4health is the cat food brand from Tractor Supply Company, but you can also buy it at a few places online. The goal of 4health cat food is to provide a blend of premium ingredients at a realistic price point. The grain-free cat food is produced with minimal ingredients inspired by what your cat would naturally eat in the wild.
4health is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a cost-effective, grain-free cat food that doesn’t compromise on ingredients. If you like the sound of 4health so far, keep reading to find out more about its popular recipes and what we think of the ingredients it uses.
4health cat food is Tractor Supply Company’s brand, but you can sometimes buy it from other online retailers. It’s manufactured by Diamond Pet Food, which is owned by Schell and Kampeter Inc.
4health cat food is made in the U.S.A. in one of three manufacturing plants in California, Missouri, and South Carolina. The plants are owned by Diamond Pet Food, which also manufactures food for brands like Canidae and Taste of the Wild.
Most ingredients used in 4health’s recipes are sourced from the U.S.A., but they use ingredients from New Zealand, France, and Belgium. Some supplements, including taurine and folic acid, are sourced from China.
Which Types of Cats Is 4health Best Suited For?
4health’s goal is to provide optimal nutrition and nutritious ingredients at an affordable price. As a result, it’s a good choice for cats that don’t have overly complicated nutritional demands.
It doesn’t have as many recipes as other brands, but it has grain-free options and formulas for indoor cats.
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Which Types of Cats Might Do Better With a Different Brand?
Let’s look at the main ingredients used in some of 4health’s most popular recipes.
Real meat
All of the 4health recipes that we’ve reviewed below use real meat as the first ingredient. Many lesser-quality dry kibbles will list carbohydrates, meat by-products, or meat meal as the first ingredient, making up the majority of the recipe. An affordable brand like 4health using real meat as the first ingredient is a definite bonus.
Free from corn, soy, and wheat
All of 4health’s recipes are free from these three ingredients. These fillers that your cat wouldn’t naturally eat in the wild but are used to bulk out a recipe or help bind it during manufacturing.
Supplemented with beneficial ingredients
As well as real meat and a blend of wholesome fruits and vegetables, each of 4health’s recipes is supplemented with ingredients like omega fatty acids, antioxidants, and probiotics.
What we don’t like
Some of 4health’s recipes contain guar gum, a thickening agent made using guar beans. It can help thicken the sauces or gravies of canned cat food. It’s not appropriate for cats to eat, and they certainly wouldn’t eat it in the wild, but in the small quantities used here, it won’t cause any problems.
Dried eggs can increase the protein content of wet cat foods, but it’s unclear if 4health uses human-grade egg products or the by-product waste obtained from egg-processing plants. Either way, eggs can trigger allergies in some cats.
A Quick Look at 4health Cat Food
Pros
Good value for money
Uses real meat as the first ingredient
Free from wheat, soy, and corn
Suitable for all life stages
Uses good quality ingredients
No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
Cons
Some cats don’t like the taste
Not always suitable for cats with allergies
Recall History
4health has had two recalls. In 2012, 4health cat food manufactured at Diamond Pet Foods’ South Carolina branch was voluntarily recalled due to concerns that it had been contaminated with salmonella.
In 2013, 4health cat foods were again recalled by Diamond Pet Food due to potentially having low levels of thiamine.
This dry cat food is designed to meet the nutritional needs of adult cats and kittens, and if you have a multi-cat household, it is a great choice. It lists real chicken as the first ingredient and includes chicken fat, turkey meal, ocean fish meal, and chicken meal. It also contains a range of vegetables, including peas, garbanzo beans, and lentils.
The All Life Stages formula also contains beneficial probiotics and omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to keep your cat’s coat and skin shiny and healthy. The high percentage of real chicken makes the kibble palatable for cats, and several customers stated how much their cats loved this food.
Calorie Breakdown:
Pros
Contains real chicken
Contains 34% protein
Includes probiotics
Free from artificial flavors and colors
Suitable for all life stages
Cons
Contains peas, which can trigger allergies
2. 4health Original Turkey & Salmon Dinner Canned Cat Food
This wet canned food contains turkey, turkey broth, liver, and salmon as the first four ingredients, ensuring that it will taste great and provide your cat with plenty of protein. It is supplemented with vegetables like peas, carrots, and potatoes to add fiber and keep your cat’s digestive system functioning at its best.
It’s also supplemented with antioxidants to help your cat build a robust immune system and omega fatty acids to help their skin and coat look their best. The only two ingredients we don’t like are guar gum and carrageenan, which are used as thickeners but don’t provide any nutritional value for your cat.
Calorie Breakdown:
Pros
Contains 9% protein
Zero fillers
Adds hydration to your cat’s diet
Contains real meat as the first ingredient
Supplemented with probiotics
Cons
Contains guar gum and carrageenan
3. 4health Original Indoor Cat Formula Dry Cat Food
If you’re looking for a kibble to keep your indoor cat in great shape, the Original Indoor Cat formula is a good option. The first ingredient is real chicken, and the second is chicken meal. It also contains salmon and ocean fish meals as protein sources. There’s a blend of beneficial fruits and vegetables, including apples, carrots, flaxseeds, blueberries, spinach, and cranberries.
As with most indoor cat foods, it contains lower levels of calories to prevent your cat from putting on too much weight. To keep them healthy, it’s supplemented with probiotics, omega fatty acids, and all the vitamins and minerals that your indoor kitty needs to feel and look their best.
Calorie Breakdown:
Pros
Chicken as the first ingredient
Contains 32% protein
Contains antioxidants and probiotics
Specifically for indoor cats
Helps prevent hairballs
Cons
Contains eggs, which can trigger allergies
What Other Users Are Saying
All About Cats — “4health is a good choice if you’re looking for an affordable alternative to grain-free natural foods.”
Reviews — As pet owners, we always double-check product reviews from buyers before we buy something. You can read these by clicking here, but here are a few short quotes:
“My picky-eating cats love it.”
“My cat absolutely loves this brand. Healthy and filling.”
Conclusion
4health offers an excellent compromise between premium ingredients and an affordable price. Its recipes contain real meat as the first ingredient, so you can rest assured that your cat’s getting all the protein they need to build strong, lean muscle.
It’s also grain-free and doesn’t contain fillers. It’s also free of soy, corn, gluten, and wheat. Unlike other brands, 4health does not contain meat by-products, artificial preservatives, or other additives you’d rather avoid feeding your cat.
Christian started writing for a local newspaper as a teenager, and he's been involved in the publishing industry for most of his adult life. Combining his love of writing with a passion for animals, he is currently the Director of Editorial at Pangolia and the Editor-in-Chief at Catster.
Christian lives in the Philippines with his wife, son, and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
