Last updated Jun 6, 2023
Medically reviewed by
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.For most cats, a dry food diet is less than ideal because of its low moisture content, calorie density, and high levels of carbs. That said, dry food does offer some advantages for the right person—and the right cat. Dry food is convenient to serve and store, it’s economical, and it has a longer shelf life than canned wet food.
Dry food may not be perfect, but there are things to look for in terms of quality. The best dry cat foods will be rich in high-quality protein. They won’t contain a lot of veggies. And they’ll be free of additives that might harm your cat over time.
Based on hours of research and testing, we’re bringing you an updated list of the best dry cat foods in the industry. The following foods earn their place with outstanding ingredient quality, nutritional merits, and safety records.
At A Glance: Top 10 Best Healthy Dry Cat Foods To Buy
Open Farm RawMix Open Prarie Recipe
- Top three ingredients are animal proteins
- Kibbles are coated with bone broth and freeze-dried turkey gizzard
- Made with humanely raised & sustainably sourced ingredients
Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
- Low in carbohydrates
- Made primarily from species-appropriate animal ingredients
- One of the most nutrient-dense dry foods on the market
Smalls Freeze-Dried Raw Bird
- Made from human-quality ingredients in a human-grade kitchen
- Primarily made from nourishing animal ingredients
- Contains species-appropriate sources of omega-3 fatty acids
Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod Recipe
- Suitable for both kittens and adult cats
- Free from potatoes and tapioca
Kirkland Signature Chicken & Rice Formula
- Primarily composed of clearly-named protein sources
- Doesn’t contain any of the artificial colors and potentially harmful preservatives found in most budget cat foods
- One of the most affordable foods you can buy
Ziwi Peak Mackerel & Lamb Recipe
- Minimally processed foods harness the nutritional value of fresh meat
- Made from high-quality ingredients
- Virtually zero carbohydrate content
Young Again Mature Health Formula
- Meat-focused recipes support lean muscle mass
- Relies primarily on animal-sourced fat
- Low carbohydrate content, great for diabetic cats
Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Deboned Chicken & Egg Recipe
- Primarily a meat-based recipe with four animal proteins
- Relies primarily on animal-sourced fat
- Salmon oil provides DHA for brain and eye development
FirstMate Chicken Meal with Blueberries Formula
- Made with a single source of animal protein and fat
- Limited list of ingredients improves digestibility and reduces reactivity
- Completely free from artificial preservatives, dyes, and flavors
Instinct Original Grain-Free with Real Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Cat Food
- Made without grain, potato, corn, wheat, or soy
- No animal byproducts, artificial colors, or preservatives
Why Trust Cats.com?
We personally purchased and tested the foods on this list. Our team did not receive them in exchange for a favorable review.
When researching cat food, we analyze the information on the label including the guaranteed analysis, list of ingredients, and life stage designation. We also check for product recalls and consult customer reviews to learn about reformulations or issues with product quality.
During our in-depth testing, we observe the product’s appearance, texture, consistency, smell, and packaging. We also feed the food to our cats to get their opinion regarding palatability and general appeal.
In addition to performing our own qualitative analysis of the brands reviewed here, we submitted samples of several recipes for analysis at an ISO 17025-certified food testing and analysis lab. Analytical testing in a food chemistry lab gives us each recipe’s exact macronutrient and micronutrient content. The tests also look at microbial content, yeast, mold, and heavy metals. We’ve added the lab reports to each product below so you can ensure that you’re only putting the best in your cat’s bowl.
Also Read: Why We Lab Test Cat Food And How To Interpret The Reports
Finally, we consulted 7 veterinarians to get their professional opinion on what makes great cat food.
Our Veterinary Advisors
- Dr. Sarah Wooten, DVM, CVJ
- Dr. Chris Vanderhoof, DVM, MPH
- Dr. Sarah Reidenbach, DVM
- Dr. Chyrle Bonk, DVM
- Dr. Jamie Whittenburg, DVM
- Dr. Albert Ahn, DVM
- Dr. Elizabeth Youens, DVM
Top Picks Explained
While we’ve since updated the products featured in this roundup, we still love the dry cat foods that Mallory discusses in this video.
Top 10 Best Dry Cat Foods on the Market Reviewed
#1 Overall Best: Open Farm RawMix Open Prarie Recipe
Overview
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 38% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 105
- Price Per Ounce: $0.56
Open Farm made our top pick for several reasons. First, we appreciated the brand’s transparency regarding sourcing, testing, and nutritional info. They’re one of the few cat food brands that provide a typical analysis and let consumers trace every ingredient. We were also impressed with the food’s exceptional ingredient quality and palatability—seconded by our test cats who loved this food!
In addition to their collection of wet and dry foods, Open Farm now offers several freeze-dried recipes and a small collection of kibble. These dry foods are given a healthy boost with a coating of powdered bone broth and freeze-dried raw organ meats, like turkey gizzards.
This RawMix Open Prairie Recipe emphasizes animal-derived protein from chicken, turkey, and menhaden fish meal. It also receives supplemental protein from ocean whitefish meal, chicken liver, and chicken neck. Because it contains bone, the chicken neck is a species-appropriate source of minerals.
This recipe is fairly low in fat, so it isn’t as calorie-dense as others on this list. Though some of the fat in this recipe likely comes from the fish meal, the main sources of added fat are plant-based: coconut oil and sunflower oil. The food also contains peas, chickpeas, and lentils, which contribute significantly to the recipe’s high carbohydrate content.
Open Farm RawMix is not nutritionally perfect, and you can certainly find dry foods that are higher in protein and fat with lower carb content. That said, this pick is still a good choice if you’re okay with a higher-carb food that scores high on ingredient quality and trustworthiness.
With an average cost of $0.56 per ounce, it’s a touch pricier than many dry foods. It should cost about $1.15 per day to feed the average 10-pound cat.
Ingredients
Chicken, Turkey, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Lentils, Coconut Oil, Pumpkin, Natural Flavor, Cranberries, Apples, Sunflower Oil, Dandelion Greens, Chicken Liver, Chicken Neck, Vitamins (Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Potatoes, Tapioca, Dried Chicory Root, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Organic Butternut Squash, Organic Carrots, Organic Blueberries, Turkey Gizzard, Montmorillonite Clay, Miscanthus Grass, Chicken Bone Broth, Flaxseed, Turmeric, Dried Yucca Schidigera Extract, Taurine, Organic Spinach, Organic Kale, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Turkey, Menhaden Fish Meal, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Chicken Liver, Chicken Neck, Turkey Gizzard
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Top three ingredients are animal proteins
- Kibbles are coated with bone broth and freeze-dried turkey gizzard
- Made with humanely raised and sustainably sourced ingredients
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Fairly high in carbohydrates
- Expensive, over $8 per pound
#2 Runner Up: Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Overview
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 59% Min
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 114
- Price Per Ounce: $0.35
In the last year, cat parents have voiced concerns over changes in the consistency and quality of Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein formula. Reports of cats who’ve either lost their taste for this food or experienced a reaction to the new recipe suggest this sudden change may not agree with cats who have been eating the original Elsey’s formula for some time. However, newcomers to Elsey’s cleanprotein shouldn’t experience any problems.
This formula change has prompted us to bump Dr. Elsey’s from their long-held position as our top recommendation. That said, this brand still appears to offer superior quality and nutrition compared to many other dry foods on the market. Because it defies stereotypes with its low starch content, lack of legumes, and generous doses of species-appropriate protein, Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein™ kibble has earned its status as the Runner Up in our dry food lineup.
Unlike most grain-free foods, Dr. Elsey’s kibble doesn’t contain any potatoes or other plant-sourced ingredients. Instead, it relies on gelatin as its sole binding agent. This allows Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein™ cat food to keep its carbohydrate content under 10%—practically unheard of among dry foods.
With chicken, egg, and pork protein isolate as its first ingredients, the brand’s Grain-Free Chicken Formula is high in protein and easy to digest. At about 115 calories per ounce, this is a relatively calorie-dense dry food for cats. It should cost about $0.65 per day to feed the average 10-pound cat.
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.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Dried Egg Product, Pork Protein Isolate, Gelatin, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Low in carbohydrates
- Made primarily from species-appropriate animal ingredients
- One of the most nutrient-dense dry foods on the market
- Doesn’t contain any of the most common inflammatory ingredients
What We Didn’t Like:
- Expensive
#3 Premium Pick: Smalls Freeze-Dried Raw Bird
Overview
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 45% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 109
- Price Per Ounce: $2.50
If your cat is a dry food devotee, this freeze-dried food from Smalls could be a good option. All three varieties of Smalls freeze-dried foods are made from human-grade ingredients in a human food processing facility in Chicago, Illinois. It’s worth noting that Smalls is nutritionally superior to our overall best and runner-up selections. However, the buying experience may be a hassle, and we don’t love that it’s limited to subscription-only purchases.
The brand’s Freeze-Dried Raw Bird recipe features ground chicken with bone as its primary ingredient. Supplemental protein comes from chicken organ meats and eggs, and herring oil provides an animal-based source of fats (including omega-3s). Goat's milk is also on the list—this serves as a source of moisture but, more importantly, it may provide digestive benefits as well.
As a freeze-dried food, this formula retains most of its nutritional value during manufacturing because it isn't exposed to high-heat processes like typical dry cat foods. At about 110 calories per ounce, this is a fairly low-calorie food. It should cost about $4.50 per day to feed the average 10-pound cat.
