Authority Cat Food Review
Authority is essentially a PetSmart brand of food but has been available on Chewy and Amazon. At the time of updating this review (January 2022) it appears the dry cat food is being phased out.
As such, the remainder of this Authority cat food review (focussing on Authority Adult Chicken & Rice) can be considered out of date. I will leave it here for brevity.
[Original] Authority cat food review – Adult Chicken & Rice
Authority cat food is quite prominent in the PetSmart store, and seems a popular brand which is a mix of quality and affordability.
The formula starts off well but then fizzles in a big bang. The start, with chicken and chicken meal, shows good protein sources for the cat. There are no by-products, and no animal digest and a sign of a cheap product, so these are good initial signs.
But then it just falls apart. Brewers rice and 2 instances of corn tell us that what they are trying to do is basically fill the rest of the food with garbage, hoping that the meat products alone make it a quality product.
The two meat ingredients are likely in the same amount as the three corn/corn/rice ingredients, so don’t assume the product is mostly chicken.
That’s basically the main ingredients of Authority Adult cat food covered other than animal fat. It would’ve been nicer to see a more specific ingredient, such as chicken fat, as animal fat can be anything (probably a mixture of fatty slop).
Authority cat food is otherwise nothing to rave about. As an affordable cat food it’s okay, and there’s definitely worse out there. Corn is a better option for a cat than lots of cereal/wheat.
If Authority cat food is what works for you and your budget, then it’s worth considering adding some fresh meats/offal/fat to your cat’s diet, and lots of moisture too.
Where to buy Authority cat food
For the best prices why not order on Amazon.com?
Ingredients
Ingredients of Authority cat food (as of original cat food review in 2013):
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Corn, Animal Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Beet Pulp, Dried Egg Product, Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2 Polyphosphate, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamin Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Dicalcium Phosphate, Taurine.
I buy Authority, Authority always wins.
Sorry. I couldn’t help it. But I do like the food, although my kitten gained quite a bit of weight rapidly and was told to switch foods by my vet due to excess abdominal fat. Didn’t have this problem before feeding this!
The price is really good and the pate is great!
Terrible. Good price point and the ingredients appear to be good….my cat was 8.43 lbs and after being on it for a month she gained almost 1.5lbs. I also noticed her fur looking shabby and not as nice as it was with her previous food. I regret changing her. My vet said rhat this food is “McDonaldy”. I’m changing my cat asap.
I have 11 cats and have fed Authority for years when I can get it. My cats love it and I have been very happy with it’s content (which has improved) and price compared to other decent brands of food. Cats do indeed eat plants in the wild–watch any cat eagerly eat grass and consider that the prey that they eat by definition contains plant materials. My cats also adore tomatoes and tomato sauce. 😉
So far, balancing cost and content, my felines and I are happiest with Authority from PetSmart and 4Health from Tractor Supply Co., but we welcome comparable suggestions!
we have a cat that suffers from Eosinophilic Granuloma which is caused by alergerlies. Our vet suggested avoiding any cat foods with byproducts especially fish byproducts. We have been through a lot of dry cat foods in search of one that cures his problem. Well, the Authority chicken and rice seems to have madea big difference.. The ulcer that is symptomatic of the condition has almost gone away and is continuing to improve. I hope others can benefit from our experience because , while the steriod injection helped, nothing was able to make as much improvement as this cat food has.
My 7 year old cat was a rescue kitten that was used to eating Authority at the adoption center inside Pet Smart. They didn’t tell me that at the time so I bought another more premium brand. Refused to eat! After a day I called and figured it out. Tried switching a couple times and he refuses. Won’t eat ANY fresh foods. None! Won’t eat canned either. Just Authority.
He’s had a problem with pulling fur off his back in the last couple years. Vet says maybe flea allergy even though he’s indoors and on meds. Starting to wonder if it could be a food reformulatiom. Anyone know when they reformulatiom?
