Last updated Feb 5, 2026
At a Glance: Best Cat Food to Buy in 2026
The best raw cat food emulates the pure, elegant simplicity of a cat’s natural whole-prey diet. Great products combine nutritional integrity with excellent ingredient quality and a reputation for consistency and safety.
We consider a variety of factors when making our recommendations including ingredient quality, species appropriateness, price, brand reputation, and more. To help you find the right raw cat food product for your cat, we’ve broken down our recommendations into different categories.
Open Farm Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
- Contains muscle meat, organs, and ground bone
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Relies primarily on animal-based fat from salmon oil
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 47%
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 149
- Calories Per Pound: 2384
- Typical Cost Per Day: $3.75 per day
While individual preferences may vary, cats seem to enjoy the flavor of Open Farm’s freeze-dried cat food. Multiple customer reviews mention that the chicken recipe is a hit with picky eaters and the formula doubles as both a complete meal and a food topper.
This freeze-dried formula features 98% humanely raised, free-range chicken including muscle meat, organ meat, and ground bone. The crude protein content is roughly 50% measured as dry matter, making it a carnivore-appropriate diet comprised of a single source of animal protein. The only other animal ingredient is salmon oil, included as a species-appropriate source of healthy fats including skin- and coat-supporting omega-3s.
Packed with animal protein and healthy fat, the nutritional makeup of this Open Farm cat food leaves little to be desired. Where it falls short is its low moisture content. Freeze-dried cat food is processed to remove moisture without compromising the integrity of the raw ingredients but it’s still wise to rehydrate the food with water or broth before feeding.
Overall, this appears to be a high-protein, high-fat, and low-carbohydrate cat food formula made with a single source of animal protein. It can be a species-appropriate choice for your cat when reconstituted to meet your cats needs for hydration.
Sample buyer review...
"Our cats really love this freeze dried raw. We usually bounce between freeze dried and air dried for additions to their canned food, this rehydrated with some bone broth and our cats eat everything and still want more"
What We Liked:
- Contains muscle meat, organs, and ground bone
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Relies primarily on animal-based fat from salmon oil
- Very low carbohydrate content
What We Didn’t Like:
- Low moisture content, should be rehydrated
- Raw food tends to be pricey
Smalls Ground Bird Fresh Cat Food
- Fresh food made with human-grade ingredients
- Single source of high-quality animal protein
- Very low in carbohydrates
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 13%
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 40
- Calories Per Pound: 640
- Typical Cost Per Day: $4.00 per day
Smalls is a fresh cat food delivery service that uses human-grade ingredients, including premium proteins like chicken, turkey, beef, and fish. Choose from minced-style recipes or classic pâté to provide your cat with protein-rich, low-carb cat food that’s formulated for cats of all life stages.
The brand’s Fresh Ground Bird recipe features chicken and chicken liver as its top two ingredients. With green beans, kale, and dandelion greens as the only plant ingredients, this formula is very low in carbohydrates. It offers plenty of animal-sourced omega-3 fatty acids and is rich in hydrating moisture.
When you place your first order, you’ll receive a sampler pack catered to your cat’s protein preferences and dietary requirements. You can adjust your meal plan, pause deliveries, or cancel your subscription through the customer portal, via email, or by text. Every Smalls subscription includes free treats for life.
What We Liked:
- Fresh food made with human-grade ingredients
- Single source of high-quality animal protein
- Rich source of hydrating moisture
What We Didn’t Like:
- Only available as a subscription plan
- Support by text and email only
Instinct Raw Frozen Bites Chicken Recipe
- Affordably priced under $0.50 per ounce
- Easy to find in pet stores or online
- Single-protein recipe is easily digestible
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 12%
- Age Range: Adult
- Calories Per Ounce: 47
- Calories Per Pound: 752
- Typical Cost Per Day: $2.27 per day
Raw cat food tends to be pricier than kibble and other standard diets but shipping costs can double or even triple your monthly spending. If you’re looking for a modestly priced raw option that’s sold both online and in major pet store chains, Instinct may be a good choice.
Made with a single source of animal protein, this chicken formula raw frozen food comes in small bite-sized nuggets rather than patties. This makes the product simple to portion, and you can quickly thaw only as much as you need. The formula is meat-centric, with salmon oil as a rich source of omega-3s and a smattering of fresh fruits and vegetables for nutritional support.
Instinct’s raw frozen cat food line is still pretty limited but there are a few more options available in freeze-dried form. This is one of the only brands that offers a kitten-specific raw formula (freeze-dried only).
What We Liked:
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Easy to find in stores and online
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids
- Bite-sized nuggets thaw fairly quickly
What We Didn’t Like:
- Very limited flavor variety
Stella & Chewy's Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
- Shelf-stable raw food option
- Made with a novel source of animal protein
- Nuggets are easy to portion and rehydrate
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 44%
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 132
- Calories Per Pound: 2112
- Typical Cost Per Day: $6.01 per day
Stella and Chewy’s is a leader in the raw pet food space. The brand has a strong reputation for consistency and a robust lineup of flavors to keep your cat happy. Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried and frozen cat foods all provide an impressive macronutrient distribution and healthy micronutrient levels.