Ingredients
Finely Ground Chicken With Bone, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizzard, Chicken Egg, Goat’s Milk, Water, Eggshell Membrane, Herring Oil, Mixed Tocopherols, D-alpha Tocopherol
Ingredients We Liked: Finely Ground Chicken With Bone, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizzard, Chicken Egg, Goat’s Milk, Herring Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made from human-quality ingredients in a human-grade kitchen
- Primarily made from nourishing animal ingredients
- Contains species-appropriate sources of omega-3 fatty acids
- Only 3.35 calories from carbs
- Cats love the way the food tastes
- Delivered to your home according to a monthly schedule
What We Didn’t Like:
- Significantly more expensive than most similar foods
#4 Best Moderately Priced: Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod Recipe
Overview
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 40% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 110
- Price Per Ounce: $0.23
If you’re looking to save money without compromising on quality, Nulo's Freestyle line is worth checking out. This grain-free Chicken and Cod formula is made with 83% animal-based proteins, and the first four ingredients are deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, and deboned cod. This recipe also includes omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and shiny coats.
Additionally, Nulo Freestyle recipes include a probiotic strain to support your cat’s immune system and GI health. You’ll also find antioxidants, Vitamins C, E, and A, and taurine for vision and heart support. On the downside, this food contains peas and lentils, which contribute to a higher level of carbohydrates.
Ingredients
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Deboned Cod, Whole Peas, Lentils, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols & Citric Acid), Natural Flavor, Pea Fiber, Ground Flaxseed, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Kelp, Dried Sweet Potato, Dried Cranberries, Calcium Carbonate, Dl-Methionine, Taurine, Zinc Proteinate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Iron Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Pyridoxidine Hydrochloride, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Deboned Cod, Ground Flaxseed
Ingredients We Didn't Like: Whole Peas, Dried Sweet Potato, Lentils
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Suitable for both kittens and adult cats
- Free from potatoes and tapioca
What We Didn’t Like:
- Includes legumes
- Some cats may not like the tiny kibble size
#5 Best Budget: Kirkland Signature Chicken & Rice Formula
Overview
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 30% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 115
- Price Per Ounce: $0.13
If you want to feed your cat dry food on a budget, Kirkland Signature’s kibble is a great option. Along with a better grade of primary ingredients, Kirkland Signature dry cat food contains nutraceuticals that are seldom found in the cheapest kibble on the market.
Kirkland’s Chicken and Rice Dry Cat Food features chicken and chicken meal as its primary ingredients. A mix of brown and white rice adds carbohydrates and consistency. Though it’s not radically high in protein and isn’t a low-carbohydrate food, this product has some notable benefits. For one, unlike most foods at this price point, Kirkland contains a mix of supplemental probiotics and prebiotics that may help to support digestive health and overall well-being.
At about 115 calories per ounce, this is a fairly calorie-dense dry food for cats. It’s one of the most economical options we’ve found and should only cost about $0.25 per day to feed the average 10-pound cat. While it’s convenient to buy Kirkland Signature cat food on Amazon, you’ll find the best deals in Costco’s pet product aisle. This food is also available at Walmart.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Flaxseed, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Primarily composed of clearly-named protein sources
- Doesn’t contain any of the artificial colors and potentially harmful preservatives found in most budget cat foods
- One of the most affordable foods you can buy
What We Didn’t Like:
- Not a low-carbohydrate food
#6 Best Air-Dried: Ziwi Peak Mackerel & Lamb Recipe
Overview
- Made In: New Zealand
- Guaranteed Protein: 44% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 128
- Price Per Ounce: $2.12
This cat food looks more like chunks of jerky than bits of kibble—and it’s made differently, too.
Whereas most kibble is extruded, this food is air-dried. A twin-stage dehydration technique destroys pathogenic bacteria while retaining nutrients. This process makes Ziwi Peak dry cat food one of the most species-appropriate and nutrient-dense dry products you can put in your cat’s bowl. All Ziwi Peak recipes are composed of 96% or more fresh meat, organs, bones, and New Zealand green-lipped mussels.
While most cat foods rely on synthetic vitamins and minerals to replace nutrients lost in cooking, Ziwi Peak’s Air-Dried Mackerel and Lamb Recipe harnesses the nutritional power of the heart, tripe, liver, lung, kidney, and bone. With virtually no plant content, it’s extremely low in carbohydrates, landing at around 4%—less than most canned food.
This food is more expensive than many others on the market, but it’s also very nutrient-dense, so you can feed your cat less at every meal. It should cost about $3.00 per day to feed the average 10-pound cat, which makes it an economical alternative to freeze-dried food.
Ingredients
Whole Mackerel, Lamb, Lamb Tripe, Lamb Lung, Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, New Zealand Green Mussel, Lamb Kidney, Lamb Spleen, Lamb Bone, Lecithin, Inulin (from Chicory Root), Dried Apple Pomace, Minerals (Dipotassium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex), Lamb Cartilage, Dried Organic Kelp, Salt, Preservative (Citric Acid, Mixed Tocopherols), DL-Methionine, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine.
Ingredients We Liked: Whole Mackerel, Lamb, Lamb Tripe, Lamb Lung, Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, New Zealand Green Mussel, Lamb Kidney, Lamb Spleen, Lamb Bone
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Minimally processed foods harness the nutritional value of fresh meat
- Made from high-quality ingredients
- Virtually zero carbohydrate content
- 95% of the protein in each meal is bioavailable
What We Didn’t Like:
- At just 14% moisture, this food is no substitute for a hydrating canned, homemade, or raw diet
- Extremely expensive
- Not every cat will like the jerky texture
#7 Best For Seniors: Young Again Mature Health Formula
Overview
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 54% min.
- Age Range: Adult & Senior Cats
- Calories Per Ounce: 132
- Price Per Ounce: $0.41
Young Again offers a limited selection of dry cat foods, all formulated with high meat inclusions and low carbohydrate content. While the company sources its ingredients internationally, all of its animal ingredients are purchased from USDA- and FDA-approved human-grade food facilities.
The brand’s Mature Health formula is an excellent choice for senior cats who need the right balance of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium to support kidney health. As your cat gets older, they require less of these nutrients. This meat-focused recipe features hydrolyzed pork and chicken meal as the primary ingredients. Fish oil is the main source of fat and provides plenty of skin- and coat-supporting omega-3s.
When measured as dry matter, this food contains 57.6% crude protein, which helps support your older cat’s lean muscle mass. It’s a nutrient-dense diet as well, so your cat doesn’t need to eat a lot of it to meet their energy needs.
Most importantly, this Young Again recipe doesn’t contain high-glycemic ingredients like beans, peas, and legumes. The only significant plant ingredient is potato starch, likely used as a binder. The overall carbohydrate content remains very low—less than 6% dry matter.
Ingredients
Hydrolyzed Pork, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Potato Starch, Chicken Liver Flavor, DL Methionine, L-Lysine, Fish Oil, Psyllium Husk (source of soluble dietary fiber), Potassium Citrate, Brewers Yeast, Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Potassium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Tryptophan, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of stabilized vitamin C), L-Carnitine, Guar Gum, Betaine Anhydrous, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Biotin (vitamin B7), Zinc Sulfate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacinamide (vitamin B3), Thiamine Mononitrate (vitamin B1), Copper Proteinate, Folic Acid (vitamin B9), Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Calcium Pantothenate (vitamin B5), Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dehydrated Pediococcus Acidilactici Fermentation Product, Beta Carotene, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols, Potassium Sorbate and Citric Acid (Preservatives).
Ingredients We Liked: Hydrolyzed Pork, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn't Like: Potato Starch, Brewer's Yeast
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Meat-focused recipes support lean muscle mass
- Relies primarily on animal-sourced fat
- Low carbohydrate content, great for diabetic cats
- Free from beans, peas, and legumes
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains starchy potato
#8 Best For Kittens: Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Deboned Chicken & Egg Recipe
Overview
- Made In: Thailand
- Guaranteed Protein: 42% min.
- Age Range: Kitten
- Calories Per Ounce: 111
- Price Per Ounce: $0.49
Though primarily a wet food brand, Tiki Cat also offers a limited selection of dry foods in their Born Carnivore line, which contain 44% protein on average. This food is baked to preserve nutrition and is free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Recently, the brand introduced foods formulated specifically for kittens, which contain higher levels of protein and added DHA for brain and eye development.
Tiki Cat's Born Carnivore Chicken & Egg Kitten Food features deboned chicken, chicken meal, and dried egg as its top three ingredients. These contribute to a dry matter crude protein content of around 47%. When measured as dry matter, the fat content is over 24%—which helps make this a calorie-dense diet that supports kitten growth and development.
While this recipe is meat-based, it does contain peas, chickpeas, and tapioca. These appear after the top six ingredients (all of which are animal-derived), but they still contribute to a fairly high carbohydrate content.
At about 112 calories per ounce, this is a fairly calorie-dense food. It should cost about $0.90 per day to feed the average 10-pound cat—but kittens may need more calories, depending on their age and how quickly they are growing.
Ingredients
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Dried Egg Product, Natural Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid), Dehydrated Chicken Liver, Peas, Chickpeas, Tapioca, Ground Whole Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Docosahexaenoic Acid (Dha) (Source Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids), Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Salmon Oil, Spinach, Inulin (Prebiotic), Pumpkin, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Taurine, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement (Vitamin B3), Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid (Preservative), Citric Acid, Tannic Acid.