When i worked at a vets office we saw tons of animals come in with flea allergies. Like my boss says theres nothing magical about your front door. Also it only takes 1 bite to cause a really bad reaction. They dont even have to have fleas but sometimes even with medicine they will get bit and it will cause them to chew at the rear end and lost a lot of hair if its bad enough. It depends too on the flea meds you are using frontline and advantage are the best ones and the cheap ones are dangerous and junk…not saying you use cheap flea stuff. Im not a vet but from experience as a vet tech we saw a lot of that and thats including my own cat but it is always good to keep an open mind.
Just to mention that my 3 rescue kitty’s do not like all the expensive, grain free, loaded with fruits and veggies ,noticed their stool smells aweful. I’m returning taste of the wild,natures variety. They just don’t like it, my mom uses authority kitten and she did a test against these top brands samples that to us the ingredients looks great! Well guess what he picked authority. I’m going tomorrow and getting a small bag authority. This expensive stuff they don’t like and gees it’s killing my Wallet. However with my blue pitbull I get Autoshipped natures variety natural instinct lamb and peas limited. That he loves and keeps him outta the vet. My cats – I’m not gonna give them friskies /McDonald’s, but I will try authority and from all I’ve heard through cat owners is its decent food and cats love it. One question- what’s up with guar gum? In most can foods? I do feed can and have water fountain as well. Thanks
This thread may have gotten a little stale, but I enjoyed reading it. While I certainly respect anyone who takes the time out to write a review on cat food (well-written, by the way), I just switched my 11 yr. old cat to Authority, and he loves it. I was shocked to see him dig in so quickly, as he is extremely picky, and has a very sensitive digestive system. aside from the “temptations” treats I’ve been feeding him for a few years, as food, he’s never been this eager to eat. I’m know Authority brand is much better than the treats, but I’m really hoping he sticks with the Authority dry food, because my only other option would be wet food, and that turns him into an entirely different cat.
I agree with most of the others. I have four cats. 2 elder and 2 young. I have been through just about every cat food out there so worried about ingredients. I had them all on wellness and they just would not eat it. I have changed to authority and they love it. I too see that my cats fur is so much better and in pretty good health. It is so much more affordable and I too will stick with authority!
Actually cats can’t benefit from plants at all. The best way to make sure a cat is getting the proper fiber is by feeding them animal organs such as liver and heart.
My cats have used this for awhile. Its basically the best food for cheap price.
Never have digestive problems, no urinary problems, no hair problems. My cats seem far more muscular than other cats ive seen. They are extremely strong and healthy and gorgeous soft furr.
I find it funny that blue buffalo’s law suit has completely been forgotten and under the radar.
They lied about their ingredients. Funny saying do you know what’s in your pets food? Then that very company lies… Never trusting them now.. I’ll stick with good ol authority..
I have 8 cats-
2- 3yo males- raised on authority
1- 2yo female-raised on authority
1-15yo female switched to authority when 12yo noticeably healthier more energetic and shinier coat.
4- 6wk old kitten 1 fe 3male.
They are weaning off momma (the 2yo fe) and had been eating royal canin baby soft. It gave diahrea and loud mewing during defacating. Switched to authority kitten. Fixed problems.
I’d say in closing for a cheap store brand its a pretty decent food.
Oh and side note ref the comments cats dont eat fruit n veg my cats do!. They always sneak bites of fruit and veg off my plate..
How does the grain free variety compare? It’s a good price and the ingredients seem okay to me. I use it as a supplemental food.
Cats are not natural water drinkers, so wet or raw is best, as both wet and raw include moisture in the food. Dry food contributes to crystals and urinary tract problems due to lack of water intake.
I find that cats will drink more water if it is engaging for them. We keep a big pan of water (a turkey roasting pan) on the (enclosed) back porch that they like to play in. One cat drinks from it directly, the other likes to bat at the water or just dip his paw in and then licks his paws. The pan sits on a towel, and they lounge on the towel like lions around a watering hole. The one cat also enjoys drinking water from a dripping faucet.
We use cat drinking fountains. We found they drank a lot more water if the water was moving ( and seemingly fresher).
Our cats also really like Authority and are doing very very well on it. I was so tired of spending an arm and leg on expensive cat food.
