Tiki Cat Food Review: Is This Premium Brand Right For Your Cat?

Have you ever considered Tiki Cat for your feline friends? Tiki Cat is a brand of kitty food that focuses on a carnivore diet. The brand is known for its meat-heavy recipes, but are they the right pick for your cat? Find out if Tiki Cat food is good and if it’s a healthy pick for your purr baby. I looked at brand history, ingredients, sourcing, recalls, product variety, guaranteed analysis, and more, so let’s dive into the details in this Tiki Cat food review.

Key Features

• Carnivore-focused diet – meat-first recipes
• Based on natural prey diet
• Whole food ingredients
• Made in human-grade canning facilities
• Added hydration
• Nutritional variety
• Wide selection
• Kitten and senior formulas
• Wet and dry recipes

Brand History

Tiki Cat was founded in 2005 by Christine Hackett and her husband, Robert. Christine was a former member of the research and development team for Petco. Taking what she learned in the industry, the Hacketts started their own pet food company, Petropics. They focused on recipes that mirror the nutrient profiles of felines’ natural prey, using high-quality, whole ingredients and meat-based formulas without grains or fillers. The brand became known as Tiki Pet, making both dog and cat nutrition brands.

Petropics became part of Whitebridge Pet Brands in 2015. The partnership merged the Tiki Pets brands and Dogswell, Pet Botanics, Crazy Dog, Cloud Star, Petite Cuisine, Happy Hips, and Buddy Biscuits. Products can be purchased online through Amazon.com and Chewy.com, as well as in major retailers, including Petco PetSmart, Target, and Walmart.

Has Tiki Cat Been Recalled?

As of this writing, there has been no Tiki Cat food recall. A clean recall history is excellent news for the brand and kitties who love the chow. Recalls can happen for various reasons and are often voluntary or in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration. As a pet owner, I am always happy to hear that a brand has never had an issue that required a recall.

Where Is Tiki Cat Made?

All products are manufactured and sourced in Thailand. The company describes its manufacturing facilities as “dedicated human-grade certified canning lines. Tiki pet food products are hand-packed side-by-side with human food diets.

According to the company, all their fisheries are members of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), supporting initiatives to protect marine environments. The fishery-sourced tuna is also certified by the International Dolphin Conservation Program. The company also states that their fisheries employ methods to support preserving marine life, including sea turtles and protecting marine environments from pollution and damage.

Ingredients To Look For

House cats are obligate carnivores; this means they need diets based on high-quality animal proteins. Cats need meat to preserve, and though they can digest some plant material, meat is ultimately the most critical ingredient. A species-appropriate diet is essential because it provides your kitty energy for growth, development, and daily activity and keeps them healthy long-term.

A healthy diet for your fur baby will prevent obesity, support the healthy function of body systems, support the immune system, and keep your purr baby healthy for as long as possible. A well-balanced, high-quality diet is also pivotal in preventing diseases and promoting dental health. Keep in mind that every animal is an individual. Some cats will have specific dietary needs. These may include sensitive stomachs, dietary intolerances, allergies, or other medical conditions.

Below, I break down a few ingredients you should always keep an eye out for on pet food labels:

Animal Protein

Animal protein is a top priority for your cat’s diet. High-quality animal protein provides felines with essential nutrients to support their overall development and health. Amino acids like taurine support heart health, reproductive health, vision, muscles, and proper growth and development. A taurine deficiency can become a severe problem, which is why it is an essential nutrient for felines. Because they have limited capacity to manufacture taurine themselves, it must be obtained from their diet.

Fats

Fats are often labeled as bad. However, healthy fats are essential to your cat’s healthy diet. Fats provide energy and help absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Fats support critical body functions, including mental function, brain development, and skin and coat health. Fatty acids your cat needs, like EPA, DHA, and arachidonic acid, come mainly from meat.