Ingredients We Liked: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Dried Egg Product, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Chicken Liver, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Chickpeas, Tapioca
What We Liked:
- Primarily a meat-based recipe with four animal proteins
- Relies primarily on animal-sourced fat
- Salmon oil provides DHA for brain and eye development
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Fairly high in carbohydrates
- Contains some peas and legumes
#9 Best For Sensitive Stomachs: FirstMate Chicken Meal with Blueberries Formula
Overview
- Brand Name: FirstMate
- Made In: Canada
- Guaranteed Protein: 36% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 100
- Price Per Ounce: $0.27
FirstMate offers a modest selection of limited-ingredient dry foods for cats. Many of their recipes are made with a single source of animal protein, making them an appropriate choice for cats with allergies or sensitivities to specific proteins.
All FirstMate foods are manufactured in a company-owned facility in British Columbia, using ingredients sourced from North America (with the exception of lamb sourced from Australia). All meat ingredients are humanely raised and fish ingredients are sustainably sourced. The brand’s recipes are free from artificial additives, vaguely-named ingredients, and animal by-products. FirstMate has never had a recall.
Each of FirstMate’s limited-ingredient diets starts with a high-quality source of animal protein, generally a meat meal: whole proteins from which the moisture has been removed. This process yields a lighter, more concentrated source of protein that doesn’t change as much during the extrusion process. The brand's Chicken Meal with Blueberries formula is no exception, featuring chicken meal as its first ingredient—and only source of animal protein.
This dry food formula provides 40% crude protein on a dry matter basis. The dry matter fat is a little low (around 18%)—but it comes from chicken fat, which may be a better choice for cats with fish allergies.
Potato serves as a binding agent and, along with whole blueberries, brings the dry matter carbohydrate content up to about 29%. While this is certainly higher than we like to see, it’s very common for dry cat foods to contain 30% dry matter carbohydrate or more. Like any dry food, this recipe is also low in moisture.
With just four ingredients appearing on the list before supplements, this simple recipe should be highly digestible for most cats. At about 106 calories per ounce, this is a lower-calorie dry food for cats. It should cost about $0.60 per day to feed the average 10-pound cat.
Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Potato, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Blueberries, Dl-Methionine, Minerals: (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins: (Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Potassium Chloride, Calcium Propionate (a Preservative), Taurine, Yeast Extract (a Source of Prebiotics), Kale, Glucosamine Hydrochloride.
Ingredients We Liked: Pacific Ocean Fish Meal, Chicken Fat
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Potato
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with a single source of animal protein and fat
- Limited list of ingredients improves digestibility and reduces reactivity
- Completely free from artificial preservatives, dyes, and flavors
What We Didn’t Like:
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
- Fairly high dry matter carb content around 30%
#10 Best For Picky Cats: Instinct Original Grain-Free with Real Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Cat Food
Overview
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 41%
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 122
- Price Per Ounce: $0.24
If you’re struggling to find a dry food that satisfies your picky eater, consider Instinct Original. All of the foods in the Instinct line are grain-free and composed of at least 70% animal-based ingredients.
The brand’s Grain-Free Chicken Recipe starts with four animal ingredients: cage-free chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, and menhaden fish meal. This kibble also features a coating of freeze-dried raw chicken for enhanced nutrition and taste.
While there’s no grain, corn, or potato in this recipe, it does include peas as a binder. You’ll also find live, natural probiotics for better digestion. Additionally, Instinct Original contains omega fatty acids and antioxidants for healthy skin and coat.
It’s worth noting that a recent formulation change prompted a few customer complaints of cats with diarrhea. This is likely due to a recipe change, which can cause GI upset in cats used to the original formula. It shouldn’t affect new customers.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Tapioca, Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, Montmorillonite Clay, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries, Choline Chloride, Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Taurine, Freeze Dried Chicken, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Pumpkinseeds, Freeze Dried Chicken Heart, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal
Ingredients We Didn't Like: Peas, Carrots, Tapioca, Salt
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made without grain, potato, corn, wheat, or soy
- No animal byproducts, artificial colors, or preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Some reviews mention this food gave their cat diarrhea
- Kibble may flake & break down in the bag
Best Dry Cat Food: Comparison Table
| Product Name | Primary Protein | Age Range | Guaranteed Protein | Calories Per Ounce | Cost Per Day* |
| Open Farm RawMix Open Prairie Recipe | Chicken | All Life Stages | 38% | 105 | $1.15 |
| Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein™ | Chicken | All Life Stages | 59% | 114 | $0.65 |
| Smalls Freeze-Dried Raw Bird | Chicken | All Life Stages | 45% | 109 | $4.50 |
| Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod Recipe | Chicken | All Life Stages | 40% | 110 | $0.53 |
| Kirkland Signature Chicken & Rice Recipe | Chicken | All Life Stages | 30% | 115 | $0.25 |
| Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Mackerel & Lamb Recipe | Mackerel | All Life Stages | 44% | 128 | $3.00 |
| Young Again Mature Health Formula | Chicken | Adult & Senior Cats | 54% | 132 | $0.50 |
| Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Kitten Food | Chicken | Kitten | 42% | 111 | $0.90 |
| FirstMate Chicken Meal with Blueberries LID Formula | Ocean Fish | All Life Stages | 36% | 100 | $0.60 |
| Instinct Original Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Chicken Recipe | Chicken | All Life Stages | 41% | 122 | $0.63 |
*Cost per day is calculated using the food’s average cost per ounce and the daily caloric requirement for a healthy adult cat (about 200 calories).
What To Consider When Buying Dry Cat Food
When researching potential inclusions for this roundup, we prioritized recipes with high protein content sourced from animal meat, rather than plants. We also avoided brands that rely on unsafe fillers or artificial flavors or preservatives, opting for natural options wherever possible.
Lastly, we considered each brand’s reputation, referring to Consumer Affairs and product listings to learn more about customers’ experiences. We even contacted companies directly to get a sense of each brand’s customer service.
Look For High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Options
Dr. Sarah Reidenbach, DVM, CEO of the nonprofit organization Ruthless Kindness, says that "an ideal diet would have 5-10% of calories from carbohydrates, about 50% of calories from protein, and about 45% from fat.”
Frustratingly, dry cat food is notorious for its high carbohydrate content. To make the situation even more challenging, carbohydrate content is not listed on cat food labels—meaning you’ll need to calculate it based on other nutrient values (you can use the carbohydrate calculator provided here.)
Consider The Type And Quality of Protein
Since meat contains all the amino acids that cats need, while plant protein doesn’t, it’s important to look for diets that emphasize animal-sourced protein. It’s also best to avoid animal by-products. These aren’t necessarily worse than clearly-named cuts of meat, but they do introduce a degree of uncertainty about protein quality.
Dr. Chyrle Bonk, DVM, veterinary writer for ExcitedCats, advises that cat owners "check the ingredients list on the label and be sure that the food you choose uses real, whole meat as at least the first ingredient, preferably first two to three. Whole meat is more easily digestible and provides all of the necessary protein for a cat."
Avoid Products That Contain Artificial Flavors
Because they may stir up inflammation or erode your cat’s health over time, it’s a good idea to avoid artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Instead, look for natural dry cat foods that rely on animal-sourced flavors and safe preservatives.
Choose Reputable Brands
Not all cat food brands are created equal. To find a brand you can trust, it’s helpful to investigate their recall history. Avoid brands with a history of frequent recalls, deception, or secrecy. Additionally, a brand’s customer service (or lack thereof) can tell you a lot about the company. Brands that offer prompt, transparent service are preferable to those that are unresponsive.
My cats are only about 3 years old. I have been feeling like buying 80 cents per pound purina and kit and kabootal food is not worth the savings versus how much i value my guys(and girl). At the same time i dont want to spend $50 for a 16 pound bag of food. What is the best food for indoor cats(ages 2-4 year old) at about 2$ a pound? I dont want to overspend on crap thats marketed as good food, but also dont wont to buy garbage for them. I started buying rachel ray and other brands that are about 14$ for around 5 pounds of food. They dont eat as much of it as quickly as the cheap stuff. I am not sure if they dont like it, or its its just making them more satisfied.
Dear Mallory;
There is one brand of both dry and wet cat foods that is consistently passed over on all the “top” lists and it’s wrong. I feed Akiko, my 2 year old jet black DSH nothing but Performatrin Ultra, food and treats. It’s made in Canada from all Canadian ingredients, and is grain free and very high in animal protein, nutrients and minerals, quite comparably to high end brands like Blue . Also, if you buy it in Canada it’s lower priced than the brands like Blue. More and more Canadian veterinarians are telling there pet owners(Performatrin makes dog food as well) to switch to Performatrin Ultra because it’s just that good. I know Aikiko is very healthy and happy with it, and that’s good enough for me.
Thank-you for your time;
Scott Williams
Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Recipe Cat Food is 32% carbs (dry matter analysis). That’s too high for a feline’s diet. Also, potato is its 3rd highest ingredient content and peas is its 5th. Not a positive.
Hello Scott!
Thanks for bringing Performatrin Ultra to my attention! I took a look at the product selection and it does appear that it’s an above-average cat food—nutritionally on par with some of the brands on this list of the best dry food. Again, I appreciate you leaving a comment and will keep Performatrin in mind for future “top” lists.
All the best to you and Aikiko,
Mallory
Hello,
It is sad that a lot of good US brands aren’t sold outside of the US and are extremely expensive to import.
I would like to point out you are a bit inconsistent in that you rated Orijen 8 and Acana 9, while giving Acana a better grade in your Full Brand Review.
Hello Idan,
Thanks for your comment! Where are you from? I may be able to recommend a few good brands that are available in your country. Also, thanks for pointing out that discrepancy. This article was written before the brand reviews and should be updated for consistency.
