The Best and Worst Cat Food Brands, Ranked For Purr-fection
Although there are many things that cats will eat, the list of things that they can eat without inviting the tell-tale sound of late-night vomiting is much shorter. Although they're known for eating birds, mice, and fish, that's not necessarily the best diet.
For that reason, so many brands have taken a more sophisticated approach to keeping the precious fur babies of the world fed. But if a close look at their offerings teaches the world anything, it's that some brands care more about that sophistication than others.
BEST: Purina Pro-Plan/Purina One
Although Purina's flagship brand is considered fairly middling, Pennsylvania veterinarian Dr. Aimee Simpson told SELF Magazine that Purina Pro-Plan often comes highly recommended by her colleagues. Part of this is due to the variety of options for indoor cats, seniors, and those prone to hairballs.
However, some may find that the price point on the specific diets of the Pro-Plan options is too high. In such cases, Dr. Simpson recommended the less expensive and more general Purina One for a balanced diet.
WORST: Whiskas
Although it would be overdramatic to call Whiskas a product without any merits, it is nonetheless unfortunate that one of the most popular and affordable cat food brands is less-than-ideal for the cat. One veterinarian who spoke to The Guardian described it as like eating McDonald's for every meal.
A review on Cats.com was a little kinder, noting that Whiskas is low in carbohydrates and largely made from chicken appropriate for the species. However, the brand's use of dyes, preservatives, and meat composites made it hard to recommend.
BEST: Hill's Science Diet
According to People, Hill's Science Diet is renowned for having some of the most high-quality ingredients on the cat food market. Since the brand is known for employing multiple veterinary nutritionists at its test centers, that's not exactly a surprise.
However, this brand isn't just good for nutrition. They also offer a line of prescription cat foods that help treat urinary tract infections, hairballs, sensitive stomachs, and bladder stones. The only problem is that these great qualities also make Hill's Science Diet one of the most expensive brands.
WORST: Meow Mix
Although a review from Cats.com acknowledges that Meow Mix is made from animal-sourced fat and fortified with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for nutritional purposes, there's more to good cat food than that. For one thing, it's unclear how its meat content was sourced.
For another, it's low in protein and fat while being particularly high in carbohydrates. Although it's an affordable cat food brand, these factors, plus the potentially harmful artificial coloring used, make it an insufficiently healthy one.
BEST: Royal Canin
According to SELF Magazine, Royal Canin is often recommended by veterinarians due to the involvement of other vets and nutritionists in the food's development process. They also offer special products for senior cats, as well as other products rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthier coats.
People agreed, adding that some of the brand's formulas are also designed to help with urinary tract and bladder problems, as well as diabetes. Of course, all of this comes at a significant cost to the consumer, as Royal Canin is known to be expensive.
WORST: Kirkland
In their review, Cats.com noted that the Costco's signature brand has policies they wished other companies would adopt, like sharing the specific cuts of meat included in their recipes. They also don't use artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives and include include probiotics.
This would be impressive for one of the most affordable brands out there if not for one simple fact: It's not very nutritious. It's low and protein and fat and high in carbohydrates with insufficient moisture to be appropriate for cats. It was so close.
BEST: Merrick
According to SELF Magazine, Merrick's flagship Purrfect Bistro line is known to be free of artificial flavors, colors, and harmful (to cats) filler products like cornmeal. It's also supposed to help control hairballs and promote healthy skin and coats.
For their part, Cats.com seemed impressed as well, praising the company's high-quality meat sources, salmon oil rich in omega-3, and rich moisture. Although they noted that the carbohydrate content is a little high, the protein content is even higher. It seems reliable.
WORST: Friskies
Cats tend to like Friskies, and it's admittedly high in protein, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Although Cats.com noted that it's an affordable cat food brand known to be relatively low in carbs, they had some significant reservations.
Although it's primarily made from animal protein, the majority of its meat comes from unspecified animal byproducts of dubious quality. It's also loaded with artificial ingredients and includes a potentially inflammatory additive called carrageenan. Some of the line's products even include plant content, which obligate carnivores like cats can't use effectively.
BEST: Farmina
According to SELF Magazine, Farmina is a lesser-known brand with a veterinary research team that consults independent veterinarians when developing recipes. The brand prides itself on high-quality ingredients from carefully screened farmers and purports to take cat health seriously.
