More pet parents are starting to reject highly processed and manufactured pet food for high-quality fresh food. There are several fresh food companies that produce cat food with high-quality proteins and carbohydrates and without artificial ingredients. Not only can you ensure that your beloved cat is eating top-quality food, but you also don’t have to worry about constantly needing to remember to purchase it at the store — these companies all use subscription and delivery services.
But finding the right food for your cat, particularly in Canada, can be tricky because many of these foods are typically based out of the U.S. We want our food to arrive fresh! Here are reviews of six companies that make and deliver fresh cat food, so you just need to click, read, and order!
A Glance at Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Tom & Sawyer Pet Food
Handmade food from Toronto
Available in three flavours lightly cooked
Build a meal plan after answering questions about your cat
Check Price
Best Value
TLC Pet Food
Less expensive than other, comparable high-quality cat foods
Made with high-quality, fresh ingredients
Includes cranberries for urinary tract health
Check Price
Premium Choice
Open Farm Cat Food
Offers four flavours of dry food and six flavours of wet wood
Animal sources are gathered sustainably and humanely
No GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, or artificial ingredients
Click to Save 5%
Smack Pet Food
Three recipes of raw, dehydrated food
Free-range chicken and wild-caught salmon
Uses fresh ingredients that are dehydrated using gentle, low-temperature air-drying
Check Price
PetzLove Pet Food
Available in two sizes and two flavours
Ingredients locally sourced in Canada
Good for all life stages
Check Price
The 6 Best Fresh Cat Food Delivery Services in Canada
1. Tom & Sawyer Pet Food — Best Overall
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Recipes: Tuna and sweet potato, chicken and cheese, or beef and carrots
Food type: Minced
Standout feature: Made by hand with only natural ingredients
Tom & Sawyer Pet Food is based in Toronto. You have the option for delivery, or if you’re in the Toronto area, you can pop into the kitchen and purchase the food or go to one of the retailers across Canada to try it out first. Each meal is 454 grams and is available in three flavours — tuna and sweet potato, chicken and cheese, or beef and carrots — that are lightly cooked in order to preserve their nutritional value. The staff builds a meal plan after you answer various questions about your cat, such as their current weight, age, health, and breed. You get the option to choose how frequently you want delivery (the subscription offered gives you 5% savings) and the opportunity to cancel anytime. The brand doesn’t use any GMO or artificial ingredients or antibiotics or hormones. Tom & Sawyer also uses locally sourced ingredients from Canadian farmers and businesses.
Visit their Website
Recipes: Tuna and sweet potato, chicken and cheese, or beef and carrots
Food type: Minced
Standout feature: Made by hand with only natural ingredients
The cons with this food are that shipping is only free in Southern Ontario and that their recipes are only beef, turkey, or chicken, so if your cat prefers fish, you’re out of luck.
Pros
Handmade food from Toronto
Available in three flavours lightly cooked
Build a meal plan after answering questions about your cat
No GMO or artificial ingredients, antibiotics, or hormones
Use locally sourced ingredients from Canadian farms and businesses
Cons
Shipping only free in Southern Ontario
No fish recipe options
- TLC Pet Food — Best Value
Visit their Website
Recipes: Chicken and Atlantic salmon
Food type: Dry
Standout feature: Meat focused and for all life stages
Size: 3 x 2.26-kg bags
The best fresh cat food delivery in Canada for the money is TLC Pet Food. While it is expensive, it is less expensive than other comparable high-quality brands of cat food. It isn’t exactly fresh because it’s kibble, but it’s made with fresh ingredients that are meat focused from high-quality protein sources. Included are ingredients such as cranberries to maintain your cat’s urinary tract health, as well as pea fibre for digestive health, which can also help with hairballs. This kibble is suitable for cats of all ages — kittens up to senior cats — and free shipping is offered for most of Canada and the U.S.
Handmade food from Toronto
Available in three flavours lightly cooked
Build a meal plan after answering questions about your cat
No GMO or artificial ingredients, antibiotics, or hormones
Use locally sourced ingredients from Canadian farms and businesses
- Handmade food from Toronto
- Available in three flavours lightly cooked
- Build a meal plan after answering questions about your cat
- No GMO or artificial ingredients, antibiotics, or hormones
- Use locally sourced ingredients from Canadian farms and businesses
Shipping only free in Southern Ontario
No fish recipe options
- Shipping only free in Southern Ontario
- No fish recipe options
Recipes: Chicken and Atlantic salmon
Food type: Dry
Standout feature: Meat focused and for all life stages
Size: 3 x 2.26-kg bags
One issue is that there is only one recipe available, which is a chicken and Atlantic salmon flavour. It would be great if wet food was also offered along with the kibble.
Pros
Less expensive than other, comparable high-quality cat foods
Made with high-quality, fresh ingredients
Includes cranberries for urinary tract health
Good for cats of all ages
Free delivery for most of Canada and the U.S.
Cons
Only one recipe is available
Would be nice if wet food was offered
3. Open Farm Cat Food — Premium Choice
Less expensive than other, comparable high-quality cat foods
Made with high-quality, fresh ingredients
Includes cranberries for urinary tract health
Good for cats of all ages
Free delivery for most of Canada and the U.S.