Does anyone know how it stands up with the new formula? It doesn’t seem to have the bad products you mentioned anymore, and the grain-free option looks quite good. I want a more affordable cat food to add in with a quality brand like Wellness. There is also Simply Nourish which has a higher rating but the ingredients look really comparable now but SN is way more expensive.
I find your comments on cat food with fruit and veggies funny. Cats are meat eaters. Vets are steering away from dry food and suggesting majority or all be canned MEAT as they are meat eaters. They also suggest made in the U S A brands. That includes friskies.
I also find it funny. Cats in no way need fruits or vegetables in their diet at all! ask a vet.
Hi Ashley, have you ever noticed your cat eating green grass ? Just for kicks , give your cat a fresh torn pea pod.
I feed my cats semi-cooked chicken, chicken livers, and a small portion of dry food call simply nourish. They also get vitamins. Cats do not eat fruits or vegetables in their natural habitat. The reason I give them vitamins is because I am not comfortable with them eating chicken bones, which they would eat in their natural habitat. I have a Bengal cat and an Egyptian mau.
Hi Ashley, please refer to my other comment – cats do indeed consume fruits and vegetables in their natural habitat, from eating the internal organs (stomach and intestinal tract) of their prey.
You’re entitled to your opinion Melissa, and entitled to feed your cat a food such as Friskies which is predominantly corn (uh, is corn a MEAT!?). Yes, cats are carnivores and their native diet is meat, but meat of animals that consume fruit and vegetables in their natural habitat. I see fruit and veg as a good inclusion in a food, giving a balanced diet, and there are certainly far worse ingredients that can be included.
I was ignorant with my first cat and so fed her Friskies. I’ve done a bit of reading since then and now know about the different grades of food (such as premium) and how certain ingredients should be avoided (by products). So I thought I did good on buying this brand. I feel like this is in between cheap cat food and premium cat food. Decent priced, but great quality. I’m sad to see Authority get a bad rating.
I recently took in 2 kittens and weaned them off of Friskies and on to Authority. They love it! Both avoid Friskies now. Authority gave them both the softest fur I’ve ever felt within TWO days. I feel like those two signs prove how great this food is.
I respect your rating, but I will stick to this brand till I can afford the premium brands. I started to mix in some canned Blue Buffalo with their dry Authority food. So hopefully the canned Blue Buffalo will add whatever the Authority is missing.
P.S. Yes, this is a Petsmart store brand. So is Simply Nourish. I am interested in reading your review on that brand.
~ Thanks
I’ve found the Friskies Mariner Pate has CARAGEENAN in it?!! I could not believe it. I’ve found it in foods I was eating but had no idea they’d try and stick it in canned cat food. Carageenan can cause intenstinal issues in humans… I can’t imagine what it’s doing to our felines. I’m definitely going to try Authority now. Thanks for the informational thread!
I so agree with you! My cat, Hendrix, is the PICKIEST little feline around. He refuses to eat wet food, certain treats, fresh fish, or any other hard food except for Authority. While it’s not the best food out there, as I’m not trying to spend an excessive amount of money, I still deem it very decent, and my cat obviously loves it. Yes very healthy, active, and his fur is like silk. I think this brand definitely deserves a much better rating.
Hi Abby, all feedback is appreciated – thanks. I’ve put Simply Nourish on my list of foods to review in the coming weeks.
Thanks for putting this website together it’s very informative and helpful. Just had a quick question about Authority. I picked up a bag on recommendation from a friend and I noticed your website says
“no Omega fatty acid sources”
yet the bag says it has .20% omega 3 and omega 3.5% (adult chicken + rice). Is this a supplement of some sort they put with in the food or..? Just curious, thank you!
Good spot Nathan, I’ll edit that! The omega fat content will come from ingredients such as the chicken, animal fat, canola oil etc, but I’d prefer to see the inclusion of flaxseed and fish oils as quality sources of omegas. You can read our Omega Fatty Acid info here – https://www.petfoodratings.org/nutrition/omega-fatty-acids/