American Journey Pet Food is an exclusive brand owned by Chewy.com. It was first launched in 2017 and sold almost exclusively through Chewy’s website. All American Journey’s pet food is made in the U.S.A. by a manufacturer in Kansas, with ingredients sourced primarily from the United States but also from Mexico, China, Chile, New Zealand, and Germany.
Selling its brand through its website allows Chewy to cut out the middleman and offer great-quality foods at a reasonable price, often far lower than its competitors. American Journey’s cat food is available in several types, including dry and wet food and single or multiple protein source recipes.
One of the most significant benefits of buying American Journey from Chewy is the automatic shipping option; you can set how much food you need to be sent and how frequently you need it. Overall, American Journey is an excellent brand of cat food at an affordable price point.
At a Glance: The Best American Journey Cat Food Recipes
Image
Product
Details
Our Favorite
American Journey Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
The convenience of online ordering and great quality food at an affordable price is turning many cat owners toward American Journey cat food. It has quickly become a trusted brand among pet owners, with quality ingredients and excellent customer service. American Journey makes roughly 18 cat food products, including dry food, wet food, and various treats.
Who makes American Journey and where is it produced?
American Journey is made and owned by Chewy, Inc.. All the food is manufactured in Kansas in the United States, with ingredients primarily locally sourced but also imported.
Which Types of Cats Is American Journey Best Suited For?
American Journey is suitable for all cats with no underlying allergies or chronic illnesses. The company does not make specially formulated foods for liver, kidney, or cardiac disorders, but all its dry foods are grain-free, which is essential for healthy cats.
American Journey has a relatively limited choice of only four dry food formulas but also makes a variety of wet foods, including various poultry, seafood, and beef formulas.
Which Types of Cats Might Do Better With a Different Brand?
Cats that have underlying chronic health issues or allergies may do better on a prescription diet that will address their issues. They may need to be on the diet permanently, but it is often a temporary measure to help them overcome an illness or disease.
NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...
WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...
CHEW-SAFE MATERIALS - Kittens and cats love chewing on silicone and soft rubber - but it's a choking...
Feeding your cat a high-quality diet is important for keeping them healthy and happy. But it goes beyond the food you choose; the dishes they use also matter. TheHepper NomNom Cat Bowlis our favorite for its unique, five-star design that protects from whisker fatigue and promotes good posture which also aids in better digestion. As an added bonus, it’s beautifully crafted and offers a modern take on the traditional cat bowl that fits seamlessly with all home stylings. Learn more about the NomNom by clicking here.
At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
What Are the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad) in American Journey Cat Food?
Almost all the American Journey Cat Food products contain a quality protein source as the first ingredient, usually deboned poultry, like chicken and turkey, or fish, including salmon and tuna. The company does not use any artificial coloring or flavors, and none of the cat foods contain animal by-products or grains.
Animal by-products. These are leftover parts from carcasses after they have been slaughtered for meat, defined as the non-rendered, clean parts safe for animal consumption. Although animal by-products are still fairly nutritious, they are often considered a waste product by customers, and most premium pet food manufacturers have stopped using them, including American Journey.
Grains. Cats are obligate carnivores and do not need grains in their diet. We recommend going for a grain-free recipe for your cat, and all of American Journey’s cat food products are grain-free. Grains like wheat, corn, and soy are often used as filler ingredients and binding agents in dry cat foods, and although some binders are unfortunately necessary for dry kibble, American Journey chooses to use pea and potato starch instead.
Peas. American Journey is free from grain binders but substitutes them with other starchy sources, like potatoes and peas. While they are far better than grains and are still a low percentage of the total food makeup, they are still not ideal for cats. Wet foods are usually free of binding agents, and we recommend them if you are concerned about the starch.
All four of American Journey’s dry cat foods contain pea protein as a binder. The concern over this ingredient is the boost of plant-based protein, which is lower quality than meat-based sources, especially for cats.
A Quick Look at American Journey Cat Food
Pros
Made in the United States
No history of recalls
Packed with quality meat
Grain-free
Free of animal by-products
Packed with vitamins and minerals
Cons
Contains non-grain fillers, including peas
Contains fruits and vegetables
Reviews of the 3 Best American Journey Cat Food Recipes
With no history of recalls and outstanding grain-free recipes, here are three of our favorite cat foods from American Journey.
American Journey’s Turkey and Chicken dry cat food is free from grains, an essential consideration since cats are obligate carnivores. The food features real, deboned turkey as the first ingredient, plus deboned chicken and various healthy fruits and vegetables.
