Our Review Process
Our reviews are based on extensive research and, when possible, hands-on testing. Each time you make a purchase through one of our independently-chosen links, we’ll receive a percentage of the proceeds. Read more about how we’re supported here.Whether wet, dry, raw, or freshly-cooked, the best cat food honors your cat’s needs as an obligate carnivore.
It’s rich in animal-sourced protein, has the right amount of fatty acids, and doesn’t spike your cat’s blood sugar with excessive carbohydrates.
At a Glance: Best Cat Food To Buy In 2021
In the comparison table below, we’ve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. You’ll find more detailed information about each product later in the article
Smalls Cat Food
- Fresh food made with human-grade ingredients
- Real, high-quality animal protein
- High in protein and moisture, very low in carbs
Ziwi Peak Wet Cat Food
- Contains 92% fresh muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Rich in species-appropriate animal protein
- High-quality source of omega-3 fatty acids
Authority Chicken Entrée Adult Cat Food Paté Canned Cat Food
- Rich in high-protein animal ingredients
- Receives positive customer reviews
- A higher-quality alternative to other cheap cat food
Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine
- A protein-rich food primarily made from animal-sourced ingredients
- Extremely palatable—cats love the taste and texture of this fresh food
- The subscription model gives you access to a team of nutrition experts
Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
- Rich in nourishing animal protein
- Extraordinarily low in carbohydrates
- Doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon Dry Cat Food
- Food is made from responsibly-harvested fish
- Animal protein sources are the food’s primary ingredients
- Contains herring oil and salmon oil as rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids
Cat Person Chicken & Turkey Kibble
- Primarily made with animal-derived protein
- Free of vaguely-named ingredients
- Features animal-derived fat instead of plant oils
Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken
- Rich in nourishing animal protein
- High moisture content helps to flush the urinary tract
- Low ash shouldn’t contribute to crystal formation
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Cat Food
- Rich in species-appropriate animal protein
- Contains guaranteed levels of probiotics to support the immune system and digestive health
- Added prebiotic fiber helps to prevent the constipation that some raw-fed cats experience
Wellness CORE Kitten Turkey & Chicken Liver Recipe Classic Pate Review
- Ultra-soft pâté texture is easy for kittens to eat
- Rich in protein and calories
- Hydrating canned food
Top Picks Explained
*Due to recurring availability and fulfillment issues, we’ve replaced Feline Natural with Smalls cat food as our top pick.
Why You Should Trust Us?
Having reviewed 125 of the world’s most popular cat food brands and hundreds of of formulas. We spent hours researching, contacting pet food companies, and analyzing labels. With the help of our cats, we also got hands-on experience with a few foods.
Between reviewing specific brands and researching feline nutrition, we’ve learned which brands and products are worth buying and putting in your cat’s bowl.
Based on that experience, we’ve chosen the 10 products described below as the best cat food you can buy in 2021.
The Best Cat Food on the Market: Our Top Picks
At the top of the list is Smalls Cat Food. It’s hard to beat this wet food’s combination of outstanding protein content, emphasis on animal-sourced ingredients, and exclusion of additives that might harm your cat over time.
Though it satisfies our requirements for the best wet cat food, this product isn’t perfect for everyone. Our product roundup includes options for cats and people of all kinds.
You’ll find raw foods, products well-suited to cats with sensitive stomachs, and options that will help your cat lose weight.
#1 Overall Best: Smalls Fresh Cat Food
Overview:
- Brand Name: Smalls
- Made In: NYC, United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 21% Min
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Typical Cost Per Day: $2.00 to $3.50
Smalls is a fresh cat food delivery service that uses human-grade ingredients, including premium proteins like chicken, turkey, and fish. Choose from minced-style recipes or classic pâté to provide your cat with protein-rich, low-carb cat food that’s formulated for cats in all life stages.
Though Smalls doesn’t portion out your cat’s meals for you, they do provide detailed feeding recommendations according to your cat’s calorie requirements. Each package of food contains about 16 ounces of food, with markings on the package at 50-calorie increments.
Smalls cat food is delivered frozen, so you’ll need to thaw the package overnight in the fridge first before feeding. Your subscription will be based on your cat’s calorie needs, and you can adjust it as needed by contacting the customer care team.
In addition to their fresh food, Smalls offers a selection of freeze-dried cat foods, treats, and meal toppers. They also recently started selling millet and silica cat litter.
Note: In June of 2021, Smalls issued a recall of several fresh food varieties following numerous reports of food that appeared to be spoiled. Smalls claims that there were no reports of illness associated with this recall, but the most recent customer comments and reviews suggest an uptick in cases of illness potentially associated with this food. We are waiting to get more concrete information on what happened, how it affected cats, and what Smalls is doing to resolve the problem.
This is the latest in a string of issues affecting Smalls customers, including inconsistent deliveries and limited access to customer care.
Learn more about this recall in the company’s announcement and in our Smalls brand review.
Top Recipe: Smalls Fresh Kills Fresh Minced Chicken
Featuring chicken thigh, breast, and liver as the top three ingredients, this fresh food is packed with premium animal protein. Green beans, peas, and kale are the only carbohydrate ingredients and they are naturally grain-free and rich in nutrients.
In addition to being high in protein and low in carbohydrates, this formula is rich in moisture, which helps with hydration and promotes lean body mass. Overall, this minced chicken recipe is a high-quality source of balanced nutrition for cats in all life stages.
Ingredients:
Chicken Thigh, Chicken Breast, Chicken Liver, Green Beans, Peas, Water sufficient for processing, Chicken Heart, Kale, Vegetable Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Choline Bitartrate, Salt, Taurine, Magnesium Gluconate, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Gluconate, Ascorbic Acid, Copper Gluconate, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Gluconate, Ferrous Gluconate, Niacin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Selenium, Dried Kelp, Biotin, Vitamin B12.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Fresh food made with human-grade ingredients
- High-quality animal protein
- High in protein very low in carbs
- Moisture-rich
What We Didn’t Like:
- Not individually portioned for your cat
- Limited protein options (chicken, turkey, beef)
#2 Runner Up: Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe Canned Cat Food
Overview:
- Brand Name: Ziwi Peak
- Made In: New Zealand
- Guaranteed Protein: 10% min
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Typical Cost Per Day: $8.28/day
Ziwi Peak is a New Zealand-based pet food company that uses ethical and sustainable ingredients, including meat and seafood sourced 100% from New Zealand. Their proteins are farmed without hormones, antibiotics, or growth promotants, and their seafood comes from the world’s top-ranked fisheries. Choose from a wide variety of air-dried and wet cat food recipes.
Every Ziwi Peak recipe features high percentages of meat, organs, and seafood, which is in keeping with their PeakPrey ratios. Real meat, poultry, or seafood are the foundations of every formula, and every recipe is free from fillers, artificial preservatives, and high glycemic ingredients.
