Only Natural Pet Review 2026: PowerPate Labels & Verdict
Only Natural Pet’s current cat-food story is a short PowerPate wet line from a Boulder B Corp retailer-brand—not the old dry/freeze-dried catalog. We read manufacturer panels and Creators ASINs; we did not boarding-hotel feed-test these cans.
In this review 14 sections
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Our Only Natural Pet verdict
Only Natural Pet earns a 3.7/5 as a narrow but honest wet-food house brand—not the sprawling catalog older reviews remember. Today’s cat food pitch is PowerPate: three grain-free, carrageenan-free pâté recipes (Chicken Dinner, Turkey & Chicken, Rabbit & Pork) sold in 2.75 oz cans. Chicken Dinner is the best-documented manufacturer panel (8/5/0.75/78, 30.9 kcal/oz, ALS formulated). Plant ingredients (peas / pea flour / produce) keep estimated carbs higher than ultra-meat cans. We found no FDA cat-food recall for this brand in our search, and we did not boarding-hotel feed-test these recipes.
Quick picks — Only Natural Pet for cats
How we reviewed Only Natural Pet
This is a label and literature review (research_basis=labels). The Cats Luv Us Team read Only Natural Pet’s current PowerPate manufacturer product page and Shopify product.json (variants, Chicken Dinner panel, feeding guideline, ALS statement), verified Amazon titles and images through the Creators API (partner tag catsluvus03-20), cross-checked published Turkey & Chicken and Rabbit & Pork recipe panels, and mapped FDA recall search results. We did not run a boarding-hotel feeding trial, invent digestibility percentages, or revive the thin Engaging stub at the old /cat-grooming/ path.
Editorial score weights
Scores are editorial judgments on a 1–5 scale using these fixed weights. They are not lab results or veterinary diagnoses.
- 25%Label transparency & AAFCO completeness — Guaranteed analysis, calorie statement, and life-stage claim you can verify on the bag.
- 25%Ingredient quality & honesty — Named meats vs by-product meal placement, plant-protein load, and marketing vs ingredient list.
- 20%Nutrition fit for the claim — Whether the formula matches what the front of bag promises (kitten, indoor, urinary, etc.).
- 15%Safety & recall record — Brand and line recall history, plus how clearly the company communicates issues.
- 15%Shopper practicality — Availability, price tier, and whether the lineup is easy to buy without outdated SKUs.
- Label honesty — named meats vs peas/pea flour and produce mid-panel.
- Completeness language — AAFCO “formulated to meet” all life stages, not “AAFCO approved.”
- Format reality — wet-only cat food today; older dry/freeze-dried lines are not the current buy.
- Safety history — recall search vs marketing “never recalled” shorthand.
- Value math — 2.75 oz cans × manufacturer 1 oz/lb guidance.
Who makes Only Natural Pet?
Only Natural Pet started as a natural-pet retailer in Boulder, Colorado in the early 2000s and grew into a specialty e-commerce shop that also sells its own house-brand foods and treats. In January 2019 the company announced Certified B Corporation status—marketing materials and contemporary press positioned it among the early North American pet companies to earn that badge. The brand still leans hard on sustainability language (B Corp, no Chinese ingredient sourcing claims, MSC/GAP-adjacent storytelling on some products).
For cats in 2026, that house brand is mostly PowerPate wet food, not the older Feline PowerFood dry or freeze-dried catalogs that older reviews still mention. Treat the Engaging-era “closer look at their products” title as a brand review of what you can actually buy for cats now, not a museum of discontinued bags.
Only Natural Pet formats at a glance (cats)
Practical ladder for feline shoppers right now:
- PowerPate Chicken Dinner — clearest manufacturer panel; 30.9 kcal/oz; ALS formulated.
- PowerPate Turkey & Chicken Dinner — poultry rotate; dual broths; same wet guarantees.
- PowerPate Rabbit & Pork — rabbit-led novel option with pea flour early.
- Variety pack — sampler of the three before mono-flavor cases.
- Not in this review as current complete diets — legacy dry PowerFood / MaxMeat / RawNibs-era cat SKUs that Creators and the brand site no longer present as the active cat complete-diet lineup.
ONP also sells broths, chews, and supplements in its store. Those are adjacent products, not substitutes for a complete PowerPate can when you need a meal.
