Dr. Marty Nature’s Feast

Dr. Marty Nature’s Feast Cat Food is a freeze-dried raw food intended to boost your feline’s overall health.

Many of the dry cat foods you find on the shelf have fillers like corn, rice, soybean and other ingredients that don’t contribute to your cat’s overall health. Dr. Marty provides an alternative food option that focuses on meats, vegetables, and eggs.

A key concept behind this food is that giving your cat raw ingredients is better for them than the typical ingredients you find in most dry cat foods.

Our review of Dr. Marty Nature’s Feast will help you get a clear understanding of its pros and cons and help you decide if this a good option for your cat.

Feeding Instructions

Every bag of Nature’s Feast has 12 oz. of food. How much of that bag you give your cat depends on his or her weight:

• 5 lbs.: 1/2 cup per day
• 7 lbs.: 2/3 cup per day
• 10 lbs.: 3/4 cup per day
• 12 lbs.: 1 cup per day
• 15 lbs.: 1 1/8 cups per day
• 17 lbs.: 1 1/4 cups per day
• 20 lbs.: 1 1/2 cups per day

Mix the food with enough water to moisten all the food, let it stand for three minutes and then your cat can eat it.

Each cup of food weighs about 1.2 ounces, which means one bag will last you between 7 (20-lb. cat) and 21 days (5-lb. cat).

Ingredients

The ingredients in Nature’s Feast are meant to give your cat higher energy levels, easier digestion, joint and coat support, and strong brain health:

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: EPA and DHA
• Meats: Turkey, beef, duck, salmon, beef Liver, turkey heart, turkey liver
• Fruits and Veggies: Sweet potato, eggs, pea flour, carrots, apples, blueberries, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, spinach, ginger

These ingredients are freeze-dried. The fresh ingredients undergo a freezing process that, in theory, preserves all the nutrients. Dr. Marty’s website says most lower-quality cat food manufacturers cook their food to the point that the ingredients lose their nutrients.

Scientific Efficacy of Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food

Freeze-dried pet foods are becoming more and more popular. However, the veterinarians at the Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University have done a considerable amount of research in this area.

They’ve concluded that raw-food diets (including those heavy in raw meat) have their pros and cons but, in general, aren’t necessarily a “healthier” choice for your pet.

“No scientific studies have shown benefits of raw diets. Their appeal is based on word of mouth, testimonials and perceived benefits,” the university’s pet nutrition team wrote in a post about raw diets for pets.

This conclusion doesn’t mean that your cat won’t benefit from eating Dr. Marty Nature’s Feast, though. The food’s multiple types of meat give it a higher fat content than the average dog food, which results in positive changes to your cat’s coat and digestion.

Furthermore, the food’s lack of fillers (corn, rice, soybean) benefits your cat, as cats are natural meat eaters and need as little filler as possible in their food.

Finally, Nature’s Feast’s omega-3 fatty acids are most important for young cats, particularly to protect against brain abnormalities. EPA and DHA are an important part of an adult cat’s diet, too. They’re proven to aid in growth and reproduction.

Possible Side Effects

Nutrient Deficiency

One of the dangers of a raw diet that emphasizes meat is that your cat could miss out on important nutrients. Tufts University points to a European study that found that 60% of cats on a raw food diet had a nutritional imbalance.

Nature’s Feast counteracts this side effect by giving your cats a wide range of nutrient-rich vegetables in each serving.

Sickness from Bacteria

Another possible side effect is that your cat could get sick from bacteria in the freeze-dried meat. There’s a higher chance of your cat eating freeze-dried food contaminated with salmonella than the average dry cat food. But, overall the risk to your cat is relatively low.

Diarrhea

Finally, your cat may have diarrhea when he or she first starts eating Nature’s Feast because of the increased fat content from the meat-heavy ingredients. For example, popular cat food Friskies Seafood Sensations dry food has an 11% fat content, whereas Nature’s Feast has 23%.

To ensure your cat doesn’t have an acute reaction, slowly transition them to Dr. Marty Nature’s Feast by mixing in the new food into the old food little by little until the transition is complete.

Price and Return Policy

The cost per bag depends on how many you buy at one time:

• 1 bag: $59.95
• 3 bags: $170.85
• 6 bags: $323.70

Your orders come with free shipping.

If you’re planning on feeding this food to your cat for the next few months, consider the cost of this food. A 10-lb cat will eat about three bags a month, which is around $171, whereas a 20-lb cat will eat around $323 of food per month.

Dr. Marty allows you to try your food for up to 90 days after it ships from their distribution center. To start your return, call the company’s customer service line at (800) 670-1839. They’ll give you a return authorization number you’ll include in your shipping box, along with any used and unused bags of Nature’s Feats.

There aren’t any limits on how much food you have to send back, either. We confirmed with a phone rep that you can feed your cat all the food from your order and, if you aren’t satisfied, can get a refund. All you have to do is send back the empty bags.

This is an excellent return policy because it gives you the freedom to feed your cat Nature’s Feast long enough period of time to notice improvements in their appearance and health.

How Nature’s Feast Compares to Other Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food

When you compare one cat food to another, you get a sense of context both for pricing and ingredients.

We researched leading freeze-dried cat food on popular pet marketplace Chewy.com and Amazon to give you insight into why Dr. Marty Nature’s Feast may or may not be better for your cat than other food.

Nature’s Feast vs. Stella & Chewy’s

Stella & Chewy’s is the most popular freeze-dried raw cat food on Amazon and Chewy.com.

One bag of Stella & Chewy’s turkey flavor comes in 18-ounce bags:

• Costs $2.22/oz.
• Turkeys are raised cage-free
• Has probiotics

If your budget is limited but you want to feed your cat freeze-dried raw food, Stella & Chewy is less half the price per ounce ($2.22/oz.) than Nature’s Feast (around $5/oz.).

Additionally, the food’s probiotics are a nice perk if your cat has certain digestive conditions. However, if your cat is healthy, you may want to avoid Stella & Chew’s because probiotics can cause noticeable side effects like bloating and diarrhea.

Nature’s Feast vs. Primal

Primal is another popular, highly-rated option on Chewy’s and Amazon. Primal’s food comes in big nuggets rather than small kibble. You’ll need to break up each nugget and soak it in water before feeding it to your cat.

Here’s a summary of the food’s cost and features:

• $2.21/oz.
• No gluten or fillers
• Organic vegetables

The big difference between Primal and Dr. Marty is that Primal requires preparation on your part. If you feed your cat in the morning before you go to work, Nature’s Feast takes less time to prepare and maybe the better time-oriented choice.

That being said, if you’re someone who prefers organic ingredients, Primal’s organic vegetables are a better fit.

The Bottom Line

Nature’s Feast’s mix of meats, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids give your cat a well-balanced diet. This food is a good choice if you want to give your cat a raw-food diet.

However, this food won’t be a good fit if you have a limited food budget. If this is you, experts recommend trying grain-free dry cat food. While it won’t contain 100% raw food, the lack of grains ensures you aren’t giving your cat unnecessary filler.