Published Dec 16, 2019
Important Notice
As of Feb 24 2022 Nom Nom no longer sells cat food recipes, we’re going to leave the review on the site for cat parents who wants to read for now. If you’re looking for other fresh cat food alternatives we recommend to read our guide on the best fresh cat food Or Browse through our cat food brands reviews page.
Does Nom Nom deliver on its promises of better food, better health, and unparalleled customer care? Find out in our unbiased Nom Nom cat food review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Nom Nom On What Matters
We’ve analyzed Nom Nom and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Here’s how it rates in each of these six key areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 8/10
- Ingredient Quality – 10/10
- Product Variety – 2/10
- Price – 5/10
- Customer Experience – 6/10
- Recall History – 5/10
Overall Score: 6/10
We give Nom Nom cat food a 36 out of 60 rating or a C+ grade.
About Nom Nom
Nom Nom is a pet food delivery service that makes fresh, human-grade meals, portions them out according to your cat’s needs, and ships them to your front door. Almost every aspect of the Nom Nom experience is personalized, from specially-portioned food to custom delivery schedules to an engaged customer care team.
In 2013, Nom Nom’s three co-founders Nate, Zach, and Alex adopted a pair of mini Australian Shepherds named Harlee and Mim. About a year after she was adopted, Harlee developed health issues and eventually a compromised immune system. Her veterinarian said a fresh diet might help.
After realizing that nothing in the pet food aisle would suffice, Nate, Zach, and Alex started cooking fresh dog food. Harlee’s health improved, and their friends and family liked the food, too. Recognizing a market for fresh dog food, the trio enlisted the help of veterinary nutritionist Dr. Justin Shmalberg to formulate fresh dog food for a larger market.
When the company began in 2015, Nom Nom only made food for dogs. They launched their cat food line in 2018 and, according to CEO Nate Phillips, are now set on becoming a “top to bottom pet health products and services company, with an emphasis on customization and nutrition”.
Thanks to Nom Nom’s staff experts—including a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and a microbiologist—the company is able to provide personalized nutrition advice and guidance for each customer.
When you create your Nom Nom account, you’re assigned an account manager and given access to the company’s team of pet nutrition experts. If you have any questions, the customer care team is always available to share nutrition advice.
Update: On January 18th, 2022, Pet Business announced that Mars. Inc had reportedly agreed to acquire Nom Nom in an effort to advance their pet-related assets. No financial terms nor a timeline for the acquisition have been disclosed at this time. Reportedly, Nom Nom will remain an autonomous brand under the Mars Royal Canin division.
While we don’t have many details to share about this new development, we’ll certainly be keeping an eye on things. According to a representative for Mars, the company is confident that “this acquisition will bring synergies to keep supporting [Nom Nom’s] success in the fresh category while complementing [Mars’] existing portfolio.”
Sourcing and Manufacturing
The company uses only fresh USDA-certified human-grade ingredients sourced by local restaurant suppliers. Their vitamins are also human-grade and sourced from the United States. The company inspects every ingredient that comes into their kitchens. If it doesn’t meet their ingredient quality standards, it’s rejected and not used in the food.
Nom Nom cat food is made in the company’s FDA-inspected human-grade facilities in San Francisco, California and Nashville, Tennessee. Each week, Nom Nom cat food is made to order in small batches. Because the company only cooks enough food to satisfy customer orders, their facilities produce zero food waste.
All Nom Nom meals are portioned out according to your cat’s weight, age, and weight goals. Within days of cooking, the food is packed into a refrigerated box and shipped fresh, not frozen.
Has Nom Nom Cat Food Been Recalled?
In July of 2021, Nom Nom experienced its first ever pet food recall. The announcement came after one of its suppliers, Tyson Foods, Inc., recalled millions of pounds of chicken due to potential listeria contamination. The recall affected lots of Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine cat food produced between March 8 and March 17, 2021.
Though this recall was significant in size and scope, no illnesses in cats have been reported. According to the email Nom Nom sent out to their customers, “The recall [was] initiated as a precautionary measure and in keeping with our commitment to food safety.”
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Nom Nom Offer?
Nom Nom’s cat food line includes just one recipe —Chicken Cuisine. The company offered a fish-based recipe (Fish Feast) for a limited time but it is no longer available.