Carbohydrates

Kitties do not need carbohydrates in their diet, though commercial pet foods often contain them. Carbs can come from vegetables and fruits, which are also excellent sources of dietary fiber that aids digestion. Fruits and vegetables provide cats with helpful nutrients like antioxidants and vitamins.

Water

Hydration is essential for your cat’s healthy body function and long-term survival. Cats often become dehydrated when they don’t drink enough, especially on a dry food-only diet. It is essential to provide cats with fresh water and meat-based broth mixed in with their dry food to ensure proper water intake.

Tiki Cat Ingredients

The Tiki Pets brand prides itself on the quality of the ingredients in its wet and dry recipes. As they say, they use “real ingredients with real benefits.” Their recipes are heavy on animal protein and use various sources, including whole meats and organ meats. Protein options include chicken, beef, turkey, duck, lamb, pork, quail, egg, rabbit, venison, tuna, crab, sardine, lobster, prawn, salmon, trout, herring, and mackerel. The meats used are free from added hormones, and proper precautions are taken with the use of antibiotics.

Ingredients are very fresh, and most are sourced locally in Thailand. Tiki Pets primarily uses farm-raised chickens from Thailand. Chicken is raised in open-air houses and is labeled as cage-free. The company uses a variety of fish, including Wild Alaskan salmon and tuna from the South Pacific Ocean. Sadrnies and mackerels are sourced worldwide, and other fish like seabass and tilapia are raised in fisheries. Shellfish such as blue crab are locally caught.

Most recipes are made up of proteins and a few added nutrients. Some recipes include pumpkin, chickpeas, peas, and a few other additions, including salmon and flaxseed oil. Tiki’s feline recipes are grain-free and contain no corn, potatoes, rice, or wheat.

Tiki Cat wet foods offer 95% average protein, and dry foods provide 44% average protein. Recipes do not use artificial colors, preservatives, flavors, or animal by-products.

Tiki Cat Food Reviews

Tiki Pets offers a wide variety of feline options to pick from, with over 40 selections of wet foods. They have 18 product lines for cats, including kitten and senior-specific formulas and treats. Below are the main product lines of kitty chow the brand offers.

• After Dark – Premium wet line that utilizes organ meats like liver, gizzard, and hearts. Available in pâté, shredded, and a velvet mousse.
• Aloha Friends – This is a highly digestible wet line that uses chicken, tuna, and pumpkin.
• Born Carnivore – A baked kibble line offering high protein and low carbohydrates. It includes formulas for indoor health, high protein, optimal weight, kitten, and senior.
• Grill – The Grill line offers wet recipes using fish-based proteins and shellfish.
• Luau – The limited ingredient line focuses on wet foods made with shredded chicken and flaked fish.
• Velvet Mousse – This is a line of premium, tasty, velvety smooth mousse.
• Special – This limited line is a line of silky, meaty mousse with functional formulas. These mousses support healthy skin and coat, healthy digestion, or weight maintenance.
• Baby – This is a kitten-specific line focusing on the needs of growing and developing kittens.
• Silver – This line is senior-specific and formulated to meet the needs of cats aged 11 years and older.

Now that I’ve introduced you to the different product lines let’s review some of the most popular recipes.

The Born Carnivore line, formally Essentials, offers high protein, baked kibble using carefully selected ingredients. The indoor health, chicken, and turkey meal recipe contains 40% protein on a dry matter basis. The recipe uses real chicken as the first ingredient and supports a healthy immune system with Omega 6 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins A, E, and folate. This recipe promotes healthy vision and brain function, a shiny coat, and healthy skin. It contains omega-3 fatty acids to support overall health. Gentle fiber from pumpkin promotes healthy digestion.

Ingredients are 100% non-GMO, and this recipe contains no grains, added gluten, potatoes, corn, wheat, or soy. It contains peas and chickpeas, which are plant-based protein sources. Other ingredients include chicken meal, turkey meal, chicken fat, natural chicken flavor, dried pumpkin, and menhaden fish meal. This recipe is suitable for cats over twelve months.

What Is The Difference Between Tiki Cat Essentials And Born Carnivore?

