Last updated Apr 19, 2023
Carnilove is an international pet food brand. The company has headquarters in the Czech Republic and exports dog and cat food to 70 countries around the world. Carnilove values a traditional meat/prey diet for animals. Learn more about Carnilove cat food in our unbiased review.
The Cats.com Standard – Rating Carnilove On What Matters
We have analyzed Carnilove cat food and rated it according to our standards here at Cats.com. Our grades are based on the species-appropriateness of the food, the quality of the ingredients, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. You can read more about our ratings here.
Here are our ratings for Carnilove in these key areas:
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 8/10
- Ingredient Quality – 8/10
- Product Variety – 8/10
- Price – 6/10
- Customer Experience – 6/10
- Recall History – 10/10
Overall Score: 7.7/10
We give Carnilove cat food a 46 out of 60 rating or a B+ grade.
About Carnilove
Carnilove cat food is made with respect for the natural origin of cats. Their dry cat food contains 70-75 percent wild-origin meat and their fresh dry food contains 80 percent meat (including fresh meat). Their canned wet food for cats and kittens contains 55 percent real meat together with forest fruits, vegetables and herbs. All of their cat foods are grain-free and potato-free.
Carnilove’s cat foods are complete formulas. They have all of the nutrition that cats and kittens need to thrive including vitamins, fats, natural antioxidants, and other essential nutrients. You don’t need to add anything else for your cat’s perfect physical condition and immune system support.
According to Carnilove, their formulas correspond to the composition of a cat’s natural prey.
Carnilove is owned by Vafo Group, one of the most successful pet food businesses in Europe. Vafo was founded in 1994. It includes brands such as Planet Pet, Christopherus, Nutrican, Profine, Brit, Primadog, Canvit, HauHau, Primacat, Sams Field, as well as Carnilove.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Carnilove is made in the Czech Republic by a family with 20+ years of pet business experience. The company makes dry and wet pet food and snacks at four modern production plants in the Czech Republic. Carnilove is exported around the world to 70 countries.
According to the company, they have extensive experience in the field of canine and feline nutrition. Their professionals are also devoted animal breeders.
While Carnilove values natural ingredients and wild-origin meats, their production is certified in compliance with exacting qualitative criteria such as ISO 9001 and HACCP.
Carnilove doesn’t specifically state where their ingredients are sourced. However, the Czech Republic is in the European Union. It’s likely that most of their ingredients are sourced in Europe. The European Union has some strict requirements regarding the manufacture of pet foods.
Carnilove uses what they describe as “wild-origin” meats such as reindeer, duck, pheasant, turkey, lamb, wild boar, and salmon. These meats, fowl, and fish correspond to the composition of natural prey for dogs and cats. They provide important amino acids.
The cat foods also include forest fruits, vegetables, wild berries, and herbs since these are natural sources of important vitamins, antioxidants, and essential nutrients.
All of Carnilove’s foods are grain-free and potato-free. They contain no artificial chemicals, preservatives or flavorings.
Has Carnilove Cat Food Been Recalled?
We didn’t find any recalls for Carnilove pet foods online but we cannot say definitively that they have never had a recall. Many countries have only recently begun keeping careful records of recall data. However, as far as we can tell, Carnilove cat food has not been recalled.
What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Carnilove Offer?
Carnilove – Into The Wild cat food has been formulated for a cat’s natural dietary needs. Since cats are almost exclusively meat-eaters, their anatomy and metabolism are adapted to processing food from animal sources.
The company makes grain-free formulas that are rich in wild-origin meats such as salmon, turkey, duck, pheasant, lamb, reindeer, and wild boar. Other ingredients include forest fruits and herbs to provide essential proteins, fats, vitamins, and natural antioxidants for a cat’s perfect physical condition and immune system support.
Carnilove makes fresh dry cat food, dry food, wet canned food, pouches, and snacks for cats.
- Carnilove Fresh – Fresh Dry/Fresh Meat Formulas include: Fresh Chicken & Rabbit; Fresh Carp & Trout (recommended for sterilized cats).
- Carnilove Dry – Duck & Turkey (large breed cats); Lamb & Wild Boar (sterilized cats); Reindeer (outdoor cats); Salmon & Turkey (kitten formula); Salmon (adult cats with sensitive digestion; long-haired cats); Duck & Pheasant (hairball control).
- Carnilove Cans – Chicken & Lamb for adult cats; Turkey & Salmon for kittens; Chicken, Duck & Pheasant for adult cats; Turkey & Salmon for adult cats; Turkey & Reindeer for adult cats.