This fresh food recipe is fully human-grade and made primarily from fresh poultry. The meat is cooked and mixed with fruits and vegetables. The recipes come packed in single-serving packets, making it easy to serve your cat the right amount at each meal.
Nom Nom foods are simply-made with short ingredient lists. They don’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or other additives that might harm your cat.
All Nom Nom foods are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Nom Nom Cat Food Reviews
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine Fresh Cat Food | Fresh | Chicken | 1194 kcal/kg | $0.53 per oz | A |
#1 Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine Cat Food Review
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this fresh cat food.
Nom Nom’s chicken recipe includes varied cuts of chicken muscle meat and organs.
The first ingredient is chicken thigh, a nutrient-dense cut of dark meat. The second is chicken breast, which is rich in protein and other nutrients. Chicken liver is added as a source of vitamins and minerals.
The fourth ingredient (after water) is carrot, which increases the food’s carbohydrate content and, according to Nom Nom, is a source of beta carotene. It also serves as an antioxidant. Unlike herbivores and omnivores, cats can’t convert beta carotene into vitamin A. They require the vitamin in its preformed state—from meat – so it’s difficult to say whether carrots really benefit your cat.
Spinach is added another source of other vitamins and minerals. Nom Nom says that spinach helps to boost the immune system and strengthen the digestive system.
Finally, the food is fortified with NomNomNutrient Mix, a nutrient blend including essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. There are no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives in this food.
While most cats seem to love this food (and our test cats were no exception), there have been some changes to the formula over the years. The original Nom Nom chicken recipe was called Chicken Chow Meow and it contained a few additional carbohydrates – asparagus and cantaloupe. The new formula doesn’t include these two ingredients and the texture of the product is a little different.
Overall, this is a meat-based food with high protein content, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate content.
Each ounce of Chicken Chow Meow has about 34 calories.
Ingredients
Chicken Thigh, Chicken Breast, Chicken Liver, Water Sufficient for Processing, Carrots, Natural Flavor, Vinegar, Spinach, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Choline Bitartrate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Gluconate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Gluconate, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Manganese Gluconate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Selenium Yeast, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3), Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Thigh, Chicken Breast, Chicken Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Carrot, Spinach
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Rich in a single source of animal-based protein
- Made from fresh, human-grade chicken
- Contains a combination of muscle and organ meats
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Fairly low carbohydrate content
Cons
- Contains multiple plant ingredients
What Do Customers Think of Nom Nom Cat Food?
Our test cat Archie digs into a bowl of Nom Nom’s Chicken Cuisine Recipe food. Mallory Crusta / Cats.com
Though Nom Nom cat food is still something of a newcomer to the industry, it’s largely been received with smiles and purrs. Pet parents and their cats seem to love Nom Nom cat food. When Nom Nom was first released, the brand had plenty of reviews from bloggers, but it was more of a challenge to find reviews from Nom Nom buyers. That is no longer the case.
At this time, Nom Nom’s Consumer Affairs page is the most reliable source of verified buyer reviews. Nom Nom has received 322 ratings and has earned an overall satisfaction rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars. Note that Nom Nom is a Consumer Affairs Accredited Brand, which may bring their excellent rating into question.
Positive Reviews
“Been using for a few weeks. I used to make my own cat food but this is easy – cat loves it and so do I. I like the packets and they gave me so extra in case there is a problem with delivery. I should have thought of this!” – Deborah of Roseville, CA
“We have enjoyed our experience with Nom Nom. Their communication is great, pricing is transparent, and service is completely personalized. They make it worth the weekly investment by being professional, high quality, and personable. Shipments are always on time and arrive cold and fresh.” – Shelby of Denver, CO
Negative Reviews
“Ordered a month’s worth of food for my dog which was set to be delivered on February 14th. Everything was confirmed, gave them my credit card info and set for delivery. When I didn’t get an email for delivery I went back into my account and saw that they arbitrarily changed the date without informing me and when I did call, they had my account mixed up with someone else. I could not speak to anyone in charge as they were all busy, so all I could do was cancel my account. If a company is not set up to do business, then maybe they should just keep it regional.” – Eileen of New York, NY
“First with the bad: When I signed up, I was told a slightly less quote than I ended up paying. I was told roughly 40 dollars a week and that it was one of the more affordable fresh dog foods on the market. It ended up around 50 a week with slight variations based on the main protein ingredient. Second, I personally think the cat food is of the highest caliber, but my kitty won’t eat the same flavor multiple days in a row, so I had to discontinue the cat selections.” – Nicholas of San Francisco, CA
How Much Does Nom Nom Cat Food Cost?
