(PRESS RELEASE) AUBURN, KY — The ORIJEN pet food team announced its newest diet for cats – ORIJEN GUARDIAN 8. The new kibble is formulated with quality ingredients to help provide functional benefits with less reliance on supplementation to help support cats’ long-term health. In fact, ORIJEN GUARDIAN 8 uses only half as many or fewer supplements, on average, compared to the top 20 leading brands based on recent national sales rankings.
Developed by ORIJEN pet food’s in-house senior veterinarian and nutritionists, the diet’s first five ingredients are fresh or raw poultry and fish ingredients, and offer Biologically Appropriate nutrition for adult cats with a taste they crave. The authentic WholePrey diet features the most succulent parts of the prey to mimic what a cat’s ancestors consumed in the wild.
“ORIJEN GUARDIAN 8 is a nourishing diet that helps with the wellbeing of adult cats by providing quality ingredients that offer eight specific health benefits,” said Dr. Darcia Kostiuk, in-house senior veterinarian at Champion Petfoods. “It contains high levels of protein from animal ingredients that cats need and the functional benefits are supported by nutrients from the abundance of WholePrey ingredients.”
Throughout the year, cats must adapt to a variety of changes, from seasonal allergies to a change in humidity levels, to shifts in work or school schedules, and more. To help support cat health regardless the time of year, the benefits ORIJEN GUARDIAN 8T provides for overall health include:
- Supports Immune Function: with EPA and DHA from wild-caught fish, and antioxidants from ingredients including fruits and vegetables.
- Digestion Support: with prebiotics such as dried chicory root and fiber from fruits and vegetables.
- Support for a Shiny Coat and Healthy Skin: with Omega-3 rich oils from wild-caught salmon, whole mackerel and herring, and pollock.
- Muscle Maintenance Support: with approximately 90% animal ingredients such as chicken, wild-caught salmon and turkey.
- Heart Health Support: with naturally occurring Taurine found in animal protein sources like poultry, fish and eggs.
- Joint Health Support: with oil rich in Omega-3 fatty acids from wild-caught fish, such as salmon, whole mackerel and herring, and pollock, which is key for adult and senior cats.
- Support for Brain Function: with oil rich DHA & EPA from wild-caught salmon, whole mackerel and herring, and pollock and naturally occurring Arginine from poultry and fish.
- Support for Eye Health: supports retinal function with naturally occurring Taurine and Vitamin A from animal sources such as chicken and turkey liver.
“At Champion Petfoods, we’re committed to giving pets the greatest opportunity to thrive, and overall health starts with the food they eat,” said Billy Frey, director of ORIJEN Cat. “We’re excited to introduce ORIJEN GUARDIAN 8, which includes fewer supplements compared to the top 20 leading brands based on recent national sales data.”
A recent study* conducted by the ORIJEN pet food team found nearly 9-in-10 cat owners (89%) consider the quality of ingredients when purchasing food products for their pets, while roughly 8-in-10 cat owners consider the benefits/claims (83%) and ingredient transparency (80%).
Some cat owner behaviors have also changed post-pandemic. The same survey also found two-thirds of cat owners say they are more in tune with their pet’s needs (70%) and food preferences (65%) than before the pandemic. Likewise, roughly three-fourths of cat owners (76%) say they have a stronger bond with their pet now than before the pandemic.
ORIJEN GUARDIAN 8 is available now in a 4lb bag from an MSRP of $26.99 USD and a 10lb bag from an MSRP $55.99 USD at Amazon, Chewy, Petco and other local neighborhood pet retailers.
*Ketchum Analytics worked with Ipsos to conduct a survey of 1,011 US pet (cat and dog) owners over the age of 18. The survey was fielded from June 21-July 7, 2021 with a margin of error of +/- 3% at 95% confidence.