Absolute Holistic Chicken & Hoki – The Best Cat Food Review

Last Updated on June 17, 2024 by Indy the Cat

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History

Founded in 2018, Absolute Holistic Pet Food is a growing player in the pet food industry with an intriguing international journey. Originally rooted in Singapore, the company embarked on its quest by sourcing premium ingredients from New Zealand and introducing a line of air-dried dog food products. Over time, their dedication to quality products paved the way for expansion into the realm of feline nutrition. These days they have numerous product lines that cater to the needs of both cats and dogs. Their expansion eventually led them to venture into international markets including Australia.

Despite their Singaporean origins, their website appears to cast them as an American company with an American address. No doubt they are framing themselves as an international company with aspirations to continually expand in the American market. They are not the first Singaporean company that have found success within the pet food sector as we have covered Kit Cat treats in a recent review.

Absolute Pets continues to diversify their offerings as they now boast an impressive array of products catering to a wide spectrum of pet needs. Under their product lines, Absolute Bites stands out with its range of single protein treats, while Absolute Plus introduces oral care, supplements, and miscellaneous products like flea spray, pet repellent, and even pet diapers. Among their earliest offerings, Absorb Plus encompasses training pads and pet wipes, showcasing the brand’s approach to supporting pets and their owners through various stages of life.

Recalls

To date, Absolute Pet cat food has not been recalled. In Australia, pet food recalls are only mandatory for brands that have decided to work within the Australian Standard for Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food (Standard AS5812:2017). All members of the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia comply with these standards and at the time of publishing, Absolute Pet is not a member of the Association. 

Product Line Commentary

Today, we are looking at the Absolute Holistic Wild Tuna and Mountain Lobster puree treats recipe, which is one of the four flavours offered in the their air dried cat food line. As you may have seen from previous reviews, air dried food is very different from conventional kibble. While examining the food, you will notice that the texture and shape of the food looks more like small pieces of jerky.

In Absolute Holistic’s case, the shape and texture of the food is quite different from other brands like Providore or Ziwi Peak. The texture is softer and the size of the pieces are generally quite. large. With the larger pieces, you will find your cat has to chew more to digest the food (and that’s good for their teeth!). However, one con is that the larger pieces do mat fit well in an automatic feeder.

Furthermore, this type of food preserves much of the nutritional value of the proteins compared to traditional kibble. This leads to a denser, richer food that is often seen as a superior choice for cats. This category of food often mimics the benefits of the raw diet, something that is always great to see. For a comparison, we also covered the Ziwi Peaks Air Dried Chicken recipe and the Providore Air Dried Chicken and Venison product.

Smaller named ingredient list

This recipe showcases two main proteins: chicken and hoki, both of which are synonymous with quality. While chicken is a familiar choice, hoki, a fish gaining popularity in cat food, was recently featured in our Meow treat review In Australia, it often goes by the name Blue Grenadier. This sustainably sourced, wild-caught fish is prevalent in Southern Australia and New Zealand

In addition to chicken meat, this formula includes chicken liver, an excellent source of animal organ-based essential vitamins and minerals. Noteworthy ingredients such as chicory, flaxseed, and kelp work in harmony to provide vital vitamins, promote gut health, and offer dietary fiber. While parsley, kelp, and flaxseed are listed as ingredients, the package notes that they are in powdered form, a minor distinction in terms of quality.

Mussels, a familiar luxurious ingredient, round out the ingredient list, offering an abundant source of omega-3s and natural anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s worth noting that the formula excludes vegetable-sourced proteins, aligning with the dietary preferences of cats, which are obligate carnivores.

Overall, the inclusion of numerous named ingredients sets this product apart, a common hallmark differentiating between budget and premium brands. Absolute Holistic’s commitment to sourcing all ingredients from New Zealand, with an emphasis on sustainability, is commendable. Their dry food flavors are formulated for all life stages, suitable for kittens, adults, and senior cats, and carry AAFCO approval.

How does it compare to other brands?

Absolute Holistic markets itself as a food that follows the Paleo diet. You may have heard about the Paleo diet as it has grown in popularity among individuals, particularly those in the fitness circles. The diet’s approach is to eat fresh unprocessed and nutrient rich food that reflects the diet of our “hunter gatherer ancestors” from the Palaeolithic era.

That sounds great but how different is it from other brands?

As mentioned earlier, Absolute Holistic is inspired by the raw diet (in Absolute’s case, they use the term “whole prey”), which is similar to other air dried foods. This means they are grain free, high in protein and subsequently very nutrient dense. In Absolute Holistic’s case, it’s 93% meat and organs with no preservatives. While the first few ingredients are meat, we would have liked to see more specific parts of the animal given that they want to be a premium brand focused on “whole prey”. Beyond chicken liver, we don’t see any other mention of offals or organs.

Similar to Providore, this food contains glycerins, which serve as a binder and preservative. Like most binding/gelling agents, they are on the more controversial side, especially when some cats appear to react to them. The research may show a bit less clarity in its long term effects so if you have any concerns, you can steer clear of them or only feed this in moderation.

Lastly, this food is heavy on direct vitamin supplements. Rather than use ingredients containing the appropriate vitamins, they are using a significant amount of supplements. Given their Paleo approach, this is a bit surprising and not the most ideal.