Every Nom Nom subscription is priced slightly differently. Your costs will vary based on your cat’s weight, your delivery frequency, your cat’s unique needs, and whether or not you have a multiple-cat home. Across all variables, Nom Nom usually costs between $2 and $6 per day.
Using a 10-pound cat as a reference point, a weekly delivery plan would cost about $30 per week, or $4.28 per day. New customers receive a discount on their first two weeks of food, after which a monthly delivery schedule will automatically begin unless you change your subscription.
Each subscription plan is different, and your costs may differ from these approximations.
Overall, Is Nom Nom a Good Choice?
Nom Nom cat food is a good choice for anyone who wants fresher, simpler, more species-appropriate food than the dry and canned fare sold in pet stores and on grocery shelves.
If you’ve considered making homemade cat food but don’t have the time or energy to do so, Nom Nom is a fantastic option. They’ve done the research and taken the time to formulate simple, homemade-style fresh pet food so you don’t have to.
Convenience-oriented people will also appreciate the subscription model, which allows you to receive a batch of cat food according to a set schedule.
Nom Nom is an excellent choice for cats with health issues. Diabetic cats will appreciate the low carbohydrate content, cats with IBD will value its digestibility, and people struggling to find the right food for their cats’ needs will appreciate the ability to consult the company’s team of nutritional experts. In fact, if you have a cat with health issues, you’re invited to send Nom Nom your cat’s latest lab results to receive expert analysis and dietary advice.
But Nom Nom isn’t for everyone.
Nom Nom’s biggest drawback is its price. While Nom Nom cat food is lower-priced than commercial raw diets, some freeze-dried foods, and some top-tier canned products, it’s not cheap. For some, the convenience, service, and quality are worth it, but others may prefer to look for more economical alternatives.
Secondly, the subscription model isn’t ideal for everyone. It’s not available to anyone living outside of the 48 contiguous United States. Even if you live within Nom Nom’s delivery zone, you might not be up for the commitment of a cat food subscription.
Finally, Nom Nom’s cat food lineup lacks variety. With only one recipe—one made with a common cat food allergen – Nom Nom may not have enough recipes to accommodate cats with food sensitivities or picky eaters.
How Do You Order Nom Nom Cat Food?
Nom Nom cat food is available through the company’s subscription model. To place your first order, visit the Nom Nom website. When you start the signup process, Nom Nom will prompt you to enter information about your cat, including her name, weight, goal weight, age, and any special health considerations.
Based on this information, Nom Nom will give you a price quote for your trial order. After you place your first order, you’ll be able to customize your delivery frequency and modify your subscription at any time.
Nom Nom cat food is delivered to customers in the 48 contiguous United States. Most customers will receive their food within 2 days of shipment.
I ordered Nom Nom for my 16 year old cat. One week when I was away traveling, July 1st 2021, he died. The next week I get a recall email from the company that the food was contaminated with Listeria. They did send me a refund after I sent them photos of the packages and they confirmed they were a part of the recall.
I’m so sorry to hear about your cat, Christian! Have you reported the issue to the FDA as well? The FDA conducts investigations in product recall cases and it’s helpful for them to know when a pet is directly affected.
I didn’t. By the time I found out he had already been sent to be cremated. I just assumed they would want a necropsy. Maybe I should have. Just thought it was dishonest of them to say no cats had been affected…when they know of one that could have been. They emailed offering to replace the food, I told them it wasn’t necessary as he had passed away, so they sent a refund.
Christian, I’m so sorry that this happened to your cat. That’s horrible. It’s good that you shared your experience; that should help others to make more informed decisions, and it certainly helps me to better understand what happened. Thank you.
I just contacted NomNom to ask if they are ever going to start making Cat food again. They stopped saying they didn’t have the Chicken products needed for the food. But they still make Dog Food with Chicken. My recommendation is you stop using NomNom for dogs also. They are NOT to be trusted.