By Nature Dry Cat Food
By Nature brand cat food is manufactured by the By Nature company. This small manufacturing facility is located in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and is owned by Blue Seal Feeds, Inc. Blue Seal Feeds was first founded in 1868 by Henry K. Webster, as a horse feed manufacturing company. At the time, the company was called the H.K. Webster Company, though was eventually renamed Blue Seal Feeds. Blue Seal currently has nine different manufacturing facilities around the United States, and is a subsidary of Muscatine Foods Corporation of Muscatine, Iowa. None of the By Nature brand cat food formulas are currently on the FDA's recall list.
By Nature Dry Cat Food Reviews
By Nature is currently available in three different dry cat food formulas, one of which is certified organic. In addition to this, By Nature is also available in several different canned cat food formulas. All of By Nature's cat food formulas are made without chemicals, artificial colors, filler ingredients or preservatives. Currently, By Nature is the only pet food company that uses pomegranates in some of their pet food formulas. By Nature brand dry cat food is available in a 1lb bag, a 4lb bag, and a 8lb bag. However, the organic formula is not available in a 4lb bag, and is instead available in a 3.5lb bag.
By Nature Dry Cat Food Formulas:
- By Nature Kitten formula dry cat food is designed for kittens under one year of age, though may also be fed to pregnant or nursing cats. The first five ingredients of this formula are Chicken Meal, Ground Barley, Chicken Fat, Ground Oats and Chicken. Other ingredients include Chicekn Livers, Brown Rice, Flaxseed, Tomato Pomace, Alfalfa and Fish Meal. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 34% Protein and 20% Fat.
- By Nature Adult Cat Formula dry cat food is suitable for all adult cats. The first five ingredients of this formula are Chicken Meal, Ground Barley, Chicken Fat, Chicken and Chicken Livers. Other ingredients include Brown Rice, Vitamin E, Fish Oil, Yeast Culture, Ground Oats, Cranberries and Raspberries. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 33% Protein and 18% Fat.
- By Nature Organics Chicken Formula dry cat food is made with certified organic chicken, as well as several other organic ingredients. It has been certified as organic by the Oregon Tilth (OTCO). The first five ingredients of this formula are Organic Chicken, Chicken Meal, Organic Ground Barley, Organic Ground Oats and Organic Brown Rice. Other ingredients include Organic Peas, Organic Flaxseed Meal, Salt, Taurine, Organic Tomatoes and Organic Carrots. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 32% Protein and 12% Fat.
By Nature Dry Cat Food Consumer Ratings
Most consumer reviews of By Nature brand cat food are positive. The ingredients of By Nature cat food formulas are fairly high-quality, and are easily digested by most cats (with no reported gastrointestinal problems). In addition to this, most cats seem to like the taste of By Nature cat food. By Nature's organic cat food formula was very well-received, and is popular among cat owners looking to feed their cat an organic diet.
September 4th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
I have worked at 3 pet stores since I first started working, and I’ve been at my current store for 3 1/2 years, so I’ve learned a lot about pet foods, mainly since I started at the store I’m at now. When I decided it was time for me to get a pet of my own, I went about choosing food very carefully based on the ingredient quality and the price. This was the only food we carried at the time I chose that had an organic option in the adult food. It is also less expensive per ounce than 2 other foods I was considering that did not have an organic option.
I have 2 cats. My first I got at 8 weeks old and immediately started him on By Nature Kitten Food, and he did very well on it. When he turned a year old, I transitioned him to the By Nature Organic Cat Food with no problems. He hasn’t once yet gotten sick, never has hairballs, and his coat is very fine and shiny. My second cat was adopted from a rescue group that our store works with, so he was on Cat Chow when I got him earlier this year. He started eating the same food as my first cat with no transition time and no digestive upset. His fur started out reasonably corse from being a stray and not having very good quality food, but a few months after starting on By Nature, his coat has become noticably softer and thicker (even though it’s summertime now).
In short, I have been very pleased with By Nature Organic Cat Food and would like to say that quality does matter, and when you think about it, you only have to pay a few cents a day to get really good quality food for your pets. Don’t skimp on them, and they should be around and healthy for a much longer time!
January 8th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
I have 7 cats and was looking for something everyone could digest well. At first By Natures Organic Chicken seemed the perfect product. After 3 months of feeding my cats, the two oldest became very sick. All of my cats started out a little chunky but the By Nature seemed to be thinning them down. I thought I had miracle food!
Two of my cats have now been hospitalized over the product and 3K+ later, all of my cats are now taking supplements for vitamin deficiencies that nearly killed two of them.
They didn’t throw up the food and ate it well but they couldn’t process it.
I expect to get “stuck” with the bill, my vet is also a microbiologist and said its the food. If your cat starts to loose weight quickly, its the food! CHANGE YOUR FOOD. Ours are on California Natural and doing much better.
THANKS By Nature for my 3K vet bill and sick cats!!!! :o(
If this has happened to you PLEASE CONTACT THE FDA! Let your vet know, save food samples and the bag, receipt if you have it so NO Cats die!