Purrs,
Mallory
I would like to hear a recommendation about good food available in Israel ?
My vet cautioned me about grain free foods. The heart problems showing up in dogs due to lack of taurine in grain free food is also a concern for cats. Can you recommend a quality dry food that is not grain free? Thank you!
My cats eat grain free and their food absolutely contains taurine. It’s an essential ingredient for cat foods. Just read the ingredients label. If taurine is one of the last ingredients listed then it doesn’t contain much. The higher on the ingredients list that taurine appears, the more that food contains!
If I may: Cat foods went through similar as what we are going through in dogs. It was taken care of before 2000 so you are okay. My Purdue cardiologist tells me (I have one golden with NDCM which we caught in time not to kill him but not soon enough to reverse it and will be on heart meds for the rest of his life) It will be years before we have a definitive answer and can right this wrong brought down upon our heads and our dogs. My own research leads me to believe the food companies decided to save money by slowly increasing the plant/grain proteins and decrease the animal proteins which meant and means dogs started dying from NDCM long before any of us were clued in. IN response I have changed my dogs to a very high percentage animal protein food (81%) with added meats and eggs to help insure they are getting enough animal protein to create enough taurine for their hearts. My cardiologist says I am on the right track.
Vets warn against grain free marketing because there are usually other fillers added to the food. But that isn’t always the case. Highly recommend Dogfoodadvisor.com for reviews for dog food specifically.
How does the wellness brand suit the Siberian Forest Cat breed.
My vet recommended royal canin and said that grain free may cause heart disease but I wonder about vet’s motives (feeding pets unhealthy food gives them more business). I bought some tiki cat at the pet health food store instead. Interested in checking out Dr. Elsey’s instead. I was using 4health before.
There’s new research coming out showing a link between grain free diets and DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy). The FDA is who put out the most recent report publishing the link so it’s not just you vet.
Cats do not get DCM from a grain free diet. It is caused by a lack of Taurine in the diet. Every complete and balanced cat food, whether grain-free or not, contains enough Taurine to prevent DCM. Even strictly grain-free raw diets that are done correctly, do not cause DCM. I feed a strictly grain-free raw diet, and all my cats have perfect vet visits. My vet advocates for a grain-free diet as well.
I am interested in knowing your thoughts on Victor cat food. I feed Victor to my goldens (I have 5). I have an 18 yr old cat and am picking up a 7 month old NFC mid March. I am not crazy about the food the breeder has her on and am looking for a food that both my kitten and my cat can eat (dry) with the addition of canned (alternating).
A second question is do you know of any dog food sites similar to yours that conducts independent research like you do on cat foods?
Thank you.
Hello Kathy,
Thanks for reading and commenting! Check out our review of Victor cat food here:
https://cats.com/victor-cat-food-review
To answer your second question, there are a few sites that review dog food in a similar manner. To start, I’d recommend Dog Food Advisor, Dog Food Guru, and PupJunkies.
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/
https://dogfood.guru/reviews/
https://pupjunkies.com/category/dog-food
Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any more questions.
Best,
Mallory
I feed my cats Iams Proactive Health indoor hairball and weight control
I have had 4 cats die of unexplained rare cancer is the food doing this.
Hi Kim,
While it’s almost impossible to know whether or not the food was related to your cats’ death, it’s unlikely. The Iams Proactive Health recipe doesn’t contain any known carcinogens and I haven’t seen similar complaints from other customers. That said, I sympathize with your concern and would understand if you chose to switch to another food.
Take care,
Mallory
The rare cancers might possibly be due to mycotoxins in the Iams. Not stating that Iams has them, just stating the possibility.
I’m curious to know what you think of the American Journey & Nature’s Variety Instinct dry cat food? I’m currently caring for 10 cats & cannot afford any of the foods you include in this list, though I wish I could! I wish I could feed them all raw foods or at least canned food, but even healthy canned food would cost me $300-$400 a month! I feel the best I can do at this time is to at least feed them a grain-free food, but am unsure which brand is best & won’t bankrupt me!
Hey there Angela, both of those are fair options.
For more information, you might be interested in our reviews of those brands:
https://cats.com/american-journey-cat-food-review
https://cats.com/natures-variety-instinct-cat-food-review
I’d also consider Kirkland dry cat food, which is one of the better economical dry products on the market. You might also be interested in our list of the best cheap cat foods on the market:
https://cats.com/best-cheap-cat-food
hi, have you heard of the brand vital plus? heard it’s a budget friendly premium cat food. would love to hear your take on it!
Hi Hooda, thanks for asking! I did a quick search and Vital Plus cat food looks like it does a few things better than a lot of comparable foods. For example, it doesn’t contain animal by-products or any vaguely-labeled meats and poultry. It contains beneficial ingredients like fresh salmon oil and whole dried eggs. But when you consider that their recipes contain large amounts of high-carbohydrate grains, they don’t look like the most species-appropriate option on the market. I’d consider them as an alternative to ultra-cheap kibble, but they wouldn’t be my first pick.
Hope this helps!
i have 2 ragdoll cats 1 year old I have been feeding weruva chicken licken wet food and Purina pro plan for indoor cats..Please tell me i I should change their diet…Thankyou.. I really want what is best for my cats….Thankyou
Hi Judy, I think that your two ragdolls’ current diet sounds relatively good! Weruva’s Paw Lickin’ Chicken cat food is an excellent choice and, as long as the Purina Pro Plan indoor cat food is kept to a minimum, your kitties should be getting a fairly low-carbohydrate, moisture-rich diet. I’d encourage you to minimize the amount of dry cat food in your kitties’ diet, but don’t be afraid to make that a slow and gradual transition.
I’m currently living in Saudi and would love some advice on the best grain free cat food (dry and wet) for my Siberian. Happy to import… Taste of the Wild is available here and I believe I can access Orijen – happy to import also…. He definitely becomes ill with grains (vomiting and diarrhoea though unclear if it is just because his breeder had him on a grain free diet which sensitised him). Thank you!
Hello Sam, thanks for reaching out! Almost all of the foods on this list are grain-free, so if you can access them in your area or have them imported, they should work well for your Siberian. As for wet foods, you might like our list of the best wet cat food on the market.
Hope this helps!
Kirkland Signature is definitely great on your wallet. But the bag is 35 pounds. Considering that dry cat foods can start to degrade slowly before the bag is even opened, there’s no way all those nutrients are still good once you get to the bottom of the bag.
What’s left of any omegas would have long gone rancid. There’s also no evidence that omegas stay good in a dry food at all.
I’m disappointed this was given such a good rating because this is an important factor to take under consideration. I would like to see some better options in this ranking spot!
Thank you for another thoughtful comment, NM! We will bear this in mind next time we update this guide.
I believe you can freeze dry cat food, and it will preserve the contents.
hmm…actually that would read better as: I believe you can preserve dry cat food by freezing it. So, store the portion you cannot use within 30 or so days in your freezer, separated into one or more portions for ease of use.
I feed feral cats- someone asked me how many and I have no idea, but a 25# bag of Kirkland lasts maybe a week if I am lucky, so I do need recommendations like this! I like Kirkland best but when I can’t get to Costco I use Purina Cat Chow or Friskies dry. For wet my preferred is Friskies canned and I rue the day they stopped making the large cans because it is ridiculous to keep opening small cans. I discovered Triumph wet food during the pandemic and like that too. Some of the ferals love it and others don’t…..
Hi. Thanks for all the efforts you put in to your reviews. We are looking for a new dry food for our 2 kitties (both are mixed-breed/rescues, one is almost 10 years (18 pounds), and the other is 2 years old (not quite 7 pounds). We have always fed the NutroMax dry food, but it was recently discontinued (because it was apparently a bad product??). I am nervous about changing foods because out little kitty is extremely picky and out big guy seems to have a sensitive stomach. I like the reviews I’m seeing on the Kirkland purple bag. A vet once recommended that we use the Kirkland dry dog food for our Cavalier (dog) we had….but to freeze it to keep the oils from going rancid before you can get through a Costco-sized bag of it. Do you think this would be a good idea for the dry cat food, too?
Hello Brenda, thank you for commenting. We recently received a comment from someone suggesting that you do that and it certainly seems like a good idea. Good luck transitioning your kitties to their new food!
Hello Mallory,
I’m not that much expert while choosing a cat food for cats, but I’ve read several times that dry cat food is not good for old aged cats. The reason is that they find it difficult to chew dry cat food. If you know anything about it, please share with us.
Have a nice day.
Hello Hamza, thank you for your comment! That’s a great question. Some cats with bad teeth do have difficulty with dry cat food, but cats don’t chew their food. Instead, they use their teeth to rip or break food slightly before swallowing it. When eating kibble, most cats swallow the pieces whole. For that reason, some seniors—even those without teeth—continue eating kibble without a problem. In other words, this varies from individual to individual. That said, wet food is a generally superior choice for cats of all ages and, indeed, a more accessible option for cats with poor dental health. Whether they’re one or eleven years old, cats get numerous benefits from a high-moisture diet, including lower blood sugar and a decreased risk of urinary tract disease.
I was looking at some of the reviews. It seems that some may need an update. Like the pure balance that Walmart puts out. My dry bak of dry Wild and Free Chicken Grain-Free. It says it has 40% Protein, 9% Fat, Fiber 6%, and moisture 10%, Your review shows completely different contents. Is it possible they changed their formula and you have not updated it yet?
