American Journey cat food has become an increasingly popular brand in recent years. As cat owners search for high quality, affordable cat foods made with natural ingredients, American Journey has emerged as a top contender.
In this in-depth review, I'll provide a detailed overview of American Journey cat food, including:
- An introduction to the brand and key product lines
- Analysis of ingredients, nutrition, and recall history
- Reviews of specific recipes and product performance
- How it compares to competitors like Blue Buffalo and Wellness
- My experiences feeding it to my own cats
- And final recommendations on whether it's worth the cost
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| American Journey Cat Food |
An Introduction to American Journey Cat Food
American Journey is the pet food brand created exclusively for Chewy.com by the well-known manufacturer Simmons Pet Food. Simmons produces many popular pet food brands, including Blue Buffalo, and launched American Journey as a more affordable alternative.
According to Chewy, American Journey recipes are made with real meat, fruits and vegetables as the first ingredients. They contain no corn, wheat or soy. The brand promotes the use of natural, high quality ingredients with lots of animal protein.
American Journey has three main product lines:
- Original Recipe: Chicken first recipes with grain-free or grain-inclusive options
- Wild Game Recipe: Recipes made with unique proteins like rabbit, duck, venison, etc.
- Limited Ingredient Diet: Limited ingredient recipes for cats with food sensitivities
The recipes are moderately priced, ranging from around $1.20 to $2.50 per pound. This makes them 20-30% cheaper on average than premium brands like Blue Buffalo but priced higher than grocery store brands.
So how does American Journey deliver quality and nutritional value at a more budget-friendly price point? Let's take a closer look at the ingredients.
Analysis of American Journey Cat Food Ingredients
When reviewing any cat food, an in-depth look at the ingredient list is absolutely essential. This reveals a lot about the true quality and nutritional value of the products.
Here's a detailed overview of what goes into American Journey cat food:
Animal Protein Sources
Chicken, Turkey, Salmon: American Journey primarily uses chicken, turkey, and salmon meals as protein sources. Meals contain up to 300% more protein than fresh meats.
Novel proteins: Some recipes feature rabbit, duck, venison and other novel proteins. This is beneficial for cats with food allergies.
Fish Oils: Added for omega fatty acids, support skin/coat health.
Fruits & Vegetables
Tomatoes, carrots, cranberries : Provide antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. High quality sources.
No corn, wheat, soy: Free of common allergens and low cost fillers.
Moderate carbohydrates: Around 30-40% carbs, which is ideal for most cats.
Fiber: Added to support digestion. American Journey has 3-6% fiber.
Other Notable Ingredients
Taurine: Essential amino acid cats cannot synthesize alone. American Journey has adequate taurine levels.
Natural flavorings: Used instead of artificial flavor enhancers.
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Overall, American Journey appears to use high quality sources of proteins, fruits/veggies, fiber and supplements. The ingredients match up well with premium brands.
However, it is worth noting American Journey does make some use of pea proteins. Many brands have started adding pea protein as a cheap way to boost protein percentages. Cats digest meat proteins better than plant proteins. Still, at around 7-11%, the pea protein levels remain reasonable.
Next, let's see how all these ingredients add up in terms of nutrition.
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| American Journey Cat Food |
Nutritional Analysis of American Journey Cat Food
When we look at the guaranteed analysis percentages, American Journey provides excellent nutritional value:
- Crude protein = min 37%. This meets AAFCO recommendations for kittens and adult cats. Indicative of high protein sources.
- Crude fat = min 18%. Excellent for providing energy and maintaining weight.
- Crude fiber = max 6%. Great for digestion. Most competitor brands provide 3-4%.
- Moisture = 78% for canned. Canned food has high moisture levels which is beneficial for hydration.
Digging deeper into actual micronutrient levels through third-party testing reveals American Journey also delivers ample vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, etc. Taurine levels meet the 0.1% minimum requirement.
Caloric density varies between 325 - 415 calories per cup for dry kibble. This gives flexibility to feed more or less depending on your cat's energy needs.
In summary, the nutrition facts and testing indicate American Journey provides complete and balanced nutrition. The percentages and micronutrients reflect a high quality diet.
Now let's take a look at recall history and safety.
American Journey Cat Food Recall History
When reviewing any cat food brand, an important question is how safe is their manufacturing and supply chain? Are there any recalls involving harmful contaminants?
Here is the American Journey recall background:
No recalls to date. American Journey has not had any product recalls since its launch in 2016.
Produced by a major manufacturer. Simmons Pet Food has been producing pet food since 1949, with extensive quality controls in place.
FDA facility inspections. The FDA has completed audits of the American Journey production facilities with no major compliance issues.
This provides assurance around American Journey's safety standards and lack of recalls. However, as a relatively new brand, the track record is limited. We will have to keep monitoring if any future recalls emerge.
In-Depth Reviews of American Journey Cat Food Recipes
Now that we've covered the brand background, ingredients and nutrition profiles, let's take a detailed look at some of American Journey's top recipes.
I'll share my firsthand experiences with taste, digestibility and health impacts after feeding these formulas to my own two cats over the past year.
American Journey Limited Ingredient Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe
Primary proteins: Salmon meal, salmon, menhaden fish meal
Other ingredients: Sweet potatoes, peas, pea protein, canola oil, natural flavor etc.
Nutrition profile: 37% protein, 18% fat, 3% fiber, 10% moisture
Out of American Journey's limited ingredient line, I found the salmon and sweet potato recipe to provide excellent digestive support for my sensitive cat. She struggles with dryness and hairballs on many formulas.
Within 2 weeks of transitioning to this limited ingredient food, her coat looked noticeably shinier. Her chronic intermittent vomiting also decreased in frequency by around 50%. She clearly had no issues tolerating the limited salmon protein or digesting this simpler recipe.