Only Natural Pet PowerPate Grain-Free Chicken Dinner (12×2.75 oz)
Best for: Adults and multi-cat homes that want a grain-free, carrageenan-free chicken pâté and will measure ounces
- First ingredients
- Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, peas
- Crude protein (min)
- 8.0%
- Crude fat (min)
- 5.0%
- Crude fiber (max)
- 0.75%
- Moisture (max)
- 78.0%
- Calories (manufacturer)
- 1,093 kcal/kg (30.9 kcal/oz)
- AAFCO statement
- All life stages (formulated to meet)
- Format note
- Grain-free, carrageenan-free pâté; 2.75 oz cans
PowerPate Grain-Free Chicken Dinner is the clearest label we could verify on Only Natural Pet’s own product page. The ingredient list leads with chicken, chicken broth, and chicken liver, then peas, natural flavor, agar-agar, clams, carrots, cranberries, blueberries, ground flaxseed, eggs, green beans, minerals, salmon oil (mixed tocopherols), olive oil, New Zealand green mussel, turmeric, and a vitamin/mineral pack. Guaranteed analysis on that card: 8% protein, 5% fat, 0.75% fiber, 78% moisture. Calorie content: 1,093 kcal/kg (30.9 kcal/oz). The AAFCO statement is formulated to meet the Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages—not a feeding-trial claim.
Feeding guidance on the same card: about 1 oz per pound of body weight daily for adults if fed alone, split into two meals, with kitten and reproduction notes. That math gets expensive fast on case pricing, so many owners will use PowerPate as a wet rotation or topper rather than the sole diet—fine if the rest of the day still meets complete-and-balanced needs.
Pros
- Named chicken + broth + liver lead the panel
- Published 30.9 kcal/oz for portion math
- ALS AAFCO nutrient-profile formulation on manufacturer card
- No carrageenan / no grains on the recipe claims
Cons
- Peas and produce mid-panel raise estimated dry-matter carbs
- Small 2.75 oz cans — pricey if you follow 1 oz per lb body weight
- Pâté texture is not for every cat
- House-brand line is thin vs full grocery wet aisles
Only Natural Pet PowerPate Turkey & Chicken Dinner (12×2.75 oz)
Best for: Cats that like poultry pâté and owners who want a second PowerPate flavor without leaving the brand
- First ingredients
- Turkey, chicken, turkey broth, chicken broth, turkey liver
- Crude protein (min)
- 8.0%
- Crude fat (min)
- 5.0%
- Crude fiber (max)
- 0.75%
- Moisture (max)
- 78.0%
- Calories (published recipe cards)
- ~34.4 kcal/oz (verify can)
- AAFCO statement
- All life stages (line claim; formulated to meet)
- Format note
- Grain-free pâté; Creators 12-can listing
PowerPate Turkey & Chicken Dinner is the poultry-rotate sibling. Published recipe panels for this SKU list turkey, chicken, turkey broth, chicken broth, and turkey liver before peas, natural flavor, agar-agar, produce, flaxseed, eggs, clams, cranberries, blueberries, salmon oil, olive oil, NZ green mussel, turmeric, and kelp. Guaranteed analysis matches the wet line’s common mins/maxes (8/5/0.75/78). Independent recipe cards cite about 34.4 kcal/oz—higher than the manufacturer’s published Chicken Dinner 30.9 kcal/oz—so weigh the can statement when you portion, do not assume every PowerPate flavor shares one calorie number.
Same grain-free / carrageenan-free positioning as the rest of the line. Use it when you want a second poultry can without jumping brands, not because “turkey” automatically means low-carb.
Pros
- First five ingredients are animal-derived on published recipe panels
- Eggs, clams, kelp, NZ mussel, salmon oil, turmeric on the panel
- Same moisture-forward wet format as Chicken Dinner
- Useful rotate flavor inside one brand
Cons
- Peas and produce still sit mid-panel
- kcal/oz not printed on the manufacturer body we fetched—confirm can
- Limited SKU count if turkey is the only liked flavor and stock is thin
- Still a boutique price for a 2.75 oz can
Only Natural Pet PowerPate Grain-Free Rabbit & Pork (12×2.75 oz)
Best for: Owners hunting a rabbit-led pâté who understand this is not a veterinary hydrolyzed or true single-protein trial diet
- First ingredients
- Rabbit, rabbit broth, pork, pea flour, pork liver
- Crude protein (min)
- 8.0%
- Crude fat (min)
- 5.0%
- Crude fiber (max)
- 0.75%
- Moisture (max)
- 78.0%
- Calories (published recipe cards)
- ~34.7 kcal/oz (verify can)
- AAFCO statement
- All life stages (line claim; formulated to meet)
- Format note
- Grain-free pâté; novel proteins + plant binders
PowerPate Rabbit & Pork is the novel-protein can in the trio. Published recipe panels lead with rabbit, rabbit broth, pork, pea flour, and pork liver, then minerals, NZ green mussel, agar-agar, kale, coconut oil, green beans, apples, flaxseed, dried pumpkin, cranberries, salmon oil, turmeric, and vitamins. Same line guarantees (8/5/0.75/78). Recipe cards cite about 34.7 kcal/oz—again, verify the printed can before tight calorie math.