Hello there! Thank you so much for letting us know about this. I would go in to make sure that everything is accurate, but I’m not sure where you saw a review of Pure Balance’s Wild & Free Chicken recipe. Could you please point me to a specific article where it’s mentioned? Thank you again.
– Mallory
Hello,
I have not seen a review for Mera. Could you kindly review Mera cat food (sensitive)?
Many thanks!
Good request! We’ll consider it. Thanks!
Do you have an opinion on the Royal Canin line of foods? Thinking of swtiching my 2 long haired cats from BB to the hairball formulation
Hi Jacquie, you might like our complete review of the Royal Canin brand: https://cats.com/royal-canin-cat-food-review
hello mallory, thanks alot for your work!
i’m from Israel and the the brand you recommend aren’t available here and it’s too expensive to import them.
can you recommed a few brands that are available in Israel. If you don’t really know about the brands available in israel, which of the options is better in your opinion; Acana, Orijen, Farmina N&D or GO?
Thanks alot 🙂
Hi Dan, thank you for commenting! Of the brands you listed, I would recommend Farmina N&D as the best choice—this brand has an excellent reputation for safety and ingredient quality.
Have you reviewed Petguard foods? My cat is incredibly picky and he loves their dry and wet food but is it good for him?
Hello,
I really like your reviews! Unfortunately the brands you are proposing are not available everywhere. I would really like to hear a recommendation about good food available in Greece ? 🙂
Hi Christina, thank you for writing to us with your request for good brands available in Greece. Unfortunately, I’m not very familiar with the brands available in your country, but I do know that Farmina and Performatrin Ultra are fairly good brands that are available there. You might also look into Orijen’s dry cat food.
Hello,
I’m looking for reviews on Catit Gold Fern Air Dried Cat Food and it isn’t listed in your A-Z Brand Reviews. Can you tell me if this is a good option for our 14 year-old cat? After watching the documentary, Pet Fooled, I’m trying to switch him to a raw diet but he isn’t at all interested in the raw foods I’ve tried. This is one he will eat but I’d like confirmation it is a nutritious and healthy option. We’ve been using this as an option to leave in his bowl overnight since he has been a grazer since a kitten. During the day, we’ve been trying various canned wet foods since the transition to raw hasn’t gone over well. So far his favorites have been TikiCat and Weruva but I’m not comfortable leaving wet food in his bowl for 8 hours overnight. Is Catit Gold Fern Air Dried worthwhile?
Hi Marie, I’ve not seen much about Catit’s Gold Fern food—this was my first time hearing about it! At any rate, it generally looks like a decent option comparable to Ziwi Peak. It’s hard to say just how good it is since the brand has only been selling cat food since 2019 and we don’t know all the details on their manufacturing process, quality control, and testing processes, but based on the advertising, it does look like a fairly good choice—seemingly much more species-appropriate than the majority of dry foods on the market. I’d give it a shot. Thanks for stopping by!
Trusted this website til you started pushing the grain free gimmick. Not only is it bad for cats but dangerous to their health. Surely you can find a healthy kitten food other than Simply Nourish grain free. Won’t use this site again.
Hi Andrea, sorry to hear that you’re disappointed. To clarify, we are not biased towards grain-free foods, and secondly, there is no definitive evidence that grain-free foods are any worse (or better!) than grain-inclusive foods for cats. You can learn more about grain-free diets for cats in our article on the subject.
Hello. This is the first time I have seen your reviews, I found them very useful. i have two 10 yr old cats, one of which has a sensitive tummy and he frequently vomits right after gulping his kibble. I’d like to wean both off of the dry food as they seem addicted to it. They also get wet food twice a day but beg and beg for the kibble. I’ve been told most dry cat food has been sprayed with an agent that cats are attracted to. Can you shed any light on this for me? I have recently started adding a probiotic to the wet food and it seems to be helping with the vomiting. It’s called Hairball Buster and made by Fidobiotics.
If you have any recommendations, I’d like to hear them. Thank you
Hi Marilyn, it is true that dry food is often much more appetizing to cats than wet food. Many dry foods are coated with animal digest, which is a highly-concentrated source of flavor that cats love. You’ll often see it referred to on the label as “natural flavors”. Since the Hairball Buster is helping with the vomiting, I would encourage you to try Purina Fortiflora. It’s a probiotic that should have similar benefits for your kitty’s regular vomiting and, because it contains that animal digest I mentioned earlier, it should also help to encourage your cats to eat wet food. Hope this helps!
I wish u can added with more brand recommendation base on region product availability. I had seen lot article site which the brand recommendation are not selling or not able to find it in my region. Amazon charges shipping fee (currency conversion) its too high and delivery may took 3-4 wks to arrives. I know it hardest for you to break it down the brand name for each country around the world. Just specific which the best of the brand products for western site market and Asian site market. Tq
Thanks, Ariana. We’ll consider adding more content to cover a wider range of regions around the world.
Hi Mallory,
I was wondering if you could rate and do an individual review of the “Made by Nacho” brand by the chef Boby Flay. I’ve been curious if the reviews of his wet and dry food are as high quality as he and the reviewers claim. Also as healthy as he claims.
Sam, we plan to do that soon! Thank you.
Only Natural Pet Feline PowerFood Poultry Dinner Grain-Free Dry Cat Food has been updated recently (I think), with both a new look to the bag and different ingredients. A fair amount has been removed, and added. I’m thinking of getting this food, is it still good with the new recipe? Thanks!
Hi Trevor, thank you for bringing this to our attention; we are working on an update presently.
Why is the only natural pet dry food different from the one on their website? Does this matter?
Hi David, thank you for bringing that to our attention! It appears that the food listed here is no longer available from Only Natural Pet. We will have to update the article accordingly. Only Natural Pet’s new formulations look good, though we will need to look more closely to make a final assessment.
Hi Mallory! I have been thinking on what brand to shift from Equilibrio, I never knew that dry food that contain grains can be bad for their healthy. However I can only find few affordable brands that you have listed in Malaysia. Do you have a recommendation for my region as well? Because Royal Canin & Equilibrio is considered the best over here. Thank you for your well-researched reviews and recommendations! It definitely helps me in wanting better for my dear cats.
Hello Cha, thank you for commenting! We would love to be able to help more people by providing information relevant to more countries outside of the United States. For now, you might appreciate this article from another blog on the best cat food available in Malaysia. To my understanding, Royal Canin and Equilibrio are good, reputable brands that should serve your cat well, although it is true that some would advise switching to a lower-carbohydrate diet.
Hi Mallory! I’m in South Korea and I’m looking for a good cat food for my cat here. I tried to find Dr.Elsey’s, but it seems they don’t sell it here.
Is there any food you would recommend?
Also, my vet recommended I change his feed, saying it might be linked to his ear problem. We treated him extensively for mites just in case, but it seems that’s not problem..
If you could give me your best advice, I would seriously appreciate it!!
Hi Rose, thank you for writing! Unfortunately, I am not very well-informed on the cat food marketplace in South Korea, so my recommendations are limited. Are you looking for dry food, specifically? You may be able to find Orijen food, which is another meat-based, lower carbohydrate dry food. Alternatively, options from Purina, Royal Canin, and Hills will not give you the most species-appropriate nutrition, but they do come from reputable companies with a history of producing food that is trustworthy and well-loved around the world.
Hi. I’m having trouble with the specs in the article. In the Tiki Cat Chicken dry food, the copy states as follows. “These plant inclusions contribute to the food’s approximate 18% carbohydrate content.” The graph beneath says it’s 27.22%. I went to Chewys.com and they state the the carb content is 11%. What gives?
Hi Melvin, excellent questions. I’m not sure why I was mistaken about the 18% and have edited it. As for the other discrepancies, I believe that the main issue arises from a conflict between the guaranteed analysis and the actual nutrient values of the food. Our pie charts automatically calculate dry matter values based on the guaranteed analysis, but this is an imperfect system—guaranteed analyses only give minimum and maximum nutrient values, and the actual content of the food may be different. If, for example, a food is at least 19% fat, it may actually be 30% fat. In that case, the carbohydrate content would be significantly lower. Because the 10.9% value on Chewy is most likely pulled from a typical nutrient analysis, I would consider it to be the closest to an accurate value here. And that’s good news—being 11% carbohydrates is pretty impressive for a dry food! Thank you for bringing all of this to my attention, and I hope the response was helpful. Sorry about the inaccuracies and conflict. – Mallory
Is Purina One Healthy Kitten Formula a good brand. My kitten is 8 weeks old. I also give her all natural raw food by Applaws since I was told not to just feed her dry food.
Thanks
You can learn more about Purina One food for cats here: https://cats.com/purina-one-cat-food-review
Hello,
I’ve been researching Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein food that you describe here to be your number one pick, and found that they use rosemary extract as a preservative, which is known to cause seizures in cats. Is this preservative something that is not avoidable?
Hi Lauren, the research on rosemary as a potential neurological hazard seems to be quite limited, and at this time, I don’t see it as a pressing enough risk to avoid it in cat food.
why are you recommending dry cat foods that contain Rosemary Extract? There are many of them, but I read that rosemary extract can cause neurological problems in cats. This is reported in MANY articles.
Frankly, I’d never heard of the claim that rosemary may be a neurotoxin for cats. I’ve looked into it, and it seems that most claims are pretty vague without good references. For instance, the 2010 article on The Dog Press that seems to be the source of a lot of these concerns links to an article from the University of Maryland Medical Center here, but that article is no longer available. The other site mentioned is no longer in operation. Overall, I’d need to see more information on this claim before ruling out rosemary extract as an acceptable preservative.
