ONLY THE BEST FOR OUR CATS

Because our cats deserve the best, we’re sharing tools and tips to help them thrive by your side. Explore nutrition advice by life stage, discover how to nurture your wildcat’s amazing abilities, and more.

Life stages CAT EVOLUTION RECIPE FINDER FAQ Social NEWSLETTER

FIND ADVICE BY
LIFE STAGE

The needs of your cat can vary greatly depending on their age. Explore our most recent articles and advice on helping your cat thrive at any life stage.

Kitten 0-12 MONTHS Adult1-10 YEARS Senior10+ YEARS

CAT EVOLUTION

How did modern cats evolve from wildcats?

CAT’S ANCESTORS

CAT’S ANCESTORS

11 million years ago, the first wildcats evolved into 2 categories:

  • Pantherinae (big cats like tigers and lions)
  • Felinae (mostly smaller cats that became the ancestors of modern cats)

CAT’S ANCESTORS

THE FIRST WILDCATS

  • 6.2 million years ago, the genus Felis wildcat species descended from the Felinae genus.
  • Felis wildcats were the next evolutionary step toward domesticated cats as we know them today.

CAT’S ANCESTORS

THE FIRST DOMESTICATED WILDCAT

  • 130,000 years ago, the Middle Eastern Wildcats (Felis silvestris lybica) split from the Felis genus.
  • Middle Eastern Wildcats are the closest relatives to modern cats, and were the first domesticated cats. All modern domestic cats are their descendants.

CAT’S ANCESTORS

MODERN CATS

  • Most cats are now domestic pets, but their biology hasn’t changed much from their ancestors’.
  • In fact, only 15-20 genes separate your cat from their wild ancestors!
  • This is why cats still thrive best on a diet rich with WholePrey animal ingredients like ORIJEN™ cat food.

AMA: Driscoll CA, Clutton-Brock J, Kitchener AC, O'Brien SJ. The Taming of the cat. Genetic and archaeological findings hint that wildcats became housecats earlier--and in a different place--than previously thought. Sci Am. 2009;300(6):68-75.

Kitten Bag

FIND THE RIGHT
DIET FOR YOUR CAT

Discover the recipes

FREQUENTLY ASKED
CAT QUESTIONS

Cats have their own tastes and preferences, just like us, so what works best will be unique for every cat. If you have a kitten, we recommend starting with the ORIJEN™ Kitten diet. If your cat has reached maturity, the main thing to consider is finding a flavor they love. Any of our All-Life Stages diets will provide your cat with all the nutrients they need.
There are no grain ingredients added in our kitchens in our ORIJEN™ cat diets. They are packed with WholePrey animal ingredients, including organs and bone. They also feature fruit, vegetables, and botanicals to deliver on your cat’s nutritional needs.
Our ORIJEN™ diets are formulated to support a cat’s unique health requirements. As obligate carnivores, cats thrive on a variety of different prey animals, and each ORIJEN™ diet acknowledges this in the diversity of included animal ingredients. We have diet options that give Pet Lovers variety while still providing their cats with all the nutrients they require at All Life Stages.

The kitten formula is specially formulated to give your kitten the nutrients it needs to grow healthy and strong:
  1. Digestive health I Probiotics as dried chicory root and fibre from fruit and vegetables.
  2. Muscle Development I From protein-rich chicken, turkey and salmon.
  3. Brain Development I Naturally-occurring DHA and EPA from salmon, whole herring, whole mackerel and pollock oil.
ORIJEN™ all-life stage diets help support key health benefits such as:
  1. Digestive health I From protein, fibre & probiotic blend
  2. Healthy skin & coat I From Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids
  3. Immune health I From antioxidants from fruit & vegetables


    4. Fit & Trim is specially formulated with significantly less calories* and naturally-occurring L-carnitine to help maintain a healthy weight.
    *10% less calories compared to our ORIJEN Original Cat diet is lower in fat content and higher in fiber to help maintain a healthy weight.
Obligate carnivores depend on meat for survival, and their diet requires some nutrients found exclusively in animal ingredients. Our ORIJEN™ diets contain 85-90% animal ingredients* to ensure your cat gets all the nutrients they need.
*Approximate and derived from the unprocessed state of the ingredients
A Biologically Appropriate diet mirrors the quantity, freshness, and variety of animal ingredients that cats are evolved to eat in the wild.

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