Last updated Apr 13, 2023
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
We’ve rated Smallbatch Pets on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Smallbatch Pets cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Smallbatch Pets 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.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 9/10
- Ingredient Quality – 9/10
- Product Variety – 8/10
- Price – 7/10
- Customer Experience – 7/10
- Recall History – 4/10
Overall Score: 7.3/10
In total, we give Smallbatch Pets cat food a 44 out of 60 rating or a B grade.
About Smallbatch Pets
Smallbatch Pets is a small, family-owned company based in San Francisco, California. The seeds that eventually grew into Smallbatch were planted in 2003 and they started making fresh pet food in San Francisco kitchens using humanely raised meat and organic veggies in 2004. By 2005 their home delivery operations had begun, and they opened their first brick-and-mortar store in 2007.
Today, Smallbatch Pets has expanded throughout California and out into the world. Though they’ve outgrown the size of their original San Francisco kitchen, Smallbatch hasn’t outgrown their principles. They remain devoted to providing pets with high-quality, nutritious pet foods made with fresh, local, and sustainable ingredients.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
When it comes to Smallbatch Pets pet foods, all ingredients are carefully selected and held to high company standards. This company uses hormone- and antibiotic-free meats, organic herbs and vegetables, and pure nutritional supplements. Their beef is pasture-raised and their poultry free-range.
Their ingredients are gathered from local, sustainable sources as much as possible to ensure unbeatable safety and premium quality. Smallbatch Pets believes “in raw nutrition the way nature intended,” so they never use synthetic vitamin packs – supplemental nutrition comes from whole food sources.
Though originally produced in San Francisco, Smallbatch has opened a second production facility in Oregon. This facility sources ingredients from Oregon, Colorado, and Washington.
Recall History
Despite their commitment to quality and safety, Smallbatch Pets has two recalls in their history. Because their products are raw, there is an inherently higher risk of contamination with foodborne pathogens, but there have been no reports of pet or consumer illness.
Smallbatch issued a voluntary recall in 2016 after FDA testing of a single lot of Frozen Duckbatch Sliders indicated potential salmonella contamination. Independent lab test results for the sample were negative. In 2017, Smallbatch recalled one of their frozen chicken products over concerns of potential salmonella contamination.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Smallbatch Pets Offer?
Smallbatch offers an assortment of nutritional complete raw diets for dogs and cats. They offer raw frozen patties, lightly cooked recipes, and freeze-dried formulas for dogs.
Smallbatch also offers raw frozen sliders for cats and a line of Smallbatch Blends chubs for dogs and cats. These are available in meat-only varieties featuring proteins like chicken, beef, turkey, rabbit, duck, and lamb. There are also a few meat-and-veggie blends available.
What Do Customers Think of Smallbatch Pets Cat Food?
Unlike many pet food companies, Smallbatch doesn’t post customer reviews on their website. In fact, we had a hard time finding many customer reviews at all. The only reviews we were able to consistently find were for Smallbatch Pets’ freeze-dried sliders for dogs sold on Amazon.
Let’s take a look at a few reviews from some of the most popular recipes from Smallbatch Pets. Keep in mind, these are reviews for their freeze-dried dog patties.
Positive Reviews
“My parents were recommended small batch dog food for their dogs, who were eating regular kibble and having some health problems. Seeing the way their health, coat texture, and even demeanor improved after regularly eating small batch, I decided to feed my dog the same way. He absolutely loves it, particularly the beef flavor. Even though it’s pretty expensive for dog food (especially if you have a bigger dog), I find it’s well worth it to see my dog so happy and healthy.”- Amazon Customer reviewing Smallbatch Pets Freeze-Dried Beefbatch
“I love this product – it’s my number one pick for raw. My dog loves it, and the patties are easy to crumble and rehydrate. I like the ethos of the company, and the sourcing of the ingredients.”- Eloisebig reviewing Smallbatch Pets Freeze-Dried Chickenbatch Sliders
Negative Reviews
“Our black lab mix dog is not normally a picky eater, but he won’t touch this food. I even tried mixing it with other food. It does smell pretty bad when I am mixing in the water. I am thinking that freeze dried food is not for him.”- Sarah Johnson reviewing Smallbatch Pets Freeze-Dried Turkeybatch Sliders
“When I ordered this product it seemed fine at first. My dog loves this raw dog food and this flavor is her favorite but just after a few weeks she wouldn’t eat it anymore. It started smelling off, almost like a bad chemical smell or something. She’s only 4 years old and is in fantastic health, so for here to turn down her favorite food told me it was bad. Very disappointing and I’m afraid to try another batch at this point in time.”- Cheryl reviewing Smallbatch Pets Freeze-Dried Lambbatch Sliders
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
Biscuit was a big fan of Small Batch Pets’ raw rabbit flavor. She is allergic to chicken, so rabbit is a major part of her diet and she loves it raw! Kate Barrington / Cats.com
To write this review, I purchased as many different recipes of Smallbatch Pets raw frozen cat food as I could find. Unfortunately, because this brand is only sold in small, independent, and specialty pet food stores, my options were very limited. I was able to find one store in my area that carried Smallbatch and they had two cat food formulas: Turkeybatch Sliders and Rabbit Blend.
