adult furry friend with all the nutrients it needs for utmost health and vitality, as many Evolve dry cat food reviews state. This maintenance recipe will help build and sustain lean muscles, healthy skin, shiny coat, sharp sight, and great development of other organs and systems. This diet is enriched with fruit and berries that work as antioxidants and enhanced with probiotics for healthy digestion.

Ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice Flour, Peas, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Fish Meal, Dried Egg Product, Taurine.

This formula features deboned chicken as the first ingredient. It is then followed by chicken and turkey meals, which are a huge source of proteins. Brown rice flour and oatmeal are the primary sources of carbs. Peas are packed with fiber and add some flavor to the recipe. There are no corn, soy, wheat, by-products in this formula. Probiotics are added to enhance the palatability of this cat food and promote tummy health. Evolve also does not add artificial flavors or carrageenan, which is great for the kibble of this price segment.

Warning!
This is an adult formula and is not recommended for kittens who just start nibbling solid food. Start with moistened Evolve’s kitten formula before they reach maturity.

Good Stuff about This Evolve Classic Deboned Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe:
  • Made of quality ingredients
  • Free of undesirable ingredients like corn, soy, wheat, by-products, artificial colors
  • Many cats love the taste
  • Contains probiotics for the belly health
What You Might not Love about This Evolve Classic Deboned Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe:
  • High in carbs

Evolve Canned Cat Food Review

Evolve wet cat food category features 11 recipes that come in pouches, plastic cups, and metal cans. They can be used as an ordinary meal or as a topper to your cat’s favorite kibble.

They come with the same tastes as in the dry cat food line-up: chicken, turkey, salmon, and whitefish. You can choose between stew in gravy and meat recipes in savory juices.

Evolve Salmon & Sweet Potato Stew in Gravy Grain-Free is the wholesome fish formula that combines the savory taste of real salmon and other delicious ingredients like chicken, veggies, and fruit. As it’s a grain-free formula, the Evolve salmon cat food doesn’t include rice, oatmeal, corn, soy, or other ingredients that might upset the feline’s stomach. It also has zero by-products or artificial additives that are not supposed to be in the cat’s diet.

Ingredients:
Salmon Broth, Salmon, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Product, Potato Starch, Sweet Potatoes, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum.

The manufacturer cooks this recipe based on salmon broth, which is supposed to add more moisture to your feline’s diet. Salmon is used as the primary source of proteins, which is then followed by chicken and chicken liver. Dried Egg Product is another quality source of proteins, which also works as a great antioxidant and nutrient, and many Evolve canned cat food reviews underline its value. Potato starch and sweet potatoes are added to deliver carbohydrates and guar gum to thicken the recipe and make it more appealing.

Warning!
Feed according to instructions and count the calories, especially when you use it as a kibble topper.

Good Stuff about This Evolve Salmon & Sweet Potato Stew in Gravy:
  • Has zero grains and by-products
  • Contains real chicken and salmon
  • Enhanced with vitamins and minerals
What You Might not Love about This Evolve Salmon & Sweet Potato Stew in Gravy:
  • Gets easily spoiled if not stored properly

Is Evolve Good For Your Cat?

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It’s hard to find food that would provide a good value for fair money, but Evolve copes with this task and provides pets all over the world with balanced and delicious meals. So, if you are searching for some decent cat food at a price that won’t make you live on a string, Evolve is a good brand.

All Evolve cat recipes are made of wholesome ingredients and real meat to ensure your feline gets all it needs for a healthy and happy living. There are formulas for any taste: chicken, turkey, salmon, seafood, whitefish, chicken liver. These are the flavors felines always love. If you are a fan of the grain-free cat diet, you will have what to pick from when shopping for Evolve cat food. And if you see no point in excluding grains from your cat’s diet, the company offers recipes with quality grains (brown rice) to meet the dietary needs of your active furry friend.

The Evolve cat formulas include vegetables and fruit to promote better digestion and ensure your feline gets natural vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Besides, these foods are packed with vitamins, amino acids, and other minerals for the overall well-being of your four-pawed friend.

All in all, I believe that Evolve is a great budget-friendly cat feeding option, and you should definitely consider it for your feline.

What Are Pet Owners Saying About Evolve?

I looked through Evolve cat food reviews Reddit and other selling channels to save your time and give you an unbiased point of view about this brand.

My general impression is that customers can’t decide whether they love or don’t like the food of this brand. Some pet owners say that their cats are crazy about the Evolve meals and the felines’ health has significantly improved after switching to this diet. However, other customers are not happy with the effect the Evolve cat food has on their furry friends. They say that cats won’t touch their new meals. Others assure that the new food caused the pet to have a runny stool. So, as the Evolve cat food reviews seem to be split 50/50, let’s take a closer look at both points of view.

Cats seem to love the salmon and sweet potato recipe and lick it till the very last bite. Because the formula is made with a savory gravy, felines love the taste of the meal and always clear the bowl. As the customer purchased the Evolve food in pouches, they say it’s easy to store and use.

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If you have finicky eaters who won’t be consuming just random food, Evolve pet recipes might be the way out for you. The customer reports that her cats love the new dish, even though they were a little bit suspicious about it and were very careful with their first try. But anyway, now they enjoy the chunks in gravy and finish their serving really fast.

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Here Kristen shares the story of her garbage cat, which she has recently adopted. She was uncertain about what food to get to feed her new furry companion, so she went with Evolve as it was a great deal at an affordable price.

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Some cat owners are attracted by the price and quality ingredients of Evolve cat food, so they decide to give it a try. However, it seems that their cats have other plans and don’t give this food a chance.

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Jessica is also disappointed with the food of this brand. She says that none of her two cats would touch it.

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There are some Evolve cat food problems with kibble. Andy gave the classic salmon recipe only one star because his cats didn’t like the kibble, and it didn’t smell like real fish.

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In general, all negative reviews read that the cats simply don’t like the taste or texture of their new meal. No serious complaints have been found. So, I would assume that’s just a matter of taste.

Is Evolve Worth Trying?

Are there better cat food options? Yes, there are. But are you ready to pay more? If yes, you’d better go and find something else. But if you are on a budget and can’t spend much on meals for your furry companion, then Evolve is a great brand you can try.

Let me stress that Evolve uses quality meat ingredients, and they are always first on the list. The brand also has both grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes, so you can pick what formulas work better for your feline. But what you can’t change is the carbohydrate level of all the recipes. They contain carb-dense vegetables and grains that add more carbohydrates than the feline needs.

But all in all, Evolve has established the reputation of quality and fairly-priced cat food free of carrageenan, by-products, fillers, artificial flavors, or colors. And, what’s more important, most cats love these recipes, both dry and wet.

Once you are ready to give a shot to Evolve cat food where to buy it? You can find an official retailer in your location. If you have no clue where to start, you can use Evolve’s store locator to find shops nearby. You can also shop online and get this cat food on the official Sunshine Meal website or via marketplaces like Chewy and Amazon.