Useful if your cat likes rabbit. Not a substitute for a veterinary limited-ingredient or hydrolyzed diet when true food allergy workups are underway—pea flour and multiple animal proteins make that claims stretch dishonest.
Pros
- Rabbit-led formula for cats bored of chicken
- NZ mussel, pumpkin, kale, salmon oil, turmeric on published panels
- Carrageenan-free line positioning
- Creators-verified 12-can case for multi-day feeding
Cons
- Pea flour early on the panel—plant protein share is real
- Pork + rabbit is not a strict one-protein elimination diet
- Some cats refuse rabbit pâté (texture/flavor)
- Confirm kcal on the physical can before calorie-restricted feeding
Only Natural Pet PowerPate Variety Pack (12×2.75 oz)
Best for: Households testing PowerPate acceptance before ordering mono-flavor cases
- Pack contents
- Chicken Dinner + Turkey & Chicken + Rabbit & Pork
- Can size
- 2.75 oz × 12
- Line format
- Grain-free, carrageenan-free pâté
- AAFCO statement
- ALS formulated language on line recipes
- Best use
- Palatability sampler / rotate starter
The PowerPate Variety Pack (Creators title lists Chicken & Turkey, Rabbit & Pork, and Chicken Dinner) is the rational first cart for this brand. Confirm the exact mix on the listing when you order—Amazon titles sometimes compress flavor names—and use it as a palatability trial, not proof that every PowerPate can is interchangeable on calories.
Pros
- Tests three proteins without three separate cases
- Same ALS wet platform across flavors
- Easy Amazon Creators path for first order
- Lets you drop the flavor your cat refuses
Cons
- You may waste cans of a disliked flavor
- Still boutique pricing per ounce
- Does not fix the plant/carb tradeoff shared by the line
- Not a therapeutic variety pack
Ingredient reality check
What the panels do well: animal proteins and broths lead; liver shows up early; agar-agar replaces carrageenan as the gelling story; salmon oil, New Zealand green mussel, and turmeric appear as functional add-ons; grain-free claim is consistent across the trio.
What the panels also show: peas or pea flour and a produce medley (carrots, berries, green beans, kale, apples, pumpkin depending on recipe). On a dry-matter estimate, third-party analyses of this line land near the low-to-mid 30% carbohydrate range—respectable for some grocery pâtés, not competitive with ultra-meat cans that keep plants near zero. If “species-appropriate” for you means minimal plant protein, PowerPate is a compromise, not a crown.
Moisture at 78% max is normal canned territory and is still the main reason to prefer wet over dry for many indoor cats—see our broader wet-food explainer at what to know about wet cat food and the variety-pack roundup.
AAFCO statement: what it does and does not mean
The Chicken Dinner manufacturer card states the food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages. That is a legitimate completeness pathway. It is not the same as an AAFCO feeding-trial claim, and AAFCO does not “approve” or certify brands.
- All life stages on these pâté recipes means the nutrient profile is intended to cover growth and maintenance when fed as directed—including kitten guidance on the card.
- Formulated to meet means lab-profile math, not a published feeding trial on that exact recipe.
- Supplemental toppers are a different labeling world—PowerPate cans we carded are positioned as complete diets, not toppers.
Recalls and safety history
In our 2026-09-25 PT search of FDA animal-food recall materials and secondary recall databases, we did not find an Only Natural Pet cat food recall filing. “No recall found” is not a lifetime warranty—lot codes still matter, and new advisories can appear after this article’s date. Bookmark FDA’s animal-food recalls page and the brand’s own notices if you subscribe to autoship.
Do not confuse similarly named “natural” brands (for example Darwin’s Natural Pet Products advisories) with Only Natural Pet’s Boulder house brand. Always match the exact manufacturer name on the can.
B Corp status and what it changes
B Corp certification speaks to audited social and environmental practices at the company level. It does not rewrite the guaranteed analysis on a 2.75 oz can. Buy PowerPate because the panel and your cat fit—not because a sustainability badge is a proxy for low carbs or feeding-trial data.
If independence from big conglomerates matters to you, ONP’s retailer-plus-house-brand structure is closer to a specialty shop brand than to Nestlé Purina specialty labels like Merrick. If maximum meat density matters more, compare Ziwi Peak or meat-forward grocery cans like Sheba on a per-calorie basis.