- Carnilove Pouches – Wild-origin Fillets in Gravy. Complete food or delicious topping for kibbles. Unique types of meat. No grains, no potatoes, no GMO, no soy, no preservatives, no colorants. High meat content 85 percent.
- Carnilove Cat Pouch Multipack – Rich in Rabbit enriched with Marigold; Rich in Trout enriched with Echinacea; Rich in Wild Boar enriched with Chamomile; Rich in Pheasant enriched with Raspberry Leaves; Rich in Duck enriched with Catnip; Rich in Quail enriched with Dandelion Leaves; Rich in Turkey enriched with Valerian.
- Carnilove Snacks – Crunchy Duck with Raspberries; Crunchy Salmon with Mint; Semi-Moist Chicken with Thyme; Semi-Moist Sardines enriched with Parsley
Carnilove Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Primary Protein | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Carnilove Turkey & Reindeer canned/wet food for adult cats | Wet | Turkey | 1050 kcal per kg | £7.48 per lb | A |
| Carnilove Fresh Carp & Trout | Dry | Carp | 3630 kcal per kg | £4.07 per lb | A- |
| Carnilove Duck & Pheasant (hairball control) for adult cats | Dry | Duck | 3800 kcal per kg | £5.89 per lb | B+ |
#1 Carnilove Turkey & Reindeer For Adult Cats
We chose Carnilove Turkey & Reindeer canned/wet food for adult cats for our review. We don’t see reindeer as a pet food ingredient very often so this seemed like a good opportunity to look at it. A customer reviewer noted that this was a great flavor combination for cats with allergies/food intolerances.
According to Carnilove, this formula is a complete food so you shouldn’t have to add anything to it for your cat’s nutritional needs.
There aren’t many ingredients in this canned/wet food but that’s not a bad thing with a wet food: 35% turkey meat, turkey liver, turkey hearts, broth, 20% reindeer, 1% cranberries, 1% minerals, 0.1% salmon oil.
And, the nutritional composition in 1 KG of the food: vitamin D3 (E671) 300 IU, vitamin E (3a700) 150 mg, taurine (3a370) 650 mg, biotin (3a880) 0,3 mg, copper (3B405) 0,6 mg, iron (3B106) 12 mg, iodine (3b201) 1 mg, manganese (3B504) 2,5 mg, zinc (3b606) 15 mg.
Carnilove focuses on their wild-origin meats so 35 percent turkey meat is good. So is 20 percent reindeer. That’s a lot of meat that a cat should appreciate. The company notes that the meat used in the food is white muscle meat turkey.
Turkey is very high in vitamin B6 and B12. It’s also a good source of phosphorus, niacin, riboflavin, and selenium. The B vitamins in turkey are very important for proper brain function good muscle tone and cardiovascular health.
Reindeer is high in protein and very low in fat. It’s considered to be one of the leanest meats. It has omega-3 and essential fatty acid levels that are comparable to fish. This just says “reindeer” so it could presumably be various edible parts of the reindeer.
Turkey liver and turkey hearts are also good for your cat. These organ meats (hearts are technically muscle) are a great source of vitamins and other nutrients.
Cranberries are rich in antioxidants. They are high in vitamin C and fiber. They are believed to be good for the urinary tract and are a frequent addition to pet foods.
Salmon oil is an excellent cold water source of omega-3 fatty acid. It’s one of the best omega-3 sources for cats and easier for them to absorb than plant sources of omega fatty acids.
All of the ingredients look very good.
Nutritional values for this recipe are crude protein 10.7 percent, crude fat 6.9 percent, crude ash 2.5 percent, crude fibre 0.4 percent, and moisture 79 percent.
We can convert these figures into the dry matter basis for the food. This means removing the water from the figures to see what remains. If we do this we find that the food contains 51 percent protein, 32.9 percent fat, 1.9 percent fiber, 11.9 percent ash, and 2.4 percent carbohydrates.
We estimate that Carnilove Turkey & Reindeer canned/wet food for adult cats has approximately 107 calories per 100 grams.
This food contains 1050 kcal per kilogram.
Ingredients
35% Turkey Meat, Turkey Liver, Turkey Hearts, Broth, 20% Reindeer, 1% Cranberries, 1% Minerals, 0.1% Salmon Oil.
Nutritional Composition In 1 Kg: Vitamin D3 (E671) 300 Iu, Vitamin E (3a700) 150 Mg, Taurine (3a370) 650 Mg, Biotin (3a880) 0,3 Mg, Copper (3b405) 0,6 Mg, Iron (3b106) 12 Mg, Iodine (3b201) 1 Mg, Manganese (3b504) 2,5 Mg, Zinc (3b606) 15 Mg.