- Less expensive than other, comparable high-quality cat foods
- Made with high-quality, fresh ingredients
- Includes cranberries for urinary tract health
- Good for cats of all ages
- Free delivery for most of Canada and the U.S.
Only one recipe is available
Would be nice if wet food was offered
- Only one recipe is available
- Would be nice if wet food was offered
Click Here to Save Up to 25% on Your Open Farm Order**Use code PANBFCM to save 20% on any order, and 25% on any auto-order, up to $150!
Recipes: Multiple
Food type: Dry or wet
Standout feature: It is “100% obsessively sourced 100% of the time
Size: Multiple
Open Farm Cat Food is our premium choice pick because it offers dry and wet food options made using ethical sources. There are four flavours of dry food (turkey and chicken, salmon, whitefish, and lamb) and six wet food recipes (chicken, chicken and salmon, turkey, salmon, beef, and herring and mackerel). The food is manufactured in Minnesota, but everything else (developing, formulating, and distributing) occurs in Canada. All livestock used are sourced sustainably and humanely, and all other ingredients are gathered fresh and locally. No GMOs, antibiotics, hormones, or artificial ingredients are added.
However, Open Farm is expensive, and all the cat food recipes contain a fair amount of plant-based carbohydrates and proteins, some of which might be unnecessary considering the nutritional supplements that are already added. The included lentils might cause stomach upset in some cats.
Pros
Offers four flavours of dry food and six flavours of wet wood
Animal sources are gathered sustainably and humanely
No GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, or artificial ingredients
Ingredients are sourced fresh and locally
Cons
Expensive
Many plant-based ingredients
- Smack Pet Food
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Recipes: Pork, fish, or chicken and salmon
Food type: Raw dehydrated food
Standout feature: Dehydration process maintains high nutrition
Size: 210 grams or 1.5 kg
Smack Pet Food is manufactured in Winnipeg and offers raw dehydrated food for cats in three different flavours: pork, wild Pacific fish, and chicken and wild salmon. This food isn’t exactly fresh, but Smack takes free-range and wild chicken and salmon and dehydrates them while fresh and raw using gentle low-temperature air drying. You can feed it to your cat as dry kibble, or you can add warm water to rehydrate it into more of a stew texture. Smack doesn’t include any artificial ingredients and offers a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Offers four flavours of dry food and six flavours of wet wood
Animal sources are gathered sustainably and humanely
No GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, or artificial ingredients
Ingredients are sourced fresh and locally
- Offers four flavours of dry food and six flavours of wet wood
- Animal sources are gathered sustainably and humanely
- No GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, or artificial ingredients
- Ingredients are sourced fresh and locally
Expensive
Many plant-based ingredients
- Expensive
- Many plant-based ingredients
Recipes: Pork, fish, or chicken and salmon
Food type: Raw dehydrated food
Standout feature: Dehydration process maintains high nutrition
Size: 210 grams or 1.5 kg
However, it is expensive, and if your cat finds the food too hard, it doesn’t always rehydrate well.
Pros
Three recipes of raw, dehydrated food
Free-range chicken and wild-caught salmon
Uses fresh ingredients that are dehydrated using gentle, low-temperature air-drying
Feed dry or rehydrate for a stew-like texture
60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
Expensive
Doesn’t always rehydrate
- PetzLove Pet Food
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Recipes: High protein or fish
Food type: Dry
Standout feature: Raw ingredients sourced in Canada
Size: 0.9 or 1.8 kgs
PetzLove Pet Food offers dry kibble that is available in two sizes and two recipes: Proteinest (high protein with chicken, turkey, and trout) and Áal (salmon and cod). All ingredients are locally sourced in order to support Canada’s agricultural industry, and you can feed it to cats at all life stages. The company uses free-range chicken and wild-caught fish for protein sources, and you can have the food delivered free across Canada if you spend at least $100. Alternatively, if you’re in or near Markham, Ontario, you can pick it up there.
Three recipes of raw, dehydrated food
Free-range chicken and wild-caught salmon
Uses fresh ingredients that are dehydrated using gentle, low-temperature air-drying
Feed dry or rehydrate for a stew-like texture
60-day money-back guarantee
- Three recipes of raw, dehydrated food
- Free-range chicken and wild-caught salmon
- Uses fresh ingredients that are dehydrated using gentle, low-temperature air-drying
- Feed dry or rehydrate for a stew-like texture
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Expensive
Doesn’t always rehydrate
- Expensive
- Doesn’t always rehydrate
Recipes: High protein or fish
Food type: Dry
Standout feature: Raw ingredients sourced in Canada
Size: 0.9 or 1.8 kgs
The problem is that there are only two flavours for cats, and it would be nice to see more recipes. Also, if your cat has a food allergy or sensitivity to chicken, both recipes include chicken.