On the whole, my test cats really loved Smallbatch Pets. They normally eat a rabbit-based diet because my one cat has allergies to chicken and beef, so I loved the fact that Smallbatch offers rabbit formulas. I didn’t mind that the Rabbit Blend wasn’t nutritionally complete because I feed a mixture of nutritionally complete dry food and wet, fresh, or raw food.
The Turkeybatch Sliders come in a resealable bag filled with about 48 one-ounce sliders. Because the sliders themselves are only one ounce, they are easy to thaw for daily feeding. The Rabbit Blend, on the other hand, just comes in the 2-pound roll so I had to thaw the entire thing.
Smallbatch Pets Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Smallbatch Pets Turkeybatch Sliders Raw Frozen Food | Raw | Turkey | 34 kcal/slider | $0.42 per oz | A- |
| Smallbatch Pets Beefbatch Sliders Raw Frozen Food | Raw | Beef | 59 kcal/slider | $0.42 per oz | A- |
| Smallbatch Pets Rabbit Blend Raw Frozen Food | Raw | Rabbit | 52 kcal/oz. | $0.62 per oz | B |
#1 Smallbatch Pets Turkeybatch Sliders Raw Frozen Food
Like most of Smallbatch Pets’ raw frozen pet foods, this recipe comes in the form of small sliders. Each 1-ounce slider contains about 34 calories and provides complete and balanced nutrition.
This particular recipe features 97% humanely raised and harvested turkey with 2% natural supplements and 1% organic produce. Not only does this recipe contain raw turkey, but it includes nutritious turkey organs and raw bone as well.
Aside from plenty of species-appropriate protein and moisture, this recipe contains a few added plant ingredients but nothing harmful. These ingredients don’t significantly increase the carbohydrate content of the formula and they provide whole food sources of key nutrients to negate the need for too many synthetic supplements.
Overall, this is a species-appropriate source of animal protein with moderate healthy fat and low carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Turkey, Turkey Necks, Turkey Livers, Turkey Hearts, Turkey Gizzards, Salmon Oil, Organic Dandelion Greens, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Kelp, Organic Bee Pollen, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Cranberries, Vitamin E Supplement.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Turkey Turkey Necks Turkey Livers Turkey Hearts Turkey Gizzards Salmon Oil |
None | None |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made with 97% humanely raised turkey
- Packed with animal protein, organs, and bone
- Free from artificial additives, by-products, and fillers
- Rich in moisture and highly digestible
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Contains a few unnecessary plant ingredients
#2 Smallbatch Pets Beefbatch Sliders Raw Frozen Food
Similar to the previous recipe, this raw frozen formula features 97% humanely raised animal protein (from beef) along with organ meats and raw bone. Salmon oil provides a nutritious source of omega-3 fatty acids while organic produce helps ensure balanced nutrition.
One thing to keep in mind with this formula is that the calorie content per slider is nearly 75% higher than the previous recipe but the feeding guidelines are the same. Keep an eye on your cat’s body weight and condition, making adjustments as needed.
It’s worth mentioning that both of these raw frozen formulas have fairly high phosphorus content — both are measured over 1% on a dry matter basis. While phosphorus plays a role in maintaining healthy bones and teeth, excess phosphorus can be problematic for cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). VCA recommendations for phosphorus intake for cats with CKD are between 0.3% and 0.6% dry matter.
Just keep an eye on some of the raw blends which contain only meat, organs, and raw bones as these may be higher in phosphorus.
Cats with kidney disease may require lower phosphorus levels which means you may want to avoid Smallbatch Pets’ raw pet foods if your cat has CKD.
Ingredients
Beef, Beef Hearts, Beef Livers, Beef Kidneys, Beef Bone, Salmon Oil, Organic Dandelion Greens, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Kelp, Organic Bee Pollen, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Cranberries, Vitamin E Supplement.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Beef Beef Hearts Beef Livers Beef Kidneys Beef Bone Salmon Oil |
None | Beef |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made with 97% humanely raised grass-fed beef
- Rich in moisture, highly digestible
- Salmon oil provides omega-3 fatty acids
- Free from artificial additives and synthetic supplements
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Contains a few unnecessary plant ingredients
#3 Smallbatch Pets Rabbit Blend Raw Frozen Food
While Smallbatch Pets’ frozen sliders are considered complete and balanced, their raw blends are not. Available in a variety of different protein options, these blends come in 2-pound tubes made with meat-only or meat and veggies.
This Smallbatch Pets Rabbit Blend recipe is packed with species-appropriate animal protein from whole rabbits, including the bones and organ meats. The ingredients are ground to 3/16th inch which gives them a fine, palatable texture my cats found easy to eat.