Top Recipe: Ziwi Peak New Zealand Venison Recipe Cat Food
This protein-packed formula features 100% single-sourced New Zealand venison. Made with 92% fresh meat, organs, and bone, this recipe is rich in species-appropriate animal protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and natural sources of joint-supporting glucosamine and chondroitin. It is completely free from low-quality grains, fillers, and artificial additives.
Overall, this recipe provides an excellent source of balanced nutrition for cats in all life stages. It comes in a chunky loaf style recipe with high levels of moisture and enticing pieces of venison.
Ingredients:
Venison, Water Sufficient for Processing, Venison Tripe, Venison Liver, Chickpeas, Venison Lung, Venison Heart, Venison Kidney, New Zealand Green Mussel, Venison Bone, DL-Methionine, Dried Kelp, Minerals (Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex), Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid).
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Contains 92% fresh muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Rich in species-appropriate animal protein
- A high-quality source of omega-3 fatty acids
- Doesn’t contain any potentially harmful ingredients
What We Didn’t Like:
- Carbohydrates (chickpeas) aren’t necessary for cats
- Some cats don’t like the way the food tastes
- One of the most expensive cat foods you can buy
#3 Best Budget: Authority Chicken Entrée Adult Cat Food Paté Canned Cat Food
Overview:
- Brand Name: Authority Cat Food
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 10% Min
- Age Range: Adult
- Typical Cost Per Day: $0.96/day
At $0.16 per ounce, this food is about the same price as Fancy Feast or Friskies, putting it among the cheapest canned foods on the market. Unlike many foods at the same price point, it doesn’t contain any animal or poultry by-products. Instead, it’s composed of chicken, liver, and ocean fish. Aside from the vaguely-named fish, there’s no mystery about what this food is made of.
There’s another way that this food is different from other cheap cat food—it doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The food is thickened with guar gum and doesn’t contain any carrageenan or other common inflammatory additives.
Ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Ocean Fish, Brewers Rice, Dried Egg Product, Guar Gum, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Taurine, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Brewers Dried Yeast, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Potassium Iodide, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite).
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- A higher-quality alternative to other cheap cat food
- Rich in high-protein animal ingredients
- Doesn’t contain any potentially harmful artificial additives
- Contains menhaden fish oil as a source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids
- Receives positive customer reviews
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains vaguely-named ocean fish
#4 Premium Pick: Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine
Overview:
- Brand Name: Nom Nom
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 18% Min
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Typical Cost Per Day: $2-$6/day
Nom Nom is a cat food meal delivery service that makes and sells human-grade food. Each meal is portioned out according to your cat’s weight, age, and weight goals, then packed into a refrigerated box and shipped to your doorstep.
Nom Nom foods arrive fresh, not frozen. They’re ready to serve right away. You’ll subscribe to a monthly, biweekly, or weekly plan, so you’ll never have to run out of cat food.
If you like the idea of making homemade cat food but don’t feel ready for the time and effort involved, Nom Nom is a convenient alternative.
Nom Nom’s cat food line was introduced in the spring of 2018 and is currently limited to chicken and fish recipes. It’s never been recalled.
Nom Nom’s chicken recipe is made primarily from chicken thighs, breast, and liver, which are species-appropriate sources of protein and other nutrients. In addition to meat, the recipe contains small amounts of fruit and vegetables. On a dry matter basis, this food is about 10% calories from carbohydrates.
Ingredients:
Chicken Thigh, Chicken Breast, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Asparagus, Cantaloupe, Spinach, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Taurine, Choline Bitartrate, Zinc Gluconate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Gluconate, Manganese Gluconate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Selenium Yeast, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Cholecalciferol (Source Of Vitamin D3), Potassium Iodide.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- A protein-rich food primarily made from animal-sourced ingredients
- Extremely palatable—cats love the taste and texture of this fresh food
- The subscription model gives you access to a team of nutrition experts
- Human-grade food promises a higher level of quality control
- Doesn’t contain any common additives that might harm your cat
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains fruit and veggies
- One of the most expensive foods on the market
- The subscription model isn’t convenient or accessible for everyone
#5 Best Dry: Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Overview:
- Brand Name: Dr. Elsey’s
- Made In: United States
- Food Form: Dry Food
- Guaranteed Protein: 59% Min
- Life Stage: Adult
- Typical Cost Per Day: $0.80/day
This food is a refreshing switch from the high-carbohydrate content and gobs of plant protein found in typical dry foods. Instead, it’s made primarily from chicken, egg, pork protein isolate, and other sources of species-appropriate nutrition. While other foods rely on high-carbohydrate binders like corn, wheat, soy, and potatoes, this food uses gelatin as its primary binding agent.
Overall, the food provides carnivore-appropriate nutrition with plenty of protein, species-appropriate fat, and not a lot of carbohydrates.
The food’s meaty makeup makes it more calorie-dense and efficient than most dry foods. You’ll feed your cat less and see reduced waste in the litter box.
On Chewy, 93% of customers say they’d recommend the food to a friend. It receives primarily positive customer reviews, with most customers saying their cats love the way it tastes. The biggest complaint about this food is its price—it’s considerably more expensive than your typical dry cat food.
Ingredients:
Chicken, Dried Egg Product, Pork Protein Isolate, Gelatin, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Fructooligosaccharide, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Calcium Carbonate, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide), Potassium Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Taurine, Salt, Rosemary Extract.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in nourishing animal protein
- Features chicken fat and salmon oil as sources of the fatty acids that cats need
- Extraordinarily low in carbohydrates, compared to other dry foods
- Doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Like all dry foods, this product fails to provide the moisture that cats need
- Expensive compared to other dry foods
#6 Best Ethically-Sourced: Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon Dry Cat Food
Overview:
- Brand Name: Open Farm
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 37% min
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Typical Cost Per Day: $0.68/day
Read Our Full Brand Review
While our number one dry food recommendation scores well in terms of nutritional value and our feline reviewers enjoyed it, no food will appeal to every cat.
If you have a picky kibble consumer, Open Farm’s Wild-Caught Salmon dry cat food might be a good choice for you. This food receives excellent customer reviews, with most reporting that their cats loved its taste.
And unlike many other kibble products that rate well in feline taste tests, this food from Open Farm is made from responsibly-sourced, seemingly high-quality ingredients. Open Farm’s sourcing policy emphasizes humanely-raised poultry, meat, and fish. Fish-based recipes, like the one featured here, are made from sustainably-harvested wild-caught fish.
With salmon, ocean whitefish meal, and herring meal as the first three ingredients, this food appears to make species-appropriate protein sources the backbone of its recipe.
Like other grain-free dry foods, it also contains legumes and other plant ingredients, but it’s a carnivore-friendly choice compared to the competition.
Overall, if you’re looking for a food that excites your cat and also like the idea of supporting initiatives to make cat food more environmentally-friendly, this recipe from Open Farm could be a good choice.