March 1st, 2010 at 9:41 am
What exactly did your vet say? Why did he think it was the food? We’re you also feeding your cats dry food, or just wet? I would like to hear because I just put my cat on by nature can food, he seems to love it compared to the others we have tried.
Thanks for the input.
April 2nd, 2010 at 1:45 pm
I have two fosters that were on Prescription Science Diet z/d. The oldest is 17 and with the z/d was still getting sick at least once a week and still having rashes. After the price of Science Diet rose twice in two months ($25.00 for four lbs.) I decided to find a different food and one that was more holistic. I started the cats on by Nature Weight Management and they love it! They’ve been on it for almost four months and the older one is doing better than the prescription food! Plus, my vet (who is a holistic vet) said the food would be fine for him. His digestive system is so much better and his coat so soft and smooth. He no longer has rashes and only has the upset of the occasional hairball. I think that by Nature is a wonderful food for my cats and am so glad I found it!!
May 20th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
New to By Nature, not having any problems. I wonder about Catherine, whether she just fed her cats dry food or supplemented them with meat. you HAVE to feed them meat or they will get sicj anyways no matter what you give them. When they are inside cats, also, they dont get the greens they need that they get from outside. The other possibility is that they were chomping on pesticide laden grass. Lot to consider here. I have seen bad results for every cat food on the market, and honestly believe the mistake many of these people are making is just feeding them dry food. Cats are not vegetarians!!
June 2nd, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Let me start off by saying, this food has worked better than any I have tried before. Here is my story:
I have 2 older cats (10 & 11 years old and adopted at 1 and 2 yrs old) and 4 now 10 month old kittens (I took in a pregnant stray someone dumped off in front of my house). My older cats have always had allergies, shed a ton, the female has always had sinus problems from an infection she had before I adopted her, and the male always had ear problems. I had been feeding them Purina One for sensitive systems, and the male (a long hair) would throw up usually at least twice a week. Then, the kitties came along. I was picking up barf every day, sometimes before AND after work. I tried them on Iams kitten food, which was marginally better. They always got Friskies canned food during this time. Then, after a bunch of research and reading, I decided to try them on By Nature kitten food. Everyone eats the same food, adults and kittens. They also get 1 can split 6 ways in the morning and 2 cans split 6 ways at night (so they don’t wake me up at 4am to eat! ha!) and always have dry food out during the day.
Within a week, I noticed NOONE was throwing up anymore, everyone really liked the dry food, and the wet food has grown on them. It is cake style, and they usually prefer chunks, so that has been a small and easy change for them. I started them out with mixing a little dry in with their wet food. They ate it all even though it was a bit different for them. Yes, the cans are much more $$ compared to Friskies, but two things I have noticed that make it VERY worth it. 1 – the By Nature wet food can is 1 ounce larger than the Friskies can. 2 – there is no added water in the By Nature canned food. Notice, the VERY FIRST ingredient in Friskies canned food is Water! I was feeding 3 cans in the morning and 3-6 cans at night of Friskies, and even at $0.44/can, that is nearly $4/day on canned food. Now, they eat 2-3 cans/day, and at $1.59/can it is $4.77; a less than $1 a day difference for a much better food. Now for the results!
I have had everyone on By Nature for about 2 months now. I had the kittens fixed at 6 months. One of the kittens never grew her belly hair back. That’s right, she had been bald for 2 months after her surgery. Within TWO WEEKS of switching them over, her belly hair is all but COMPLETELY grown back! She also had very coarse and dry hair before. Now she has very soft and shiny hair! The other kitties also have gotten much shinier coats, and are definitely much softer. They also shed much less, NEVER puke (unless my boyfriend over feeds them treats, ha!) and their litter boxes don’t stink up the house like they used to. I used to have to clear out of the kitchen when someone did naughty things in their litterboxes. Now, I am in there waiting and waiting and never smell a thing. That’s not to say they never have a stinky moment, but NOTHING like the did before. I also notice their urine is much less ammonia-y smelling. The older cats don’t have their allergies anymore, and my female hardly ever sneezes anymore. My male doesn’t mind his ears touched anymore, and no one sheds as bad as they used to.
I have to say the extra $$ is worth it! My cats and kittens are much better on this food. No more hair balls, no more bald bellies, no more allergies. They love the food and eat much less of this (wet and dry) than they used to of their food before. I am very happy with this product.
That being said, every animal is different. We had a dog live 17 years when I was younger who lived his whole life on purina-like food, with the meaty packet things. We also recently had a pup who lived only 10 years and had very good food his whole life. All animals are different, and food won’t solve every health problem your animal may have. If you have an animal with a special needs diet, by all means keep your pet on that. If you have cats, like I did, with general minor issues, hairballs, and the like, and want to try changing food before spending $350 to have their ears cleaned out while they are under anesthesia, by all means, try to easier solution first! I am glad I did. Not all pet food is for all pets. All foods have good and bad reviews. But as I wouldn’t raise a child on only fast food, I prefer not to raise my cats that way either. This food seems like a nice balance of good protein sources, and no allergy-producing corn, soy, etc. It has made a major difference in my house!