Essentials is now part of the Born Carnivore line. Born Carnivore is a limited selection line of baked kibble, minimally processed, that offers 44% average protein.

The After Dark recipe contains chicken, chicken liver, chicken gizzard, chicken heart, and beef. After Dark’s formulas are high in animal-sourced protein and support healthy muscles and activity. The balanced recipes suit cats of all ages and provide essential amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and taurine.

The After Dark recipe is meaty, low carbohydrate, nutrient-dense, and uses real chicken broth along with organ meats to provide plenty of tasty moisture. Three texture varieties are available, with plenty of protein options to choose from.

Our Personal Experience With Tiki Cat After Dark

I rotate between standard commercial pet foods and high-value, high-quality options like Tiki Cat. It’s a great way to save money but still offer your cat regular healthy meals and the occasional superfood recipe. (If you can afford Tiki Cat all the time, I’d say go for it!)

I chose Tiki Cat After Dark because its recipes feature nutrient-packed ingredients that my cats wouldn’t usually get, such as chicken heart, chicken liver, chicken gizzard, and quail eggs. And boy, do they like it. My cats gobble up these recipes—they’re obsessed.

A note of caution: Make sure to cut up the quail egg. If your cat hoovers their food like mine, the half-egg pieces pose a choking risk.

–Tara Maurer, cat parent and nutrition expert

The Aloha tuna and pumpkin recipe starts with wild-caught flaked tuna. Other ingredients include tuna broth, pumpkin, sunflower seed oil, and various added vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. It is a tasty, limited-ingredient recipe that contains no grain, gluten, pea, corn, wheat, or soy. It is perfect for sensitive digestion and best for adult cats.

The easy-to-digest pumpkin offers a boost of fiber and antioxidants and supports healthy digestion. Tasty tuna broth provides plenty of moisture, essential vitamins, Omega fatty acids, minerals, and taurine.

The Aloha recipe uses healthy fish sources, sunflower oil, and pumpkin to support digestive health, skin, and coat. Additionally, the tuna in this recipe is dolphin-safe, mercury-tested fish. The company recently changed its packaging, and you may find this available in a pouch and a can.

Tiki Pets offers a reasonably extensive kitten line, more than we see in most brands. The line includes canned food, baked kibble, meal toppers, and soft mousse. We appreciate the variety of offerings and the kitten-specific formulas for both dry and wet products.

The Tiki Baby canned kitten grain-free chicken and egg recipe is a top pick. The wet recipe uses chicken, chicken broth, sunflower seed oil, chicken liver, eggs, and salmon oil. It is a high-protein, gluten-free formula developed to be highly digestible and support your growing kitten.

It provides plenty of fat, protein, DHA, and fatty acids to support healthy brain development. Additionally, supplemental taurine supports heart function and vision development. The texture is soft, supple, and easy to eat.

There’s a lot to like about this senior-specific wet food. We appreciate the variety of senior offerings the brand has. In particular, this recipe offers tiny soft shreds of meat mixed in a silky moose. The smooth combination makes it highly palatable and much easier for senior kitties to eat. The high protein content supports a healthy weight and muscle mass. Additionally, the recipe uses this little phosphorus to help support kidney health.

The protein-heavy senior recipe uses chicken, chicken broth, salmon, and chicken liver as protein sources. Additionally, the recipe contains pumpkin to support healthy digestion, coconut oil, dried egg, salmon oil, and various nutrients and minerals. It offers plenty of taurine and appropriate calories to support your senior kitty’s health.

Treats & Meal Toppers

Along with their food, Tiki Pet makes several kitty treats. They make high-protein options for adults, seniors, and kittens. Treats come in four options: soft and chewy, filets, wet treats, and crunchers. Kitty treats use the same natural ingredients as their foods and are full of meaty flavor.

Along with treats, Tiki offers three varieties of kitty meal toppers. The Function line focuses on specific dietary needs. Compliments offer tasty flakes and broth. The high-moisture broths provide flavor and moisture with meaty bits.