Ingredients:
Wild Pacific Salmon, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Ocean Herring Meal, Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Red Lentils, Coconut Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Herring Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Pumpkin, Natural Flavour, Green Lentils, Salmon Oil, Non-GMO Cranberries, Chicory Root, Apples, Dandelion Greens, Choline Chloride, Salt, Turmeric, Dried Yucca Schidigera Extract, Potassium Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin, D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Taurine, Rosemary Extract
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- According to Open Farm, this food is made from responsibly-harvested fish
- Animal protein sources are the food’s primary ingredients
- Contains herring oil and salmon oil as rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids
- Free of potentially-harmful artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Cats tend to love the taste of this food
What We Didn’t Like:
- Relatively high in carbohydrates
Expensive compared to some other dry cat foods
#7 Best Dry Food for Picky Eaters: Cat Person Chicken & Turkey Kibble
Overview:
- Brand Name: Cat Person
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 40% min
- Life Stage: Adult
- Typical Cost Per Day: $0.68/day
If your cat’s not interested in other products, Cat Person’s selection of dry foods may be a good option. This company prepares wet and dry food and sells it direct-to-consumer in customized meal plans or a’la carte. Their dry food selection includes three recipes, featuring combinations of chicken and turkey, duck and turkey, and salmon and tuna as primary protein sources.
Cat Person dry foods are made in facilities that double as human food processing plants, meaning that they are likely held to higher quality standards than are typical products for pets.
Ingredient quality and manufacturing standards aside, Cat Person kibble isn’t particularly nutritionally impressive. That said, they may be a good choice for finicky felines who have tried everything else.
Top Recipe: Cat Person Chicken & Turkey Recipe Dry Cat Food
The food is composed of petite disc-shaped kibble pieces mixed with chewy chunks that Cat Person calls “chicken chunks”. Presumably made with dehydrated chicken, these chunks add some textural variety to the kibble. For texture-driven cats, this boosts the food’s appeal.
The ingredient list is slim and straightforward, without much besides meat, peas, and supplements.
The food is 64% chicken and turkey, with peas and pea protein constituting a generous 24% of the recipe. Aside from meat and peas, a combination of chicken fat and salmon oil serve as species-appropriate sources of fatty acids, while flaxseed and dried tomato pomace add fiber to the recipe.
According to the guaranteed analysis, this food is at least 50% protein and 25% fat with roughly 32.5% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis.
Overall, it’s not one of the most species-appropriate foods on the market, even compared to other dry products, but it’s an upgrade from by-product-laden kibble products that offer more starch than substance. If you’re struggling to find a dry food that tickles your cat’s taste buds, this one is worth a try.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Turkey, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil, Glycerine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Taurine, Cane Molasses, Lactic Acid, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Citric Acid (Used As A Preservative), Rosemary Extract.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Primarily made with animal-derived protein
- Free of vaguely-named ingredients
- Features animal-derived fat instead of plant oils
- Doesn’t contain any of the most common irritating additives
- Cats seem to like the way this food tastes
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains pea protein, a concentrated source of plant protein
- A high-carbohydrate food
- Doesn’t have the moisture your cat needs
#8 Best For Urinary Health: Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken
Overview:
- Brand Name: Tiki Cat
- Made In: Thailand
- Guaranteed Protein: 16% Min
- Age Range: Adult
- Typical Cost Per Day: $4.32/day
Veterinarians, nutritionists, and other experts agree that high-moisture diets are the best choice for feline lower urinary tract disease prevention.
Depending on the cause of your cat’s urinary tract disease, cats may thrive on a diet made to control struvite or calcium oxalate crystals.
In short, choose a food that’s not dry, even if it’s a prescription formula for urinary tract health. Once you’ve gotten that basic requirement, you can start thinking about other factors, like the food’s pH and ash content.
Also Read: 7 Best Cat Foods For Urinary Tract Health
This recipe from Tiki Cat is low in ash, which will help lower the risk of urinary crystal formation. This recipe also has enough moisture to flush the urinary tract and has a species-appropriate pH that won’t cause crystal formation.
Ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Sunflower Seed Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Niacin (Vitamin B3), Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Calcium Iodate, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin K3 Supplement.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in nourishing animal protein
- High moisture content helps to flush the urinary tract
- Low ash shouldn’t contribute to crystal formation
- Species-appropriate pH helps keep things in balance
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains sunflower oil instead of species-appropriate animal fat
- Low fat content isn’t right for every cat
#9 Best Raw: Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Cat Food
Overview:
- Brand Name: Stella & Chewy’s
- Made In: United States
- Food Form: Freeze-Dried
- Guaranteed Protein: 45% Min
- Life Stage: Adult
- Typical Cost Per Day: $0.80/day
Stella and Chewy’s is one of the leading companies in raw cat food—their foods are affordable, varied, and taste great. While their foods are also available in frozen varieties, we like the convenience of freeze-dried food.
This freeze-dried recipe is primarily made from rabbit meat, organs, and bones. Rabbit is a feline favorite and often a good option for cats suffering from food sensitivities and allergies. Along with rabbit, this recipe contains prebiotics and probiotics to keep your cat’s digestive system healthy and their immune system strong.
Also Read: 10 Best Probiotics for Cats
With its meat-first ingredient list and minimal carbohydrate content, this is a species-appropriate choice that embodies the value of raw cat food.
Ingredients:
Rabbit With Ground Bone, Rabbit Liver, Olive Oil, Pumpkin Seed, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Dried Ediococcus Acidilactici Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Taurine, Tocopherols (Preservative), Dandelion, Dried Kelp, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in species-appropriate animal protein
- Contains guaranteed levels of probiotics to support the immune system and digestive health
- Added prebiotic fiber helps to prevent the constipation that some raw-fed cats experience
- Low carbohydrate content
- Doesn’t contain any potentially harmful additives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Freeze-dried food takes a few minutes to rehydrate
- Some cats don’t like the rabbit taste
#10 Best For Kittens: Wellness CORE Kitten Turkey & Chicken Liver Recipe Classic Pate Review
Overview:
- Brand Name: Wellness CORE
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 12% Min
- Age Range: Kitten
- Typical Cost Per Day: $1.14/day
This Wellness CORE food has everything we look for in kitten food. It’s loaded with nourishing animal protein from turkey, chicken liver, chicken muscle meat, and chicken meal.
Also Read: Best Wet Food For Kittens
Herring and menhaden fish oil make the food a good source of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that contributes to brain and eye development. With 108 calories per can, it’s calorie-dense enough to fuel your kitten’s growth and development.
Ingredients:
Turkey, Chicken Liver, Turkey Broth, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Herring, Natural Flavor, Cranberries, Menhaden Fish Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Guar Gum, Tricalcium Phosphate, Ground Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Dried Kelp, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Alfalfa Meal, Salt, Magnesium Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Ultra-soft pâté texture is easy for kittens to eat
- Rich in protein and calories
- Hydrating canned food
- Supplemented with fish oil as a species-appropriate source of DHA
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains some unnecessary plant ingredients
What Did We Look For In The Best Cat Food?
Choosing great food involves a variety of factors, including company reputation, ingredient quality, and more.