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey meat, turkey liver, turkey hearts, reindeer, cranberries, salmon oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Broth is not specified. It’s usually made from the most common ingredient (in this case turkey meat) but if it’s not identified, you can’t be sure
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Carnilove’s ownership has been in business for more than 20 years with good results
- The ingredients appear to be good quality
- The company offers a good variety of dry/fresh, dry, wet/canned, pouches, and snacks for cats
Cons
- The company doesn’t provide details about where the ingredients are sourced
- Carnilove’s canned foods are grain-free and potato-free but their dry and dry/fresh foods contain peas and chickpeas so check the ingredient labels
#2 Carnilove Fresh Carp & Trout
Along with their canned foods and their dry foods, Carnilove also makes what they call their “fresh dry” cat foods. “Fresh dry” refers to the addition of fresh meat or fish to the ingredients of the food. They have two formulas in this category: Fresh Chicken & Rabbit and Fresh Carp & Trout. The Fresh Carp & Trout formula is particularly recommended for sterilized (spayed/neutered) cats.
This fresh carp and trout formula contains 25 percent fresh carp. It’s also grain-free and potato-free.
According to Carnilove, the controlled mineral content of the formula supports proper kidney and urinary tract function. Natural antioxidants obtained from fruits and herbs in the formula have cleansing and anti-inflammatory properties.
Feeding a more natural diet can help sterilized cats remain in top physical condition.
This fresh dry recipe is a complete food.
Along with several forms of salmon and salmon oil which are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, this food also contains pumpkin. Pumpkin is a good source of beta-carotene as well as fiber. The ingredients also include some natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin which are good for joints and mobility.
With some good quality fresh fish and slightly fewer calories than some of Carnilove’s other recipes, this Fresh Carp & Trout formula looks like it would be a good selection for many sterilized cats.
This food contains 3630 kcal per kilogram or about 363 calories per 100 grams.
Ingredients
Fresh Carp (25%), Dried Trout (20%), Hydrolyzed Salmon (14%), Dried Salmon (12%), Pumpkin, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Tocopherols, 4%), Chickpeas, Peas, Chicken Liver (3%), Salmon Oil (2%), Apples, Carrots, Flaxseed, Hydrolyzed Crustacean Shells (A Source Of Glucosamine, 0.026%), Cartilage Extract (A Source Of Chondroitin, 0.016%), Brewer’s Yeast (A Source Of Mannan-oligosaccharides, 0.015%), Chicory Root (A Source Of Fructo-oligosaccharides, 0.012%), Yucca Schidigera (0.01%), Algae (0.01%), Psyllium (0.01%), Thyme (0.01%), Rosemary (0.01%), Oregano (0.01%), Cranberries (0.0008%), Blueberries (0.0008%), Sea Buckthorn (0.0008%), Ginger Root (0.0008%), Sage (0.0008%)
Nutritional Composition (Per Kg): Vitamin A (3a672a) 23,000 I.U., Vitamin D3 (3a671) 940 I.U., Vitamin E (3a700) 650 Mg, Vitamin C (3a312) 300 Mg, Taurine (3a370) 2,400 Mg, Choline Chloride (3a890) 2,200 Mg, L-carnitine (3a910) 65 Mg, Niacinamide (3a315) 45 Mg, Biotin (3a880) 1.8 Mg, Zinc (3b606) 100 Mg, Iron (3b106) 48 Mg, Manganese (3b504) 55 Mg, Iodine (3b201) 3.8 Mg, Copper (3b406) 11 Mg, Selenium (3b810) 0.2 Mg, L-methionine (3c305) 14 Mg, Arginine (3c3.6.1.) 12 Mg, L-lysine (3.2.3.) 10 Mg
Ingredients We Liked: Fresh carp, dried trout, dried salmon, pumpkin, chicken fat, chicken liver, salmon oil, chicory root
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Chickpeas, peas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Fresh fish is a desirable ingredient and good for most cats
- The ingredients appear to be good quality
- The food contains chicory root, antioxidants, and other ingredients which are good for digestion
Cons
- The company doesn’t provide details about where the ingredients are sourced
- The fresh dry foods are grain-free but they contain chickpeas and peas lower in the ingredients list which can raise issues for cats. Most sources say cats can eat these legumes but only in small amounts.
#3 Carnilove Duck & Pheasant For Adult Cats
Carnilove also makes dry cat foods. Each food is tailored for cats with different needs though you can also feed your cat any formula you like. The company currently has six dry recipes available: Duck & Turkey (large breed cats); Lamb & Wild Boar (sterilized cats); Reindeer (outdoor cats); Salmon & Turkey (kitten formula); Salmon (adult cats with sensitive digestion; long-haired cats); Duck & Pheasant (hairball control).
