Caru Cat Food Review

We’ve rated Caru cat food on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Caru cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.

The Cats.com Standard—Rating Caru Food on What Matters

We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.

In total, we give Caru food a 49 out of 60 rating or a A- grade.

About Caru Food

Caru is a cat and dog food company known for producing high-quality, human-grade pet foods. All of their products feature USDA inspected poultry or meat with responsibly sourced fruit and veggies. Their recipes are crafted in small batches and made in the USA.

The brand was founded in 2010 by Pamela and Adrian Pettyan, both Canadian medical professionals who spent many years running a healthcare center for families in their local community. Their passion for healthcare in humans carried over into their lives as pet parents when their beloved Golden Retriever, Karu, began suffering from chronic health problems.

Using what they learned through their medical practice, the Pettyans began feeding Karu a homemade diet. He improved quickly and dramatically. Inspired by this amazing transformation, the couple began working with an animal Ph.D. nutritionist to create a complete line of nourishing dog and cat foods.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

Caru is a family-owned business based in the United States but run by two Canadian medical professionals. All products are produced in the United States with the exception of Daily Dish Smoothies which are made with human-grade ingredients in a human food plant in Thailand.

All of Caru’s ingredients are human-grade and, because their products are processed in human food facilities, the products themselves are accurately classified as human-grade. Their products are made in plants certified by the USDA in small, “artisan” batches.

Caru sources their ingredients from the United States with the exception of some of their vitamins and minerals which comes from Europe and/or Japan. Their tapioca starch is sourced from Thailand and their Daily Dish Smoothies are made in Thailand using ingredients from non-China sources.

Recall History

To our knowledge, Caru has never had a product recall.

What Kinds of Cat Food Does Caru Offer?

Caru offers a variety of natural, healthy stews for cats as well as a limited assortment of treats.

The Caru Classics line of stews are made from 100% human-grade, non-GMO ingredients including USDA inspected poultry or meat. They are rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration and made with a limited number of ingredients, making them a good option for picky eaters and cats with food allergies.

Caru offers two flavors of squeezable cat treats in the Daily Dish Smoothies line: chicken and tuna. They also offer three flavors of single-protein cat treats: chicken, salmon, and tuna.

Caru also offers a selection of bone broths for dogs and cats.

What Do Customers Think of Caru Food?

Caru doesn’t appear to be one of the biggest cat food brands out there, so we weren’t able to find a large selection of reviews. You can purchase the majority of their products on Chewy which is where we found the most customer reviews.

Most Caru products on Chewy have a 3.5- to 4-star rating with an average of 30 to 50 reviews.

Many customers are pleased with the quality of the ingredients, though some found the consistency of the stew too liquid. Others complained about the packaging and the large 6-ounce volume, though the cartons are specifically designed to be resealed and later recycled.

Let’s take a look at a few reviews from some of the most popular recipes from Caru.

Positive Reviews

“All three of my cats like the chicken. It is a good quality of human grade food that is good for cats. After reading a lot on what other pet foods are made from it just makes you sick that they feed our loving pets such garbage. I don’t think I would ever buy anything else but good quality for my family of three.” – Linda reviewing Caru Classic Chicken Stew

“I bought this for my cat after she had dental surgery (6 teeth removed) because I figured she’d like to have something soft to eat. So I gave her a small bowl of it, then started using it to soften her dry food. She goes crazy for it! I bought some of the less expensive, regular chicken broth for cats and dogs, too, but she didn’t seem to like it. I’m giving her this stuff as a treat now.” – IrisG reviewing Caru Free-Range Chicken Bone Broth

Negative Reviews

“When I opened the first one, I thought it looked awful. But the cats loved it! That’s all the proof I needed. My only complaint is the packaging. One package is way too much for one cat, and it’s difficult to split it up between them. I ended up spooning it out across the 3 bowls, but it was awkward. I’ll think of it as an option, but really hope they change the packaging. Maybe pouches?” – Jain reviewing Caru Classic Wild Salmon & Turkey Stew

“I thought this would be a good choice for my Maine Coone cat, who is in declined health due to renal failure and hyperthyroidism. At first, it looked promising as he started to eat it, but he walked away and hasn’t eaten it since. My other cats weren’t fans of it, either. I’ll be donating it to my vet or local SPCA.” – Smj999smj reviewing Caru Classic Turkey Stew

What Did Our Test Cats Think?