Here’s what we looked for when choosing the top 10 best cat foods on the market.
First, We Looked For Foods With Low Carbohydrate Content.
Cats use a process called gluconeogenesis to convert protein into glucose. Unlike in people, it is protein, not carbohydrate matter, which is the main type of fuel used to maintain a cat’s blood glucose concentrations.
Cats can metabolize carbohydrates instead of protein, but it’s not ideal. Cats are mildly insulin resistant, similar to a person with diabetes. And sustained carbohydrate intake could make your cat more likely to develop diabetes over time.
So How Much Carbohydrate Matter Does A Cat Need?
None. Carbohydrate concentrations between 1 and 10% won’t harm your cat, but anything more is a threat to your cat’s health. Excess carbohydrates can lead to problems like obesity and digestive issues.
Now, finding foods with low carbohydrate content is trickier than it sounds. Unlike a jar of peanut butter or a loaf of bread, cat food labels don’t tell you how many grams of carbohydrates are in each serving. They don’t tell you anything about the carbohydrate content.
The best way to avoid high-carbohydrate foods is by looking for products that don’t contain anything starchy. Read the ingredient list and rule out anything that contains potatoes, wheat, soy, peas, or other high-carbohydrate products.
If you want more details, you can contact the company and ask about carbohydrate content. Alternatively, use a carbohydrate calculator like this one to get a rough estimate.
We Chose Foods That Were Rich In High-quality Protein.
Cats need a lot of protein. But it’s more complicated than just looking for high-protein food. Instead, we also have to think about the quality of that protein. When choosing the best cat food, we paid attention to the difference between crude protein and digestible protein.
Protein exists on a digestibility spectrum rated by biological value.
For example, 36g of crude protein from feathers is not equivalent to 36g of crude protein from an egg – they have vastly different biological values. An egg has a biological value of 100 (making it highly digestible), while the feather is virtually indigestible.
Yet both the feather protein and the egg protein look lovely on the guaranteed analysis and lend the impression of a high-quality food capable of nourishing your cat.
Digestibility values, not percentages in the guaranteed analysis, are key to measuring nutritional value.
To make things a little more interesting, we don’t know everything about protein digestibility in cats. No one has figured out exactly which protein sources are the most bioavailable or the least. Instead, we’re left to put together a picture based on what scarce information is available.
We Avoided Foods That Contained Animal By-Products.
Animal by-products are one of the most misunderstood ingredients in cat food.
Most people have responded to the AAFCO definition of byproducts with the same sort of nausea that you might feel if served a platter of these ingredients at a restaurant. And yet much of the products that fall into the definition of by-products are highly-nourishing parts of an animal carcass that your cat would love to eat. And there’s nothing disgusting about that.
Digestibility and quality control are the real problems with animal by-products. These vaguely-specified ingredients may be produced from any number of animal parts from any number of different animals.
A former AAFCO president once emphasized how loosely regulated these ingredients are by stating that “You don’t know if it’s cattle or sheep or horse – or Fluffy.”
Besides not knowing what type of animals contributed to the by-product stew, you don’t know if it contains more wholesome liver or nutritionally void chicken feet. If you want to ensure maximum protein digestibility, avoid meat by-products and other vaguely-named ingredients like “meat”, “poultry”, and “meat and bone meal”.
We Looked For Foods That Kept Plant Protein To A Minimum.
While it’s unclear exactly where each source of plant protein lies on the digestibility spectrum, we do know that protein from peas, potatoes, and other plants is less efficient than that from animal ingredients. While a single prey animal offers all the amino acids a cat needs, plant ingredients need to be combined with animal protein and synthetic additives to recreate that mix of amino acids.
Furthermore, many cat guardians report that their cats have less waste when they’re eating a diet composed primarily of animal-sourced protein.
What About Vegan And Vegetarian Cat Food?
It’s understandable to have misgivings about the impact of the livestock industry and the amount of meat used to produce pet food. While we don’t recommend any vegan foods, you can learn more about them in this article.
Many cats seem to do well on vegan food. A combination of plant ingredients and synthetic additives are capable of, at least according to our current understanding, recreating the mix of nutrients your carnivore requires. But it may be foolish to believe that we can recreate a perfect facsimile of the nutritional profile found in cats’ prey. Doing so may lead to unexpected nutritional deficiencies or overloads.
We Gave Preference To Moisture-rich Foods That Keep Your Cat Hydrated.
Our cats’ ancestors were desert dwellers. They lived in arid environments where fresh prey was often the best source of moisture. A mouse is about 70% water and a fine source of hydration for a desert cat hours away from the nearest watering hole.
Because fresh water was scarce, early wild cats evolved to have low thirst drives and a natural inclination to get their water from the moisture-rich bodies of their prey. This means that they typically don’t drink enough water to compensate for moisture-depleted dry food.
We Looked For Foods That Were Free Of Potentially Harmful Ingredients And Additives.
The Best Cat Food Is Free Of Carrageenan.
This natural seaweed extract is a great binder and thickener for canned cat food, but it has a bad reputation. Studies have shown that carrageenan creates inflammation in the body and may exacerbate cancer.
The Best Cat Food Doesn’t Contain Artificial Ingredients.
Artificial flavors are unnecessary if the food is made with nourishing meat ingredients. No cat needs artificial colors. In addition to being unnecessary, food dyes are tied to behavioral issues and cancer development in both humans and animals.
BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are popular preservatives that are associated with serious problems. Most pet foods have replaced them with natural alternatives including Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols), rosemary extract, and other antioxidants. Although ethoxyquin rarely appears on the ingredient list, it may enter your cat food as a fish preservative.
We Looked For Brands With Excellent Reputations.
Remember that you’re relying on the cat food company to provide your cat the nutrition they need to stay healthy and vibrant – potentially for the rest of their life.
You need a company and a brand that you can trust. While it doesn’t tell us everything about the brand, a company’s recall history provides key insights into its ethics, safety standards, and the quality of its products.
If a company faces voluntary, or worse—mandatory—recalls every five years, purchasing from that company could subject your cat to three or more potentially harmful slip-ups during their lifetime.
A communicative, transparent company isn’t afraid to share information with their customers. We gauged the quality of cat food companies by contacting their customer support lines and evaluating their customer service. We gave preference to companies that responded promptly and were willing to provide key information.
Additionally, we paid attention to what other customers were saying about the brand. Through social media, blogging, reviews on retail platforms, and sites like Consumer Reports, consumers can easily share their complaints or praises with the world.
We read these reviews and used them to assess the customer experience.
Understanding Cat Food Labels And Marketing
Natural, Organic, And Human Grade: Are They Meaningless Buzzwords?
Until recently, the description “scientifically formulated” was a popular pet food marketing catchphrase. People wanted to imagine their cat’s food as being formulated by scientists in a sterile laboratory.