Carnilove Duck & Pheasant contains beet fiber to help with the passage of hairballs through your cat’s system. This is a grain-free and potato-free formula. It’s a complete cat food.
Duck and pheasant are tasty and easily digestible. The formula is rich in natural nutrients that improve your cat’s metabolism and maintain his health in excellent condition. The formula is also said to help build natural immunity. The increased natural fiber content improves digestion and helps hairballs pass through the digestive tract easily.
This formula also contains forest fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
As with other Carnilove recipes, this formula also contains salmon oil which is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. And, it contains cranberries which are a natural antioxidant. Cranberries are also high in vitamin C and fiber. They are thought to be good for the urinary tract. In addition, it contains natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin which are considered to be helpful for joint and mobility issues.
Overall, Carnilove Duck & Pheasant looks like a good quality dry food that should be able to help cats that need an assist with hairball issues.
This food contains 3800 kcal per kilogram or about 380 calories per 100 grams.
Ingredients
Duck Meat (34%), Pheasant Meat (25%), Yellow Peas (12%), Chicken Fat (Preserved With Tocopherols, 6%), Beet Pulp (5%), Duck Deboned (5%), Chicken Liver (3%), Tapioca Starch (2%), Apples (2%), Salmon Oil (2%), Carrots (1%), Flaxseed (1%), Chickpeas (1%), Hydrolyzed Crustacean Shells (A Source Of Glucosamine, 0,026%), Cartilage Extract (A Source Of Chondroitin, 0,016%), Brewer´s Yeast (A Source Of Mannan-oligosaccharides, 0,016%), Chicory Root (A Source Of Fructo-oligosaccharides, 0,012%), Yucca Schidigera (0,01%), Algae (0,01%), Psyllium (0,01%), Thyme (0,01%), Rosemary (0,01%), Oregano (0,01%), Cranberries (0,0008%), Blueberries (0,0008%), Raspberries (0,0008%).
Nutritional Composition (Per Kg): Vitamin A (3a672a) 23 000 I.U., Vitamin D3 (3a671) 940 I.U., Vitamin E (3a700) 650 Mg, Vitamin C (3a312) 300 Mg, Taurine (3a370) 2 400 Mg, Choline Chloride (3a890) 2 200 Mg, L-carnitine (3a910) 65 Mg, Niacinamide (3a315) 45 Mg, Biotin (3a880) 1,8 Mg, Zinc (3b606) 150 Mg, Iron (3b106) 48 Mg, Manganese (3b504) 55 Mg, Iodine (3b201) 3,8 Mg, Copper (3b406) 11 Mg, Selenium (3b810) 0,23 Mg, L-methionine (3c305) 14 Mg, Arginine (3c3.6.1) 12 Mg, L-lysine (3.2.3.) 10 Mg.
Ingredients We Liked: Duck meat, pheasant meat, chicken fat, duck deboned, chicken liver, salmon oil, chicory root
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Yellow peas, chickpeas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Game fowl such as duck and pheasant are desirable ingredients and good for most cats
- The ingredients appear to be good quality
- The food contains chicory root, antioxidants, and other ingredients which are good for digestion
- The beet fiber and other ingredients appear to be good for controlling hairballs
Cons
- The company doesn’t provide details about where the ingredients are sourced
- The dry foods are grain-free but they contain chickpeas and peas which can raise issues for cats. Most sources say cats can eat these legumes but only in small amounts.
What Do Customers Think Of Carnilove Cat Food?
We found lots of reviews for Carnilove online on various pet supply websites. The majority of reviews were positive about the food with occasional comments that some cats hated the food, as you would expect. Most websites reported that over 90 percent of customers would recommend the food to other buyers.
Positive Reviews
Great flavour combination for cats with allergies/intolerance. Partly shredded and partly pate. Enjoyed by my cat – by Saffy on 06/13/2020
The only wet food my cat will eat… – by Rosie Evison on 06/28/2020
My cat enjoys it so far. It’s good value. I wish it was more accessible and I could get a free shipping on it from somewhere but anyway, 100% recommend. – by D.H. on 03/12/2021
Negative Reviews
Tried it on my fussy cat – turned her nose up at it… – by Sue Mitchell on 11/11/2020
Note: This was a five-star review but we are putting it in the negative column since the customer notes that s/he has trouble getting the food.
