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Tiki Pets Cat Food Reviews: Top 5 Purr-fectly Delish Natural Meals

Updated: February 18, 2021 by Kristen Chapple

Growing up, in our house we always had the philosophy that “you are what you eat”, so eating foods that help me not just survive, but thrive, has always been important to me. I believe that good nutrition makes my life better, and I think that the same applies to my cat.

This means that I am always looking for the best cat foods that give her the kind of nutrients that she has evolved to eat in the wild, and do not include a lot of junk that doesn’t hold any nutritional value. I don’t eat junk food, and I don’t want my cat to either.

I was pretty excited when I came across Tiki Pets, as they seem to share this same philosophy. Cats are consummate carnivores, so Tiki has designed their recipes for cats to be high in meat-based proteins, and extremely low in carbohydrate fillers that find their way into many cat foods, but offer nothing of nutritional value. In fact, some of their recipes may even have too much meat to be something that you would want to feed your cat on a daily basis.

Below I will share a bit of background about Tiki Pets and their philosophy, information about what exactly goes inside their recipes, and my top five Tiki recipes that I would recommend buying for your cat.

In general, I am a fan of Tiki Pets’ cat foods and buy a wide range of their selection for my cat, though it is not something that I choose to feed her every day. Below I will go through my top five lines that they offer, and detail exactly what goes inside so that you can make up your own mind.

We chose Tiki Cat After Dark Chicken and Lamb as the number one product in Tiki Pets’ cat food line.

Tiki Cat Food Reviews

Product Details    
Tiki Cat After Dark Chicken and Lamb Canned Cat Food

 

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Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

 

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Tiki Cat Velvet Mousse Salmon Grain-Free Wet Cat Food

 

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Tiki Cat Hawaiian Grill Ahi Tuna Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

 

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Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Chicken Luau Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

 

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1. Tiki Cat After Dark Chicken and Lamb Canned Cat Food

This example from Tiki Pets’ After Dark line offers a mix of high-quality muscle meat and nutrient-rich organ meat that is designed to give cats all the nutrients they need, without any carbohydrates.

The main problem with this recipe is that it does not contain quite enough fat, and while the range seems large, all the After Dark dishes contain quite a lot of chicken.

Pros

  • High in protein
  • Made from named meats
  • No carbohydrates
  • Enriched with essential vitamins and minerals
  • Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives

Cons

  • Low in fat
  • Low in fiber
  • Basis of different flavors is the same

Looking down the ingredients list it is clear to see that this is a high-quality recipe, with named meats and organ meats making up the first five ingredients. The first five ingredients are all derived from chicken, but ingredient six is lamb, the other meat named on the label. All the dishes in the After Dark line have this same chicken-heavy basis with some other meat added to give your kitty a different flavor.

While your pet will enjoy this variation, it does mean that if you are feeding them different selections from this range daily, there is not much variation in their diet, as they are simply eating quite a bit of chicken every day.

This can be risky as cats are most likely to develop allergies to the meat that they eat the most. This means that, while this is a great dish, it probably is not something that you should feed your feline companion on a daily basis.

However, all credit to Tiki Pets for clearly indicating the chicken content of each dish in the name of the recipes. Many pet food companies would simply call this a ‘lamb dinner’, glossing over the chicken basis of the recipe.

This recipe contains no added carbohydrate-based thickener, so the mix of muscle and organ meat results in something that is high in animal-based protein, which cats need to thrive, and low in carbohydrates, which hold little nutritional value to our carnivorous cats.

The recipe, however, is pretty low in fat, which forms a notable part of cats’ diets in the wild, and also pretty low in fiber, which helps cats digest their food.

Like most quality cat foods, it is enriched with a range of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that cats need but can struggle to get from processed foods.

Nutritional Profile

  • Crude protein 13% minimum
  • Crude fat 2.3% minimum
  • Crude fiber 0.6% maximum
  • Moisture 82% maximum
  • 806 calories per kilogram

First Five Ingredients

  • Chicken broth
  • Chicken
  • Chicken Liver
  • Chicken Gizzard
  • Chicken Heart

This recipe offers felines just the kind of high animal-based protein that they need, but the meat used may, in fact, be a little bit too high-quality, as it is low in fat, and it would be good to see a bit more fat in this dish.