Today’s cat food consumer has a different ideal. They’re looking for food that’s gently crafted, fresh from the farm, non-GMO, natural, and based on real meat. Thanks to the ‘back to nature’ trend, the number of natural or organic cat food labels has skyrocketed. Numerous brands capitalize on the “premium natural food” concept.
But are they healthy for your cat?
Natural
The “natural” label is loosely defined and lightly regulated. FDA guidelines dictate that any food bearing the “natural” label must be manufactured without undergoing any chemical alterations.
Also Read: Best Holistic Cat Food: Our Top 5 Picks
Organic
The organic label, however, has some legitimacy.
The National Organic Program defines organic products as those “produced through approved methods that integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation and genetic engineering may not be used.”
But while the term “organic” does mean something in terms of the ingredients your cat’s food contains, it doesn’t tell you a lot about how nutritious that food is. Organic foods can be just as species-inappropriate and unwholesome as anything else on the cat food shelf. You’ll just pay a little more for them.
Also Read: Best Organic Cat Food
Human Grade
To earn “human grade” status, pet food must start with human-quality ingredients. But ingredient quality isn’t the end of the story. To keep its human-grade status, a food must be manufactured in a USDA-inspected human food processing facility. The manufacturing facility is a vital part of this story. Any ingredient, once processed in a pet food manufacturing plant, is legally considered “feed grade”.
So human-grade food isn’t necessarily made from better ingredients. This distinction, currently only held by a few brands, gives you an added level of confidence about the quality of a food’s ingredients, handling, storage, and safety.
Do Life Stages Matter When You’re Choosing Cat Food?
Yes and no. Choose foods that meet AAFCO nutritional guidelines for either growth, all life stages, or adult maintenance.
Kittens and pregnant or lactating cats should eat food formulated for growth or all life stages. Adults—cats over the age of one—should eat meals formulated for all life stages or adult maintenance.
Other than these three categories, you don’t need to choose your cat’s food based on life stages. Seniors, for example, don’t usually need a senior-specific food. Most of these labeling ploys are in the same league as indoor cat food, hairball food, and breed-specific formulations.
They’re easy to buy and feel like a little bit of personalization, but they jump straight to the personal details without nailing nutrition basics. How can you address the unique needs of a 7-year-old indoor-outdoor Persian without first acknowledging the fact that she’s a carnivore?
Is Grain-Free Cat Food Better Or Worse?
When we originally published this article in 2018, the grain-free trend was reaching its peak. Right around the same time, the FDA quietly began an investigation that would turn the trend on its head.
While we don’t have the answers about the potential connection between grain-free foods and dilated cardiomyopathy, we do know that grain was never the problem. Cats don’t need to avoid grain or gluten. They need to avoid excessive carbohydrates.
Grain-free foods often replace grain with an unhealthy dose of biologically inappropriate ingredients like potatoes and peas. Now that those ingredients are losing their appeal, the solution isn’t to go back to grains. The solution is avoiding plant ingredients.
Also Read: 10 Best Grain Free Cat Foods
Are Prescription Diets Good For Cats?
There is no law saying that prescription foods can be sold only with a veterinarian’s prescription. They are not drugs or medication. They’re food.
Quoting the FDA/CVM Communications Staff Deputy Director: “‘Prescription diet’ is an industry-coined term and holds no legal meaning.”
In many cases, prescription foods are perfect for the condition for which they’re marketed. Some prescription cat foods, however, are no better than the average food sold on a grocery store shelf.
A particularly ironic example is prescription dry food for urinary tract health. Because dry food can promote urinary tract disease, this marketing slant adds insult to injury. The final word on prescription cat food is that it can be both good or bad. Stay skeptical and evaluate each product on an individual basis. If you’re unsure about evaluating prescription food options on your own, your veterinarian can help you.
Whether You Choose One Of Our Top Picks Or Another Product, Look For Foods That Honor Your Cat’s Carnivorous Needs.
Choosing the right cat food is simple when you understand the fundamentals of species-appropriate nutrition. Cats are obligate carnivores who could thrive on a diet of raw prey alone. Regardless of brand, price, or format, the best foods resemble that prey-centric diet.
Want More? Browse Our Dozens Of Unbiased Reviews And Detailed Guides
Additional Resources:
- Cats are Obligate Carnivores
- Making Cat Food: Homemade and Raw Cat Food Diets
- The Complete Guide To Feline Nutrition
About the author
Mallory Crusta is a writer and adventurecat enthusiast on a mission to make cats’ lives extraordinary. She’s one of the founders of Wildernesscat – a site for happy, healthy, and adventurous cats who are fueled by nature. Visit Wildernesscat for radically natural cat nutrition, home remedies, and lifestyle inspiration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best dry cat food?
The best dry cat food is rich in animal-derived protein, low in carbohydrate content, and made from high-quality ingredients. Some of the best dry cat food brands include Ziwi Peak, Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein, and Tiki Cat Born Carnivore.
What is the best wet cat food?
The best wet cat food honors your cat’s needs as a carnivore. It’s a meat-rich product that delivers all the protein, fat, and micronutrients your cat needs without a lot of plants and starch. A few of our favorite brands include Feline Natural, Hound & Gatos, and Nom Nom.
What is the best healthiest cat food?
The healthiest cat food is nutritionally complete and balanced, emphasizing meat over plants and protein over starch. Look for expert-formulated recipes that were made with carnivores in mind.
Is dry or wet food best for cats?
Because it’s more hydrating and typically lower in carbohydrates, wet food is best for cats. A dry diet is convenient, but it could increase your cat’s chances of developing urinary tract disease or diabetes over time.
Wonderful review article. Very important and helpful article. I found a lot of information from this share.
Thanks, for sharing such an informative article.
Hopefully, waiting for your more article in the future.
Hello. Interesting article.
I have a cat who is very picky about food. He will not eat any food. And that’s a problem for me.
I already tried to buy him 9 different feeds. My cat only eats new food at the beginning, and then does not want to eat it. My cat only eats wet food and no more.
Thanks to your article, I now have a large selection of good cat food. I liked the food from these manufacturers Feline Natural and Authority Cat Food. I will try to buy them for my cat.
Glad you found the article helpful! I hope that Feline Natural and Authority work for your picky eater.
Try mixing some dry with wet. My cats prefer wet but it digests to fast and they want to eat more times a day so I mix it to get them to eat more dry food.
I have found food mysteriously disappears when I am away from home. So even if your cat(s) give you the withering “What is this? Are you trying to kill me?” look, don’t be surprised if their bowls are empty when you come home.
Truly awesome article! Thankyou.
Hi.
From your blog, I knew how to feed a cat perfectly.
Thanks
Glad to hear it! Thank you for stopping by.
I have a cat who is very picky about food. He will not eat any food. And that’s a problem for me.
I already tried to buy him 9 different feeds. My cat only eats new food at the beginning, and then does not want to eat it. My cat only eats wet food and no more.
