If Your Pet Is Basically Your Child, This Pet-Food Delivery Service Is Totally Worth It

NomNomNow is a pawesome choice if your cat or dog has health issues, is a picky eater, or simply deserves the very best quality food money can buy.

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If you're a pet owner, you've probably done at least a handful of research to figure out the best food to feed your furry companion based on their needs and preferences.

Disney / Via gifer.com

Maybe your dog has allergies or food sensitivities, perhaps your cat needs to shed a few pounds, or maybe your pet is a picky eater. And between all the pet-store brands vying for your business, it can be tough to figure out just which types of food are truly as high-quality as their packaging claims to be — and which ones your pup or kitty are actually going to eat and not just stare at in protest.

There's also been plenty of speculation about whether "high-end" pet food is that much different than standard brands (e.g., they pretty much all contain animal byproducts), and a recent documentary even aimed to expose the truth behind the unregulated industry.

And maybe you've considered home-cooked meals for your pets, so you can know exactly what they're eating — but you simply don't have the time, you overworked American. Well, pet parents of the USA, I've found the next best thing: a pet-food subscription service that delivers fresh, human-grade food right to your door.

NomNomNow

It's called NomNomNow, and the service offers both dog and cat food, shipped right to your doorstep, with the option of weekly, biweekly, or monthly shipments. (It's like Blue Apron for your pet! Except everything is already cooked!)

The food contains no artificial preservatives or fillers, and has been formulated by a vet who's one of the world's leading experts in veterinary nutrition. All you do is submit your pet's weight, goal weight, age, activity level, and any health issues, and the company will also provide free nutrition consultations if you have particular concerns.

NomNomNow offers four different flavors (and the option to rotate them if your pup is an equal-opportunity meal-eater).

NomNomNow

Meals come portioned in vacuum-sealed bags that you toss right in the fridge or freezer; and the first order comes with handy "transition" portions labeled 25%, 50%, and 75%, to help make the switch from your dog's current food as seamless and easy on their stomach as possible. (Over the course of a week, you mix the new food with your dog's existing food, and gradually up the proportion of the new food.)

Based on my experiences with other home-cooked dog-food delivery services, its recipes are a tad bit cheaper than its competitors', plus the company also offers the options to switch to a "topper" plan (aka smaller portions, to top your pup's current food with) and chicken and beef jerky treats.

For me, finding a food that wouldn't trigger my pup's food allergies was key.

Emmy Favilla / BuzzFeed, NomNomNow

My dog Tico is allergic to beef, brewer's yeast, sweet potatoes, and storage mites (a gross thing that can crop up in dry dog food, and even stuff like cereal for humans!), and I've spent a hefty chunk of time poring over ingredients lists, comparing prices, and reading through reviews of the seemingly endless varieties of dog food.

Fortunately, two of NomNomNow's meals are free of Tico's allergens. The turkey meal literally smells like Thanksgiving dinner, and I've never seen my dog get so pumped for mealtime. He inhales it within minutes — whereas with his dry bagged food, he'd typically graze all day and sometimes not even be interested in eating at all, often leaving at least a bit of it in his bowl for up to 24 hours.

Getting started on NomNomNow actually inspired me to start cooking for my dog, but it's great to know I can still order quality AF food from the service when I'm particularly busy and don't have the time to cook a big batch, or when I'm out of town and someone else is caring for my dog.

I was feeling a little guilty that I hadn't thought to feed my cat Benny a mostly fresh-cooked meal too when I heard about NomNomNow's new offering of cat food.

NomNomNow, Emmy Favilla / BuzzFeed

Delivered to you in frozen "NomNomMeow"-labeled packages, the premise of the food is the same as it is for dogs: customized, pre-packaged portions based on your cat's weight, using human-grade ingredients, but now formulated for cats (i.e., with a higher percentage of protein and water, since cats get most of their water intake through food).

Recipe choices are currently fish and chicken, and I opted for the fish flavor — a mix of salmon and tilapia, plus carrot, yuca, and beef fat. I wasn't expecting Benny to be super pumped about his food; he's pretty picky when it comes to wet food, and I've had to switch up his canned food over the years because he's a little diva who seems to get bored of the same thing easily. But I've been pleasantly surprised that he's generally enjoyed his NomNomNow fish meals! Luckily the company has already anticipated that cats can be a little tougher to sell on homemade food than dogs are, and so the first box comes with samples of flavor flakes and broth to help entice less-than-enthused kitties. You can also try warming up the bag in a bowl of warm water for about 30 seconds before serving to entice your finicky feline.

I love that the portions are already laid out for you, but most of all I love that I'm giving my pets top-notch food that I hope will contribute to their longevity and overall wellbeing.

NomNomNow

Is it pricier than buying bagged kibble or a case of canned pet food? Certainly. But like any high-quality food — for yourself or your furry BFF! — you'll need to decide if the benefits outweigh the extra cash. For me, the answer is yes, especially as more info surfaces about how important a non-processed diet can be for our pets' health. (Also, like, seriously, my dog gets PUMPED to eat this stuff. And I live to make my dog happy, because, you know, I'm not a monster.)

But if you're not ready to take the plunge, trial-period pricing is also available to see if it's the right fit for you and your pet!

Get a week's worth (14 meals) of NomNomNow dog food or cat food starting at $30; pricing varies based on weight and activity level.

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Allison Krausman / BuzzFeed

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