In the eyes of Mallory Crusta from Cats.com, that care shows in the food's nutritional value, the high protein content from quality animal sources, and its use of animal fat instead of oils. Although the chicken recipe is considered lacking in moisture, the lamb and wild boar recipes don't have this problem. Unfortunately, they're also as expensive as they sound.
WORST: Kit N Kaboodle
Often considered at the bottom tier among cat food brands for many owners, Kit N Kaboodle is low-cost and has the quality to match. As Carlotta Cooper wrote for Cats.com, its signature product isn't even known for having much animal protein. That's less true of its other options, but they have many of the same drawbacks.
The original recipe is known for including corn and other plant byproducts as filler, but all of their products contain artificial coloring and a synthetic source of vitamin K called Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex. Other artificial flavors and preservatives were also found throughout the brand's line.
BEST: Nature's Logic
As SELF Magazine explained, Nature's Logic is committed to making cat food with all-natural ingredients and directly purchases and approves its meat sources. It's also a brand known for testing all the food that comes out of its American manufacturing operations.
For her part, Kate Barrington of Cats.com confirmed the lack of artificial products and fillers and praised its specificity in sourcing healthy animal proteins. The brand also ensures rich moisture in its food to help hydrate cats and includes probiotics while cutting carbs. However, it also includes unnecessary plant content.
WORST: Iams
Despite its "ProActive Health" marketing, Iams left a lot to be desired for Mallory Crusta of Cats.com. Although its products were consistently good sources of omega-3 fatty acids due to the included fish oil, they were inconsistent in their use of animal-sourced fats.
Moreover, their products were consistently high in carbohydrates and consistently used artificial caramel coloring. In some cases, the food was also made with low-quality animal byproducts and even less useful plant ingredients. Although the Iams ProActive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care cat food was the worst offender, the brand generally failed to impress.
BEST: Natural Balance
As Mallory Crusta noted, any recommendation of Natural Balance's products is conditional on how much each of them emphasizes vegetables in its recipe. That's because those that do are unhelpful for featuring large concentrations of plant products. After all, cats are obligate carnivores.
However, other products like their Ultra Premium Chicken & Liver Pate Formula were praised for their use of quality chicken proteins, their richness in omega-3 fatty acids, and their richness in moisture. However, be aware that Natural Balance's products are consistently high in carbohydrates.
WORST: Blue Buffalo
Although Mallory Crusta of Cats.com noted that cats tend to like Blue Buffalo and appreciated its lack of vague descriptions about its animal sourcing, she found much about the brand to criticize. All products were consistently high in carbohydrates, though some were better at mitigating this problem than others.
However, the real problem that dogged most of Blue Buffalo's products was the fact that many of them contained concentrated sources of unhelpful plant proteins. They also consistently failed to provide enough moisture for cat hydration and digestion.
BEST: Open Farm
As NBC News reported, Open Farm is marketed as a farm-to-bowl brand that sources its proteins from ethically farmed animals and sustainably caught ocean whitefish. The outlet also noted that Open Farm includes fruits and vegetables in its products, which are unhelpful to cats.
However, that and its insufficient moisture were the only complaints that Kate Barrington from Cats.com had. Otherwise, she was impressed by the company's use of multiple, high-quality, and clearly defined animal-based fats and proteins. She also appreciated the lack of artificial ingredients and noted that the Herring and Mackerel Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food doesn't have the moisture problem.
WORST: American Journey
According to Worst Brands, American Journey prides itself on its products' probiotic content and its high percentage of animal proteins (40%). However, the brand is also catching heat for significant drawbacks, some of which have only gotten worse over time.
In addition to being quite expensive, American Journey is also known for using plant-based products like Tapioca Starch, guar gum, cassia gum, and pea protein. It's also excessively high in carbohydrates and, in recent years, has been reported as lacking sufficient moisture.
BEST: Sheba
According to Mallory Crusta of Cats.com, Sheba's line of cat foods has many praise-worthy qualities. Their recipes are dominated by high-quality animal protein sources and their food options are consistently low in carbohydrates. They're also consistently free of artificial flavors and preservatives.
Sheba isn't perfect in that its products occasionally feature artificial colors and their labels are often a little vague about the poultry liver used. Still, Sheba is a consistently high performer in the cat food market.
WORST: 9 Lives
According to Worst Brands, there are many problems with the foods produced by the 9 Lives brand. For one thing, they rely heavily on low-quality animal byproducts and add empty calories in the form of starches and wheat flour.