Thanks to your article, I now have a large selection of good cat food. I liked the food from these manufacturers Feline Natural and Authority Cat Food. I will try to buy them for my cat. Best Pet Foods
Try feed cat food high protein may than he or she will be be happy cat picking rater
Thank you so much Mallory for the comprehensive review for which I have been guided in q myriad of products and advertising!
What about Feline Leukemia positive cats? What’s best to feed them?
Hello Cherry, it’s best to give cats with Feline Leukemia a nutritionally-dense diet that is ultra-easy to digest, similar to the type of food we might recommend for cats in between bouts of pancreatitis, except an FeLV-positive cat should be on a cooked diet (not raw). Here’s a useful article from the Feline Nutrition Foundation: https://feline-nutrition.org/health/nutrition-is-vital-for-felv-cats
My senior cat has been diagnosed with kidney disease. My Vet recommended that I buy prescription food, but after spending about $200., he doesn’t like it at all. With all this info, I’m still confused as to what to try. I have 2 other cats and offer them a variety of dry and canned food, so Oliver also eats some of that, or he’s starve. It’s so frustrating that they charge ridiculous prices when it has no medicine in it!! I’ll go back and read about the kidney food again, do you have any new recommendations since it is now 2020?? Something non-prescription??
Hello Sieg. Thank you for commenting! We did add some more recommendations to our article on the best cat food for kidney disease: https://allaboutcats.com/best-cat-food-for-kidney-disease. You’ll also find some options that Oliver may like in our article on the best food for seniors: https://allaboutcats.com/best-cat-food-for-senior-cats.
I hope you find something that he’s willing to eat soon!
On my way to pick up my new Russian Blue kitten. Thank you for the great information. Do cats do better staying with the same brands? Or, is variety OK?
Fantastic information. Thank you, What do you think of Dr. Marty’s?
Hi Noelle, we have gone in-depth on Dr. Marty’s cat food check here: https://allaboutcats.com/dr-marty-unbiased-cat-food-review, and it appears to be comparable to freeze-dried foods from Primal, except with somewhat more starch and less animal-derived omega-3 fatty acids. You can consider it, but I wouldn’t rank it among the best freeze-dried foods on the market. Hope this helps!
In your article a few months ago you said Kirkland is not an acceptable diet for carnivores… so did they change their formula? Or are you going back on what you said?
https://allaboutcats.com/kirkland-cat-food-review
Hi Jackie, while Kirkland’s dry food is not ideal, we included it here as a good budget dry food. Compared to other foods at the same price point, it seems to feature relatively high-quality ingredients and certain supplements not seen in the competition. Our recommendations may vary depending on who we’re talking to.
Have you ever reviewed Genesis cat food?
Hi Heather, we haven’t reviewed Genesis food yet, but we’ll consider it for a future brand review. Thank you!
We have an 11 year old male Siberian Forest cat who is an extremely picky eater. We finally found Tiki Cat and he loved Sardines in Sardine Broth but after a month on this he became blocked and couldn’t urinate. He was also having bloody diarrhea and the vet said that they had another kitty just come in also on Tiki Cat who was also blocked. My cat spent 11 days in and out of the vet having numerous tests ran at a cost of $2200 and a referral to a specialist who works with Texas A&M. He stopped eating and they suggested a feeding tube. They also think he has inflamed intestines/colon. The only thing that changed before he got sick was the switch to Tiki Cat. We also fed him their pouches, about one pouch of Chicken and Egg a day. While I have no idea of knowing for sure if there is any correlation between his illness and Tiki Cat, I wanted to put this out there. I’m now looking for another brand with low ash content that has high moisture (this is why we chose Tiki Cat). Can you recommend another brand that has those same attributes so we can try something else? Thank you for any help you can provide!
Hi Lara, thanks for commenting. That is a curious experience, and it does make me wonder if there is any connection. Are you looking for low ash content in hopes of preventing another urethral blockage, or are you concerned about protecting your cat’s kidneys? Any wet cat food, especially if it is made from high-quality proteins and, generally, doesn’t contain fish, is going to have appropriate ash levels for most cats. All of the foods on our list of the best cat food for urinary health should be acceptable options—the question is whether or not your picky eater will accept them.
I am curious about Farmina cat food as well. Have you reviewed that? Local pet store carries these two brands and recommended them; but I have never heard of them.
Heather, you can read our Farmina cat food review here: https://allaboutcats.com/farmina-cat-food-review
I am curious about wet food from Cat Person. Do you recommend for an 8 month old boy Ragoll kitten who is very picky and only eats Core for kittens now.
Thank you for all the good information! I think you have a small typo – under the entry for Ziwi Pets venison, you say “lamb” in the first sentence – “This protein-packed formula features 100% single-sourced New Zealand lamb.”
Related to lamb, do you have any information about whether some protein sources are better for cats than others? I’ve ran across a lot of claims (of course fish and mercury, but I’ve also seen people claim that certain protein sources cause inflammatory problems) but I don’t know if they have any basis. I can’t imagine it’s good for my cat to only eat chicken, but if I’m avoiding seafood, and she doesn’t like Hound & Gatos (unfortunately), other protein sources can become expensive very quickly.
Brit, thank you for pointing out that mistake! I’ve corrected it. As for the question of some proteins being better than others, it is true that various protein sources will have different digestibility and biological availability levels, but this is a complex and poorly-understood area and more research is needed before we can say which proteins are best for cats. You might consider turkey and beef as affordable non-fish alternatives to chicken.
Thanks for the information, you can never be too informed.
Do you recommend FussievCat wet and dry foods. I have a very fussy eater that will only eat certain flavors of this brand. She also likes their dry food. My other cats eat most other foods and because of digestive issues I include a Royal Canin hair ball and digestive dry foods as well
Hi Marie, Fussie Cat wet food does look like a decent option for your cat, though there are some concerns about its use of carrageenan, a potentially-carcinogenic additive that may cause inflammation. As for their dry food, it looks like a typical grain-free dry food and probably wouldn’t be among our top recommendations. As for those other digestive foods, you can learn about our recommendations for cats with digestive issues here.
Hello! My kitten is very picky so we decided to try out the wellness core kitten food although he hates turkey and is not so fond of chicken. He was eating authority kitten food when we got him but began throwing it up so we switched him over to instinct+instinct kitten (wont eat kitten). He is picky again and will only eat salmon, rabbit, and lamb. He happily eats tiki cat but I’m scared the low fat will hurt him (7 months old). They also only have a fish variety and I heard its bad for kittens. All other kitten foods aren’t good quality(Too many carbs or fillers) or tasty enough. We’ve been giving him boiled chicken to make him eat. He also eats Purina one dry kitten from the shelter( Bad quality but instinct kitten gave him a runny stool, were slowly transitioning again). Once again please help and thank you in advance.
Hi there! I think that it’s still really a matter of trial-and-error. If you have the time and inclination, it sounds like you may be a good fit for a homemade diet. I’d also ask why your kitten started throwing up the Authority food—if he was able to eat it previously, why did he suddenly start vomiting? Are you sure that it’s connected to the food? There are a lot of unanswered questions here, and I’d advise consulting a veterinarian for more insights and specificity.
