Ashland Farms Cat Food Review

Ashland Farms is an economy brand of cat food sold through the retail chain Family Dollar. It’s an ultra-affordable pick but is it worth putting in your cat’s bowl? Find out in this detailed review.

The Cats.com Standard—Rating Ashland Farms on What Matters

We’ve analyzed Ashland Farms and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history.

Meets AAFCO Guidelines? Yes

We give Ashland Farms an 16 out of 25 rating or an D grade.

Why Trust Cats.com

Before reviewing Ashland Farms, I researched the brand to determine its history, where its products are sold, and how the food is manufactured. I then purchased three recipes—one kibble and two canned foods—and evaluated them objectively using the information on the label. Finally, I tested the three foods with my cats Bagel, Munchkin, and Biscuit.

In testing Ashland Farms cat food, I made observations about the appearance, smell, and texture of the food. My cats provided their opinions on flavor and general appeal. I also searched for customer reviews to get a better understanding of the average Ashland Farms customer experience.

About Ashland Farms

Ashland Farms is a private-label pet food line sold by the American variety store chain Family Dollar. It’s a brand loved for its great prices, offering about a dozen different foods and treats for cats and dogs.

Family Dollar provides very little information about the Ashland Farms brand other than to say the food has “the nutrition and quality ingredients your pet needs.” They mention “high-quality protein” and natural ingredients, but marketing terms like these are pretty generic.

A 30-second video on the Family Dollar website highlights the fact that the food is made in the USA and mentions Ashland Farms’ family-owned facilities. Research revealed several farms across the country called Ashland Farm, but it’s unclear whether any of them are actually linked to the Family Dollar pet food brand.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

Online information about the manufacturing of Ashland Farms pet food is scarce. Some sources suggest Sunshine Mills, Inc. produces the pet food, and information on the packaging indicates that the product is distributed by Midwood Brands, LLC.

Sunshine Mills is responsible for brands like Evolve and Triumph. They also have a robust private-label program with manufacturing facilities spread throughout the southeastern United States. Midwood Brands, LLC is headquartered in Chesapeake, VA.

Family Dollar doesn’t state when the Ashland Farms brand was launched but Family Dollar stores first opened in 1959 and Sunshine Mills was founded a decade earlier. No specific information is available about the sourcing of Ashland Farm’s pet food ingredients. We weigh such a lack of information heavily when rating pet foods.

Recall History

Ashland Farms cat food has never been recalled at the manufacturing level. It has, however, been recalled at the retail level along with numerous other products stored and shipped from a Family Dollar Distribution Center in West Memphis, Arkansas.

Family Dollar initiated the pet food recall voluntarily in February of 2022 following an FDA inspection that revealed rats in the company’s distribution center. The recall included a long list of products that were shipped from the warehouse to 404 Family Dollar stores. The FDA’s announcement of the recall mentions the hazards associated with rodents in the facility, including the potential presence of Salmonella.

There’s no indication that Family Dollar received consumer complaints or reports of illness related to Ashland Farms pet food involved in the recall. Stores that received shipments of affected products were temporarily closed and Family Dollar appears to have followed best practices in responding to and communicating about the issue.

What Kinds of Cat Food Does Ashland Farms Offer?

The Ashland Farms brand offers a limited selection of dry cat food, wet cat food, and treats. Product availability appears to vary from one store to another and recipes may change depending on the ingredients available to the manufacturer.

Some of the products Ashland Farms offers include:

• Choice Mix Premium Dry Cat Food
• Healthy Essentials Premium Dry Cat Food
• Beef Dinner in Gravy Wet Cat Food
• Chicken & Tuna Dinner Wet Cat Food

Ashland Farms dry cat food relies heavily on refined grains, animal by-products, and artificial additives. Though the Healthy Essentials dry food I reviewed includes several named protein sources like chicken by-product meal and white fish meal, the list of ingredients is heavily skewed toward low-value plant ingredients. The brand’s wet cat food products are no better.

