Dr. Elsey’s has built a strong reputation in the cat litter market, but does their cat food live up to the same standards? Many cat owners are now considering Dr. Elsey’s cat food for their feline companions, drawn to their promise of high-protein, low-carbohydrate formulas. In this comprehensive and unbiased Dr. Elsey’s cat food review, we delve into the brand’s offerings to help you decide if it’s the right dietary choice for your beloved cat. We’ll analyze everything from ingredient quality and species-appropriateness to customer experiences and pricing, providing an in-depth look at what Dr. Elsey’s cat food brings to your cat’s bowl.
Evaluating Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food: Our Rating Criteria
At Cats.com, we hold cat food to a high standard, evaluating brands based on what truly matters for feline health and well-being. Our Cats.com standard assesses Dr. Elsey’s across six critical categories: species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. This rigorous evaluation ensures an unbiased and thorough assessment to guide your cat food decisions.
Shop For Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food On Chewy
Shop For Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food On Amazon
Our Ratings for Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food:
- Species-Appropriateness: 9/10
- Ingredient Quality: 7/10
- Product Variety: 6/10
- Price: 5/10
- Customer Experience: 9/10
- Recall History: 10/10
Overall Score: 7.7/10
Cats.com Grade: B+
Dr. Elsey’s cat food earns an overall score of 7.7 out of 10, translating to a B+ grade. This solid score highlights the brand’s strengths, particularly in species-appropriateness and customer experience, while also indicating areas for potential improvement.
Dr. Elsey’s: A Brand Built on Feline Expertise
Dr. Bruce Elsey, a veterinarian specializing exclusively in felines, founded the company in 1989, initially focusing on cat litter solutions. His deep understanding of feline needs quickly established the brand as a trusted name in litter box management. Expanding on this foundation of feline expertise, Dr. Elsey’s ventured into cat food in 2017, launching the cleanprotein™ line. This cat food range aims to deliver highly digestible, protein-rich nutrition formulated to align with a cat’s natural carnivorous diet.
Where is Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food Made? Ingredient Sourcing and Manufacturing
Dr. Elsey’s cat food is proudly manufactured in the USA, utilizing a mix of globally and domestically sourced ingredients. The company prioritizes sourcing proteins from the United States, while other components are obtained from trusted suppliers in Europe and Canada. Dr. Elsey’s maintains a commitment to avoiding ingredients from China for primary protein sources, though they may source taurine from China.
Supply Chain Challenges: It’s worth noting that Dr. Elsey’s, like many pet food brands, experienced supply chain disruptions in 2021 and 2022, impacting the availability of their cleanprotein™ kibble and paté lines. These issues, attributed to industry-wide problems with supply, labor, and transportation, were addressed in an official update on their website. While the situation has improved, some recipes, particularly the duck, rabbit, and turkey varieties, may still experience occasional stock shortages as of spring 2023. The chicken and salmon dry food options, along with most canned food formulas, are generally more consistently available.
Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food Recall History: A Clean Record
To date, there are no records indicating that Dr. Elsey’s cat food has ever been subject to a recall. This spotless recall history contributes to the brand’s reputation for safety and reliability, further solidifying trust among pet owners.
Exploring the Range: Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food Varieties
Dr. Elsey’s offers a focused selection of both wet and dry cat food formulas within their cleanprotein™ line. While not the most extensive range, the brand prioritizes quality and nutritional philosophy over sheer variety.
The dry cat food stands out for its exceptionally low carbohydrate content. All five dry recipes boast a minimum of 93% animal protein and approximately 10% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. This is achieved by replacing typical grains and starchy fillers with gelatin as a binding agent, resulting in a kibble formulation that closely mimics a cat’s natural diet.
The current dry food lineup includes five recipes: Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Salmon, and Rabbit. Notably, only the chicken recipe is a single-protein formula. The remaining four recipes incorporate dried chicken alongside the primary protein source (turkey, duck, salmon, or rabbit) and pork protein isolate to enhance the animal protein concentration.
Dr. Elsey’s wet cat food options, while perhaps less revolutionary than their dry counterparts, maintain a commitment to carnivorous principles. These recipes feature high meat content, moderate fat levels, and minimal carbohydrates. The wet food range includes single-source protein options like duck and pork, alongside mixed-protein recipes such as Ocean Whitefish, Beef, Salmon, Rabbit & Turkey, Chicken, and Duck & Turkey, offering a diverse yet concise selection.
Dr. Elsey’s cat food formulations consistently exclude by-products and ambiguous protein sources like meat meal. They also avoid artificial additives, including artificial colors, flavors, and potentially harmful chemical preservatives, prioritizing natural and wholesome ingredients.
Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food: Top 3 Recipes Spotlight
To provide a clearer picture of Dr. Elsey’s cat food quality, we’ve reviewed three of their most popular recipes in detail:
| Product Name | Food Type | Primary Protein | Calories | Price (per oz) | Our Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food | Dry | Chicken | 115 kcal/oz | $0.39 | A- |
| Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Salmon Formula Grain-Free Dry Food | Dry | Salmon | 115 kcal/oz | $0.39 | A- |
| Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Canned Food | Wet | Chicken | 36 kcal/oz | $0.47 | A |
Recipe Deep Dive #1: Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Dr. Elsey's Cleanprotein Chicken Dry Cat Food
Dr. Elsey’s Cleanprotein Chicken Dry Cat Food bag, showcasing the brand logo and product name.
$46.99 At Chewy $44.64 At Amazon
This recipe features chicken as the primary protein source. Dr. Elsey’s Chicken Formula Dry Cat Food prioritizes animal-based protein, deriving it from fresh chicken and pork protein isolate. Uniquely, it utilizes gelatin instead of grains or legumes to achieve the kibble texture, differentiating it from typical dry cat foods.
Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food Kibble
Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food Ingredients
Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food Bag Detail
Chicken fat serves as a species-appropriate source of essential fatty acids, complemented by salmon oil for omega-3 fatty acids. The formula is enriched with a comprehensive blend of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to ensure complete and balanced nutrition.
Overall, this food is characterized by its high protein, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate content, aligning closely with a cat’s nutritional needs. While superior to many dry foods, it’s important to remember that dry food, regardless of composition, inherently lacks moisture. Therefore, ensuring adequate hydration through fresh water, wet food, or toppers is crucial for cats on a dry food diet to mitigate the risk of lower urinary tract issues. This recipe provides 545 calories per cup.
Ingredient Highlights:
- Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Pork Protein Isolate, Chicken Fat, Salmon Oil – High-quality animal-based protein and fat sources.
- Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None – The ingredient list is commendable with no concerning components.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Nutrient | Guaranteed Analysis | Dry Matter Basis | Caloric Weight Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Protein | 59% | 67.05% | 53.78% |
| Crude Fat | 18% | 20.45% | 39.84% |
| Crude Fiber | 4% | 4.55% | 6.38% |
| Moisture | 12% | – | – |
| Carbohydrates | – | 7.95% | 6.38% |
Pros:
- Primarily meat-based and exceptionally high in protein.
- Very low carbohydrate content (approximately 10% on a dry matter basis).
- Utilizes animal-sourced fats, aligning with feline physiology.
- Grain-free and devoid of artificial additives.
Cons:
- As a dry food, it lacks the essential moisture cats need, requiring extra attention to hydration.
Recipe Deep Dive #2: Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Salmon Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Dr. Elsey's Cleanprotein Salmon Dry Cat Food
Dr. Elsey’s Cleanprotein Salmon Dry Cat Food bag, displayed against a neutral background.
$16.29 At Chewy $15.48 At Amazon
Salmon takes center stage as the primary protein source in this dry cat food recipe. Similar to the chicken formula, Dr. Elsey’s Salmon Formula prioritizes animal protein, starting with fresh salmon, followed by dried chicken and dried egg product. It also includes salmon hydrolysate, a highly digestible form of salmon protein.
Chicken fat provides the primary fat source, while chickpeas are included, contributing both carbohydrates and protein. Natural flavor, described by the company as a liver-derived palatant, enhances appeal for cats. Flaxseed is present, likely as a fiber source, and pork protein isolate adds a concentrated protein boost.
This dry food maintains a high protein, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate profile. It effectively breaks away from the typical dry food mold by minimizing carbohydrates and maximizing animal-based protein and fat content.
Ingredient Highlights:
- Ingredients We Liked: Dried Chicken, Chicken Fat, Pork Protein Isolate – Excellent animal-based protein and fat sources.
- Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Dried Chickpeas, Flaxseed – While not harmful, chickpeas are a plant-based ingredient and flaxseed is less digestible for cats than animal-based omega-3 sources.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Nutrient | Guaranteed Analysis | Dry Matter Basis | Caloric Weight Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Protein | 56% | 63.64% | 51.72% |
| Crude Fat | 17% | 19.32% | 38.13% |
| Crude Fiber | 4% | 4.55% | 10.16% |
| Moisture | 12% | – | – |
| Carbohydrates | – | 12.5% | 10.16% |
Pros:
- Meat-based and high in protein.
- Low carbohydrate content.
- Contains animal-sourced fats.
- Free from artificial colors and flavors.
Cons:
- Dry food inherently lacks hydration.
- Includes chickpeas, a plant-based ingredient.
Recipe Deep Dive #3: Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
Dr. Elsey’s Cleanprotein Chicken Canned Cat Food can, featuring a prominent product label.
$59.76 At Chewy $59.76 At Amazon
Chicken and chicken liver form the foundation of this wet cat food recipe. This combination offers a rich array of animal-sourced nutrients, closely mirroring the nutritional profile of whole prey. Dried egg product serves as an additional animal protein source.