Rosemary extract is listed LAST in the ingredients; therefore, it is the least quantity of all ingredients in the list. It is a natural antibacterial and safe for consumption; furthermore, it is purified and traces of the oil are out of the extract that is included in cat food.
Bonjour Mallory,
We are in need of your recommandation. Our cat (tabby) is 10 years old,
overweight 14.5lb and sensitive to constipation.
She eats mostly canned food, but overnight and when we leave for a bit longer,
she earts dery food . The veterinary put her on a diet with their products ( Royal Canin Sasiety ) ,
but I am sure there are better quality options for her …I tried Weruva Chicken and had to stop, she vomitted, so now I am paralized
and a bit scared to test foods with her .
Thank you so much for your help and bravo for the great work on the site !
Dana
Hello Dana, thank you for writing, and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you! Before entirely ruling out the Weruva food as an option, I would think about the way you switched her food. A sudden change in diet can cause gastric upset and may lead to vomiting. A slow transition is preferable, regardless of the type of food you’re giving her. Other than this, I would recommend discontinuing any free-feeding and measuring out all of her portions. You need to know exactly what and how much she’s eating every day. Caloric control and consistent monitoring are key, no matter what you’re feeding her.
Hi, I’m living in Denmark and I tend to buy cat food from Germany. Mostly “Josera” Classic brand. If I ran out I buy “Perfect Fit” from the supermarket.
Are these brands the best option for my cat that only likes dry food?
Thanks for reading!
Hi there! Unfortunately, I’m having trouble finding the ingredient lists for Josera cat food. Perfect Fit doesn’t look like the best product available—I’m seeing generic “dried poultry protein” and a variety of plant-derived protein on the ingredient list. This food will offer the nutrition your cat requires, but it may not be the most digestible or efficient diet for them. I would lean towards foods that are primarily made from animal-derived protein sources, preferably from clearly-specified animal species like chicken, beef, or lamb. While plant proteins do help your cat get the amino acids they need, they aren’t necessarily the most digestible source of protein. With this information (and that found in the article above) in mind, you can make a decision about any cat food product or brand on the market. You may also want to talk to a veterinarian to get their recommendations. Hope this helps.
Hi, per your #1 choice, Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein Dry Cat Food, we’ve been using this dry food for a couple years and buying the chicken flavor with no problems. Our cat has always loved it; she likes dry food and we also give her a freeze dried brand which she will eat, Stella and Chewy’s.
I just wanted you to know that Dr. Elsey’s is having a problem with supply issues and therefore the chicken flavor of this food has changed in both smell and color the last few months. Consequently my cat now refuses to eat it. I called and spoke to customer service at Dr. Elsey’s and they say they are having problems with supply issues due to the Covid virus and they have changed the chicken flavor. They are working on fixing the issue as there are many people that are having the same problem with their cats not liking it. I’ve been trying to find another food that my cat likes and so far, it’s Blue Buffalo. I did like the Dr. Elsey’s but until they get this issue fixed I won’t be buying it again. Just wanted you to know. Thanks for your good reviews.
Hi Mary, thank you so much for making us and the community aware of this!
Hi! What are your thoughts and review for the pretty please dry cat food from the same brand of pretty litter? would love to hear your thoughts on that brand 🙂
Hi there! We haven’t tried it yet, but we have a review on the schedule for later this month. We’ll let you know when that goes live!
Hi!
I live in Finland, and have bought cat foods mainly via zooplus.fi. The top brands you recommend I haven’t seen in our local market. Would you please check the brand in the website and recommend which I can buy, dry and wet food. Thank you in advance.
Hey there! Apologies for the late reply. If you’re focused on dry food, a few brands that should work include:
Hope this helps!
I tried switching my cats over to Only Natural Pet PowerFood Poultry Indoor Cat Dinner Dry Food, based on the review from this site. Both of my cats have been on a handful of foods over the years. One of them wants nothing to do with the food. I hand feed it to him and he spits it out. I’d like to see a biased cat review.
Hi, do you still recommend all this dry food this year? I’m a new cat owner and I’m looking for best dry food for cats. I don’t plan to feed them dry food forever, I’m just trying to budget my food and their food lol. I noticed that you made this review long,.long time ago your opinion and review may change now.
Yes! We just updated this article for 2022. 🙂
The Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon Dry Cat Food promo of FIRSTSUB20 doesn’t appear to work. Can you either provide working promo or remove it?
Hi Charlie, thank you for mentioning that. The code has expired, so I’ll remove it. Sorry about the hassle.
Often passed up is “Wholehearted Grain Free” formulas. Doing a quick search on this site ranks Kirklands as Overall Score: 6.5/10 (B-), but is listed as the BEST budget food on this list. Meanwhile, searching for Wholehearted results in an Overall Score: 7.5/10 (B+) but is seen nowhere on this list.
How does a food that has a lower grade rating end up on the “Best Dry Cat Food” list while a food with a full point higher grade does not?
Hi Shanne, the B+ grade refers to the Wholehearted brand as a whole (including their wet foods), but we gave their dry foods a C+ in contrast to the Kirkland recipe’s B-. We still believe this is a good option for budget-conscious buyers!
Hi Mallory,
I have two munchkin kittens (siblings one girl one boy) and they will turn 1 year old in April, so far we are feeding them Hills for kittens as dry and Schesir kitten as wet (more like treat) i am looking for the best dry food for this breed.
Appreciate your recommendation
The overall best foods will be great for your munchkins, too!
We adopted 4 cats and we are looking to get some good food for them.
Unfortunately, in Romania, we do not have many options, but the is the website zooplus where we order food from.
Any ideas which cat food is good?
Until now, we gave them Animoda Carny as wet food, and Hills Science plan as Dry food, but, I saw that hills is not such good food.
Can you tell us if Animoda Carny is good wet food for the cats?
Hi there Dorin, thanks for reaching out. Animoda Carny’s wet cat food looks excellent—I would keep feeding it if everything seems to be working well. I gave the following recommendations to another commenter looking for European foods on Zoplus:
– Wild Freedom
– Purina One
– Purina Beyond
– Almo Nature
Hope this helps!
Hi! Thank you so much for all the information and for the videos you create, they have helped us understand better what we were feeding our cats (Hills, Royal).
From now on we will be feeding only Animoda Carny as wet food for our little ones, but we also need dry food as we are on a tight budget.
Was wondering about your thoughts on Purizon Sterilised Adult Fresh Turkey and Chicken as dry food-> https://www.zooplus.ro/shop/pisici/hrana_uscata_pisici/purizon/adult/986105
?
Thank you once again
It looks pretty good! Ideally, I’d prefer to see a dry food without potato starch or peas, but that’s the nature of kibble, generally. The ingredients appear to be high-quality, and I appreciate the use of animal-derived fat and various components chosen with sterilized cats in mind.
Farnina N&D Prime grain-free cat food should be high on this list, Ingredient selection is held to a higher European standard than U.S. pet food.
https://www.farmina.com/us/
Unlike humans and dogs, cats are obligate carnivores. Thus, they thrive on high animal protein and animal fat, that which they consume, naturally, from prey. No grains (corn, wheat, rice, barley, soy) should be in any cat food, Soy, unless, fermented, shouldn’t be in anyone’s diet, yours or your pets. Research. Cat’s are not predisposed to feline diabetes and inflamed bowel disease. Both are caused by thoughtless, ignorant pet owners that feed their cats grains and carbs. Thickening gums should be avoided, as much as possible. Synthetic vitamin K (menadione sodium bisulfate) is also highly toxic and banned for human consumption., All synthetic vitamins/supplements is toxic, for us and pets. Cats get the minimal natural vitamin K that they may need by eating grass and/or catnip. Healthy dry cat food should contain AT LEAST 40% ANIMAL SOURCED PROTEIN, Canned food should be grain-free, as well, and contain, at least 10% protein. The closer a pet owner can mimic a cat’s natural diet from prey, the healthier your pet will be. Stands to reason. I have to cats, 10 and 11 years old, never been vaxxed and fed a high quality grain-free food, minus the many toxins, I’ve mentioned, and neither one has ever been sick. Grains are used as cheap filler. Unless organic, crops, especially grains are saturated with glyphosate (RoundUp), a neurotoxin/carcinogen, before harvesting. You can’t wash it off. Ignor-ance is a choice, one sure to lead to unnecessary suffering. Purina and Kirkland are garbage!
Can i ask what your recommendations would be for dry food and canned?
Hi! I’m really, really sorry to bother you, but I have been researching cat foods for days in search of a better option for my babies. For wet food (first meal of the day, which I can only afford for now) I have settled on Authority canned food. But since I am on a tight budget, I do need to feed dry for the second meal (but I do have appropriately placed water fountains that they enjoy drinking from). I have narrowed down a lot of options by really digging through your website and other forums but I still don’t feel confident enough without your opinion. Current picks are Only Natural Pet Feline PowerFood Poultry Dinner (B+), Beyond White Meat Chicken & Egg Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food (B), Kirkland Signature Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula (B), and American Journey Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Recipe (B-). What do you think of these foods when put against each other? I have no idea what the best option is and it’s kind of stressing me out haha I just want the best for them… Also, do you think you could do something on the best dry foods on a budget that shows options like these? It would really help out people like me who are using it for only a small part of my cats diet or even for people whose cats will not take wet food! Thank you so much!
Hey there Muffin! 🙂
Of the foods listed there, I’d go for either the Purina or the Only Natural Pet options, with the ONP being my number one choice of all of them. An article on the best budget dry foods is a great idea. I hope you’re able to sort everything out soon. Sorry about the late reply. Take care!