While it is an excellent recipe, be conscious about feeding it to Fluffy  on a daily basis as every variety contains chicken, so your pet may find itself developing an allergy.

Overall: Packed with Chicken Protein

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2. Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

Tiki Pets’ Luau line is simplicity in itself as it delivers quality animal meat in broth. The only problem with the recipe is that it lacks some of the fat and fiber that cats need, so they will need to get that elsewhere.

Pros

  • High in protein
  • Made from named animal meats
  • No carbohydrates
  • Pretty good variation between the different recipes
  • Enriched with essential vitamins and minerals

Cons

  • Low in fat
  • Low in fiber
  • Added fat is plant-based

All these recipes are pretty simple, just delivering high-quality meat in the most basic way possible. This is great in that it means that there are no nasty additives or unnecessary carbohydrates in the recipe, but it also means that the recipe is very low in both fat and fiber.

Tiki Cats added sunflower oil to the mixture as a source of fat, but this still does not elevate the fat level of this recipe to anything approaching what cats eat in the wild. Also, considering the carnivorous nature of cats, it would be good to see this added fat coming from a meat-based rather than plant-based sauce.

The lack of fiber is also a bit worrying in terms of digestion, and some cats may struggle with this dish, especially when they are initially transitioning. However, it is good to see the wide variety of recipes available in this line, minimizing concerns about overfeeding with certain meats.

Nutritional Profile

  • Crude protein 16% minimum
  • Crude fat 2.6% minimum
  • Crude fiber 0% maximum
  • Moisture 80% maximum
  • 863 calories per kilogram

First Five Ingredients

  • Chicken
  • Chicken Broth
  • Sunflower Seed Oil
  • Tricalcium Phosphate
  • Taurine

This simple recipe is a great way to give your pet lots of the meat-based protein that they need, and the variety of recipes means that they will stay interested and you don’t need to worry about overfeeding them certain meats. However, the recipe does not contain enough fat and fiber to be your cat’s exclusive food source.

Overall: Simple Meaty Goodness

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3. Tiki Cat Velvet Mousse Salmon Grain-Free Wet Cat Food

This Velvet recipe is very similar to Tiki’s other wet food recipe for felines, containing lots of healthy meat in a mousse formula that is easy to eat.

Pros

  • High in protein
  • Made from named meats
  • Low in carbohydrates
  • Easy to eat
  • Lots of recipe variation
  • Enriched with essential vitamins and minerals
  • Free from artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives

Cons

  • High in calories
  • Moderate fat
  • Sunflower oil as source of fat

This line from Tiki is very similar to their Luau line, which is a simple meat recipe with little else added, but this time delivered in a mousse that is easy to eat. This is great for older pets that have problems with their teeth.

However, what is not great for seniors is the very high-calorie content of this recipe, as they tend to be less active and therefore need fewer calories, so always feed in moderation.

Nutritional Profile

  • Crude protein 12% minimum
  • Crude fat 2% minimum
  • Crude fiber 1% maximum
  • Moisture 80% maximum
  • 996 calories per kilogram

First Five Ingredients

  • Salmon
  • Salmon Broth
  • Dried Egg
  • Sunflower Oil
  • Tricalcium Phosphate

This easy-to-eat, high protein formula makes a great nutritional treat, especially those with sensitive teeth. But again this is probably not a recipe you want to feed daily because it is low in both the fat and fiber that they need.

Overall: Protein for Sensitive Teeth

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Other Great Flavors:

4. Tiki Cat Hawaiian Grill Ahi Tuna Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

Tiki’s grill line is their seafood line, offering a surprisingly wide range of fish options for your cat.

Pros

  • High in protein
  • Offers a wide range of different fish options
  • Low in carbohydrates
  • Lots of recipe variation
  • Enriched with essential vitamins and minerals
  • Free from artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives

Cons

  • Low in fat
  • Low in fiber

Each of these fishes offers a different seafood treat that is packed full of the nutrition that these carnivores can only get from fresh meat. However, this recipe has the same challenges as Tiki’s others, in that it is extremely low in both fat and fiber. This means that while this dish makes an excellent addition to your cat’s diet, it does not offer a complete diet in and of itself.

