ORIJEN foods represent the fullest expression of a Biologically Appropriate diet. Designed for cats according to their biological and evolutionary needs, ORIJEN foods are made with high inclusions of quality animal ingredients, providing nutrients in their most nourishing form. We use meat, organs, cartilage, and bone from free-run poultry, wild-caught fish, ranch-raised meat, and cage-free eggs. Your pet will thrive on our protein-rich, nutrient-dense recipes, keeping them happy, healthy, and strong.
THE EATING ANATOMY OF CARNIVORES
Just like their ancestors, modern cats have anatomical features designed for a meat-based diet - A fundamental fact often overlooked. These include:
TEETH AND JAWS
- A wide mouth for swallowing chunks of meat whole, with a single-hinge jaw that lacks side-to-side chewing ability (unlike plant-eaters that chew extensively, meat-eaters seldom chew their foods).
- Sharp, pointed teeth for grasping and shredding meat (not for grinding plants).
SALIVA AND ENZYMES
- The saliva of plant-eaters contains the digestive enzyme amylase, which mixes with food through chewing. Since meat-eaters don’t chew, they are not adapted to digest carbohydrates from plants.
- Meat-eaters swallow chunks of meat whole; the purpose of their saliva is to lubricate the throat – not predigest food.
SHORT DIGESTIVE TRACT
- In nature, carnivores seldom eat every day – sometimes as little as once a week. That’s why they have a large, single-chambered stomach suitable for gorging and digesting meat later.
- Because meat is easily digested (relative to plants), dogs and cats have a short, simple gastrointestinal tract (compared to plant-eaters like cows, who have four stomach chambers and eat constantly).
- Carnivores have a high concentration of stomach acid to break down meat quickly and kill bacteria associated with raw meat.
OUR FIVE BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE PRINCIPLES
The grey wolf (Canis lupus) is the ancestor and closest relative of all domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiarius), sharing 97% of their DNA, while the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) is the closest relative of domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus).
Despite years of breeding, the internal workings and anatomical capabilities of domestic cats remain the same as their wild cousins, so it’s no surprise their food requirements remain the same too.
ORIJEN's 5 Biologically Appropriate™ principles are simple and mirror the freshness and variety of meats that cats are evolved to eat.
1. RICH IN MEAT AND PROTEIN
Biologically Appropriate ORIJEN mirrors the evolutionary diet, nourishing your cat as nature intended, with unmatched fresh and raw meat inclusions plus smaller amounts of fresh whole vegetables, fruit, and botanicals. That’s why ORIJEN features:
- 85% QUALITY ANIMAL INGREDIENTS | Unmatched by any other dry foods and about three times more than conventional cat foods, ORIJEN’s rich meat inclusions nourish the way nature intended.
- 38-44% PROTEIN | ORIJEN is rich in protein and quality animal ingredients, making our foods Biologically Appropriate.
2. UNMATCHED FRESH AND RAW MEAT INCLUSIONS
ORIJEN’S Fresh regional ingredients mirror mother nature, supplying nutrients in their freshest, most natural and nourishing form.
- FRESH | 2/3 of the meat, fish, poultry, and eggs are FRESH or RAW, so they’re brimming with protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals in their most nourishing form.
- DRIED | 1/3 of the meat and fish ingredients are dried, providing a concentrated form of nourishing protein in a highly bio-available form.
When we say fresh we mean it!
Our three classes of meat ingredients are :
- FRESH: Refrigeration is the only way we preserve our fresh poultry, eggs, fish, and meat.
- RAW: Just like our fresh ingredients – only frozen at peak season to preserve natural goodness.
- DRIED: Meat and poultry ingredients are dried to provide a concentrated source of protein — no chemical preservatives.
3. AN ABUNDANT VARIETY OF FRESH MEAT
CONSIDER THE VARIATION IN THE NATURAL DIET: FISH TODAY, A DUCK OR GOOSE TOMORROW, FRESH EGGS THE NEXT. A RICH VARIETY OF FRESH MEAT IS A KEY PRINCIPLE IN OUR FOODS, PROVIDING A DIVERSITY OF ESSENTIAL PROTEIN AND FAT TO NOURISH DOGS AND CATS COMPLETELY.
This variety is lost in conventional cat foods, which often feature a single animal ingredient, such as chicken or lamb, that’s highly processed and seldom authentically fresh. ORIJEN is different. Loaded with up to eight different fresh or raw meats, ORIJEN provides a richly nourishing diversity of protein and fat that naturally support peak health.
RANCH-RAISED RED MEAT
Raised naturally on farms and ranches from people we know and trust, using nature’s simple recipe of fresh air, clean water, and natural grasses, our beef, boar, bison, lamb, mutton, pork, goat, and venison are delivered FRESH or RAW to our kitchen, so they’re brimming with goodness and taste.
Antibiotic-free | Grass-fed | Delivered fresh or raw | WholePrey ratios
FREE-RUN POULTRY & CAGE-FREE EGGS
Raised free-run on farms by people we know and trust, our chicken, duck, turkey, and cage-free eggs arrive at our kitchen fresh or raw, so they’re full of nourishing protein and fat.
Antibiotic-free | Free-run | Delivered fresh or raw | WholePrey ratios
SUSTAINABLE WHOLE FISH
Unique to ORIJEN, our whole, fresh, and raw saltwater fish are sustainable and wild-caught from cold ocean waters.
4. WHOLEPREY - SUPERFOODS FOR CATS
IN NATURE, THERE IS NO NEED FOR VITAMIN OR MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS, AS WOLVES AND WILDCATS DERIVE THEIR COMPLETE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS NATURALLY BY CONSUMING WHOLE ANIMALS. ORIJEN’s WholePrey philosophy mirrors the foods cats have evolved to eat, incorporating a nourishing balance of fresh meat, organs, and cartilage or bone in ratios that deliver nutrients naturally. ORIJEN foods provide almost every nutrient your cat needs, in highly bio-available forms, so there’s no need for long lists of synthetic additives.
SUPERFOOD FOR CATS
ORIJEN INCORPORATES MEAT, ORGANS, AND CARTILAGE OR BONE IN RATIOS THAT MIMIC MOTHER NATURE, CREATING A POWERHOUSE OF NUTRITIONAL GOODNESS. THAT’S WHY YOU WON’T FIND LONG LISTS OF SYNTHETIC SUPPLEMENTS IN ORIJEN FOODS.
- MEAT provides protein, fat, vitamins A, B, D, and K, copper, chromium, folic acid, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and zinc — all in highly bio-available forms.
- ORGANS liver, kidney, tripe, and heart provide a richly concentrated and highly bio-available source of virtually everything cats need to thrive — including essential vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and amino acids.
- CARTILAGE AND BONE provide a rich source of minerals including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium — all in natural and easily absorbed forms.
5. FRESH VEGETABLES AND FRUIT
CATS HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO BIOLOGICAL REQUIREMENT FOR CARBOHYDRATES. Pet Lovers are seldom aware that most foods exceed 50% carbohydrates. Worse still, conventional foods feature fast carbohydrates, such as rice, potato, tapioca, and starch – compounds that are quickly absorbed by cats, and do not feature the nutrients your cat needs to thrive.
CARBOHYDRATE VERSUS PROTEIN
The relationship between protein and carbohydrates is simple: if one goes up, the other goes down. That means the more protein there is in the food, the less room there is for carbohydrates. That’s good news for carnivores. While protein is essential, carbohydrates are empty calories that provide little nutritional value beyond their controversial energy potential.
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