Only Natural Pet fits when
- You want a grain-free, carrageenan-free ALS pâté from a B Corp house brand
- You will measure ounces and treat 2.75 oz cans as portion tools
- You like chicken / turkey / rabbit rotates inside one short line
- You prefer wet moisture over bringing back discontinued ONP dry bags
- You accept boutique pricing for retailer-brand positioning
Skip or ask your vet when
- You need ultra-low-carb or plant-free wet food
- You need a veterinary urinary, renal, GI, or hydrolyzed diet
- You want a full dry + wet catalog under one brand today
- You need grocery multi-pack economics for multi-cat exclusive wet feeding
- You expected MaxMeat / PowerFood dry to still be the hero SKU
How Only Natural Pet compares with Ziwi, Sheba, Merrick & Fromm
- Ziwi Peak — denser air-dried / canned meat positioning and higher price tiers; choose Ziwi when plant mid-panels are a dealbreaker.
- Sheba — grocery wet convenience and broader flavor walls; choose Sheba when availability and case price matter more than B Corp storytelling.
- Merrick — Purina-owned specialty with dry + pâté depth; choose Merrick when you still want a grain-free dry bag in the rotation.
- Fromm — family brand with broader life-stage dry options; choose Fromm when independence + dry catalog matter.
- Pure Harmony — another house/specialty angle; soft-compare when shopping retailer brands.
How to switch
Move gradually over about a week: 25% new / 75% old for a few days, then 50/50, then 75/25, then full PowerPate—slower if stool softens. Keep water available. Refrigerate opened cans and discard leftovers on a normal wet-food timeline. If vomiting, diarrhea, or appetite crash lasts more than a day or two, stop and call your veterinarian.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Buy Only Natural Pet PowerPate if you want a short, grain-free ALS pâté line from a Boulder B Corp retailer-brand, you like the Chicken / Turkey / Rabbit rotate, and you will do honest ounce math.
Skip or ask your vet first if you need therapeutic diets, plant-minimal cans only, a wide dry catalog under this logo, or you assumed the old PowerFood dry bags were still the main event.
Only Natural Pet FAQ
Is Only Natural Pet good cat food?
For many healthy cats that like pâté, it is a reasonable specialty wet option with named meats first, ALS formulation language, and no carrageenan on the line claims. It is not the lowest-carb can on the shelf, and the current cat catalog is basically PowerPate—not a full dry+wet empire.
What cat food does Only Natural Pet make now?
The active complete cat diets we verified for purchase are the PowerPate wet recipes: Chicken Dinner, Turkey & Chicken Dinner, Rabbit & Pork, plus a variety pack. Older dry PowerFood / freeze-dried cat lines are not the current Creators-facing complete-diet story.
Has Only Natural Pet cat food been recalled?
We did not find an FDA-posted Only Natural Pet cat food recall in our 2026-09-25 PT search. Still check lot codes and FDA’s current animal-food recall list before autoship complacency.
Is PowerPate AAFCO complete and balanced?
Manufacturer Chicken Dinner language says it is formulated to meet AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages. That is complete-and-balanced labeling via nutrient profiles—not an “AAFCO approved” seal and not automatically a feeding-trial claim.
Does PowerPate contain grains or carrageenan?
The line is marketed as grain-free and carrageenan-free, using agar-agar as the gelling agent on the panels we reviewed. It still includes peas/pea flour and other plants.
Can kittens eat Only Natural Pet PowerPate?
ALS formulation language and kitten feeding notes appear on the manufacturer card. That does not replace veterinary advice for orphans, underweight kittens, or medically fragile litters—confirm the can in your hand and ask your vet if unsure.
Did Cats Luv Us boarding-hotel test Only Natural Pet?
No. This review is research_basis=labels: manufacturer panels, Creators listings, and primary/secondary safety sources—not a suite feeding trial.
Bottom line
Only Natural Pet is a credible niche wet brand with a thinner 2026 catalog than nostalgic reviews imply. Start with Chicken Dinner or the variety pack; rotate Turkey & Chicken; use Rabbit & Pork only if your cat actually likes rabbit and you accept pea flour on the panel. Soft-compare Ziwi, Sheba, and Merrick if your priorities differ. Affiliate links use tag catsluvus03-20.
Sources
- Only Natural Pet — PowerPate Grain-Free Wet Cat Food (manufacturer product page)
- Only Natural Pet — PowerPate Shopify product.json (variants / Chicken Dinner panel)
- FDA — Animal food recalls & withdrawals
- AAFCO — Pet food regulatory resources (nutrient profiles vs “approval” myths)
- PRWeb — Only Natural Pet announces B Corp certification (2019)
- Cats.com — Only Natural Pet cat food review (published recipe panels / line context; topic map only)
- Cat Food Advisor — PowerPate wet review (nutrient dashboard; topic map only)
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