They also contain soy proteins, which are fairly common allergens for cats that also provide no value to their bodies. Finally, 9 Lives is also known for adding artificial caramel coloring and preservatives like BHA to their foods. A cat can do so much better.
BEST: Smalls
According to Worst Brands, Smalls is fairly unique for producing human-grade cat food, which means that people can safely eat it as well. As any good cat food does, it sources its proteins from high-quality meats and is rich in valuable moisture.
Moreover, it doesn't include any counter-productive plant ingredients or any similar filling agents. The food from Smalls is also known for its soft texture and reportedly improves the smell of the cat's droppings. The only downside is that access requires a subscription.
WORST: Aldi
In some cases, Aldi's cat food products can count high-quality animal proteins and chicken fat among its primary ingredients. However, it isn't consistently true, and even when it is, that benefit comes with some significant drawbacks.
One problem is that it's not unusual for some of Aldi's offerings to feature nutritionally unhelpful grain ingredients and fillers. Although Aldi sometimes avoids artificial ingredients, it's not impossible for artificial coloring to be used in its products. Its cat food is also consistently loaded with carbohydrates due to its plant-based content and lacking in moisture.
BEST: VetDiet
According to SELF Magazine, VetDietoffers a wide range of products for cats in all stages of life and is particularly focused on recipes that support the immune system and control a cat's weight. However, Kate Barrington of Cats.com noted that the high carbohydrate content in this cat food and the presence of pea proteins are counterproductive to the latter goal.
Still, there was much to recommend about its products, particularly the wet food that encourages digestion. It's primarily made from quality animal proteins and specifically mentions its muscle meat and organ content. It also has a soft texture for easy chewing and does not contain artificial additives.
WORST: Pure Balance
For every strength that Pure Balance has, there seems to be a significant drawback. As Mallory Crusta wrote for Cats.com, options that that had animal-sourced fat and didn't feature low-value byproducts were also high in carbohydrates and low in moisture.
And while Pure Balance is free of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, some of the company's products are also known to feature common cat allergens. Worse yet, some also contain the thickening agent, which is both a likely cause of inflammation and a potential carcinogen.
BEST: Tiki Cat
According to Worst Brands, Tiki Cat has emerged as a brand that makes all-natural, human-grade cat food with low carbohydrates. This makes it a popular company for owners of diabetic cats, and its food is known to have a soft texture.
Moreover, its protein content is supposed to be as high as 95%, depending on which of the 40 flavors is selected. Tiki Cat's food is also rich in moisture, and the fish content of its products is sustainably caught.
WORST: Special Kitty
In her review, Kate Barrington of Cats.com noted that Special Kitty has strengths in areas that other cat food brands struggle with. They contain multiple sources of whole animal protein, they're rich in moisture, and they're often low in carbohydrates.
However, it's also true that those wholesome animal proteins are diluted by a lot of junk. Most of their products contain a long list of artificial additives, as well as the thickening agent carrageenan and animal byproducts. Some also have other fillers including corn, which is one of the least healthy foods to feed a cat.
BEST: Wellness
Mallory Crusta of Cats.com's review of the Wellness brand describes cat food that excels in many areas. It's consistently loaded with species-appropriate animal sources, it's rich in moisture, has no artificial ingredients, and most options are low in carbohydrates.
Their kitten food is particularly impressive, as Crusta describes it as one of the most protein-rich options for this age group on the market. It's also rich in moisture, calorie-dense for growing bodies, supplemented by fish oil, and has an ultra-soft texture.
WORST: Rachael Ray
It seems that the biggest issue with Rachael Ray's Nutrish line of cat foods is that her brand is more used to feeding humans than cats. Although Mallory Crusta of Cats.com noted that its taste is popular among cats and it's primarily made from easily identified chicken parts, there are other ingredients that don't need to be there.
That's not to say that artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives are present because this is emphatically not the case. However, Rachael Ray's brand consistently includes multiple plant protein concentrates in their products, which consistently spike carbohydrate levels. Carrageenan is also sometimes present.
BEST: Weruva
As Mallory Crusta of Cats.com identified, one immediate problem consumers will face with Weruva is that its cat food is expensive. Some of their products can also be high in carbohydrates.
However, Weruva has more going for its products than not. It's made from high-quality animal protein sources with minimal plant content and no artificial ingredients. Weruva's Cats In The Kitchen Chicken Frick 'A Zee Aus Jus also takes care of the carb problem and includes fish oil as species-appropriate omega-3 source.
