Best Cat Food Based on In-Depth Reviews
- 120Hours of research
- 54Sources used
- 19Companies vetted
- 3Features reviewed
- 9Top
Picks
- Choose cat food recipes without mystery meat and with a named animal protein as the first ingredient.
- A cat’s nutritional needs will depend on age, physical condition, and whether or not they’re pregnant.
- Choose cat foods with high levels of moisture, or complement kibble with water or broth.
- Be wary of packaging lingo. Terms like “Gourmet” and “Premium” might not mean anything.
How We Found the Best Cat Food
Our Top Picks: Cat Food Reviews
People love their pets like family, and this is no different in the feline community. As we researched the cat food industry, we stumbled upon many different opinions regarding the type of diet a cat should or shouldn’t have. Some argue that kibble is the perfect choice for any cat, while others believe that a homemade diet gives you the level of control you need to prepare the best food for your cat. To get to the bottom of the issue, we researched every type of cat food on the market and interviewed different experts to reach our own conclusions.
After more than 100 hours of research and studying over 50 sources, we’ve concluded that wet food is the overall best option for cats due to its high moisture levels and lower caloric content. Of course, all cats are different and most are picky eaters, so there will be cases where wet food isn’t the best option for your furry companion.
To cover as much as possible, we split our recommendations into two food types—wet and dry—and divided them into categories to target different needs, such as cats that require higher levels of moisture for their urinary health, or less calories, for weight management. We also added a third category, Best Meal Delivery Service, for cat parents who prefer ordering their feline meals by mail. The end result is a list of products that tackle different preferences and restrictions, including that of your average cat.
Why We Didn’t Recommend Raw or Freeze-Dried Cat Food
We wanted to add raw and freeze-dried options to our list, but our research led us to conclude that these options aren’t as safe as their wet and dry counterparts. Raw and freeze-dried foods consistently appear in recall lists for reasons such as bacterial contaminants like Salmonella.
As Dr. Bruce Gordon, associate director of the Cornell Feline Health Center explains, “We don’t believe raw food is a good idea, primarily because they can harbor pathogens, mostly bacterial pathogens, and also, in some cases, parasites. This is documented in the literature, where they’ve actually found cases where cats have gastrointestinal disease.”
The same applies to freeze-dried: it might look like a safer option since it’s dehydrated meat, but Dr. Gordon argues that “surprisingly, you would think that the freeze-drying process would eliminate bacteria and parasites from food if it’s raw, but that’s not necessarily the case.” We’d never recommend any food that would harm you or your pet, which is why we decided not to include those options.
Why We Didn’t Recommend Products for Cats with Allergies
Although there are plenty of limited ingredient diet recipes (L.I.D.) on the market for cats with food allergies and sensitive stomachs, it became increasingly hard for us to pinpoint a “best overall” choice. Since food allergies vary from cat to cat, no matter what product we recommended, chances were that your (or somebody else’s) cat might be allergic to it. Instead, we recommend that you visit your veterinarian to talk about your cat’s condition, so they can guide you on w your cat’s dietary choices, and the steps you can take to improve their health.
Orijen Cat and Kitten review
Best Overall Dry Food
Orijen’s dry recipe is an excellent choice for cats and kittens thanks to its plentiful and wholesome list of protein meats. The first 16 ingredients are all named proteins, composed mostly of chicken and turkey but with flounder, mackerel, sardines, and herring added to the mix. As a grain-free recipe, the formula contains green peas, lentils, and chickpeas, but fortunately, they are way below the first 10 ingredients. The downside to Orijen is that it costs more than the average kibble, but in return, you’re getting a product with an excellent protein source that works for cats of all ages.
Wellness CORE review
Best for Kittens
Wellness’ CORE Turkey & Chicken Liver Pâté is our top choice for kittens due to its above-average protein and fat percentages. This means that your kitten won’t dehydrate and will still receive enough fat to keep its engine running. Not only is the product part of Wellness’ grain-free line, but it also doesn’t contain peas, lentils, or potatoes either, so you can rest easy knowing you’re feeding your kitten a nutritious meal.
