As a dedicated cat owner, you have your kitty’s best interests at heart. You buy him many beds he rejects and play with him for endless hours even though he only ever looks at you with dismay and disappointment.
If there’s one area your cat is likely more enthusiastic about, it is food. Those morning taps on the face, the trip inducing ankle circling on the stairs, the relentless cat shouting at the door at a highly inappropriate hour. All of these adorable efforts by your feline friend come from his obsession with meals.
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Your kitty loves his mealtimes noshing on the best cat food, and that food services such an important purpose too. It gives him the nutrition he needs to maintain a healthy coat, energy, cognitive health and more. Knowing how important your cats food means to both his health and happiness, no double you want him to have the very best cat food for his needs.
To help you, we’ve rounded up the best cat foods available to buy. We’ve also collected a ton of information to help you choose the right food for your toe beaned bestie.
How To Choose The Best Cat Food
Before we show you what’s on offer, we have some handy tips to help you select the very best cat food for your beloved pet:
Prioritize Your Cats Nutritional Needs
Cats need protein, taurine, water and specific vitamins and minerals. Cats do not require carbohydrates in their diet.
With that in mind, it is important to prioritize cat foods that do not have carbohydrates as a top ingredient. Look for protein as one of the highest listed ingredients. You should also ensure that the food you select has the correct amount of nutrients within it.
Be Careful With Dried Food
Dried food can be OK, but it can be problematic if the cat is not taking in enough water. If a cat only has dried food and does not take in enough water as well it can get water infections, bladder crystals and even kidney problems. You can find out more about bladder crystals in cats here.
Try And Provide Variety Over Time
You should ideally keep your cat on the same types of food for a while, so they get used to it. However, variety is good and it is also important to maintain some level of diversity long-term. You can do this by slowly switching to a new food every so often. This also helps to avoid your cat getting an allergy from their food, something they can develop over time.
Maintain Daily Diversity
You can have your cat used to a few brands and types of wet food and some dry food to compliment that too. If they have just one flavor and brand every single day for every meal they may well get addicted to that one type.
Cheaper Can Be False Economy
Trying to keep costs down makes sense but it may result in your cat eating more to get the nutrients that they need. It may also mean that they are more prone to health issues over time, which means expensive vet bills.
Avoid Certain Additions
There are certain things that you should avoid when you check cat food labels including:
- Animal digest
- Added sugars
- By-products
- Cornmeal
- BHA
- BHT
- Ethoxyquin
- Propyl gallate
- Lots of carbohydrates
Look For Regulatory Recommendations
Ideally, the food will be recommended by some sort of regulatory body, either in your country of residence or in the country of manufacture.
Avoid 100% Vegetarian Food
There is much debate over whether or not cats can be vegetarian. The fact of the matter is, most vets agree that they cannot be and shouldn’t be made to eat a diet free from meat. They are obligate carnivores and should be fed as such.
The addition of vegetables to meaty food is different and can add variety and additional nutrition to cat food.
This article contains great information on why cats can’t be vegan or vegetarian if you would like to know more.
Consider Your Cats Individual Needs
Consider your cat’s age, weight and any medical needs when you choose their food.
Kittens and senior cats can have different nutritional needs.
An overweight cat may require diet food, and an underweight cat may need high-calorie food.
Certain medical needs may also dictate your cat having special food.
Please do consider speaking to your vet about your cat’s nutritional needs, particularly if your cat has medical needs or is overweight or underweight. Things like diets should always be done with the supervision of a qualified expert.
Best Cat Foods
Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food
Great Dry Food For Podgy Pussies
Hills Science is a highly respected brand that you will see sold in many veterinary practises. Their diet mix is especially useful for vets to recommend to caring pet owners wanting to get their cat within the right weight brackets.
The product is made in the USA, uses natural ingredients and is able to help your kitty lose weight within as little as 10 weeks of being on the diet (with veterinary guidance).
Owners will love that their cat does not have to miss out on flavor and variety by being on the diet food. It also has added antioxidants and ingredients to support kitty’s healthy digestive system, coat and skin.