Overall, we like the majority of what we see in this product line, but we don’t see them doing quite enough to stand out from their competitors.

Guaranteed analysis

Crude Protein (min) – 31%

Crude Fat (min) – 25%

Crude Fibre (max) – 7%

Moisture (max) – 19%

Dry Matter Basis

Dry matter analysis is not available from Absolute Pet, but we reached out to the company for more information.

The breakdown shows it would be considered a well balanced high protein, medium fat and very low carbohydrate cat food.

Where to Buy and Cost

While Absolute Holistic air dried cat food isn’t the most well known product, it is quite easy to find at Australian retailers. At the time of publishing, it can found at numerous retailers including: Pet Circle, Petstock and Budget Pet Products.

At the time of publishing, you can find a 500g bag of Absolute Holistic Chicken and Hoki for about $36. At $0.072/g, this is more expensive than Providore and in the same price range as a bag of Ziwi Peak air dried cat food ($0.07/g). Furthermore, like most air dried cat food, it has above average nutritional density (4.44 kcal/g), and results in better bang for your buck.

Since this is a dry food, we do not feed this everyday. It is feed primarily as a topper to meet Indy’s daily caloric. Roughly, dry food may compose of less than 10% of his total weekly intake. As always, being able to have a premium food in their diet is one of the many benefits of building a rotation diet! You can still feel good about feeding premium food as part of their routine without constantly breaking the bank.

Ingredient List

White Tuna Meat, Mountain Lobster, Water, Fish Extract, Fiber, Soybean Oil, Vitamin E, Thickening Agent (Modified Tapioca Starch, Guar Gum), Taurine

Nutritional Information

Chicken – source of meat protein

Hoki – source of fish protein

Chicken Liver – source of organs, offering essential vitamins/minerals

Vegetable Glycerin – used as a binder and preservative and has some controversy as an ingredient. Gives the food a more chewy texture

Green Lipped Mussels – source of omega 3’s, anti-inflammatory benefits

Dried Chicory – gut and digestive health benefits

Parsley – source of fibre, vitamins and anti-inflammatory benefits. can be harmful if consumed in high quantities.

Choline Chloride – source of choline

Flaxseed – source of fibre

Kelp – source of magnesium, protein, vitamin A, iodine, bromine, and phosphorous. Minor source of fibre

Antioxidant – helps fight diseases

Calcium Carbonate – source of calcium

Zinc – source of zinc

Taurine – essential amino acid 

Vitamin E – source of vitamin E

Iron – source of Iron

Vitamin B3 – source of Vitamin B3

Copper Sulphate – source of copper

Vitamin B1 – source of Vitamin B1

Sodium Selenate – source of selenium

Manganese Oxide – source of manganese

Vitamin B5 – source of Vitamin B5

Vitamin A – source of Vitamin A

Vitamin B2 – source of Vitamin B2

Biotin – source of vitamin B7

Vitamin B6 – source of vitamin B6

Vitamin B12 – source of vitamin B12

Iodine – source of iodine

Folic Acid – source of vitamin B12 and aids in digestion

Vitamin D3 – source of vitamin D3

Indy’s Review

So does Indy the cat like it? 

Yes, Indy loves Absolute Holistic Chicken and Hoki Air Dried cat food and it’s probably his favourite air dried food when comparing similarly crafted air dried cat food.

As a topper, it is easy to add a little bit to his diet without disrupting his primary diet. Since the pieces are bigger than some other air dried products, the food gives Indy a good opportunity to chew and clean his teeth. Between air dried and freeze dried food, Indy does go crazier over freeze dried textures.

It can be easier to find Ziwi Peak on sale, so you may find Absolute Holistic to be quite expensive being a more niche brand.

The good

• Extremely high meat content makes this a very species appropriate food
• Excellent meat/protein sources with mostly quality named ingredients
• Very low carbohydrates
• Grain free without similar substitutes 
• Air dried versus traditional kibble processing methods
• Quickly adopted by Indy in terms of palatability and a favourite amongst the air dried foods
• Similar high calorie density to other air dried products (but not as much as some other formulas like Ziwi Peak Chicken/Lamb/Beef), so you can feed less while still meeting calorie needs

The bad

• More expensive than traditional kibble with a similar price range as Ziwi Peak 1kg bags
• Still a dry food that can be dehydrating if it is the primary food in the cats’ diet
• One ingredient (Glycerin) tied to controversy
• Smaller list of named ingredients with quite a few vitamin supplements compared to using ingredients that contain the vitamin/nutrients

Rating 

• Species appropriate (weight 0.3) – 9 / 10
• Ingredients (weight 0.3) – 7.5 / 10
• Recall Track record (weight 0.2) – 10 / 10
• Price (weight 0.2) – 7 / 10

Average Score – 8.4 / 10

Weighted Score – 8.35 / 10

The Bottom Line: While this is one of Indy’s favourite air dried food, the ingredient profile isn’t quite up to Ziwi Peak’s standard nor is it a more affordable option. This is one we look for when there’s a deal but it’s not our first choice.

If you spot an error in this article, please do not hesitate to let us know!