Our Personal Experience With Tiki Cat Treats

All three of my kitties are very picky eaters, and I’ve tried many different treat brands over the years. Most of them get two paws down from my finicky cats. I finally found Tiki Cat that hit the sweet spot. My kitties absolutely love the tuna-flavored Tiki Cat Soft & Chewy Treats. Another huge bonus? These treats are low in calories, so I don’t have to worry about weight gain for my older, lazy furballs.

– Sally Jones, parent of multiple rescue cats and pet nutrition expert

Is Tiki Cat Good Cat Food?

Overall, the brand gets positive customer reviews. Many pet owners who have kitties with sensitive stomachs have had great success with the brand due to the limited ingredients. The meat-focused recipes appeal in taste and texture and provide everything a feline needs. The fact that the company has never had a recall on their cat food is also a big bonus. Wet recipes have very low carbohydrate content, which we appreciate.

Of course, some customers report that their cats don’t like the food. A few years ago, in 2018, there were some reports of customers finding gray-colored meat in their products. The company assured customers this meat was safe and simply turned that color due to the cooking process. There were no illnesses or issues associated with this issue.

While Tiki Cat is not the top or most natural option on the market, they are better than many others. We appreciate the lack of any filler or artificial ingredients. Using organ meats is also a big plus, as they are nutrient-dense, and cats enjoy the texture and taste.

One point that can be of concern to some customers is that the foods are all manufactured in Thailand. Being made in Thailand may pose a concern for customers who want to support local manufacturing or brands that are based in the USA. That said, several high-quality wet pet foods are made in Thailand and are manufactured using strict, highly regulated safety methods. Rachael Ray is another brand that manufactures wet cat food products in Thailand.

Tiki Pets is a better choice than many budget brands and is an outstanding pick for cats suffering from sensitive stomachs, dietary allergies, or gastrointestinal upset. It is a reasonably good match at a competitive price compared to other premium options.

How Much Is Tiki Cat? Is It Worth The Price?

Tiki Cat has a higher price than many budget brands. Compared to other premium brands, the price is equitable and is less than that of fresh meal delivery and human-grade brands. Prices vary by protein and recipe. On average, a 2.8-pound bag of Born Carnivore High Protein, Deboned Chicken & Egg, Grain-Free Baked Kibble costs about $20. Wet options can run around .80 cents or so an ounce. A 12-pack of 2.8-ounce After Dark Chicken costs about $23 to $24. Of course, prices vary by retailer.

Tiki Cat Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Named meats	High carbohydrate content in some dry foods
Limited ingredients	Use of plant proteins
High animal protein content	Higher price
Easy to digest	It can be hard to find some products
Highly palatable
Wide selection
No artificial ingredients, flavors, or colors

What Diet Is Right For My Cat?

I know how tricky it can be to pick healthy, tasty nutrition that your kitty likes and doesn’t break the budget. It’s wonderful to have so many varied brands to choose from as new options enter the market every day. It can also be confusing because there are so many choices. How do we, as cat owners, know what brand is good?

Taking time to talk to your vet about your cat’s specific needs, reading reviews like this one, and looking at pet food labels are all ways to ensure you pick a top-quality brand. If you are still looking for healthy options for your kitty’s bowl, learn more about Smalls, a human-grade, fresh cat food brand. Some cats do well on freeze-dried diets like Stella & Chewy’s. Other brands to consider include Open Farm and Applaws. Be sure to discuss any significant dietary changes or specific concerns with your vet, especially if your kitty is not eating or having gastrointestinal trouble.

Why Trust Love Your Cat?

Danielle is a cat owner with over 30 years of experience, including cats with special medical needs. She’s also a dedicated and skilled researcher who works hard to stay on top of the latest science-backed research, data, developments, and trends in pet care and products. Danielle has tested and reviewed nearly 100 kinds of pet food and counting. Danielle works alongside a talented and dedicated team to provide pet owners with helpful information to better their lives.