Addiction vs ZIWI Peak cat food — both NZ-made, but very different products. We compare ingredients, price, novel proteins, and which is better for your cat.
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ZIWI Peak is the better everyday cat food — cleaner ingredients, higher meat content, no starchy fillers. For cats without specific dietary concerns, it’s worth the price premium.
Addiction is the better choice for cats with protein allergies — particularly cats who’ve exhausted common novel proteins. Brushtail and kangaroo are genuinely rare in commercial cat food and Addiction is the most accessible NZ source.
Both are NZ-made. The difference is purpose: ZIWI Peak is premium nutrition, Addiction is specialist allergy nutrition. Choose based on your cat’s actual needs.
| Addiction | ZIWI Peak | |
|---|---|---|
| Company base | Auckland, NZ | Mount Maunganui, NZ |
| Format | Dry (1.8kg) + wet pouches | Air-dried (400g, 1kg) + canned wet |
| Protein (DM) | ~40% DM | 44–48% DM |
| Carbohydrates | High — sweet potato, potato, peas (~35–40% DM) | <2% |
| Prep required | None | None |
| Daily cost (4kg cat) | ~$1.80–2.20/day | ~$4–6/day |
| Novel protein options | Venison, brushtail, kangaroo | Venison, lamb, mackerel, chicken, beef |
| PawPick rating | 7/10 | 8.5/10 |
For an average 4kg adult cat in 2026:
| Addiction | ZIWI Peak | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry/air-dried | $35–45 / 1.8kg | ~$50 / 400g |
| Daily cost (exclusive) | ~$1.80–2.20/day | ~$4–6/day |
| Monthly cost | ~$55–67 | ~$120–180 |
| Annual cost | ~$660–800 | ~$1,460–2,190 |
| As topper over kibble | ~$0.40–0.60/day | ~$0.80–1.20/day |
The cost difference is significant — ZIWI Peak costs roughly two to three times more per day to feed exclusively. For most households, this is the deciding factor.
Practical strategy for allergy cats: Use Addiction as the primary dry food (exotic protein for allergy management) and add ZIWI Peak wet cans or a small amount of air-dried as a topper. This keeps costs down while improving nutritional density — you’re not paying the ZIWI premium for every gram of food, just the portion where meat density matters most.
Winner: ZIWI Peak
Lamb, lamb heart, lamb liver, lamb tripe, lamb kidney, lamb bone, New Zealand green mussel, lamb cartilage, inulin, minerals, vitamins.
Venison, Venison Meal, Sweet Potato, Potato, Peas, Potato Starch, Canola Oil, Venison Liver…
The difference is stark. ZIWI Peak’s first seven ingredients are all animal-derived. Addiction’s list has three of its top seven ingredients as potato-derived carbohydrate sources — venison tops the list, but sweet potato, potato, and potato starch follow in close succession.
ZIWI Peak is approximately 96% meat, organs, and bone. Addiction’s dry food is grain-free, but “grain-free” does not mean low-carbohydrate — potato and sweet potato replace grain as the starch source, and the overall carbohydrate content sits at 35–40% on a dry matter basis.
Addiction’s wet pouches are a different story. The brushtail and kangaroo wet pouches run approximately 82% meat content — much cleaner than the dry food. If you’re using Addiction specifically for allergy management, the wet pouches are worth considering over the dry for cats who tolerate wet food.
Winner: ZIWI Peak
| Nutrient | Addiction (dry, DM) | ZIWI Peak (air-dried, DM) |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~40% | 44–48% |
| Fat | ~24% | ~24% |
| Carbohydrates | ~35–40% | <2% |
| Moisture (as-fed) | ~8% | ~14% |
The protein gap is meaningful but the carbohydrate gap is the real story. Cats are obligate carnivores with limited ability to utilise carbohydrates metabolically — their digestive systems are designed for protein and fat, not starch. ZIWI Peak’s near-zero carbs align far more closely with feline physiology.
Addiction’s dry food is “grain-free” in the marketing sense, but potato and sweet potato still generate significant starch load. A cat eating Addiction dry is getting a substantially higher carbohydrate diet than the grain-free label implies. This matters most for cats prone to weight gain, diabetes, or insulin sensitivity — and is worth noting even for healthy cats. For a broader look at what grain-free cat food actually means in NZ — including which brands deliver genuinely low-carb nutrition — see our best grain-free cat food in NZ guide.
Both brands provide similar fat content at approximately 24% DM, so caloric density is comparable between ZIWI and Addiction dry.