Tiki Cat Kapi'Olani Luau review
Best Wet Food for Senior Cats
With tilapia as its first ingredient, and without any type of carbohydrate or fiber in its formula, Tiki Cat’s Kapi’Olani Luau Tilapia recipe is an excellent option for senior cats. The increased protein helps your senior stay healthy, while the high moisture levels help with your cat’s hydration and urinary health.
Weruva Love Me Tender review
Best Wet Food for Weight Management
Weruva’s Love Me Tender grain-free recipe works as a reliable weight-management option thanks to its low fat and fiber levels. With only 1.4 percent crude fat, 0.5 percent fiber, and 753 calories per pouch, your cat is well on its way to losing weight without sacrificing taste or texture. The product isn’t expensive either, so you won’t have to spend extra cash looking out for your cat's health.
Tiki Cat Hookena Luau review
Best Wet Food for Diabetic Cats
Your diabetic cat needs a diet that’s high in protein and low in carbohydrates, and Tiki Cat’s Luau Ahi tuna and chicken recipe meets these requirements. With 20 percent protein, 83 calories per can, and less than one percent of fiber per meal, Tiki Cat’s ahi tuna and chicken recipe can help reduce the amount of insulin your cat needs. The moisture level is a bit lower than other wet cat food, but it still offers way more moisture than kibble.
Soulistic Harvest Sunrise review
Best Wet Food for Urinary Health
With its high percentage of moisture and low levels of phosphorus, Soulistic’s chicken and pumpkin dinner in gravy is set to keep your cat hydrated and its kidneys in top shape. The recipe contains 0.59 percent phosphorus (dry matter analysis, or DMA), which is up to par with the level recommended by the Mark Morris Institute in relation to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The low levels of fiber and fat also help your cat stay lean and healthy.
Nom Nom Now review
Best Cat Food Delivery Service
Nom Nom Now is a meal delivery service that offers treats and fresh pre-portioned cooked meals for cats and dogs, all of which are made with natural ingredients and free of byproducts or any artificial preservatives.
To adapt to your cat’s specific needs, the company adjusts its meal portions to your pet’s weight and age, based on the profile you create on their website. Their Chicken Chow-Meow wet food recipe stands out thanks to its high protein levels, low fiber, and better-than-average moisture. Most importantly, both of Nom Nom Now’s recipes can be fed to cats of all ages, since they meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO for all life stages.
Wellness Complete review
Best Overall Wet Food
Wellness’ beef and chicken recipe is appropriate for all adult cats thanks to its higher-than-average protein levels and low fiber percentage. Moisture stands at 78 percent, an average for wet food, and the crude fat component is a bit below the six percent average, which is good news if you want your cat to maintain or lose a bit of weight. The product is also affordable, so you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank if you want to switch your cat to wet food.
Wellness Complete Senior review
Best Dry Food for Senior Cats
If your senior cat prefers kibble, Wellness’ Complete Health chicken recipe for seniors can be a great option. Although the meat protein selection is lower than other choices on this list (it has chicken and herring meal), the recipe has enough crude protein, fat, fiber, and vitamins to keep your cat on top of its game.
Further Insight into Our Methodology
Just as with dog food, the cat food industry is rife with companies that focus more on profit than nutrition, so they make recipes with low-quality meats and carb byproduct fillers like “brewer’s rice” and “cornmeal.” As pet lovers ourselves, we needed to make sure that the cat foods we recommended included the best possible ingredients, followed all industry standards, and were developed by reliable companies, all while keeping affordability and accessibility in mind.
After vetting 20 companies and 461 recipes of wet and dry cat food, we found 6 companies and 9 recipes that met our three standards: ingredient and protein quality, recall and safety standards, and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) certification and guaranteed analysis.
