The scores
Orijen Cat & Kitten: A (91/100)
Nulo Freestyle Cat & Kitten: B (88/100)
A 3-point gap that crosses the A/B threshold. Orijen sits at the top of our cat food rankings, with three A/90 cat foods (Acana, Wellness CORE, and Instinct Kitten) tied just behind, and Nulo anchoring the top of the B tier. The difference between Orijen and Nulo isn’t about one being good and the other mediocre. It’s about two genuinely premium formulas approaching feline nutrition from different angles, with Orijen’s raw ingredient depth giving it the edge.
How the ingredients compare
Here are the first five ingredients side by side:
Orijen: Fresh Chicken, Fresh Turkey, Fresh Whole Eggs, Fresh Chicken Liver, Fresh Whole Herring
Nulo: Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Salmon Meal, Chicken Meal, Whole Peas
The philosophies are immediately clear. Orijen leads with five consecutive fresh or raw animal ingredients — no carbohydrate appears until well past the fifth position. Nulo places four animal proteins in its top five but reaches a legume (whole peas) by position five. Orijen also includes organ meat (chicken liver) in the top five, which is significant for cats: liver is one of the richest natural sources of taurine, the amino acid cats cannot synthesize on their own. Nulo uses meal-form proteins, which are more concentrated by weight but lack the fresh/raw distinction Orijen emphasizes.
Where Orijen pulls ahead
Whole-prey ingredient philosophy. Orijen’s formula includes fresh chicken, fresh turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh chicken liver, fresh whole herring, fresh whole flounder, fresh turkey liver, and dehydrated versions of its proteins — more than 10 named animal ingredients in total. This whole-prey approach mirrors what cats would eat in nature: muscle meat, organs, cartilage, and bone. No other dry cat food in our database comes close to this level of animal ingredient diversity.
Organ meat richness. Chicken liver and turkey liver appear prominently in Orijen’s formula. For cats, this matters more than it does for dogs. Organ meats provide naturally occurring taurine, vitamin A, and B vitamins that cats require in their diet because they can’t produce them internally. Most cat foods add synthetic taurine to meet AAFCO minimums; Orijen delivers it through the food itself and still supplements on top.
Fresh and raw inclusions. Orijen uses the term “fresh” to indicate ingredients that arrive at the kitchen unfrozen and preservative-free. While all kibble is ultimately cooked, starting with fresh and raw inputs preserves more of the original nutrient profile before extrusion. Nulo’s reliance on meal-form proteins (turkey meal, salmon meal, chicken meal) means those ingredients were rendered and dried before the kibble-making process even began.
Botanical inclusions. Orijen includes freeze-dried liver, pumpkin, and a range of botanicals that most cat foods skip entirely. These aren’t magic ingredients, but they add micronutrient variety that a simpler formula can’t match. Shop on Amazon →
Where Nulo holds its own
BC30 probiotic. Nulo’s patented GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans) is a spore-forming probiotic that survives the kibble extrusion process and stomach acid to reach the gut alive. It’s one of the few probiotics in pet food with clinical research behind it. Orijen doesn’t include a comparable probiotic, relying instead on the ingredient quality itself to support digestive health.
Chelated minerals. Nulo uses chelated (proteinated) forms of zinc, iron, copper, and manganese, which are bound to amino acids for better absorption. This is a meaningful supplement advantage — chelated minerals are more bioavailable than the standard oxide or sulfate forms found in many cat foods.
Price. This is the practical differentiator. Orijen typically runs around $45 for a 12-pound bag, while Nulo comes in closer to $35 for the same size. That’s roughly a 25% savings for a food that scores just 3 points lower. For a multi-cat household, the annual cost difference adds up significantly. Nulo delivers near-A-grade nutrition without the A-grade premium.
Low glycemic formula. Nulo emphasizes low-glycemic carbohydrate sources, which can benefit overweight or diabetic cats. While both formulas are grain-free (a shared concern), Nulo’s carbohydrate strategy is specifically designed to minimize blood sugar spikes — a relevant consideration for indoor cats prone to weight gain. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
Orijen Cat & Kitten earns the win as the top-scoring cat food in our database, and it deserves that spot. The whole-prey formula with 85% animal ingredients, multiple organ meats, and 10+ named proteins is unmatched in dry cat food. But Nulo at B/88 is no consolation prize — it anchors the top of the B tier with genuine advantages in probiotic support, mineral absorption, and value. For most cat owners, Nulo delivers excellent nutrition at a more accessible price point. For those who want the absolute best ingredient list available in a dry cat food and don’t mind paying the premium, Orijen is the clear choice.
Read our full reviews of Orijen Cat & Kitten and Nulo Freestyle Cat for the complete ingredient breakdowns.