Natural flavor enhances palatability. Agar-agar, a safe seaweed-derived thickening agent, is used, along with a small amount of barley grass, an unusual but not detrimental ingredient that provides insoluble fiber. Salmon oil and green-lipped mussels contribute omega-3 fatty acids, with green-lipped mussels also potentially supporting joint health. A comprehensive vitamin and mineral blend ensures nutritional completeness.
This wet food is high in protein, moderate in fat, and low in carbohydrates. Each 5.5-ounce can contains 197 calories, or 37 calories per ounce.
Ingredient Highlights:
- Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Salmon Oil, Dried New Zealand Green Mussels – Excellent sources of animal protein, omega-3s, and beneficial nutrients.
- Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None – The ingredient list is high-quality and appropriate for feline nutrition.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Nutrient | Guaranteed Analysis | Dry Matter Basis | Caloric Weight Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Protein | 11% | 50% | 32.98% |
| Crude Fat | 9% | 40.91% | 65.52% |
| Crude Fiber | 1.5% | 6.82% | 1.5% |
| Moisture | 78% | – | – |
| Carbohydrates | – | 2.27% | 1.5% |
Pros:
- Meat-based and high in protein.
- Low carbohydrate content.
- Animal-sourced fats.
- No artificial colors or flavors.
- High moisture content for optimal hydration.
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Cons:
- Price point is higher than average for wet cat food.
Customer Sentiment: What Cat Owners Are Saying About Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food
Generally, customer feedback on Dr. Elsey’s cat food is positive. Many cat owners appreciate the high protein content and low carbohydrate formulas, noting improvements in their cats’ energy levels and overall health. However, some cats are finicky and may not enjoy the taste, and the price can be a barrier for some budgets.
Positive Reviews – Examples:
“Dr Elsey’s clean protein is the perfect food for our almost 6 year old cat. He remains lean and playful as he was as a kitten and I attribute a good portion to the food he has been eating for years. Absolutely would recommend this to anyone looking to keep their cats in great health and shape.” – Bharat, Chewy Customer
“After having a diabetic cat I am determined not to feed my present cat any high carbohydrate food. This is it! Found it by accident while researching for a food that sounded appropriate for my cat’s needs. He loves it too! I mix the chicken and the turkey. Hope he keeps loving it!” – Jane, Chewy Customer
Negative Reviews – Examples:
“We have 4 cats that eat this. One has now died. We were still noticing a lot of vomiting happening with the other 3 cats so immediately switch them to a different food. All of the vomiting stopped and they even gained a little weight. Having 4 cats eating this stuff and turning out to be so sick yet the 3 remaining cats are now fine, means there is something wrong with this food.” – Buckstopshere, Chewy Customer
“I bought the 2 lbs bag for my cat tor try and he loved it so I got the bigger bag. Soon, I noticed he kept throwing up whole pieces of kibble. I checked the kibble and it’s ROCK HARD! I couldn’t even break it with the back of a spoon.” – Mee, Chewy Customer
It is important to note that negative reviews may reflect individual sensitivities or isolated incidents and may not be representative of the product’s overall quality.
Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food Pricing: Is It Affordable?
Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein dry cat food is priced in the range of $0.35 to $0.40 per ounce. This places it in a similar price bracket to brands like Young Again, which also emphasizes low-carbohydrate, high-animal protein nutrition. Feeding an average 10-pound cat Dr. Elsey’s dry food would cost approximately $0.60 to $0.80 daily.
Dr. Elsey’s wet cat food is more expensive, a common trend for brands offering both wet and dry options. Feeding a 10-pound cat cleanprotein wet food would cost around $2.61 per day. While the dry food is reasonably priced for its quality, the wet food is a more premium option.
Final Verdict: Is Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food a Good Choice for Your Cat?
Dr. Elsey’s cat food, particularly their dry formulas, stands out as a top-tier option in the market. The brand’s commitment to high animal protein, minimal by-products, and very low starch content makes it an excellent choice for feline health. The dry food’s low carbohydrate levels are especially beneficial and may be suitable even for cats with diabetes.
While their wet foods are not as groundbreaking as their dry counterparts, they remain a solid choice, comparable to other high-quality, pate-style brands like Hound & Gatos and Ziwi Peak. They offer a balanced combination of muscle meat, organs, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Dr. Elsey’s is particularly well-suited for cats transitioning from high-carbohydrate kibble to a more species-appropriate diet. It serves as an excellent intermediate step toward a truly biologically appropriate diet.
Where to Purchase Dr. Elsey’s Cat Food
Dr. Elsey’s cat food is readily available online through major retailers like Amazon, Chewy, PetSmart, Petco, Jet, Homes Alive Pets, and PetFlow.com. For local purchasing options, you can utilize the company’s store locator to find a retailer near you.