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

To write this review, I ordered a varied selection of Caru products. I ordered the Classic Turkey Stew Grain-Free Wet Cat Food, the salmon Daily Dish Smoothies, the tuna recipe Baked Bites treats, and the Daily Dish Pumpkin Broth. One of my cats is allergic to chicken, so I really appreciated all the single-protein recipes Caru has to offer.

I’ve started using bone broth to give my cats’ wet food a more gravy-like texture, so the pumpkin broth was a big hit when mixed with various wet foods. The turkey stew itself was very liquid, so I didn’t have to mix it with anything. My cats prefer gravy-heavy wet foods, so they loved the texture.

Overall, all of the Caru products I tried went over well. I had no issue with the resealable cartons, though I’ve used this type of packaging before. I did agree that the 6-ounce volume was pretty large but I have three cats, so it worked out well splitting it among the three of them as a supplement to dry food.

Caru Food – Top 3 Products Reviewed

#1 Caru Classic Turkey Stew Grain-Free Wet Food

$35.88 At Amazon $35.88 At Chewy

Made with wholesome natural ingredients and slow-cooked at low temperatures, this is a single-protein, moisture-rich wet cat food. This recipe features turkey as the main ingredient and sole protein source.

In addition to turkey, this formula contains egg whites as a supplemental source of protein. You’ll also find several plant ingredients including tapioca starch, sweet potato, carrots, and apple. We’d prefer to exclude plant-based ingredients like these, but they don’t appear to contribute significantly to the overall carbohydrate content which is very low.

One of the main benefits of this formula is the high moisture content. It has a very liquid texture which some cats may not like but it’s a great option for cats with dental issues and those with kidney disease who need plenty of moisture in their diet.

Overall, this is a moisture-rich, high-protein wet food with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.

Ingredients

Turkey, Turkey Broth, Tapioca Starch, Egg Whites, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Apples, Natural Flavor, Tricalcium Phosphate, Choline Bitartrate, Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Dandelion Greens, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Iodine Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite).

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Turkey Turkey Broth Egg Whites	Tapioca Starch	None

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 9%

Crude Fat: 2%

Crude Fiber: 1%

Moisture: 82%

Ash: 3.6%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 50%

Fat: 11.11%

Fiber: 5.56%

Carbs: 13.33%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 55.36%

Fat: 29.88%

Carbs: 14.76%

Pros

• Contains a single source of high-quality animal protein
• May be a good choice for picky eaters and cats with food allergies
• Rich in moisture, supports your cat’s hydration
• Very low carbohydrate content

Cons

• Contains some unnecessary plant ingredients
• Some find the texture too liquid

#2 Caru Classics Chicken Stew Grain-Free Wet Cat Food

$35.88 At Amazon $35.88 At Chewy

Very similar to the previous recipe, this chicken-based wet food is made with a single source of animal protein and is very high in moisture. Chicken is the main ingredient which may be a problem for cats with food allergies, but there are other single-protein recipes to choose from.

In addition to chicken, we see the same assortment of plant ingredients: tapioca starch, apples, carrots, and sweet potato. The total carbohydrate content is still very low, under 5% as fed.

Overall, this is a moisture-rich, high-protein wet food with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.

Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken Broth, Tapioca Starch, Egg Whites, Apples, Carrots, Sweet Potato, Natural Flavor, Tricalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, Dandelion Greens, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Iodine Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite).