Nutritional Profile

  • Crude protein 16% minimum
  • Crude fat 2% minimum
  • Crude fiber 0% maximum
  • Moisture 0% maximum
  • 931 calories per kilogram

First Five Ingredients

  • Tuna
  • Tuna Broth
  • Sunflower Seed Oil
  • Calcium Lactate
  • Tricalcium Phosphate

Overall: Quality Seafood Protein

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Other Great Flavors:

5. Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Chicken Luau Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

Tiki Pets’ dry cat food is one of the best on the market, being higher in meat-based protein than most others, and lower in carbohydrates than most. It makes a great partner to Tiki’s wet foods or any wet food that you like for your pet.

Pros

  • High in protein
  • Made from named meats
  • Relatively low in carbohydrates
  • Enriched with essential vitamins and minerals
  • Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives

Cons

  • Contains eggs

Unlike many other dry cat foods which often use meal as their basis, this dry food from Tiki starts with deboned chicken, topped up with chicken meal to keep the recipe affordable. It also has added chicken liver, which is a great source of nutrients, and added dried egg products, which I am less excited about.

While cats do eat eggs in the wild, it is not a staple in their diet, and I don’t like to feed it every day as they are high in both fat and cholesterol. Also, the quality of the egg going into the recipe is unclear.

To be fair, this recipe is relatively low in fat and has chicken fat and salmon oil added to increase its fat content. This is much better than the use of sunflower oil seen with some of Tiki’s wet cat food.

The recipe relies on tapioca starch as the main carbohydrate to give the food its texture, as well as a little bit of ground flaxseed, whole chickpeas, and whole peas. None of these foods are really a natural part of a cat’s diet, but it certainly won’t do them any harm. Also, there is a lot less of this type of ingredient in this Tiki recipe that in most dry cat food.

Nutritional Profile

  • Crude protein 46% minimum
  • Crude fat 20% minimum
  • Crude fiber 3% maximum
  • Moisture 10% maximum
  • 495 calories per cup

First Five Ingredients

  • Deboned Chicken
  • Chicken meal
  • Dehydrated chicken liver
  • Dried egg product
  • Tapioca flour

While this dry food from Tiki certainly is not perfect, it is one of the better dry cat foods on the market, especially for the price tag.

Overall: Top Quality Dry Food

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Other Flavors:

About Tiki Pets

Tiki Pets founder Christine Hackett started out working in research and development for Petco, where she became familiar with the challenges of the pet food industry. In 2005, she and her husband decided that they could do better than some of the big brands, and so they created Tiki Pets.

Their new company produces pet food that attempts to provide only high-quality, species-appropriate food, which means lots of meat and very little carbohydrates. In this aspect it steps away from the old-guard brands and pet food giants like Purina, and joins the ranks of the newbies like Crave.

In 2015 Tiki Cat merged with Cloud Star to create Whitebridge Pet Brands, which now also includes Dogswell, Catswell, and Buddy Biscuits.

Tiki Pets’ food is manufactured in Thailand, which may set off a few alarm bells, but it shouldn’t. Their facilities all meet international standards for producing human grade food. For sustainability purposes, Tiki Cat sources as much of their ingredients as possible from the local area surrounding their plant.

Tik Pets offers over 40 different flavors and textures, marketed via a variety of lines. Among their most popular is Born Carnivore, which is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate dry kibble. Their After Dark line is a wet food that combines muscle meat with nutrient-rich organs, and their Velvet line offers creamy mousses for easy eating.

Check out Chewy’s video on this brand:

 

The Verdict

In my opinion, Tiki cat food is certainly something that you should be adding to your shopping list. Tiki offers one of the best dry cat foods on the market in terms of the amount of meat-based protein it contains, especially in relation to carbohydrate content, which is lower than in most kibble.

All of Tiki’s wet foods are extremely species-appropriate, featuring good quality meat with almost no carbohydrates added. However, the resulting recipes are very low in both fat and fiber, which your pet will need to get from other sources, such as Tiki’s dry food. While all of Tiki’s wet foods are good, the Tiki Cat After Dark — and the rest of the After Dark line — selection is best in terms of the way it mixes quality muscle meat with nutritious organ meat.

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