We will ask our vet about that. Thank you!
We will ask our vet about that, I never thought about it in that way and it’s a good place to start. Thank you!
I was looking at this brand for my cats and Chewy was out of the Chicken Paté (out of all of it, actually), so I checked the PetSmart website (they own the brand) and discovered they all now contain carrageenan and a bunch of other ingredients that weren’t in the version you reviewed.
Thank you for letting me know about this. It sounds like it’s time to update our reviews of Authority cat food. – Mallory
Is it okay to serve a wet and dry cat food that are different brands, even if they are both grain free? Say, Elseys dry and Tiki wet? Also, considering a dry food for main nutrition for weight control, but a wet food as a weekly supplement/treat.
Hi Catie, absolutely. There’s no reason to avoid feeding from multiple brands. A mix of Dr. Elsey’s dry and Tiki Cat wet would be perfectly fine. Remember that, as a satisfying, high-moisture product that helps your cat to feel fuller on fewer calories, wet food is generally the best option for weight control.
The Authority wet cat food you reviewed is apparently no longer available in that formulation – the current chicken paté options now contain carrageenan, powdered cellulose, and a bunch of other ingredients not listed for the version you reviewed. Such a pity.
Thank you for sharing this.
Hi Mallory,
I love your content. What do you think about Cat Person wet food? I currently have an 8 month Ragdoll boy and he is very picky and the only thing he finally ate is Core Pate for kittens. I no longer feed him kibble just Core and Instrict Freeze Dried. Is Cat Person wet a good option and or is Smalls better? Please let me know your opinion. Thank you!
Hi Lisa, I’ve responded to parts of your question in another comment, but to cover everything here, I see no really good reason to switch from Core and Instinct to Cat Person food unless you’re just looking for variety. The latter is a perfectly good option, but so are the two foods that your kitten already loves. As for the Cat Person to Smalls comparison, it really depends on who you are. In terms of texture and taste appeal, I would lean towards Smalls, but if you want to have a flexible meal plan or order one food at a time, Cat Person is going to be the better option. They seem to be similar in terms of quality. Hope this helps!
Hi Mallory,
Great content! I have an 8 month old Ragdoll boy and he is a very picky eater. The only thing he finally chose to eat is the Core Pate for kittens and Instinct freeze dried food. What are you thoughts on Cat Person wet food?
Hi Lisa! Sounds like your Ragdoll has settled on a couple of good foods! As for our thoughts on Cat Person, I think you will appreciate our in-depth review of the brand. – Mallory
Hello!
Is Blue Buffalo Wilderness a good dry cat food?
Right now I’m using Iams and I know that’s probably not not a good choice.
Also, what is your final decision about Authority wet cat food? I think you said they changed their formula since your last review.
Hi Debbie, Blue Buffalo Wilderness cat food isn’t terrible, but it’s certainly not one of the best dry foods on the market. You’re talking about food with high carbohydrate content, plenty of ingredients that are arguably not necessary for an obligate carnivore, and which comes from a company with a less-than-perfect recall history. With a few exceptions, I don’t recommend Blue Buffalo foods, whether wet or dry and from any line. As for Authority, it’s hard to say. I had heard that Authority’s recipes have changed, but I’m still seeing their old formulations available on the web and at PetSmart. Overall, I would still recommend this brand.
Hi Mallory,
Hope this finds you well.
My cat is 16 lbs of love but she has chronic rhinitis that she has had for about 6 years. We have literally tried everything to help her.
Her diet is and has been for most of the time we have had her (6 years) has been Science Diet Z/D wet food and Royal Canin Hydrolyzed protein dry and Greenies treats. She has never eaten people food. We tried rabbit and duck both can, dry and treats – it didn’t make a difference in her breathing and she would not eat the treats or the dry. With that said her poop is firm and not stinky and twice a day but she does drink a lot of water.
My vet wants to get her to lose weight and suggests only wet so less carbs.
Do you think Smalls is good for her?
Hi Lori, yes! Smalls can be a good choice for most cats, and I think it’s a great, satisfying choice for cats who need to lose weight. Additionally, you get plenty of limited-ingredient options that should be highly digestible and not very inflammatory. Good luck!
Hello,
Just FYI : Smalls issued a “Voluntary Recall” today.
They stated the affected products include:
-Ground Bird, Chicken Recipe
-Smooth Bird, Chicken Recipe
-Ground Other Bird, Turkey Recipe
-Smooth Other Bird, Turkey Recipe
“Customers reported that product looked spoiled and had an unusual odor.” I personally feel it’s reckless to continue promoting them as the #1 choice, as it’s apparent they lack quality control and their cancellation process is anything but convenient. I have my cat scheduled for a vet appointment, to determine whether or not he has gastroenteritis due to consuming what I BELIEVED to be the best quality option for his meals.
I must ask, do YOU feed your cat(s) Smalls? As a new cat owner, it’s so discouraging to spends days upon days researching what would be in the best interest for my fur baby, and yet nothing can be trusted because the world is motivated by money. As you mentioned above, you do gain money from people subscribing to them. Why wouldn’t people be interested to subscribe, after you rank them absolute #1, with only one noted flaw “not pre-portioned”?
If you absolutely must continue to promote them, please be transparent with their shortcomings so more people will not be blindsided like I was. Is the small amount of money you gain, worth misleading pet owners? Even on their actual review page you noted back in APRIL that it’s in need of a huge update, this is not new news. Please update your website and take responsibility for the influence you have on pet owners. Thank you.
Hi there. We just updated our review to mention this recall, and we will be completely revising the Smalls review this month. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Dear, My one year old cat is suffering from multifocal necrotic and chronic active colitis. The vet recommended gastrointestinal wet and dry food, do you have a Gastrointestinal recommended brand, please?
Thank you
Kind regards
Hello there! I would ask your veterinarian for a specific food recommendation—there are a few GI-focused foods from Hill’s and Royal Canin that may be appropriate for your cat’s conditions.
I have been using Life’s Abundance, grain/grain free for my Kitties. Do you have any input on it ? It is all stages and my Companions are aged between nearly five months and seventeen months. They also share a tin of Fancy Feast daily, as well as Stella & Chewys. Just interested in your feedback.
Hi there! Thanks for commenting. We haven’t reviewed Life’s Abundance yet, but it is something that we’d like to cover in the future.
Heya, I was here looking for a new fresh cat food after the nomnom recall and noticed it wasn’t mentioned here (because of how disappointing the recall itself was… )
Anyways, to the details, they get their chicken pre-cooked from Tyson foods- then Tyson had a recall because of Listeria monocytogene contamination.
Nomnom was very transparent about what happened, issued refunds quickly, and answered emails within a timely manner.
But, the fact that they are getting Tyson pre-cooked chicken makes me wonder what I’m paying for. No way the cat-healthy additives are that expensive. I do not like Tyson foods business practices (chicken sourcing and employee treatment among other things), so it made me rethink my kitty food choices. Trying out smalls soon.