It has a crude protein content of 40% and is packed with essential omega fatty acids 3 and 6 for healthy skin and fur. The Turkey and Chicken formula also contains essential amino acids, like taurine, for heart and eye health and added antioxidants for optimal immune support, and it is free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
The kibble size is tiny, and some larger cats may not enjoy it. Some customers reported their cats drank a ton of water afterward, pointing toward a high salt content.
Calorie Breakdown:
Pros
Contains real, deboned turkey
Packed with healthy fruits and vegetables
40% crude protein content
Contains essential omega acids 3 and 6
Packed with immune-supporting antioxidants
Cons
Small kibble size
High salt content
2. American Journey Minced Poultry & Seafood in Gravy Variety Pack Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
It also includes healthy fruits, like cranberries and blueberries, that are a potent source of antioxidants, natural sources of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, and added vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E and manganese. Again, this formula from American Journey is free from artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors.
The potent smell of the seafood may put some cats off, and it only has a 9% crude protein content. Also, the lid-opening tabs are reported to break constantly, which can become frustrating.
Calorie Breakdown:
Pros
Made with real chicken, tuna, and turkey
Contains a natural source of taurine
Include healthy fruits like cranberries and blueberries
Contains omega-3 and -6 fatty acids
Loads of vitamins and minerals
Cons
Potent seafood smell
Fairly low protein content
Finicky lid design
3. American Journey Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
With deboned chicken as the first ingredient, this grain-free kibble has a 40% crude protein content. It also contains flaxseeds a natural source of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, and wholesome fruits and vegetables, including blueberries, cranberries, carrots, and pumpkin. It also contains added antioxidants for immune support and taurine for heart and eye health and is free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Some customers reported that it caused gas and bloating in their cats and even nausea in some cases. The kibble size is also very small, an issue with all American Journey dry foods.
Calorie Breakdown:
Pros
Deboned chicken is the first listed ingredient
Contains flaxseeds for added omega-3 and -6 fatty acids
Added antioxidants
Contains taurine
Contains wholesome fruits and vegetables
Cons
May cause gas and bloating
Small kibble size
What Other Users Are Saying
American Journey is a fairly new brand of cat food, and due to its reasonable prices and high-quality ingredients, it has garnered a great deal of attention from cat owners. Here’s what a few other sources are saying about American Journey:
Feline Living: “Chewy’s American Journey is a brand that is a good introduction to natural pet foods. Free from artificial enhancers such as colors, flavors, or preservatives, it offers all-natural cat food that is affordable and can be conveniently purchased online at Chewy.com and PetSmart. Based on our American Journey cat food review, it is overall a good natural pet food brand. Their products have been able to deliver good results, as seen by many cat owners. Their different variants of both wet and dry foods are popular with kitties. Many have thrived on the brand’s products with skin, fur, and digestion issues showing significant improvements.”
CatfoodDB: “Overall, CatFoodDB has reviewed 21 American Journey cat food products. Together, they average 7 / 10 paws, which makes American Journey an above-average overall cat food brand when compared to all the other brands in our database.”
Catpet: “To sum it up, I do recommend American Journey cat food because it presents an optimal price/quality ratio. Each lineup of foods has great protein content, and wet foods are pretty low in carbs. The dry food from American Journey is a highly recommended option for the daily nutrition of adult cats and kittens because it provides a generous boost of energy and all necessary vitamins and minerals. It goes without mentioning that the manufacturer adds fiber-rich superfoods (fruits, berries, vegetables) and Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.”
Chewy: Of course, we always check chewy.com for customer reviews, especially since Chewy produces American Journey. You can view these customer reviews here.
Conclusion
Chewy has taken a bold step into manufacturing its own brand of pet food with American Journey, and so far, it seems it has done a fantastic job. This move has allowed Chewy to make more affordable food than some of its competitors while still maintaining high-quality ingredients and excellent customer service.
All of American Journey’s food is grain-free and is manufactured in the United States. Meat is always the first ingredient; the food contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives and has a great protein content throughout. While American Journey is not perfect, as it contains starchy binder ingredients, you won’t get much better for the price.
Overall, American Journey is an affordable, healthy, and trustworthy brand we highly recommend as a daily diet for your feline.
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate (you can leave written feedback after clicking submit)
Help us improve Catster for pet parents!
Your feedback really matters.
What did you like about this post? Also how can we improve it?
Christian started writing for a local newspaper as a teenager, and he's been involved in the publishing industry for most of his adult life. Combining his love of writing with a passion for animals, he is currently the Director of Editorial at Pangolia and the Editor-in-Chief at Catster.
Christian lives in the Philippines with his wife, son, and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
my 6 cats love this food wet and dry i always order from chewy the price is within my budget!
That's great to hear, Kathryn! :) Cats really seem to love this food.