Pros
Available in two sizes and two flavours
Ingredients locally sourced in Canada
Good for all life stages
Free-range chicken and wild-caught fish
Cons
Could use more recipe options for cats
Both recipes have chicken
- Freshpet Cat Food
Visit their Website
Recipes: Chicken or beef
Food type: Wet and dry
Standout feature: Steam-cooked refrigerated food
Size: 454-gram bag or roll
Freshpet Cat Food is an American company that ships to Canada. It uses raw ingredients that are gently steamed at low temperatures to help retain the nutrients. There are three recipes for kibble (chicken and beef, chicken, and a grain-free chicken) and two recipes for wet food (chicken and beef and grain-free chicken and beef). The wet food is pâté stored by being rolled up, and it’s all-natural without any added preservatives and antibiotics. Freshpet sources 97% of its ingredients from the U.S. and Canada.
Available in two sizes and two flavours
Ingredients locally sourced in Canada
Good for all life stages
Free-range chicken and wild-caught fish
- Available in two sizes and two flavours
- Ingredients locally sourced in Canada
- Good for all life stages
- Free-range chicken and wild-caught fish
Could use more recipe options for cats
Both recipes have chicken
- Could use more recipe options for cats
- Both recipes have chicken
Recipes: Chicken or beef
Food type: Wet and dry
Standout feature: Steam-cooked refrigerated food
Size: 454-gram bag or roll
The flaws with Freshpet are that it is not a Canadian company and that some pets have experienced stomach upset with this food. Also, there’s only chicken and beef for recipe options, and it would be great to have more to choose from.
Pros
Ingredients are gently steamed at a low temperature
Three kibble recipes and two pâté recipes
All-natural without added preservatives or antibiotics
97% of ingredients are sourced from the U.S. and Canada
Cons
Not a Canadian company
Not enough recipes to choose from
Some pets have experienced stomach upset
Ingredients are gently steamed at a low temperature
Three kibble recipes and two pâté recipes
All-natural without added preservatives or antibiotics
97% of ingredients are sourced from the U.S. and Canada
- Ingredients are gently steamed at a low temperature
- Three kibble recipes and two pâté recipes
- All-natural without added preservatives or antibiotics
- 97% of ingredients are sourced from the U.S. and Canada
Not a Canadian company
Not enough recipes to choose from
Some pets have experienced stomach upset
- Not a Canadian company
- Not enough recipes to choose from
- Some pets have experienced stomach upset
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Fresh Cat Food Delivery
If you’re new to fresh food delivery services, you might have a few questions about whether it’s worth the expense. Here, we go over a few points to answer potential questions that you might have.
What Are the Disadvantages?
If you sign up for a fresh food pet service, it’s guaranteed that you’ll be paying more than what you pay at the grocery or pet store. Most of these companies use organic and free-range food that is locally sourced and humanely gathered. The production method for a few of these companies is also making it by hand, which increases the cost, along with the use of high-quality ingredients.
Many of these foods need to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, which can take up quite a bit of space. If you make the mistake of leaving it out too long, that’s good food and money going in the trash.
Finally, most of these companies are relatively small scale and don’t offer much selection in flavours. If your cat has an allergy to chicken or beef, you won’t have much else to choose from, since many of these companies seem to exclusively use these protein sources.
Is It Better Than the Usual Dry and Wet Food?
There are many dry and wet cat foods that are manufactured by large companies that are good for your cat, but the fresh food option is definitely a healthier one comparatively. These foods have all been formulated by experts in the field, including animal nutritionists and veterinarians, who know the right balance of nutrients to keep your cat in top health.
It’s also a healthier option than cooking food for your cat yourself, as you might miss out on a few of the essential vitamins and minerals that your cat needs.
What Should You Look For in Fresh Cat Food Delivery?
Read the ingredient list of the recipe of the company that you’re considering. Show it to your vet to get an expert opinion from someone you trust.
See how easy it is to get out of the subscription service if it comes to that, and check the delivery options. Most of these companies enable you to fine-tune how often you receive the deliveries, which can be helpful if you don’t have a ton of space in your fridge.
Is It Worth It?
This depends on you. If your cat doesn’t have any medical conditions, you can afford it, and you’ve spoken to your vet about your interest in these kinds of foods and they are on board, it can be a great option. While fresh foods are quite expensive, they can work wonders for some cats. It can be particularly helpful if you’ve been considering making your cat homemade food yourself but don’t have the time.
Many of these companies also have a small ecological footprint and are primarily using sustainable ingredients and gathering the protein sources humanely. Knowing that your cat is eating high-quality food without any artificial ingredients may give you peace of mind. But remember to speak to your vet before making the switch.
Conclusion
Tom & Sawyer is our favourite fresh cat food delivery service in Canada, with its delicious recipes of fresh, minced food that is lightly cooked to preserve its nutritional value. It also only uses locally sourced ingredients from Canadian farmers and businesses. TLC Pet Food dry kibble is only made with fresh ingredients from high-quality protein sources, and it’s comparatively cheaper than some of the other options. Finally, Open Farm Cat Food offers dry and wet food options using only sustainably and humanely collected ingredients.
Many cat owners swear that fresh cat food has changed their cat’s health around, so if it fits your budget and your vet agrees, it’s a win-win — fresh cat food delivered directly to your door!
Featured Image Credit: sophiecat, Shutterstock
