The scores
Acana Cat: A (90/100)
Orijen Cat & Kitten: A (91/100)
One point. That’s the entire gap between these two sibling brands from the same manufacturer. Both sit at the very top of our cat food rankings — Orijen holds the number one spot, and Acana is right behind it. This isn’t a comparison where one food is clearly better and the other is a compromise. It’s two A-grade formulas from the same kitchen, with Orijen’s slightly more ambitious ingredient list earning it a razor-thin edge.
How the ingredients compare
Here are the first five ingredients side by side:
Acana: Chicken, Trout, Salmon, Chicken Meal, Pollock Meal
Orijen: Fresh Chicken, Fresh Turkey, Fresh Whole Eggs, Fresh Chicken Liver, Fresh Whole Herring
Both formulas lead with animal proteins exclusively in their top five — no grains, no legumes, no fillers anywhere near the front of the list. The key difference is labeling. Orijen explicitly marks each ingredient as “Fresh,” indicating it arrived at the facility unfrozen and preservative-free. Acana’s ingredients are listed conventionally (just “Chicken” and “Trout”), and the formula includes rendered meal-form proteins (chicken meal, pollock meal) in its top five. Orijen also includes organ meat (chicken liver) and whole eggs this early in the list, which broadens the nutrient profile beyond muscle meat alone.
Where Orijen pulls ahead
Fresh and whole ingredient sourcing. Every animal ingredient in Orijen’s top five is labeled “Fresh” — fresh chicken, fresh turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh chicken liver, fresh whole herring. This means those ingredients were delivered unfrozen and unprocessed to the kitchen before manufacturing. Acana uses a mix of whole proteins and pre-rendered meals (chicken meal, pollock meal), which are more concentrated by weight but have already undergone significant processing before the kibble is even made. Starting with fresher inputs preserves more of the original nutrient profile.
Wider protein diversity. Orijen includes fresh chicken, fresh turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh chicken liver, fresh whole herring, fresh whole flounder, and more — easily 10+ distinct named animal ingredients across its full formula. Acana uses chicken, trout, salmon, chicken meal, and pollock meal as its core proteins. Both are diverse by cat food standards, but Orijen’s range is notably wider, covering poultry, fish, eggs, and organ meats all in one bag.
No pea starch. Acana includes pea starch in its formula, a plant-based binder that adds carbohydrate content without meaningful nutritional value for cats. Orijen skips pea starch entirely, keeping its carbohydrate profile leaner and more appropriate for obligate carnivores. It’s not a dealbreaker in Acana’s case — the overall formula still earns an A — but it’s a small concession that Orijen doesn’t make. Shop on Amazon →
Where Acana holds its own
Price. This is Acana’s most compelling advantage. Acana typically costs about 20% less than Orijen for the same bag size, and it scores just one point lower. For multi-cat households where the monthly food bill adds up quickly, that price gap is meaningful. You’re getting A-grade nutrition — genuinely top-tier ingredients from the same manufacturer — without paying the absolute top-tier price.
Still 75%+ animal ingredients. Acana isn’t a watered-down version of Orijen. The formula still packs over 75% animal ingredients, leads with five animal proteins in the top five, and uses named protein sources throughout. The difference between Acana and Orijen is the difference between a 90 and a 91 — both are A-grade, both are in a different league from the typical B-tier cat food, and both dramatically outperform anything in the C or D range.
Same manufacturer, same standards. Champion Petfoods makes both Acana and Orijen in the same facilities using the same sourcing and manufacturing standards. The quality control, ingredient traceability, and production processes are identical. Acana is designed as the more accessible line, not the lower-quality one. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
Orijen Cat & Kitten earns the win as the highest-scoring cat food in our database, and its fresh/whole ingredient philosophy, organ meat inclusions, and wider protein diversity justify the premium. But Acana at A/90 is not a step down in any meaningful way — it’s the same manufacturer, the same commitment to animal-first formulas, and a score that puts it ahead of every other cat food except Orijen itself. If budget is no concern, Orijen is the best dry cat food you can buy. If you want 99% of the nutrition at 80% of the price, Acana is the smarter pick.
Read our full reviews of Acana Cat and Orijen Cat & Kitten for the complete ingredient breakdowns.