Hello, I need help with picking the best food for my Ragdoll kitty. I have been feeding her Nutro wholesome essentials indoor cat dry food.Is that a good choice? I am also thinking of switching to grain free but now I am reading it may cause heart issues so I’m really confused, can you please let me know what is the best food I ca feed her? I also have a water fountain but not sure how much water she drinks.
Thank you
Hi Golnar, whether or not a food is grain-free isn’t really the important issue. The question is how much carbohydrate and plant matter is in the food. You can find foods that are high in carbohydrates and plant matter that are grain-free and ones that are grain-inclusive. Focus on that rather than whether or not the food contains grains. Regarding the DCM issue, this is a complex matter, and we don’t have the answers, but we do know that the issue is not grain deficiency. It’s something else—perhaps the presence of legumes in the food, perhaps the types of proteins used in them. You can learn more about the issue here. Nutro’s Wholesome Essentials is okay, but I wouldn’t consider it an ideal choice. The options on this list would likely be a superior choice, and you can explore some of the other recipes from the brands mentioned.
Hey Mallory!
I really appreciate your site and all the info! Thx!!
I frequently study your cat food lists. I have 5 feral cats; 2 that l believe had urine blockages… 1 was verified at the vets. Both maybe around 9+ years old So l put them on the prescription urinary diets from Purina, Hills, and Royal Canin. I understand your concern for the dry foods. I’m wanting to wean them mostly or completely off the dry.
I was curious with your recommendations of the wet cat foods that l assume dieticians? have determined the certain ingredients that they shouldn’t eat; because they are more prone to cause urinary crystals, are Not in those recommended wet cat meats?
I know the food recommendations go thru intense studying, l just need to be sure my cats can handle safely what’s in the wet cat meat nutrients.
Another of my cats has Thyroid issues, 17 years old. He’s on Hill’s Thyroid Y/D. Hates the wet meat. Likes the dry. Fine. Until l realized there’s No Meat in the dry!!
So I’m feeding him your Wellness chicken entree you recommended with his dry thyroid kibble. I’m guessing that the recommended wet cat meats are safe for the prescription diet cats by vets and dieticians?
The thyroid cat also very well may have IBD, or pancreatitus, or cancer in the gastro tract, but my vet said it would be expensive to try to prove it, not to mention quite possibly totally inconclusive. So I’m asking you should l just stick to the thyroid recommendations for the wet cat food, or also the recommended wet meats for the IBD & pancreatitus?
My last 2 cats of these 5 ferals seem fine.
Thx So Much Mallory for all your gang do!!
Hi Mallory
I’m from Australia & have two cats. I’ve been feeding them Premium One cat biscuits & Purr wet food.
My concern is…have they become addicted to the biscuits, are these biscuits healthy for them? I have also noticed recently the “shrinkflation”.
The price has sky-rocketed to $16.50aud for 1.4kg (previously $12.50aud for 1.5kg).
Is their a healthy biscuits you could recommend that is available here in Australia?
Kindest regards
Emily
Hey Emily, thanks for the comment! Unfortunately, I’m not able to find Premium One cat food online—a link could be helpful. As for better cat food available in Australia, here’s a link to our article on the best cat food in your country.
Hello Mallory, hope you’re doing well,
I’m mainly from Europe and most of the recommended brands are not available here. I have a 6 years old mixed Norwegian Forest Cat, which apparently is very sensitive to food (we adopted him last year). We have tried wet-foods but he gets diarrhea from it, so wet food unfortunately is a no-go. We have tried Orijen/Acana, and apart from the fact that he does not like the food (not sure if it’s for the grain size or smell) he also gets diarrhea from it, which saddens us because for the short time we gave him Orijen dry food we noticed a change on his coat (less oily) and more energy to play. We have since tried some other lesser known cereal-free brands and he either does not like the smell/shape of the grains or gets diarrhea.
The only types of food which he eats (and actually likes) and does not get diarrhea from are like the cheap dry food bags or Purina (and those types of brands). We would really like to give him good quality dry food but we’re getting out of options. Would you have some recommendations ?
Farmina is one promising option that’s available in Europe. It’s made from very high-quality ingredients and has an excellent reputation, and you may find that it satisfies your cat’s needs. Hope this helps!
To add salt to the injury, the only brands that the veterinarians recommend here are Purina/Whiskas/Hill/etc, so not ever veterinarians are able to properly explain and help here.
I have 3 cats. They are littermates and are 2 years old. They ate Core Wellness dry and wet food since they were kittens. I would change up the flavirs and they always seemed eager to eat. About 6 months ago, they went on a hunger strike- refusing to eat all Core Wellness products. We had no idea what to do. So, we tried IAMs dry and they liked it well enough, but we knew it was only a short term fix as it isn’t a super healthy food. We switched to Tiki Cat. They will not eat any of the ultra expensive wet food and they are rapidly losing interest in the dry food. Tonight we gave then IAMs again. We realize that our babies need a better food, but I feel like we are running out of safe options. I would like to try some food manufactured by Diamond- Solid Gold or Costco food, but they don’t have a stellar reputation. I don’t want to make a mistake and make my cats sick. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you in advance!
Hi Susan, I’m afraid I can’t tell you much more than what’s already on this list! The Diamond-manufactured foods are likely going to be more palatable than the Tiki Cat kibble, but I understand your hesitation there. You can make any kibble more palatable by sprinkling Fortiflora over the top—it’s made with animal digest and has a potent meaty flavor that cats love.
Okay, I’ve been wondering this for years now. Why isn’t Young Again ZERO (or any of the other Young Again products) on the list? They have lower carb contents (including literally zero!) and are cheaper than many of the options on the list. I would think they’d be a shoe-in for best overall dry cat food, or at least somewhere on the list. (Besides the paragraph about ZERO that’s in the Smalls section on this list, that is- I’m pretty sure that’s just a copy/paste mistake!)
Hi Kinz! Thanks so much for pointing out that error, I’ve corrected it. I’m not personally familiar with the Young Again brand, but you’re right – it offers high nutritional quality with plenty of protein and very low carbohydrate content. It definitely looks like something that could fit on this list, so I’ll see about adding it!
Thank you for this great list. Would you please recommend the best kibble biscuits for my 2 year old cat. I live in new zealand and cannot find any of these brands listed… my vet keeps recommending royal canine but after reading the review about the brand on your website i think i should try something else….
Thank you
Hi Anna! The good news is that New Zealand is becoming a hub for high-quality cat food, so you should have plenty of options available to you! Some of my favorite New Zealand-based brands are Ziwi Peak, Feline Natural, and the New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. All three offer wet and freeze-dried foods, though Ziwi Peak also offers air-dried food which is similar to kibble.
If you’re looking for dry food specifically, Addiction is an NZ brand that has a few high-quality options. Kiwi Kitchens is a NZ company as well that offers raw, freeze-dried, canned, and air-dried cat food. Hope that helps!
Hello, I am kind of confused as to why you guys recommend KIWI peaks even though you guys found it had a score of over 800 for mercury with the minimum allowed being 0.05… unless I am reading this wrong I feel like some context should be given with the lab reports as its difficult for pet owners to make informed decisions without actually understanding what they’re being informed of…
Hi! I was wondering if you could recommend a good dry food in Australia Royal canin leaves my cats famished and gives them terrible chin acne while they absolutely hate all of the wellness brand and Ziwi peak and Feline natural are off the table right now due to cost but I’m still willing to pay as much as I can
Also the best cost effective as my sister is struggling financially but still wants to feed her cats food food, thank you for any help
Hi Danielle, you might appreciate our article on the best cat food in Australia.
You really need to take a look at Fromm dry cat food. It is absolutely the BEST dry food I have ever fed to my 3 precious kitties. I’ll give you an example why I feed this dry food to my kitties every day. I read one of the reviews from a cat’s owner whose cat had diarrhea posted on the web site. He stated after he started to feed the Fromm dry food to his kitty within two days the diarrhea stopped completely. I have an elderly kitty myself and he had developed a case of diarrhea. I purchased a small bag of the Fromm dry food and started feeding it to all my kitties. They LOVE the food and all gather around their dishes when they hear me open the bag. Within a couple of days the diarrhea stopped completely in my elderly cat. He is over 18 years old and he is the BEST cat I have ever had. My vet said to purchase some of the powder and sprinkle it on my elderly kitties wet food every day, but after I started using the Fromm dry food there was no reason to do that. Please consider Fromm dry food for a test and review.
Yes, absolutely! Fromm is near the top of our list of brands we need to add to our list of reviews.
Hey! I am a parent of two cats and one of them has a bit of constipation. So, I was doing a bit of research and came across both yours and another article. Even though your one is better, the other one was answering my exact question (here’s the link – https://petlytical.com/blog/the-best-cat-foods-for-constipation-in-2022/). But they don’t have that many articles there so I can’t decide if I should trust them. Will you be kind enough to go through it and recommend a brand for me?
Hi Samael, I’m not particularly impressed by this article. It doesn’t look like they went into much effort to consider the factors that contribute to constipation or go beyond what comes up in a quick search when they created this guide. Additionally, Petlytical doesn’t work with veterinarians or behaviorists, while our guide on the best cat food for constipation was medically reviewed by a veterinarian. Besides knowing that Dr. Pendergrass is an expert in the field and would flag any inaccuracies, I’m the original author of this guide and feel confident in my own research. I believe our article on the subject is a more comprehensive and carefully-considered piece that, if nothing else, will allow you to walk away with a better understanding of constipation and what to look for when choosing a recipe, even if it’s not on the list.
hi Mallory, i read that Dr. Elsey’s is advertised as All Life Stages dry food, but I see you recommend it for adults cats only … Would you say I should rather not feed it to a 6 month old kitten? Thank you!