Ingredients & Protein Quality
Pet food ingredients are always listed in order of weight, so the first three to five ingredients usually carry most of the nutrition. To find the best protein quality, we decided that the recipes we picked needed to have a named meat as their first ingredient, and that there shouldn’t be any meat meals in the first three ingredients. Meat meals are made from fish and meat slaughterhouse remnants not deemed fit for human consumption—fat, bones, organs, blood, and feathers—which are processed and dehydrated. The only exceptions to our general rules were recipes for the specific categories of urinary health, seniors, and diabetics—since these needed to meet specific requirements such as extra moisture and protein levels. Additionally, the recipe couldn’t include nameless mystery meat in any part of the ingredient list, as these are generally low-grade and can be made from any type of meat.
With plant-based proteins and carbohydrates, we also stayed away from byproducts and chose recipes that had whole-named ingredients such as rice, oats, and cranberries. Finally, the food shouldn’t have any sort of additional coloring, carrageenan, or artificial preservatives.
FDA Investigation on DCM
On July 27, 2019, the FDA released a report connecting specific ingredients in dog food to canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The majority of pets affected by DCM in this report were dogs (560 affected), but there was a small number of cats—14, to be exact—that were also affected.
The report mentions that the pet foods in question were labeled “grain-free” and that they contained peas, lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and/or legumes as part of their first 10 ingredients.
The pet food industry has seen a rise in food brands labeled as grain-free and GMO-free, as more and more people stray away from traditional formulas and look for healthier options for their pets. Since the FDA’s investigation is still ongoing and cat food hasn’t been ruled out, we decided to be cautious when recommending grain-free cat food: if the ingredients singled out by the FDA were included in a formula, they couldn’t be listed in the top 10 ingredients.
Recalls & Safety
We looked for companies that outsource as few products and ingredients as possible. This means we preferred companies that own their own manufacturing facilities, source their ingredients locally, and are transparent about their production process.
Several of the companies on our list do outsource some of their cat food production—for example, Wellness manufactures their own kibble but outsources their wet food production—but three of our six choices (Orijen, Nom Nom Now, and Tiki Pets) don’t.
We also evaluated our choices based on their recall history. Companies with more than five recalls were discarded immediately, while those with less than five were evaluated to see the severity of the recall and whether it was related specifically to cat food. We also checked to see if recalls were preventative in nature or had actually harmed pets.
Out of the brands we chose, three have never been recalled (Soulistic, Nom Nom Now, and Tiki Pets) while the other three had five or less recalls on record (five for Wellness, one for Orijen, and one for Weruva.)
AAFCO Certification & Guaranteed Analysis
To make sure that the products we recommended were complete and balanced, they needed to be approved by AAFCO.
Known as the “nutrition adequacy statement,” the association’s label typically appears on the side of kibble bags and wet food cans, and ensures that what you’re feeding your cat “meets the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.”This means that the food has the appropriate amount of protein, moisture, fat, and fiber to make it a complete meal, so it’s not meant for supplemental feeding. Although there’s nothing wrong with supplemental cat food—cats do love snacks—they aren’t meant to replace a complete meal.
The cat food also needs to have a guaranteed analysis stating the protein, fat, fiber, and moisture levels in the food. Not only does this provide the minimums (crude protein, crude fat) and maximums (crude fiber, crude moisture) of said ingredients in the product, it also helps you compare cat foods.
It’s easier to compare products of the same type (dry vs. dry and wet vs. wet), but the guaranteed analysis can also help you compare properties between dry and wet food, although you need to flex your math skills a little for that.
Helpful Information About Cat Food
Cats, Protein, and Moisture
Although he or she looks furry and cuddly, there’s a ferocious predator hiding within your cat. That’s because cats are by nature obligate carnivores, having evolved from a line of predators that solely eat meat. This means that a cat’s nutrition depends mostly on the protein and carbohydrates it can gain from its prey, and rarely from other sources like plants or grains.