Why We Like It:
- Comes approved by vets
- No artificial, preserved or coloured ingredients
- Able to help cats lose weight slowly and safely
- High level of nutrition in the mix including 40% protein
What We Don’t Like:
- Requires guidance from vet
- May not be suitable for cats with few teeth
Purina Pro Plan SAVOR Adult Dry Cat Food With Probiotics
Great For Cats Who Could Benefit From Better Tummy Health
Purina is a highly trusted pet food brand offering a wide range of products to suit every pet. The Pro Plan SAVOR is special because of the additional probiotics. The probiotics are I’ve and are added to give your cat better health and immunity.
Owners will love that as well as the probiotics the mix contains 40% protein, plus Vitamin A, linoleic acid and omega 6.
Why We Like It:
- High level of nutrition in the mix including 40% protein
- Additional live probiotics
- Additional vitamins and minerals
- Meat is the first ingredient
What We Don’t Like:
- Some owners may struggle with the smell
- Higher on the price scale
Blue Buffalo Healthy Living Natural Adult Dry Cat Food
Beautifully Packaged High Protein Cat Food
Customers who appreciate a product with great contents and beautiful packaging will appreciate the Blue Buffalo packet art. It features a stunning selection of colors and a rather heart-warming image of an owner showering her happy cat in love. Cats don’t care about art though, so it’s a good job this healthy living adult cat food is jam-packed full of great nutrition for kitty.
Real meat is the first ingredient, with additional grains, vegetables, vitamins, minerals and fruit added for extra nutritional benefit.
Blue Buffalo also adds their unique life source pieces, which are designed to boost the healthy punch packed by the food. They contain all kinds of extra antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to further add to the nutritional reach of the adult cat food.
Why We Like It:
- Bursting with nutritional ingredients
- Meat is the number 1 ingredient
- Beautiful packaging
- Comes in weight control, indoor health and sensitive stomach mixes
What We Don’t Like:
- May be unsuitable for cats with sensitive bladders
- Owners may struggle with the strong smell
ORIJEN Dry Cat Food High-Protein Dry Cat Food
Great Choice For Ethical Cat Owners
If you’re an ethical consumer you will love that Orijen dry cat food is only made from free-run chickens, wild-caught fish and cage-free eggs.
The benefits continue beyond the ethics, as the product is packed full of all kinds of ingredients good for your cat. Fresh and raw ingredients including lots of meat are combined to create a tasty, nutritious food for your feline friend to eat. Even better, the product is grain-free so cats with sensitive tummies might be better with this compared to products containing grain.
Why We Like It:
- Grain free
- Ethical ingredients
- 40% protein
- Features whole-prey ingredients
What We Don’t Like:
- Canadian and USA ingredients can differ
- Strong smell and taste may not suit every cat
Purina Pro Plan Entrees in Gravy Adult Canned Wet Cat Food
Great Range Of Flavours For Finicky Cats
Purina adult canned wet food comes perfectly portioned in 3 oz cans of 71 calories per can. This is very useful if you are counting the calories of your cat’s diet.
Owners will love that the cans contain 25 essential vitamins and minerals, as well as taurine and amino acids, all contributing to a well-balanced nutritional profile.
Why We Like It:
- Each tin is nutritionally balanced and calorie counted
- Large range of flavours
- Cats love the gravy
- Purina offers a satisfaction guarantee
What We Don’t Like:
- Water is the first ingredient
- Quite high in grain content
IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control Dry Cat Food
Great Choice For Indoor Cats
If you have an indoor cat that struggles with their weight, or is prone to hairball issues, then the IAMS indoor weight and hairball dry cat food could be a good choice.
The food has chicken as the number one ingredient, which is a sign of good quality. It also features a wide range of additional, helpful ingredients too. Beet pulp, for example, is added to help with hairball reduction. L-carnitine is designed to help with weight loss or regulation.
The ethos behind the product is to give your cat amazing flavour, but with less fat and calories, to aid in a healthy weight. This helps indoor cats prone to weight gain through inactivity.