WORST: Fancy Feast
When it comes to affordable cat food brands, Mallory Crusta's analysius on Cats.com suggested that consumers could do much worse than Fancy Feast. Many of their products tend to be low in carbohydrates, are thickened without using carrageenan, and are rich in animal proteins.
However, that doesn't mean those animal proteins always come from high quality sources because it's not unusual to find questionable byproducts in Fancy Feast. All of their products contain artificial additives and the Fancy Feast Gourmet with Savory Chicken & Turkey has elevated carbs thanks to plant proteins.
BEST: Orijen
Like many quality cat food brands, Orijen has a sadly high price point. But while some of their products have some plant matter snuck in, the recipes are consistently loaded with what cats need and the presence of what they don't need is often minimized.
As Mallory Crusta of Cats.com wrote, Orijen's range of products are consistently packed with multiple nourishing animal parts from high-quality protein sources. Many of them are also low in carbohydrates and none of them contain artificial ingredients.
WORST: Nutro
As Mallory Crusta from Cats.com described, Nutro is a brand that's usually pretty diligent about securing species-appropriate animal fat and protein sources. It's also typically free of artificial ingredients, high in protein, and some products use fish oil as an omega-3 fatty acid source.
However, this brand also has an annoying habit of including high concentrations of plant proteins in their products. Whether this is for filler or an attempt to enrich the food's flavor profile, it typically results in excessive carbohydrates.
BEST: Grandma Mae's Country Naturals
As Carlotta Cooper wrote for Cats.com, Grandma Mae's Country Naturals produces a line of pet foods that are very high in a wide range of animal proteins. In some of their products, over 70% of its protein sources come from high-quality animal cuts.
They're also free from GMOs, as as artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. They also don't contain any wheat gluten, corn gluten, or soy gluten. However, it's worth noting that their products do often contain some lentils and pea proteins.
WORST: Wag
As Mallory Crusta wrote for Cats.com, there's quite a bit that Wag does right. Their products are rich in animal proteins, they provide a good mixture of muscle and organ meat, and they're consistently made without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
However, they tend to be pretty high and carbohydrates. And is some cases, that high carb content is the result of mixing in plant matter that cats don't get any real benefits from. They're also known to contain carrageenan, which can cause inflammation.
BEST: KASIKS
As Mallory Crusta wrote for Cats.com, KASIKS consistently keeps it simple with protein sources that come from a single animal, which tend to be better for cats' diets. Moreover, their chicken formula is supposed to be particularly helpful for cats with a lot of allergies and intolerances.
Better still, the brand's products don't contain animal by-products, thickening gums, or artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. The only drawbacks are that these foods tend to be a little high in carbohydrates and don't typically contain organ meats.
WORST: Wishbone
Wishbone's products are typically made from two concentrated animal protein sources but Kate Barrington of Cats.com noted that some products are vague about what part of the fish their "fish meal" comes from. Nonetheless, they're free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives and they also contain chicken fat as a good source of fatty acids.
However, the brand's foods also carry some significant drawbacks. They're high in carbohydrates are loaded with unhelpful and unnecessary plant ingredients. Another strike against these foods is the consistent lack of moisture needed for hydration and digestion.
BEST: Koha
As Kate Barrington wrote for Cats.com, Koha's products are made with a simple list of ingredients centered around proteins sourced from a single animal type. For instance, their rabbit au jus is composed of 96% rabbit meat. They're also consistently free of fillers and artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Some of their products are also less than 5% carbohydrates and all of them are rich in moisture that's vital to a cat's hydration and digestion. However, they also include at least a few plant-based ingredients.
WORST: Triumph
According to Mallory Crusta from Cats.com, the Triumph cat food line is consistent in sourcing their proteins from nourishing parts of the featured animals and being fairly easy to digest. They're also known not to contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Unfortunately, that isn't quite the whole story with this brand. Triumph's foods are also consistent in being overly high in carbohydrates. They also tend to contain the thickening agent carrageenan, which can be potentially harmful for cats over time.
BEST: Steve's Real Food
As Kate Barrington wrote for Cats.com, Steve's Real Food lives up to its name in that the quality of their ingredients is consistent throughout their product line. They're typically made from a single source of animal protein and the majority of these foods consists of raw muscle meat, organs, and ground bone.
Their also rich in animal sourced fat and their fish products are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids due to the salmon oil. The only things to watch out for with this brand are the high price and the fact that raw cat food carries some risk of microbe contamination. Be sure to store it carefully.