Winner: Addiction
This is Addiction’s genuine differentiator. Exotic protein options available in NZ:
Addiction:
ZIWI Peak:
ZIWI offers good variety, but their range is populated by common commercial proteins — most cats with food allergies will have eaten lamb, beef, and chicken already. Venison is the most useful novel option from ZIWI’s range.
Addiction’s brushtail possum and kangaroo are genuinely rare in commercial cat food. For a cat who has been through venison elimination diets and still reacts, brushtail is a legitimate clinical next step — and Addiction is effectively the only mainstream NZ source.
Important: novel protein only works for allergy management if it is actually novel to your specific cat. A cat who has previously eaten kangaroo treats or a previous raw diet containing brushtail won’t get the allergy benefit. Check your cat’s full diet history before selecting a recipe for elimination purposes, and consult your vet before running an elimination diet — it needs to be run strictly (no treats, no other food) to produce meaningful results.
Winner: ZIWI Peak (slightly)
ZIWI Peak: Stocked at Animates (most locations), Petstock, Pet Direct online, and many independent pet stores. Wide physical availability — you can usually buy it on the same day without planning ahead.
Addiction: More limited physical presence. Specialty pet stores (call ahead to confirm stock), Mighty Ape, Pet.co.nz. Petstock and Animates stock it inconsistently — don’t assume they’ll have your cat’s specific protein in stock when you need it.
For online buyers who order in advance, both brands are reliable. For in-store availability or last-minute purchases, ZIWI Peak is significantly more consistent.
If you’re managing an elimination diet on Addiction, order online with a buffer — running out mid-elimination and having to introduce a new protein ruins the trial.
| Situation | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy cat, no dietary concerns | ZIWI Peak | Higher meat content, no starchy fillers, cleaner ingredient profile |
| Cat with chicken/beef/fish allergy needing novel protein | Addiction | Brushtail and kangaroo not available from ZIWI |
| Budget is a priority | Addiction | 2–3x cheaper per day on exclusive feeding |
| Senior cat needing joint support | ZIWI Peak | NZ green-lipped mussel in every recipe |
| Picky cat needing exotic variety | Addiction | Widest exotic protein range of any NZ brand |
| Indoor cat needing calorie management | ZIWI Peak | Higher nutrient density means smaller portions; no starch load |
For allergy cats who also need nutritional quality: use Addiction’s exotic protein dry as the base, and add ZIWI Peak wet cans or a small amount of air-dried as a topper. This gets you novel protein for allergy management without the full cost of feeding ZIWI exclusively, while substantially improving the meat density your cat receives. It also means you’re not compromising the elimination diet — ZIWI and Addiction can share a single protein (venison both offer, for example) if you plan the selection carefully.
Addiction: Mighty Ape, Pet.co.nz, Addiction’s own website. Specialty pet stores (call ahead to confirm stock before making the trip). Check price at Mighty Ape →
ZIWI Peak: Pet Direct (best online pricing), Animates, Petstock, Raw Essentials, and most independent pet stores. Check price at Pet Direct →
This comparison is based on ingredient analysis, NZ retail pricing surveys, and publicly available nutritional data as of April 2026. Formulations and pricing can change. Always transition between foods gradually and consult your veterinarian for cats with health conditions or confirmed allergies before starting an elimination diet.
Addiction has the edge for strict allergy management — it offers genuinely exotic proteins like brushtail and kangaroo that even ZIWI Peak doesn't carry. These are useful for cats who've exhausted common novel proteins including venison. ZIWI Peak's venison and lamb are still excellent limited-ingredient options, but if you need something truly unusual, Addiction wins.
Addiction is significantly cheaper for daily feeding. Expect $1.80–2.20/day for an average 4kg cat on Addiction dry, versus $4–6/day on ZIWI Peak air-dried fed exclusively. Addiction's wet pouches are expensive per gram, but mixed with the dry food keep overall costs reasonable.
Yes. Addiction Pet Foods was founded in Auckland and manufactures in New Zealand. ZIWI Peak is made in Mount Maunganui. Both brands use NZ-sourced proteins and meet NZ food safety standards.
Yes, on raw meat percentage. ZIWI Peak is approximately 96% meat, organs, and bone with carbohydrates under 2%. Addiction's dry food formulas use sweet potato and potato as fillers — they're grain-free but not low-carb. Addiction's wet pouches are cleaner (82% meat) but the dry food is the main product.
Yes. A practical approach for cats with allergies is to use Addiction as the primary dry food (allergy-appropriate protein) and use ZIWI Peak wet cans or as a topper for nutritional density. This gives you both the novel protein advantage and the high meat content.
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