I have trouble getting hold of this brand in any flavour. Cat loves it. Is a mix of pate and shredded and leaves her very satisfied. Dispatched promptly. Would buy again. – by Saffy on 06/08/2020
How Much Does Carnilove Cat Food Cost?
A 100-gram can of Carnilove cat food costs about £1.35 in the UK. There can be some variation depending on the formula and ingredients. A case of 12 cans is about £16.20.
For their dry/fresh meat formulas, a 400-gram bag costs about £4.99.
Carnilove’s dry cat foods in 400-gram packages usually cost between £3.95 and £4.15, depending on the ingredients. Their dry foods are available in 2 kg bags as well for about £13.45. Bags of 6 kg cost £35.95.
Overall, Is Carnilove Cat Food a Good Choice?
We think that Carnilove cat food is a very good choice for cats. Wild-origin meats, with added vitamins and minerals as necessary, can be a healthy diet for your cat. Your house cat might not eat reindeer in the wild but she will probably appreciate the meat.
As far as we can tell, the ingredients in the foods are good quality, meeting EU regulatory standards. The dry and dry/fresh formulas do contain peas and chickpeas which are not ideal for cats.
If you are buying one of these formulas for your cat, we suggest that you read the ingredients to make sure these plant sources of protein are not near the top of the ingredient list. In small amounts they shouldn’t be a problem for your cat.
The company that owns Carnilove has been in business for over 20 years, owns multiple pet food companies, and is still expanding which is usually a good sign.
How Do You Order Carnilove Cat Food?
Carnilove is exclusively imported and distributed in the UK by BSB Products.
We found Carnilove available on various pet supply web sites in the UK and other countries. The food is also sold through Petco in Asia. Carnilove is also available on Amazon.com.uk.
We did notice that many formulas (not all) were currently out of stock on Amazon.com.uk, whether because of Covid-19 or supply chain issues. You may need to search a little if you are looking for Carnilove cat food but the food is available on pet supply web sites.
You can also purchase it through BSB, the Carnilove distributor in the UK. Many recipes are currently sold out on the BSB site but they should be the first to restock when Carnilove ships the food to the UK.
If there has been no recalls then why is the recall history rating 7/10?
I’ve reviewed this rating again, and I think it can be a bit higher. Normally, the rating tends to be a bit lower for newer brands without much experience in the industry, but given that Carnilove has been in business for almost 30 years, we’ll bump it up to a 10/10. Thank you for the heads up.
Thank you for the article.
I have a 2 years old British Short Hair. I was looking for dry food better than Royal Canine Indoor.
Most of the brands mentioned in other articles are not available in my country. But I’m tempted to give this one a try since it’s available(if you think it’s better).
Joseph, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve seen of Carnilove, and I think it could be a good option, especially since most of those alternatives aren’t available in your country.
Thank you for the reviews! Is it possible to have more informations about their kitten dry food (salmon and turkey)?
Best regards
Hello Meylia, thanks for the comment. Their salmon & turkey kitten food looks very similar to the adult foods recommended here, with a similar meat-to-plant ratio and inclusion of wholesome ingredients like salmon oil, crustacean shells for glucosamine, cartilage for chondroitin, and sources of prebiotic fiber. While I would ideally recommend a more meat-heavy—and preferably, wet—kitten food, this food looks like one of the better dry options out there.
Hello and thank you so much for the quick reply, that is good news! And yes usually i give my cats 50% wet food 50% dry food (because the price of wet food is so much higher). Again thank you!!
I am very interested in your opinion on the line of Carnilove true fresh feed. I want to transfer my cat from Brit care, because the veterinarian said that it contains a lot of peas and chickpeas (about 25%). And the doctor suspects that due to the constant use of food with an increased content of these products, my cat may have digestive problems. I am also considering such feeds as Farmina, Almo Nature, Monge and Shesir.
I give a link to Carnilove – https://carnilove.com/en/products/cats/true-fresh/133564-carnilove-true-fresh-cat-turkey
Hi Andrii, I’m happy to help! It’s possible that the high concentration of peas and chickpeas is contributing to your cat’s digestive issues, but it could also be an issue with dry food in general. Have you tried including wet food in your cat’s diet? While Carnilove is rich in turkey, it also contains a lot of carbohydrates, including peas and lentils. One of Almo Nature’s complete wet food recipes would be a much stronger choice for your cat.
Thanks! My cat is already on diet what includes dry and wet food. But my cat on veterinary diet (gastrointestinal) yet. And now I and veterinarian think about ideal diet for my cat.
It can be tough to make a decision, with so many options out there. But you’re doing well by your cat in really putting some thought into the decision!