Overall, this is a protein-packed raw frozen cat food intended for rotational or supplemental feeding only. It is high in protein and moisture with moderate fat and no added carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Whole Rabbits Including Bones, Rabbit Livers, Rabbit Hearts, Rabbit Kidneys, Rabbit Lungs
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Rabbit Rabbit Liver Rabbit Heart Rabbit Kidney Rabbit Lungs |
None | None |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Contains only rabbit muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Raw frozen formula rich in moisture
- Ideal for supplemental or rotational feeding
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Not a complete and balanced recipe
How Much Does Smallbatch Pets Cat Food Cost?
As a raw cat food, Smallbatch Pets is significantly more expensive than the average kibble. A 2-pound chub or a 3-pound bag of sliders costs around $19.99, though there may be some variation depending on the recipe. I was only able to find the Turkeybatch Sliders and Rabbitblend roll in my area.
It’s difficult to say how much it would cost to feed your cat Smallbatch since we have limited pricing information to go on. For a 10-pound cat, however, Smallbatch recommends feeding 4 sliders per day which amounts to about $1.67 per day. The raw chubs are primarily designed for supplemental feeding.
Overall, Is Smallbatch Pets Cat Food a Good Choice?
Smallbatch Pets is a great option for anyone looking to feed their cat a high-quality raw food diet. Their sliders offer complete and balanced nutrition with a wide array of protein choices, most of which are single-source proteins. If you’re just looking to switch up your cat’s diet, Smallbatch Pets raw blends are a great option, though they are only recommended for rotational or supplemental feeding.
As is true for any pet food product, it’s important to know what you’re buying. Smallbatch uses high-quality ingredients and seems to source those ingredients responsibly, but it’s still your job to make the right choice for your cat. Cats with kidney disease may require lower phosphorus levels which means you may want to avoid Smallbatch Pets’ raw blends. Many of their sliders, on the other hand, fall within the 0.3% to 0.6% recommended range.
Generally speaking, Smallbatch seems to offer quality products at a decent price, though you’ll certainly pay more for raw in general. If your cat has allergies to common proteins, their single protein recipes could be a benefit and their raw blends are a great way to introduce your cat to raw food without changing his entire diet all at once.
Where Is Smallbatch Pets Cat Food Sold?
Smallbatch Pets is a San Francisco-based company that primarily sells on the West Coast. Over the past few years, however, they have expanded throughout the country and can be found in some independent retailers and specialty pet food shops. Online, your best bet is the freeze-dried formulas which are sold on Amazon.
My cats love Small Batch sliders, I’ve fed both pork and chicken for years. However, it doesn’t matter if they love it if it’s not available. I order 8 or more at a time from our local shop. Last time I ordered it took 2 months to get it from the distributor. I just ordered more last week. I thought I’d split the order between the 2 local shops in case one didn’t get it. Got calls from both – not one bag. Last time I emailed Small Batch they blamed it on the distributor, but the distributor has to get it from them, right? And I’m sure both shops didn’t make a mistake and not place my order. In fact they’re both great so I’m sure neither of them did that. No more Small Batch for me.
I’ve been feeding my rescue kitty for the last six years Small Batch cat food. When I first learned about this company I talked to an owner of a local independent pet food store who was getting a delivery of this product. My cat was eating “Rad Cat” raw cat food but the price point seemed better w/ Small Batch. The store owner said that this company was sourcing a good bit of the ingredients here in Lane County, Oregon where I live.
My cat is 10 years old and the only time she’s needed vet care was for accidents or a cat fight (she lost). The amount of money we save by NOT taking her to the vet is WELL WORTH the price of her raw cat food. Small Batch is a very good company and we can count on their attention to quality!
I appreciate this detailed review. I’ve been feeding my cat Primal, but I just saw that the FDA found salmonella in their factory and from the tone of the article, Primal wasn’t doing much about it??
Yeah, there have been some troubling reports about Primal recently! More details: https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/primal-pet-foods-inc-645467-02212023
Thank you for this information. I was thinking about giving Primal to my cats but not now.
I have been feeding my 10 month old cat freeze dried cat food from SmallBatchCat, Quest, and Northwestern Naturals. I hydrate all of these with warm water or warm unsalted chicken broth. I have been pleased with all 3 of these brands. I found all Freeze dried cat foods are expensive compared to dry kibble but I have been listening to warnings about feeding dry kibble to cats – too many carbs and too dry.
We have two rescues that we fostered (and then adopted) who are about 4 months old. We live in Texas and can thankfully get this product at Tomlinson’s without difficulty. It’s definitely pricey at $25 a bag. The kittens have this as a supplemental feeding with their Nulo dry kibble and they love it. I’ve only ever used the chicken version. Karma has always preferred the SmallBatch raw but lately her sister KiKi has been hogging the raw bowl. They like it so much they will lick it clean within 20 minutes. For me, I defrost them slightly on a really low defrost setting of the microwave for 10 seconds and then add a little warm water to make it more soupy. I do this as another way to increase their water intake (I’ve had cats in the past with kidney issues) since they also get dry kibble. Plus it makes sure no dried-out pieces are sticking to the side of the food bowl. Once it dries out the kittens won’t eat it and at that cost, I don’t like to see it wasted.
Sounds like you’ve figured out a good system, Carolyn. Glad to hear your cats are liking the food!