Nulo MedalSeries vs Orijen Six Fish: Which Dry Cat Food Wins?
The short answer. Three points separate the two best dry cat foods in this ranking, and Nulo is the value story: 41% as-fed protein — a point higher than Orijen on the label — four named animal ingredients in the top five, and about $2.05 per 1,000 kcal against Orijen's $3.57. Orijen's edge is quality of form and history: its top five are all whole named fish worth a perfect protein score, and Champion Petfoods' 40-year zero-recall record against Nulo's sixteen co-packed years. Buy Nulo for the arithmetic; buy Orijen if the manufacturing record is worth 74% more per calorie.
Side by side
Every number below comes from the manufacturer's current label or current US retail listings, scored on the same 6-dimension model. Shaded cells mark the better value on that row.
| Attribute | Nulo MedalSeries Turkey & Cod Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food | Orijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Cat Food |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 88 / 100 | 91 / 100 |
| Protein quality & source (30%) | 95 | 100 |
| Ingredient transparency (20%) | 80 | 80 |
| Nutritional standards (18%) | 80 | 84 |
| Recall history & safety (14%) | 86 | 95 |
| Value for money (10%) | 99 | 94 |
| Owner & pal feedback (8%) | 89 | 90 |
| Protein (as fed) | 41.0% | 40.0% |
| Protein (dry matter) | 45.6% | 44.4% |
| Fat (min) | 20.0% | 20.0% |
| Fibre (max) | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| Moisture | 10.0% | 10.0% |
| Calorie density | 3,953 kcal/kg | 4,120 kcal/kg |
| Price per lb | $3.67/lb | $6.67/lb |
| Price per 1,000 kcal | $2.05 | $3.57 |
| Owner rating | 4.7/5 (330 ratings) | 4.5/5 (1,352 ratings) |
| First ingredient | Deboned Turkey | Whole Herring |
| Form | Dry (kibble) | Dry (kibble) |
| Life stage | All life stages | All life stages |
| Best for | Active cats and growing kittens that need maximum protein, and multi-cat homes feeding dry only | Cats that need very high animal protein and omega-3, and poultry-sensitive cats |
Where the difference actually comes from
The three-point gap is not about protein quantity — Nulo's 41% as fed (about 46% dry-matter) actually edges Orijen's 40% (about 44%) on the label — but about protein form and history. Orijen's top five are all whole, named fish: herring, salmon, flounder, Acadian redfish and monkfish, which is why it takes a perfect 100 on protein against Nulo's 95, whose panel is deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal and deboned cod before whole peas. Safety is the second separator: 95 against 86, because Champion Petfoods has zero FDA or CFIA recalls across more than 40 years, while Nulo's clean sixteen-year run is co-packed — its own FAQ describes a network of manufacturing partners rather than company-owned plants — so a co-manufacturer's problem would arrive under the Nulo label. Standards follows, 84 against 80.
Where Nulo fights back is value, and it wins it decisively: 99 against 94. The 12 lb bag at $43.99 works out to about $2.05 per 1,000 kcal, roughly 43% less than Orijen's $3.57 — and unlike Orijen it is not the most expensive dry food in the ranking but the fourth-cheapest cat food overall. Nulo also declares its omegas, calcium and phosphorus individually, and its owner rating (4.7/5 from 330 PetSmart reviews) runs ahead of Orijen's 4.5/5 from about 1,350 Chewy ratings, though on a much thinner base. Both are grain-free, all-life-stages formulas, and both share a practical caveat in opposite directions: Nulo is legume-heavy with whole peas and lentils at five and six, while Orijen's all-fish panel rules it out for cats with urinary histories.
The honest framing: Nulo gets you within three points of the best dry cat food here at well under two-thirds of the cost per calorie, with the higher labeled protein. What the premium buys with Orijen is ingredient form — whole fish rather than meals — and the depth of the documented record, 40 years against 16. For an active adult cat or a multi-cat house feeding dry only, Nulo is the rational buy. For an owner who weights manufacturing history heavily and can pay roughly 74% more per calorie, Orijen remains the ceiling of the category.
Which one should you buy?
Choose Nulo if
You want the best protein-per-dollar dry cat food in this ranking — 41% as-fed protein at about $2.05 per 1,000 kcal — and a co-packed sixteen-year clean record is acceptable.
Choose Orijen if
You want whole named fish rather than meals, the deepest documented recall record in the ranking, and you can pay about 74% more per calorie for both.
Pros and trade-offs
Nulo
What owners and our testing liked
- 41% protein as fed - about 46% dry-matter, second only to Purina Pro Plan Kitten among dry cat foods here
- Deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal and deboned cod: four named animal ingredients in the top five
- About $2.05 per 1,000 kcal - the fourth-cheapest cat food in this ranking
- Declared omega-3 at 0.57% and omega-6 at 3.76%, with calcium 1.3% and phosphorus 0.9% on the label
Trade-offs
- Whole peas and lentils at five and six - the carbohydrate load is legume-heavy
- 330 PetSmart reviews is a thin base for the 4.7 average
- 20% fat is a lot for a sedentary indoor cat
- Formulated-to-meet only; Nulo publishes no feeding-trial validation for this recipe
Orijen
What owners and our testing liked
- Six named whole fish - whole herring, salmon, flounder, Acadian redfish, monkfish and whole hake
- 40% protein with 2% omega-3 and 0.65% EPA plus DHA, and 1.1% DHA declared on the label
- All-life-stages statement covers kittens through seniors in one bag
- Chicken-free, which makes it usable for cats with poultry sensitivities
Trade-offs
- About $3.57 per 1,000 kcal - among the most expensive dry cat foods in this ranking per calorie
- Very rich at 4,120 kcal/kg; free-feeding this is the fastest route to an overweight cat
- Fish-heavy recipes are a poor choice for cats with a history of urinary crystals or fish allergy
Frequently asked questions
Nulo lists 41% protein and Orijen lists 40%. Why does Orijen score higher on protein?
Form, not quantity. Orijen's top five are all whole, named fish — herring, salmon, flounder, Acadian redfish, monkfish — which the algorithm scores above the meals and deboned meats that lead Nulo's panel (deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal, deboned cod). Both clear the 28% dry-matter target for cats by a wide margin; the five-point protein-score gap is about ingredient form.
Is Nulo safe if it is co-packed?
Nothing in FDA's animal food listing or the independent recall archives matches any Nulo product across sixteen years of production. The caveat is structural rather than historical: Nulo co-packs through a network of manufacturing partners rather than company-owned plants, so a co-manufacturer's problem would arrive under the Nulo label. That is why it scores 86 on safety against Orijen's 95 — not a black mark, a shorter and less controlled record.
Which is better for a cat with urinary crystals?
Neither is ideal, but Nulo is the safer of the two. Orijen Six Fish is an all-fish recipe, and fish-heavy formulas are a poor choice for cats with a history of lower-urinary-tract problems. Nulo is turkey-and-cod based, though legume-heavy with whole peas and lentils at five and six. For a cat with active urinary issues, ask your vet about a therapeutic urinary formula.
Want to compare more than two? Use the comparison tool — up to four foods side by side. Individual animals vary; if your pet has a diagnosed condition, confirm the choice with your veterinarian.