Why We Like It:
- Lots of helpful additional ingredients
- 10% less fat than standard IAMS food
- Chicken is the number 1 ingredient
- Helps with hairball and weight control
What We Don’t Like:
- Contains food coloring
- Cornmeal features high on the ingredient list
Purina Fancy Feast Adult Canned Wet Cat Food
The Best Cheap Cat Food For Fancy Cats
If your cat is going to have a feast, why not make it a fancy feast?
Purina’s canned wet cat food comes in a 3 oz can boasting 100% complete nutrition for your pet. This includes meat, vitamins and minerals all needed for a good level of health.
Customers will love that the first four ingredients of the product are meat or meat broth, which means plenty of protein for kitty.
Why We Like It:
- Complete nutrient profile
- First four ingredients are meat or meat broth
- Picky cats love it
- Fishy flavours particularly popular
What We Don’t Like:
- Consistency can differ between tins/ batches
- Fishy smell may be strong for some owners to tolerate
Instinct Ultimate Protein Cat Food
Freeze-Dried Ingredients For Extra Flavor & Nutrition
Instinct has created a cat food with feline health and ethics in mind. It contains a high protein mix with over 3 x more real chicken than competitor brands, and 95% of that protein comes from cage-free chicken. There are also additions of extra probiotics, vitamins, minerals, omegas and raw ingredients. The raw ingredients are designed to be minimally processed, preserving the natural benefits.
Owners will love that the product uses freeze-drying processes to preserve the nutrition of the high-quality ingredients. There is also no grain, potato, corn, wheat, soy, by product meal, artificial colours or preservatives, which is great for kitty’s health and wellbeing.
Why We Like It:
- Made with 95% cage-free chicken
- Contains added vitamins and minerals
- Raw ingredients that are freeze-dried
- Free from nasties
What We Don’t Like:
- In a higher price bracket
- Can take some cats time to get used to it
FAQ
To help you further your quest for the perfect cat food, we’ve answered some of the most common questions on the topic:
How do I know what the best cat food is?
In terms of getting the best wet cat food, you should first understand your cat’s needs. Their age, weight and medical needs should be prioritized. That narrows down your choice of food. With the options appropriate for your cat you can then look for regulated cat food with high-quality ingredients, in a high quantity as per the ingredients list.
Should I choose the pet food recommended by my vet?
Yes and no. Yes you can if your cat has specific health conditions and you are able to afford that food and you can’t be bothered to research alternatives.
If you cannot afford the food, ask your vet about other suitable alternatives that are cheaper or look for them yourself. If the vet has recommended general food, then you don’t really need to choose that option. It’s all about speaking with your vet about the best possible choices for your pet.
Are cat treats cat food?
Any food labeled as cat treats should be given to your cat sparingly in addition to their daily food. You should not provide your cat with large amounts of cat treats as a replacement for standard food.
What should be in my cat’s food?
Protein, taurine and additional helpful vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and other nutritional extras. Protein is the most important ingredient and should be first on the ingredients list. This article has lots of handy tips on what should be in your cat’s food if you’d like to know more.
How often should I feed my cat?
We recommend speaking to your vet about this as you can follow guidelines on the food packets, but each cat is an individual in their needs.
Do kittens need special food?
Kitten food is specially formulated for kittens so it is important that you only buy food specific to your cat’s age.
How do you keep pet food fresh?
You should seal any containers you open, whether that is dry or wet food. You should also seek to refrigerate any wet food that isn’t used straight away and then use that up within 24 hours of opening.
Can cats survive on dry food alone?
Some are fine on dry food, whereas others are not. Cats known to binge may gain weight if you leave the food out. You can portion the food if this is the case. Some cats can also get bladder issues on dry food, even when they have access to fresh water.
Your Cat Deserves The Best Food
With our tips and recommendations above and plenty of your own research, you can get your cat the very best food for their needs. Do seek advice from your vet, and do shop around. With knowledge and research, you’ll be in the best position to make an informed decision on what your kitty chows down on day to day.