4 Health Cat Food Review of 2023: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Review Summary

Introduction

4health is the cat food brand from Tractor Supply Company, although you can also buy it at a few places online, as well as in-store. The goal of 4health cat food is to provide a blend of premium ingredients at a realistic price point. This is a grain-free cat food and is created around minimal ingredients inspired by what your cat would naturally be eating in the wild.

4health is a great 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 this cat food so far, then keep reading to find out more about its popular recipes and what we think of the ingredients it uses.

At a Glance: The Best 4health Cat Food Recipes:

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		All Life Stages Dry Cat Food	Real chicken is the #1 ingredient Taurine-fortified Proper balance in digestive system	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Cat Turkey & Salmon Cat Food	Like a Home Cooked Meal Premium quality Real turkey & salmon as the main ingredients	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Indoor Cat Formula for Adult Cats	Taurine-fortified Help maintain the proper balance of beneficial bacteria in your cat's intestines Helps maintain healthy digestion	CHECK PRICE
		Chicken & Brown Rice Cat Food	Real chicken as the main ingredients High-quality source of protein Helping to build and heal body tissues	CHECK PRICE
		Cat Chicken & Beef Dinner Cat Food	Mixes real chicken and beef Offers high-quality protein Maintain a smooth skin and coat	CHECK PRICE

4health Cat Food Reviewed

Who Makes 4health and Where Is It Produced?

4health cat food is Tractor Supply Company’s own brand of cat food, although you can sometimes buy it from other online retailers too. 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 including Canidae and Taste of the Wild.

Most of the ingredients used in 4health’s recipes are sourced from the U.S.A., although they do buy in ingredients from New Zealand, France, and Belgium. Certain 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 point. As a result, it’s a good solid choice for cats that don’t have overly complicated nutritional demands.

It doesn’t have as many recipes like some other brands, but it has grain-free options and formulas for indoor cats.

Which Types of Cats Might Do Better With a Different Brand?

If your cat needs a specific prescription diet or has allergies and needs a limited-ingredient diet, they might be better off with a brand like Hill’s Science Diet or Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets.

Is 4Health a Good Cat Food? 

Let’s take a quick 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 are all essentially what are known as fillers, ingredients that your cat wouldn’t naturally eat in the wild but are used to bulk out a recipe or help bind it during the manufacturing process.

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. This can help thicken the sauces or gravies of canned cat food. It’s not really something appropriate for cats to eat, and they certainly wouldn’t eat it in the wild, but in the small quantities that it’s used here, it won’t cause any problems.

Dried egg can be used to increase the protein content of wet cat foods, but it’s not clear if 4health uses human-grade egg products or the by-product waste obtained from egg-processing plants. Either way, the inclusion of egg can trigger allergies in some cats.

A Quick Look at 4health Cat Food

Recall History

4health has had two recalls that we can find, both affecting other Diamond Pet Food brands at the same time.

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.

Reviews of the 3 Best 4health Cat Food Recipes

1. 4health Original All Life Stages Cat Food

This dry cat food is designed to meet the nutritional needs of adult cats and kittens, so if you’ve got a multi-cat household, this 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.

This also contains beneficial probiotics, as well as omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to keep your cat’s coat and skin shiny and healthy. The high percentage of real chicken makes this kibble palatable for cats, with plenty of reviewers stating just how much their cats love this food.

Calorie Breakdown:

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’s going to taste great, as well as providing your cat with plenty of protein. This 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 strong immune system and omega fatty acids to help their skin and coat look their best. The only two ingredients that we don’t like are guar gum and carrageenan, which are both used as thickeners but don’t provide any nutritional value for your cat.

Calorie Breakdown:

3. 4health Original Indoor Cat Formula Dry Cat Food

If you’re looking for a kibble to keep your indoor cat in great shape, then this 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 also a blend of beneficial fruits and vegetables, including apples, carrots, flaxseeds, blueberries, spinach, and cranberries.

As with most indoor cat foods, this contains lower levels of calories to help 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:

What Other Users Are Saying

Conclusion

4health offers an excellent compromise between the use of premium ingredients and an affordable price point. All of its recipes contain real meat as the first ingredient, so you can rest assured that your cat is getting all the protein that they need to build strong, lean muscle.

It’s also grain-free and doesn’t contain fillers. It’s free from soy, corn, gluten, and wheat too. Unlike some other brands that offer good value for money, 4health doesn’t contain meat by-products, artificial preservatives, or other nasties that you’d rather avoid feeding your cat.

Want to see more cat food reviews? Check out our review page here!

Featured image credit: Tractor Supply