The biggest downside is higher carbohydrates from the sweet potatoes and peas. However, this is typical for limited ingredient diets. The boosted fiber from sweet potato helps support digestion.
For cats with sensitivities, this is one of the better limited ingredient recipes available for a moderate price point. Just monitor weight, as some cats gain on the extra carbs.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
American Journey Chicken & Turkey Meal Recipe (Grain-Inclusive)
Primary proteins: Chicken meal, turkey meal, chicken fat
Other ingredients: Brewers rice, barley, chicken liver, vitamins/minerals
-Nutrition profile: 39% protein, 19% fat, 3% fiber, 10% moisture
This was the first American Journey recipe I tried with my cats. I wanted to test a chicken-based grain-inclusive option as a safe starting point.
The chicken and turkey combination proved to be a winner in terms of taste and digestibility. Both my cats eagerly finished each meal. I didn't observe any vomiting or incidents of diarrhea.
Their energy levels remained consistently high on this formula. One cat did start putting on some weight, so I had to portion control the kibble carefully. The relatively low fiber and high fat content can lead to obesity for some cats.
For the cost, this delivers a tasty chicken-based recipe with decent nutrition. However, the grain-inclusive recipes don't quite match the higher quality of the grain-free line.
Rating: 4 / 5
American Journey Grain-Free Rabbit & Duck Recipe
Primary proteins: Rabbit meal, duck meal, garbanzo beans
Other ingredients: Peas, lentils, pea protein, rabbit fat, natural flavor
Nutrition profile: 34% protein, 18% fat, 6% fiber, 10% moisture
Searching for more unique proteins for my allergy-prone cat, I also sampled the grain-free rabbit and duck recipe. She happily gobbled this formula each meal.
The higher fiber content from lentils and garbanzo beans really helped with digestion. Her stool quality and volume both improved on this diet. I also noticed slightly silkier fur.
However, the lower protein and use of plant proteins means this wouldn't work as well for very active cats. Those with higher energy needs may lose muscle mass.
For low activity adult cats, this unique protein recipe provides quality nutrition in a novel formula that avoids common allergens.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
American Journey Turkey & Chicken Recipe (Grain-Free)
Primary proteins: Turkey meal, chicken meal, chicken fat
Other ingredients: Peas, chickpeas, pea protein, flaxseed, natural flavor
Nutrition profile: 38% protein, 18% fat, 4% fiber, 10% moisture
Of all the American Journey recipes I tested, this turkey and chicken grain-free formula delivered the best results in my cats.
They absolutely love the taste - my picky boy cat actually licks his bowl clean after meals now! Their energy levels, lean body composition, stools, urine and coats all indicate excellent nutrition and digestibility.
The combination of poultry meals as the first two ingredients provides a powerhouse protein punch. This really helps maintain athleticism in active, energetic cats. Digestion is easy with moderate fiber and moisture.
If I had to recommend just one American Journey recipe to start with, this would be it. You really can't go wrong with this poultry-based grain-free formula for healthy, grown cats.
Rating: 5 / 5
Comparing American Journey To Other Brands
How does American Journey stack up against the competition? Here's a brief comparison of pros and cons versus similar brands:
Blue Buffalo
- Very similar ingredient quality and nutrition profiles
- American Journey has slightly fewer formulation options
- More affordable - about 15% lower cost than Blue Buffalo.
- American Journey has better quality ingredients
- Much higher protein content from meals instead of by-products
- Similar pricing on some recipes
Iams
- No comparison - American Journey is far superior quality
- Costs only about 25% more than low-grade Iams food
Wellness CORE
- Very close competition between these brands
- Wellness has higher protein percentages on some recipes
- American Journey more affordable at about 20% less price wise
So the main advantage of American Journey is providing nutrition comparable to premium brands like Blue Buffalo and Wellness at a more budget-friendly price point. This makes it ideal for cat owners seeking quality on a budget.
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Is American Journey Cat Food Worth The Price?
At the end of the day, is American Journey worth the price you pay? Here's my take:
- The ingredient quality and nutrition profiles are impressive for the moderate price. It delivers premium nutrition for more cost-conscious cat owners.
- The production safety standards are excellent - with no recalls to date and oversight from a major manufacturer. I felt confident feeding it long-term.
- Digestibility and palatability are very good across recipes. Picky cats seem to enjoy the taste.
- Formulation variety lags some competitor brands. But the core recipes cover all key dietary needs.
- Overall value is exceptional. It's probably the best quality cat food available for under $2.00 per pound.
For cats with sensitive stomachs or allergies, I always recommend consulting your vet before switching foods. But American Journey is absolutely worth trying for the average healthy cat.
It delivers quality nutrition and solid safety standards at cheaper prices than most premium pet food brands. If cost is a key factor, American Journey is arguably the best bet for natural cat food under $2/pound.
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Final Verdict: An Impressive Cat Food for the Price
After extensively sampling numerous American Journey recipes, closely analyzing their ingredient quality, and feeding it exclusively to my own cats for over a year, I can confidently recommend this brand.
American Journey manages to blend premium quality ingredients into nutritionally balanced recipes cats love at moderate prices. As an affordable alternative to brands like Blue and Wellness, it delivers remarkable value and quality.
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I would recommend pet owners wanting natural nutrition without the premium prices give American Journey a try. It has exceeded my expectations and proved itself to be a healthy, safe diet both my cats have thrived on.
Just be sure to transition gradually between foods, feed the appropriate amounts based on your cat's size and activity level, and monitor their condition closely when starting out. Every cat is different, but American Journey provides stellar nutrition for the cost.
Have you fed your cats American Journey food? What were your experiences with it? Let me know in the comments below!