Though they rely less on carbohydrate fillers, the only Ashland Farms wet cat foods I could find included the words “flavor” and “dinner” in the product name. The term “dinner” falls under the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) 25% rule. This rule states that the named ingredient need only comprise 10% of the total product (25% by weight without water). The flavor rule doesn’t dictate minimums, only that a listed ingredient provides the flavor.

What Did Our Test Cats Think?

While I didn’t have a high opinion of Ashland Farms’ quality going into testing, I suspected my cats might feel differently. What cheap cat foods like this lack in nutritional value and species-appropriateness, they often make up for in general appeal.

As suspected, Ashland Farm’s heavy use of animal fats and flavors made this brand a hit with my cats.

What Do Customers Think of Ashland Farms Cat Food?

Because Ashland Farms cat food is only sold through Family Dollar, online customer reviews are pretty scarce. While Family Dollar has a presence on Trustpilot and Consumer Affairs, few reviews mention their pet food brand specifically.

Positive Reviews

“Bought this bag specifically for a kitten. He ate it really well with no complaints and is currently six months old. The other flavor in this brand did not receive the same enthusiasm though. He will have a full bowl and act like I’m starving him so I need to go back to this one now.” —HappyJack reviewing Ashland Farms Choice Mix Premium Dry Cat Food on FamilyDollar.com, February 2023

“Cats and weaned kittens love this brand. It is small enough for the kittens and tasty enough to not have to mix any wet food in with it.” —Wags reviewing Ashland Farms Healthy Essentials Premium Cat Food on FamilyDollar.com, September 2023

Though positive reviews for Ashland Farms are very limited, several happy cat owners mention the product’s low price and high appeal for their cats. A few customers who had a good experience compared Ashland Farms to other popular brands like Meow Mix and 9Lives.

Negative Reviews

“I bought this on a whim because I was broke and my cat needed food. I will admit I ended up buying it because of the way the packaging looked—it seemed to look like it was more on the natural side vs big corporations. My cat absolutely refuses to eat this!! I researched the ingredients and they are all fillers and trash! I do not recommend!” —Yo Momma reviewing Ashland Farms Choice Mix Premium Dry Cat Food on FamilyDollar.com, March 2023

“I don’t know what this food is made of. None of the cats will eat it. I purchased this food three times and had to throw it away each time. What is in this food that a starving cat won’t eat it? Never will purchase again.” —KSBS reviewing Ashland Farms Healthy Essentials Premium Cat Food on FamilyDollar.com, November 2022

Negative reviews of Ashland Farms cat food center largely around the poor quality of the ingredients. Many cats seem to refuse the food entirely and some who did eat it experienced digestive upset or vomited shortly after.

How Much Does Ashland Farms Cat Food Cost?

Pricing on Ashland Farms cat food may vary among individual retailers but, overall, it’s one of the least expensive cat food brands on the market. Similarly priced to economy brands like Fancy Feast and Meow Mix, this cat food won’t strain your budget.

When I purchased it, Ashland Farms wet cat food cost $0.95 per 5.5-ounce can and the dry food cost $11 for a 12-pound bag. That makes the per-ounce price of Ashland Farms dry food just under $0.06.

While Ashland Farms cat food is undeniably cheap, it’s not very energy- or nutrient-dense. The high concentration of refined grains and other non-species-appropriate ingredients means your cat won’t be able to absorb nutrients as efficiently from this food as they would a more meat-based diet. They may end up needing to eat larger portions and that, combined with the poor biological value, also means more mess in the litter box.

Where Is Ashland Farms Cat Food Sold?

Because Ashland Farms is a private-label brand, it’s only sold by Family Dollar. Availability may vary among various stores, so use the Store Locator to see what local stores have in stock.

You can also order via the Family Dollar website but product selection is limited and small-volume products may require a minimum order. For example, the minimum purchase amount for the 15-ounce bag is six bags.

Though you can’t purchase Ashland Farms cat food from major online retailers like Amazon and Chewy, you may be able to order it online from your store of choice and have it delivered by a company that delivers groceries like Instacart.