Hi Lea, thank you for commenting and making us aware of this! I’ve edited the Nom Nom cat food review to mention the recent recall announcement and will take this incident and revelations about Nom Nom’s manufacturing into consideration when writing about it in the future. All the best.
FYI, nom nom issued a voluntary recall on 7/8/2021: https://truthaboutpetfood.com/nom-nom-chicken-cuisine-cat-food-recall/
Thank you! We have made a note of this in our article reviewing Nom Nom.
Hi, I’m looking for something somewhat affordable. We currently are doing taste of the wild and I read your reviews on it and it doesn’t seem that good now. So what would you recommend something within that budget. I usually get the bigger bag option. We have four cats so getting taste of the wild in the bigger bag seems to be affordable. Just wondering your thoughts. I love your website and reading all the articles and reviews by the way!
Hi Destiny, you might like Kirkland’s dry cat food—it’s very similar to Taste of the Wild in terms of price and seems to be made by the same manufacturer, but from what I can tell, it seems to have a slightly better ingredient list. You might also consider Authority or Simply Nourish, both store brands that offer comparatively good dry foods.
I switched from Science Diet many years ago because Kirkland seem to have the same ingredients. Within a year my young cats starting getting really bad tarter or plack(sp), along with gum disease. I finally quit feeding it after a couple of years and went to Purina One as I was no longer breeding. I have not had not had tooth and gum issues since. This was a couple of decades ago, but I don’t know it they have addressed the problem over the years or not. I don’t know if they even know it is a problem. I love Costco but will never buy their cat food again unless I see some reviews showing that no one is having a problem with tooth and gum disease..
Interesting observation! Thank you for sharing.
Dear Mallory, I am From Iran and here we cant chose to select good cat food..
Recently i get SCHESIR DRY FOOd Cat which is Italian. They say their food is grain and gluten free and with Animal Protein.
Can you please review this brand.
https://www.schesir.com/?lang=en
Many thanks
Ali
Hi Ali, we plan to review Schesir in the near future. I hope you’ll find it helpful!
Hi there! Thank you for such a thoughtful article. Not sure if you are still answering questions, but curious as to why Koha didn’t make it onto this list, as I know it has an A grading. If you were to pick between Ziwi and Koha, which would you go with in terms of quality? My cat is a bit overweight, so leaning towards Koha since Ziwi is relatively high in carb content, but I do like Ziwi’s sourcing and manufacturing practices. So tied!
Thanks so much!
Hi there! I’m so sorry about the late reply. In this case, I believe Koha comes out on top. While it doesn’t quite equal Ziwi in this department and loses a point or two for working with outside manufacturers, Koha isn’t exactly a slouch when it comes to ingredient sourcing—many of their ingredients are free-range, and many of them do come from New Zealand. The company is transparent about the countries from which their ingredients are sourced, which seems to demonstrate a commitment to integrity. When you consider that their foods are lower in carbohydrates and may be a bit less calorically dense, I think they’re a better candidate for your cat. As for why it didn’t make it onto this list, we simply hadn’t considered it for this round of updates. Now that we’ve considered Koha more seriously, we will re-evaluate it for inclusion in the next update of the piece. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Mllory
This is Ali
pleas can you check the SCHESIR BARAND. they products dry and food cat which is grain and gluten free. Their website:
https://www.schesir.com/?lang=en
Thanks
Hello Ali, we plan to review Schesir cat food soon!
Can you comment on wet foods made or available in Canada? My Siamese is rather picky and not consistent.. I have been feeding Schesir which is likes sometimes but would like other suggestions for high quality wet cat food available in Canada.
Hi Frances, we are planning to release an article on the best cat food in Canada by the end of this month. For now, Schesir seems like a good brand. Koha is another good option available in Canada, along with Canada Fresh and Essence.
Wow, thanks for this in-depth review of cat foods and nutrition. I’ve been looking for the cat equivalent of dogfoodadvisor.com, and so far this is the best I’ve found.
I’d love to see more on budget options since of course the best foods are also the priciest. 😉 I’ve inherited my mom’s 14-yr-old cat, who’s been eating Purina One Tender Morsels. I see byproduct in the ingredients, so not sure about that one.
Hi Mallory ,
Wow great informative information here.
I have 6 cats ..and I do feed a couple outdoor strays as well.
I did not want 6 cats but I took in a pregnant female and kept her and her now 4 year old ..3 kittens.
I have one 20 year old cat who is healthy and eats anything.
But my big boy ..Quentin ,he is 7 spent much of 2019 in and out of emergency vets with urinary blockages
and the expensive cd and xd diets did nothing..unblocking him ,painful,expensive and temporary.
In the end I opted for the PU operation as a last resort and the operation saved his life.
He is doing great but I have not found a food that I am happy with.
I currently feed them friskies and purina sensitive stomach dry food.
I would dearly love to put them on raw food diet or freeze dried cat food program.
My issue is I have 6 cats and some of the prices I see out there are really really pricey.
I am looking for a good option that I can buy in bulk and does not require a chef to prepare.
high protein low carb healthy option with a price point that is cost effective and reasonable .
I am a vegetarian and while i have to feed my fluffy carnivore’s meat,I do not want any part in
the rabbit meat trade please ,so please omit any rabbit suggestions please.
Thank you so much
However
Hi Kurshila, thanks for commenting. Preparing food at home is the cheapest way to give your cat raw (at the cheapest, it can be just a little bit more expensive than Friskies), but it will be time-consuming and require a fair amount of planning. You say that you want something that won’t require a chef to prepare, so I’m thinking that homemade food may not be the best option. As an alternative, you may want to try a freeze-dried raw food from Stella & Chewy’s. Their chicken recipe, for example, is relatively inexpensive compared to other freeze-dried and raw products while being easy to prepare. I’m afraid there aren’t really any other options much cheaper than that in this category.
Thanks for all your research. Any advice on Nutrish by Rachel Ray?
Torri, you might like our review of this brand here.
Thank you this informative article. I’ve been looking for a species appropriate canned cat food that wasn’t super expensive, still had the ingredients he needs, but none that he doesn’t (looking at you, carrageenan). I’m going to try Authority today. Tiki Cat After Dark looked good on the label (and in the bowl), but at $6/day, that seems a bit high for something he can take or leave.
(By comparison, if I ate one can/8 lbs of weight, I’d be at $56/day.)
Hi. I have been feeding my cats the Instinct Grain Free Minced Recipe with Real Rabbit Cups for years because I thought it was an excellent quality cat food. I order it from Chewy. I am now a bit concerned that it might not be as good as I thought it was because it did not make this list. Was it ruled out for some reason? If so, I would like to be aware of any problems. Thanks.
It looks good! It seems a bit high in plant ingredients, but if it really is just around 5% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis, that’s quite good. I do rank Instinct by Nature’s Variety among the top wet food brands, but this recipe just didn’t fit any of the categories shown in this particular roundup.