And since cats are the descendants of desert wildcats, their body’s hydration depends mostly on what they eat and not on what they drink. “Biologically, cats are carnivores, and they get a lot of moisture from the muscle meat they eat, which is usually 67% water. That’s why they didn’t evolve to be big water drinkers” says Dr. Carla Sánchez, a veterinarian with nine years of experience. The food that cats eat must be rich in moisture, since, as Dr. Gordon explains, “they’re also prone to some diseases that can be made worse by not having enough moisture, and the best example would be chronic kidney disease.”
Wet Food vs. Dry Food
Since cats need meat and depend on their food for moisture, the most suitable food type for them is wet or canned cat food. That's because these have both a higher moisture content than what they’d typically get from their normal prey, and less carbohydrates and fiber than dry food. Unfortunately, wet food can also be more expensive, which is why some people opt to just feed their cat dry food.
So, which is the better option? “Either is not better or worse,” says Dr. Gordon, “It’s important to say that there are good, high-quality, nutritionally complete and balanced wet and dry food. In terms of digestibility, there are very high quality, very digestible wet and dry foods.”
Also, according to Dr. Sánchez, variety is the answer, as “with cats, it’s important to change food types. Since cats have evolved to hunt different prey, it’s harder for them to gain a balanced died from eating the same thing every day, especially if the food is full of carbohydrates or starch. For this reason, you should mix up their food and do intermittent changes. You can feed them dry food some days and wet on others and change the formula from time to time.” You can also add moisture to your cat’s dry food using water or broth.
Also, although it may seem like they’re alike, you shouldn’t compare canned and dry products since their guaranteed analysis percentages are different. “Canned will appear to have less protein in it because the percentage is lower, but it’s lower because it contains more moisture, and the measurements on the side are on an ‘as fed’ basis, and as-fed basis doesn’t take into account the moisture in the diet,” says Dr. Hill.
To compare canned and dry foods accurately, you need to convert the guaranteed analysis data to a dry matter basis, which you can do by hand or using this nifty calculator.
To make the most out of your cat food, you need to know the industry lingo, what to look for, and where. Since there are terms out there that could fool you into buying something that really isn’t what it’s promoting, we made this graphic to help you out the next time you visit the pet store. Note that not all cat food bags have the same design, and that AAFCO is the entity that establishes and monitors the rules for the following labels.
What to Watch Out for When Buying Cat Food
Recall List
When buying cat food, you need to know if the company you’re interested in is reliable and if the food they produce is safe for your cat. No company is perfect, but a long history of recalls could mean that the company isn’t as invested in learning from past mistakes or doesn’t want to adhere to stricter, safer methods to assure their food’s safety. To help you sort out good, reliable companies from those that aren’t, we’ve compiled a list of FDA cat food recalls from 2014 onward.
Consider Life Stages and Health
When buying cat food, you need to keep in mind your cat’s age and physical condition. Since cat foods are typically formulated to address either different life stages or some conditions like obesity and urinary health, being fully informed about your cat can help you pick the right food for them. “For example, a cat that has kidney disease—you’d probably want some protein and phosphorus restrictions. A cat that has diabetes, you probably want to restrict their carbohydrates,” says Dr. Gordon. If you don’t know whether a particular food is right for your cat, or if you suspect that your cat has a specific condition, talk with your veterinarian.
Dangerous Foods
Just as with dogs, there are some foods that are indigestible and even poisonous to cats. They might not be problematic if eaten accidentally, but large amounts of the following foods can be fatal.
Don’t Buy Large Bags of Kibble
Although it may seem convenient to buy a large bag of dry cat food, this can actually be harmful for your cat. The typical dry food bag has a six-month shelf life, longer than that of canned cat food, but that doesn’t mean that the food can’t spoil. Buying a large kibble bag means that there are more chances for the food to rot and/or grow bacteria, especially if you’re not storing it correctly.
To prevent food from spoiling and guarantee that your cat is eating a healthy meal, buy smaller bags of dry food at the pet store. It might cost a bit more in the long run, but you are ensuring that your pet food stays fresh and nutritious.
