Disclosure: KibbleIQ is reader-supported. When you buy through affiliate links on this page (such as “Shop on Amazon” buttons), we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Our rankings are not influenced by commissions — we score every product using our published methodology before any commercial relationship is considered.
The short answer: Acana Cat wins at A/90 vs Orijen Original Cat at B/79 under the KibbleIQ Dry Kibble Rubric — an 11-point gap. Both are made by Champion Petfoods. Orijen includes organ meat in the top five; Acana relies on conventional whole proteins plus rendered meals (chicken meal, pollock meal).

The scores

Acana Cat: A/90
Orijen Original Cat: B/79

Eleven points and a full letter grade separate these two sibling brands from the same manufacturer: Acana Cat (A/90) sits at the top of our cat food rankings, and Orijen Original Cat (B/79) sits in the B tier.

How the ingredients compare

Here are the first five ingredients side by side:

Acana: Chicken, Trout, Salmon, Chicken Meal, Pollock Meal

Orijen: Chicken, Turkey, Whole Herring, Turkey Giblets (liver, heart, gizzard), Salmon

Both formulas lead with animal proteins exclusively in their top five — no grains, no legumes, no fillers anywhere near the front of the list. Acana’s formula includes rendered meal-form proteins (chicken meal, pollock meal) in its top five. Orijen includes organ meat (turkey giblets) this early in the list, which broadens the nutrient profile beyond muscle meat alone.

Where Orijen holds its own

Whole ingredient sourcing. None of Orijen’s top five is a meal — chicken, turkey, whole herring, turkey giblets, salmon. 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.

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. 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 pulls ahead

Not a watered-down Orijen. Acana leads with five animal proteins in the top five and uses named protein sources throughout. It scores A/90 to Orijen’s B/79.

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

Acana Cat earns A/90, 11 points above Orijen Original Cat’s B/79. Orijen’s strengths are whole ingredient sourcing and organ meat in the top five. Both come from the same manufacturer (Champion Petfoods).

Read our full reviews of Acana Cat and Orijen Original Cat for the complete ingredient breakdowns.

Corrected 2026-10-19: we removed claims we could not support; we corrected factual errors, and grades and score comparisons that did not match our current scores.