Taste of the Wild Canyon River vs Orijen Six Fish: Which Dry Cat Food Wins?
Taste of the Wild Canyon River Feline Recipe with Trout & Smoke-Flavored Salmon Dry Cat Food
Full review →The short answer. Orijen Six Fish is the better food and it is not subtle: six named whole fish, 40% protein, a perfect protein score and a 40-year zero-recall record against Diamond's 2012 salmonella withdrawal. But Taste of the Wild Canyon River scores 83 at about $1.69 per 1,000 kcal — 53% less than Orijen's $3.57 — and it is the cheapest cat food in this ranking per calorie. If your budget can carry Orijen, buy Orijen; if it cannot, Canyon River is the most defensible cheap cat food here.
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 | Taste of the Wild Canyon River Feline Recipe with Trout & Smoke-Flavored Salmon Dry Cat Food | Orijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Cat Food |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 83 / 100 | 91 / 100 |
| Protein quality & source (30%) | 91 | 100 |
| Ingredient transparency (20%) | 80 | 80 |
| Nutritional standards (18%) | 73 | 84 |
| Recall history & safety (14%) | 68 | 95 |
| Value for money (10%) | 100 | 94 |
| Owner & pal feedback (8%) | 89 | 90 |
| Protein (as fed) | 32.0% | 40.0% |
| Protein (dry matter) | 35.6% | 44.4% |
| Fat (min) | 16.0% | 20.0% |
| Fibre (max) | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Moisture | 10.0% | 10.0% |
| Calorie density | 3,741 kcal/kg | 4,120 kcal/kg |
| Price per lb | $2.86/lb | $6.67/lb |
| Price per 1,000 kcal | $1.69 | $3.57 |
| Owner rating | 4.5/5 (1,600 ratings) | 4.5/5 (1,352 ratings) |
| First ingredient | Trout | Whole Herring |
| Form | Dry (kibble) | Dry (kibble) |
| Life stage | All life stages | All life stages |
| Best for | Multi-cat households that want a fish-based, grain-free kibble at the lowest cost per calorie | Cats that need very high animal protein and omega-3, and poultry-sensitive cats |
Where the difference actually comes from
The eight-point gap comes from three dimensions. Protein: both formulas are fish-first and grain-free, but Orijen's top five are all whole named fish — herring, salmon, flounder, Acadian redfish and monkfish — worth a perfect 100, while Canyon River leads with trout and then two fish meals for 91; the label gap is 40% versus 32% as-fed, about 44% versus 36% dry-matter. Safety: Champion Petfoods carries zero FDA or CFIA recalls across more than 40 years, while Diamond's record includes the May 2012 salmonella withdrawal of 24.8 million pounds across 21 states, linked to 49 confirmed human infections — one of the largest recalls by weight in US history — which is why safety sits at 68 against 95. Standards follows at 73 versus 84.
Where Canyon River fights back is value, and it is not a small fight: 100 against 94, because at $2.86/lb it is the cheapest cat food in the ranking per calorie at about $1.69, roughly half of Orijen's $3.57. It also holds its own on owner feedback — 4.5/5 from about 1,600 Chewy reviews against Orijen's 4.5/5 from about 1,350 — and the formulation behind the price is sound: trout, fish meal and salmon meal before anything else, 32% protein clearing the 28% all-life-stages target for cats comfortably, with sweet potatoes and lentils carrying the carbohydrate.
Both recipes share the same limitation: they are fish-forward, so a cat with a fish sensitivity or a history of urinary crystals is out either way — and for that cat Orijen is the worse bet, because it is all-fish. Orijen's other caveat is energy density: 4,120 kcal/kg is rich enough that free-feeding is the fastest route to an overweight cat, while Canyon River's 3,741 kcal/kg is more forgiving. The bottom line is a straight price-for-purity trade: Orijen's whole-fish panel and recall record are the best in the ranking; Canyon River is what a defensible fish-first diet costs when the budget is real.
Which one should you buy?
Choose Taste of the Wild if
You want the most animal-dense dry cat food in this ranking, your cats do well on an all-fish panel, and you can pay roughly double per calorie for the best documented manufacturing record.
Choose Orijen if
You want a fish-first, grain-free kibble at the lowest cost per calorie of any cat food here — about $1.69 per 1,000 kcal — and you accept Diamond's recall history as the price of that.
Pros and trade-offs
Taste of the Wild
What owners and our testing liked
- Trout, fish meal and salmon meal take the first three slots - three named fish ingredients before anything else
- About $1.69 per 1,000 kcal, the cheapest cat food in this ranking per calorie
- 32% protein as fed is about 36% dry-matter, comfortably above the 28% all-life-stages target for cats
- Grain-free, with sweet potatoes and lentils rather than a long grain list
Trade-offs
- A fish-forward recipe is the wrong tool for a cat that already reacts to fish
- Roughly 1,600 Chewy reviews is a smaller base than the site's most-reviewed cat foods
- Formulated-to-meet only; Diamond publishes no feeding-trial validation for this recipe
- The manufacturer's record includes the 2012 salmonella withdrawal, one of the largest pet food recalls by weight in US history
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
Is Taste of the Wild as good as Orijen for cats?
Nutritionally it is close — 32% versus 40% as-fed protein, both fish-first and grain-free, both clearing the all-life-stages target. What it cannot match is ingredient form and history: Orijen's top five are whole named fish against Canyon River's trout-plus-two-meals, and Champion Petfoods' 40-year zero-recall record against Diamond's 2012 salmonella withdrawal. That is the eight-point gap, and it is also the price difference.
My cat has urinary crystals. Can I feed either of these?
No — both are fish-forward, and a fish-heavy recipe is a poor choice for a cat with any history of lower-urinary-tract problems; Orijen Six Fish in particular is all-fish. Ask your vet about a urinary-specific formula. This ranking scores foods for general nutrition, not therapeutic use.
Is the 2012 Diamond recall a reason to avoid Taste of the Wild?
It is a reason to know your manufacturer. The May 2012 event covered 24.8 million pounds across 21 states and was linked to 49 confirmed human infections — one of the largest recalls by weight in US history — but nothing has followed since 2013, and Diamond now runs test-and-hold with weekly microbiological testing. If a clean record matters more than price, Orijen's 40-year zero-recall history is the alternative.
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.