August 17th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Fed my 3 cats By Nature Adult dry formula for a few years and never had any problems, until these last few bags (starting in about April of 2010), they just stopped eating as much, like they didn’t like the way the food tasted (they would run to their bowls like they were hungry and then hardly eat anything). None of the cats got sick, but one lost weight from simply not eating. When we switched to a different food, they ate that food just fine, when we tried to feed them the remaining By Nature food, they all hardly ate.
Not quite sure if something changed with the food (it looked and smelled okay to me) or if my cats tastes changed.
September 11th, 2010 at 8:51 am
I have an 8 year old cat who has a sensitive stomach. Over the course of her life I have tried several of the high end cat foods for sensitive stomach along with prescription cat foods all leading to the same results of her getting sick three or four times a week. My vet finally suggested making her food or trying an all natural food. I found By Nature and thought I’d give it a try before venturing into the world of being a pet food chef. She loves it, rarely gets sick and only have an occasional hairball now. She’s been on the food for 3 years and we haven’t had anymore vet visits for her being sick. Her coat is beautiful now and she’s even more playful. She’s never been able to handle any brand of wet food but I feed her By Nature wet food as a treat a few times a week with no problems at all.
September 14th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
This food has apparently caused my cat to have urinary stones. I’m not entirely sure if it’s the percentage of certain ingredients, the lack of moisture, or something else. It was scary none the less. I’m jealous of the kitties that can eat this cat food. I really would like to have my cats on a natural food!
September 28th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
My cat is 10.5 yrs old and very over weight (19.5 lbs). Vet said to cut his food intake back, so i am trying to find a dry food that will satisfy him even when he eats less. I am cautious of too high of Protein, since his brother and mom both died of Kidney failure. He seems happy, just not as healthy as he should be. I avoid can food, simply because I know it causes tarter build up. He has lovely teeth and i want to keep it that way.
Any thoughts?
January 9th, 2011 at 6:36 am
We have been looking for a cat food without corn, and that is not all that easy. We found Blue Buffalo and the cats like it but we’d were looking for a better price point. We have three cats only one is a finicky eater but three out of three would rather go hungry than eat this food. We just gave up after 7 days with no one touching the food for the last 3 days and crying at us every time we moved.
January 19th, 2011 at 5:32 am
I just tried this brand yesterday and all three of our cats refused to eat it and two of the three are not typically very fussy. I thought that perhaps they just were not hungry (unlikley for the time of day) and they all acted hungry, they all just acted like it wasn’t there. I poured them a plate of Canis and they all went to town. I left out the By Nature over night to see what would happen and this morning it remaind untouched and they all were meowing for breakfast. I poured them some Avoderm and they all ate up so, “By Nature” seems to not be a choice for all three of my cats.
January 27th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Skylar, a rescued Siamese mix of ours, was having difficulty with loose stools as well as gagging and reflux with other foods. We decided to try the By Nature Grain Free and let me say, “WOW! Big difference in Skylar. He is happier because he feels better, he is much more active than before and his coat and eyes are sparkling! Thanks, By Nature, for the wonderful new product. We are sold!
February 13th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
We’ve had our cats since they were both kittens. They are now 3 1/2 and 2 1/2. The older one never seemed to have any problems with food we fed her. However, when we got the 2nd one we had to put him (and therefore both of them) on a special digestive diet food. It was a dry food we got from our vet. It never really seemed to help him. His stools were always loose and like others here have said, would run us out of the house they smelled so bad!
Then the tooth problems came. About $2000 later for each of them to have cleanings and multiple extractions we knew we had to do something. After a lot of research we determined we needed to adjust their diet. I don’t want them to lose all of their teeth at their young ages. I should also note, we were brushing teeth 2-3 times a week after their dental visits, and it didn’t seem to do any good. That was in addition to a dental diet food!
We went head first into a raw food diet. Frankly, it wasn’t for me. I just don’t know about leaving raw chicken out for as long as they like to take to eat. Plus the older cat, who isn’t that finicky, wasn’t too keen on it. In addition it would occasionally make the other one sick.
So I decided to see what canned food we could try without all the fillers you read about being bad for cats. Holy cow! Most people don’t read labels for their own food like I was for cat food. There are so few canned foods out there without crap and fillers. Finally I found By Nature and both cats really like it. Unfortunately, one likes a flavor (beef) that makes the other one sick. But if we keep them eating their own food life is good. It has made the biggest difference in both of them. They both lost a little weight, which the vet said it put them at a perfect weight. Their coats are unbelievably soft and don’t shed nearly as much as they used to. We joke about the younger one being on crack he has so much energy. The older one, who has never really been a lap kitty, is even sweeter than before and actually likes to cuddle. I think that’s probably a combination of having bad teeth out and food she really likes.
Speaking of teeth, we are down to brushing their teeth once a week and their gums look better than they ever did when we were brushing them multiple times a week.
By Nature has been a great change in our house and I hope it continues. Not all cats will have the same experience, but I would recommend By Nature to anyone with cats.