Hi Denise, thank you for the comment! It looks like we made a mistake when filling in the product summary—I just corrected the article, and the food is definitely acceptable for a 6-month-old kitten and any other growing cat.
It would be nice if your website had a link for all A rated foods, all A- rated, all B rated, all B- rated.
As it is, we have to put in a company name, then read its rating.
If you go to this page and select the “sort by score” radio button, you will be able to view all of the brands sorted by their letter grade!
May I ask why RAWZ is not in this list? It has its first 7 ingredients as whole named meats and gets a higher score (RAWZ=8.1, Dr. Elsey=7.7) on your full list.
Jennifer, that’s a good question. Sometimes our recommendations get out of date as we continue to discover and research various brands, and sometimes similarly-rated brands outrank one another based on availability issues. In the case of RAWZ, we simply hadn’t recognized the brand’s dry food as an option at the time when this article was written. I’ll consider it for a future update. Thanks!
Is Wellness really considered a budget choice???
At $17-18 for just a 5lb bag, that seems a bit high end.
That spot was previously held by Kirkland, which at Costco is about $25 for a 20lb bag.
Has Kirkland dropped in quality – or is there something around the same price point that has similar quality to the Wellness brand?
I got 3 tiny mouths to feed on a single dad’s budget! 🙂
Hello Craig, I’ve talked with the site owner about this question, and we’ve decided that we’d like to reinstate Kirkland cat food on the page, since it does offer a combination of quality and price you can’t find in essentially any other food on the market. You can continue to feel good about this choice.
Mallory,
Thank you so much hearing my concern and caring enough to research and act on it!
I always come to this website when I make decisions for my little ones because I always got the sense that not only is your research on par and not biased, but the hearts are in the right place.
This is just another example of why I know my faith in your advice is well placed!
Thanks kindly,
Craig
Mallory,
Thank you so much hearing my concern and caring enough to research and act on it!
I always come to this website when I make decisions for my little ones because I always got the sense that not only is your research on par and not biased, but the hearts are in the right place.
This is just another example of why I know my faith in your advice is well placed!
Thanks kindly,
Craig
Please do not recommend Kirkland Maintenance Cat Food. We have lost two cats within two weeks, and another is now sick. They all eat the same food and are all indoor cats. The second one that passed away last was tested and had no other known diseases that showed in his bloodwork. The vet said it is probably something they ingested but they have been inside with us. It has been so painful to see those who trust and depend on us to take care of them get so sick. I have read of other pet owners who have experienced these same problems with their cat food.
Hi Libby, this is very concerning—please report this to the FDA and save samples of the food as possible. I’m passing this comment along to Diamond pet food as well. Thank you, and I’m very sorry for your loss. Wishing your third cat all the best.
Your top pick of Dr. Elsey’s clean protein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food when clicking the check price link goes to chewy.com yet the reviews there are not good, I think I will find another site that cares more for pet owners and animals then click through marketing.
Hi Mike, thanks for the comment. We’ve had this Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein recipe as our number one recommendation for a couple of years, and the review hasn’t caught up with the recent increase in negative reviews and reports of quality decline. The product was chosen based on nutritional merits, not monetary incentives, and, if we keep seeing a lot of complaints about the product’s quality and palatability, we’ll consider replacing it in our next round of updates.
Good to know, thanks for the reply.
Hey Mallory,
I love your reviews and videos. I’m in Europe so the product selection is somewhat limited. Can you please do a review of Monster Pet Food? Thanks so much!
Hello there! We’ll add Monster Pet Food to our list of brands to cover in the future. Thanks!
What are your thoughts about the low moisture content of dry foods fed to cats? Cats are a desert species, and need to eat their water. Their natural prey is 70% water, and they have a very low thirst drive because of this. You are not going to find water to drink in a desert, so you need to eat it in the form of fluids from your prey.
There are studies that show even if a cat drinks water while on a dry diet, they cannot rehydrate themselves enough to combat the dehydration from eating the dry diet: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/464354/
Being on a dry diet also encourages urinary problems to form, because the kidneys cannot function as well as they should be since they are always in a state of dehydration: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/effect-of-dietary-water-intake-on-urinary-output-specific-gravity-and-relative-supersaturation-for-calcium-oxalate-and-struvite-in-the-cat/7FF71DDA2706FDCDA3BA961C3D8DB46F
My thoughts are that you’re 100% right—we mention this in the article, though the studies you’ve mentioned weren’t included. Really appreciate you making these more accessible to other readers. Thanks.
Hello. So I’m feeding mostly wet food & wet homemade as well as Dr. Elsey’s so he does not go hungry in between meals & so I know he will eat it for the cat sitters while I’m away or even If he were hospitalized most vets feed in House patients dry. He is a kitten now. He is 4 months old & being neutered tomorrow. Extremely active! Healthy & no health problems. In your opinion I should change him to Simply Nourish® Source Indoor Cat Dry Food – Fish & Chicken, Natural, High-Protein, Grain Free when he is an adult? Is one better than the other for adults??? I would really specifically like your opinion Ms. Mallory as we watch you on YouTube & we trust you….even my extended family are big fans but regardless of your cat “celebrity” I want to feed the best dry food available since he eats such a small amount. Thank you for all you do regarding cats! I know it’s work but feline nutrition is SO important & we don’t have the science skills nor the time so again THANK YOU! 🙏. Forgive typos!!
Btw, we are having no issues with food that is crumbled or not fully formed kibble. The bags of Dr. Elsey have a wonderful zipper like on a ziplock bag. It arrives on time & no delivery problems. We’re on our 11th bag now, between my brother & I anyway. I just wanted to stress our experience with the food since there are complaints & I also like the small bags. We can always afford $13. They also stay fresh since our cats eat a small amount of dry being the bags are small & resealable. We love Dr. Elseys as do our cats! 😀
It can be difficult to transition cats to a new food, especially if they’ve been used to eating the same type of food. We suggest trying a few different tactics to get your cat to become more favorable towards the PowerFood Poultry Indoor Cat Dinner Dry Food. Firstly, try transitioning to the new food gradually by mixing it with the old one. You can also try adding in some warm water to soften the texture, which could make it more appealing to your cat. As for the review, we recommend checking out the customer reviews on the Only Natural Pet website. Many reviews are written by pet parents who have used the product and can provide insightful information on how their cats reacted to the food.
Would you guys ever be into the idea of doing separate lists for foods that include chicken as their main ingredient and foods that include fish products as their main ingredient? I keep looking around for decent options that won’t destroy my bank account for fish-based foods. One of my cats seems to take issue with chicken (soft, smelly poopies!) but when I switched him over to fish-based foods he improved drastically. Right now he’s on Cat Person, but I’d like to find something budget friendly that he can eat becasue my other two cats have zero problem with chicken, but he’s a dummy and will eat what smells tasty in anyone’s bowl (I free feed and have no way to effectively separate out his bowl from the others’).
Hi Nicole, that’s a good question! We do have an article on the best fish-free cat food. You might find that helpful!
It would be nice if the list contained an alternate/second option for each category. Sometimes availability/price/cat acceptance of a choice doesn’t work out and having an alternative option would be helpful (ie. If the top pick/weight-loss/etc. doesn’t fit your needs, here’s the runner up)
Thank you for the advice, James. We’re taking it into consideration!
Hi Mallory! I would love to know your thoughts on Stella and Chewys Grain Free Raw Coated Baked Kibble??
It’s pretty good as far as dry foods go, but if you’re one of those who prefers a low-plant, low-carbohydrate diet for your cat, it doesn’t really cut it.
Hello can you do a review on a brand called Carna4 it looks to be high quality with no synthetics!
Hi Charles, yes! This is on our to-review list!
Surprised you did not include Instinct Ultimate Protein Dry/Raw in your reviews of leading dry cat foods. Any particular reason?
Hi Mallory
I am writing to you from Romania and I would need a recommendation related to the best food that I can buy in my country?! I mention that I have access to Zooplus, and also to Orijen, Acana and Wellness core. My cat is a Pure Russian Blue and she is now 10 months old, she is sterilized and lives only indoors. I would like to give her a long and beautiful life, and I know how important nutrition is, but unfortunately here, veterinarians invariably recommend Royal Canin… so please help me choose the best option from what I have available here. Oh, and she prefers dry food !! Thanks a lot for everything!!!
Hey Mallory!
I’m in Europe and usually feed my cats Ziwi Peak as there’s not a lot of options for high quality dry food near me. However, a new Polish food called Superfood by Dolina Noteci just came on the market. It’s an air dried food like Ziwi Peak which is why it caught my eye and is only a fraction of the price of Ziwi Peak. I was wondering if you would consider doing a review or taking a look as I’m not very good at understanding the labels. Thanks for all that you do!
Hello,
I was curious as to why open farm raw mix has dethroned Dr. Elseys dry kibble. I had a subscribe and save on Dr. Elseys already on the way and switched to open farm because it is your overall best now. Any updates to why your number one has changed?
Thanks!
Hi Kyle, we lowered it due to a lot of reports that the quality of the food had changed over the last year, and we’ve also noticed some availability issues. I still think the nutritional value of the food is greater than Open Farm, so if it works for your cat, I wouldn’t necessarily switch! Thank you for taking our recommendations so seriously—really appreciate the trust!