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Chicken Chicken Broth Egg Whites	Tapioca Starch	Chicken

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 10%

Crude Fat: 3%

Crude Fiber: 1%

Moisture: 82%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 55.56%

Fat: 16.67%

Fiber: 5.56%

Carbs: 22.22%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 46.98%

Fat: 34.23%

Carbs: 18.79%

Pros

• Made with a single source of high-quality animal protein
• Rich in the moisture cats need for hydration
• Free from fillers, by-products, and artificial additives
• Very low carbohydrate content

Cons

• Contains some unnecessary plant ingredients
• Some find the texture too liquid

#3 Caru Soft ‘n Tasty Baked Bites Tuna Recipe Grain-Free Cat Treats

$5.48 At Amazon $5.48 At Chewy

Because all of Caru’s stews are pretty similar, I decided to include one of their cat treats in my selection of top recipes. I tried the tuna recipe, though you can also buy chicken and salmon flavor treats.

These cat treats are made with tuna as the first ingredient, but they do contain chicken. I didn’t realize this when I purchased them, so I had to avoid giving them to one of my cats who is allergic to chicken. The other two loved them, and I’m sure she would have too.

In addition to two high-quality sources of protein, these treats contain chickpeas, molasses, coconut glycerin, chicken broth, and skim milk as well as a little salt and fish oil.

Overall, these treats are certainly higher in quality than some on the market but there are a few ingredients I question the inclusion of. Chickpeas are a plant-based ingredient that cats really don’t need, and the beet molasses is a curious inclusion considering cats don’t have taste receptors for sweetness. They are, however, low in calories and cats seem to like them.

Ingredients

Tuna, Chicken, Chickpeas, Beet Molasses, Coconut Glycerin, Chicken Broth, Dried Cultured Skim Milk, Salt, Fish Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative).

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Tuna Chicken Chicken Broth Fish Oil	Chickpeas Beet Molasses Dried Cultured Skim Milk	Fish Chicken

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 34%

Crude Fat: 15%

Crude Fiber: 4%

Moisture: 24%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 44.74%

Fat: 19.74%

Fiber: 5.26%

Carbs: 30.26%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 36.39%

Fat: 38.99%

Carbs: 24.62%

Pros

• Two high-quality sources of animal protein
• Low in calories, just 3 kcal per treat
• Chewy texture cats seem to like

Cons

• Not a single-source protein recipe
• Contains some unnecessary plant ingredients

How Much Does Caru Food Cost?

Most of Caru’s wet cat food products seem to be priced right around $0.50 per ounce. Caru recommends feeding 1 carton a day per 6 to 8 pounds of body weight for a daily cost of around $3.00.

Because Caru cat foods are fairly low in calories, some cats may need more than Caru’s recommendations. The average 10-pound cat requires about 200 calories, or a little over 7 ounces of Caru wet food per day. The daily cost to feed a 10-pound cat would be about $3.60.

Overall, Is Caru Food A Good Choice?

Caru is one of the few cat food brands we’ve reviewed that is fully human-grade. This means that not only do they use human-grade ingredients, but their products are made in human food facilities. Even the recipes that are made in Thailand are made in human food facilities.

Not only does Caru use high-quality ingredients, but most of their products are very protein-focused and rich in moisture. Their stews have a much more liquid texture than many wet foods, but some cats may like it. It’s also a benefit for cats with dental problems and kidney issues.

Overall, Caru is moderately priced compared to brands like Open Farm, Koha,and Smalls that offer similar quality, though certainly on the higher end of the spectrum for wet food. They offer a fairly large selection of flavors for their stews, though they don’t offer any dry foods.

If you’re looking for a high-quality product to provide your cat with plenty of protein and moisture, we highly recommend Caru.

Where Is Caru Food Sold?

You may be able to find Caru cat food products in local and independent pet retailers, but the best place to purchase them is online from Chewy or Amazon. Caru provides a list of their in-store retail partners for both the United States and Canada on their website.