Be Careful when Buying Broths
If you want to moisten your cat’s dry food with broth and decide to buy it from the supermarket, look at the ingredients before purchasing. Grocery store chicken, beef, or fish broths usually have high sodium levels—which will dehydrate your cat even more—and might include garlic and onions (chopped or in powder form), both of which are harmful to cats.
To keep your cat from getting sick, buy low-sodium broths and make sure that they don’t include these two ingredients. If you’re feeling up to the task, you can even make your own chicken or bone broths.
Grain-Free Doesn’t Mean Carbohydrate-Free
Just because a cat food bag says “grain-free,” that doesn’t mean it’s carbohydrate-free. As Dr. Richard Hill, a veterinarian and associate professor at Florida University, explains, “what people are using instead of grains are potatoes and other similar ingredients. But potatoes, peas, beans, and a lot of vegetables contain carbohydrates.”
If you want your cat food to have as few carbohydrates as possible, then your best bet is canned cat foods, since they don’t rely as much on carbs as dry cat food does. “If you’re really worried about carbohydrates, then you can look at the canned food and find one that has the lowest level of carbohydrates on the guaranteed analysis,'' says Dr. Hill.
Homemade Meals
If you google “homemade cat food”, you’ll get more than 100,000,000 results. Clearly, it’s a topic that many people are interested in and that has sparked many guides, recipes, and opinions. Making homemade meals for your cat can be an enriching experience that has many pros. For one, you have total control over what your furry companion eats, so you can pick the freshest ingredients without worrying about processed meats or preservatives. Also, if your cat has a specific condition, like allergies or a sensitive stomach, you can customize its food to suit its particular needs.
But making your own cat food also comes with its share of cons. For starters, the process can be very time-consuming, so if your job leaves you with little time to meal prep, it might be very difficult for you to adjust your schedule to prepare meals for your cat. However, the greatest downside is that, if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t add the right amount of vitamins and minerals, you can cause a dietary deficiency that can put your cat’s health at risk. “People really want to do the right thing…but often, if they don’t consult with a veterinarian nutritionist…then they often leave out the appropriate amount of vitamins and minerals, the proportions of the proteins and carbohydrates, ” says Dr. Gordon. You might think that you can avoid this problem by following an online recipe to the letter, but a recent study from the University of California, Davis, revealed that 114 online and book-sourced recipes didn’t meet the recommended allowances established by the National Research Council (NRC).
If you’re planning on making your cat’s meals from scratch, it’s really important that you research everything about the topic so that the food you make is complete and balanced.
FAQs About Cat Food
Is store-bought milk a healthy meal option for cats?
Adult cats shouldn’t drink store-bought milk as a snack or as a full meal. As kittens, cats are able to digest their mother’s milk because their stomachs have lactase, the enzyme that’s needed to digest lactose. But cats lose these enzymes as they grow up, so they aren’t able to digest milk accordingly. Instead, the milk sits in their stomach and begins to ferment, causing indigestion and diarrhea.
Can cat food help me solve my cat’s hairball problem?
Yes, some cat food formulas are designed to help cats deal with hairballs. The food contains enzymes that prevent hairballs from forming in the cat’s stomach, and it’s formulated with more fiber to help cats push out all ingested material from their intestines more easily.
Can cats eat dog food?
Although it’s ok for cats to occasionally eat a little bit of your dog’s food, you should never rely on it for your cat’s nutrition. Cat and dog foods are formulated with their species in mind, and being obligate carnivores, cats need more protein in their food than dogs do. Cats also need specific proteins and amino acids—such as Taurine—in higher amounts than dogs, so feeding your cat dog food will keep them from getting the nutrition they need.
How do I switch my cat from one food to another?
To switch cats from one food to another, you first have to help your cat grow accustomed to its new food. To do this, you can gradually add the new cat food to the old, adding 10 percent to the bowl and increasing the amount over a period of one to two weeks. By the end of this time, your cat should have adapted to the new food. You should immediately stop this process if your cat gets sick or if it becomes indifferent to the food.