We’ve recommended this freeze-dried recipe because it’s convenient to feed, packed with animal-sourced protein, and seems to be a hit among cats. Because it’s made with a single source of novel protein, it may be a good choice for cats with food allergies. As a freeze-dried food, this product is safer to handle and store but retains the nutritional balance of raw meat.
This particular recipe centers around rabbit meat, organs, and bones. In addition to rabbit, the recipe contains prebiotics and probiotics to keep your cat’s digestive system healthy and their immune system strong. It’s a calorie-dense choice with fairly low carbohydrate content but, like our top pick, should be rehydrated before feeding.
What We Liked:
- Freeze dried food is safer to handle and store
- Made primarily from species-appropriate rabbit
- Rich in probiotics with 10 million colony forming units per ounce
- Grain-free without fillers or by-products
- Low carbohydrate content
What We Didn’t Like:
- Freeze-dried food demands a few minutes of rehydration time
- Stella & Chewy’s doesn’t publish complete nutrient charts, making it difficult to evaluate its nutritional strengths and weaknesses
Freshpet Vital Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Fresh Cat Food
- Non-GMO, gently cooked using natural ingredients
- High-protein recipe made with moisture-rich chicken
- Packed with vitamin- and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 17%
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 121
- Calories Per Pound: 1936
- Typical Cost Per Day: $2.11 per day
This Freshpet food is made with chicken, eggs, and a smattering of veggies. It’s one of their kibble-style foods and comes in bite-sized soft chunks.
The first two ingredients are chicken and chicken liver. After the primary meat ingredients—remember that meat accounts for 80% of each Vital™ recipe—the next item is something called “natural flavors”. This vague name, according to Freshpet, is assigned to “a proprietary blend of natural ingredients used to enhance the flavor of our fresh foods.”
Eggs are added as an additional source of animal protein. The food is supplemented with carrots and spinach, ingredients with little nutritional benefit for cats.
The food contains pea protein, a concentrated source of plant protein. It’s also made with pea fiber, a pea derivative that boosts the food’s fiber content. The food contains vinegar, possibly as a type of preservative, and is supplemented with potassium chloride—sometimes marketed as lite salt. This salt alternative is lower in sodium but has some of the same preservative effects as standard salt.
In addition to potassium chloride as a type of preservative, the food contains celery powder. This ingredient is a natural source of nitrates.
Overall, this food is high in protein with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.
What We Liked:
- Rich in animal protein
- Virtually free of plant protein
- Low carbohydrate content
- Made with named meats rather than by-products
- Provides more moisture than traditional kibble
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains multiple plant ingredients
Top Cat Food – Comparison
| Product Name | Primary Protein | Age Range | Guaranteed Protein | Calories Per Ounce | Calories Per Pound | Cost Per Day* |
|
Open Farm Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
|
Chicken with Ground Bone | All Life Stages | 47% | 149 | 2384 | $3.75 per day |
|
Smalls Ground Bird Fresh Cat Food
|
Chicken | All Life Stages | 13% | 40 | 640 | $4.00 per day |
|
Instinct Raw Frozen Bites Chicken Recipe
|
Chicken (including Ground Chicken Bone) | Adult | 12% | 47 | 752 | $2.27 per day |
|
Stella & Chewy's Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
|
Rabbit With Ground Bone | All Life Stages | 44% | 132 | 2112 | $6.01 per day |
|
Freshpet Vital Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Fresh Cat Food
|
Chicken | All Life Stages | 17% | 121 | 1936 | $2.11 per day |
Why Trust Cats.com
Over the past years, the Cats.com team has tested and reviewed hundreds of cat food brands and recipes. In choosing products to test, we prioritized meat-centric formulas for cats in various life stages with different needs and preferences. All products were purchased at full retail price and evaluated in-depth. Our cats provided input on the foods’ flavor and general appeal while we analyzed the product information to determine its nutritional adequacy. We also researched the brands to assess their trustworthiness and rate of customer satisfaction.
Our team of veterinary experts provides additional informative support as well as their professional opinion on what makes a 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
Summary
Whether wet, dry, raw, or freshly cooked, the best cat food honors your cat’s needs as an obligate carnivore. It’s rich in animal-sourced protein, has the right amount of fatty acids, and doesn’t spike your cat’s blood sugar with excessive carbohydrates.
After researching feline nutrition and reviewing all kinds of cat foods, we learned which brands and products are worthy of your cat’s bowl—and which ones aren’t.
With taste, nutrition, and quality ingredients always top of mind, we have chosen Open Farm Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food as the best raw cat food.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best dry cat food?
The best dry cat food is rich in animal-derived protein, low in carbohydrate content, and made from high-quality ingredients. Look for expert-formulated recipes that were made with carnivores in mind.
What is the best wet cat food?
The best wet cat food is rich in animal-derived protein with low carbohydrate content. It’s made from high-quality ingredients and doesn’t contain a lot of artificial additives, thickeners, and other ingredients that may harm your cat over time.
Is dry or wet food best for cats?
Because it’s more hydrating and typically lower in carbohydrates, wet food is best for cats. A dry diet is convenient, but it is generally higher in starch and may not provide the moisture your cat needs.
Is grain-free cat food best for cats?
In general, cats don’t need to avoid grains. Grain allergies and sensitivities are rare, and grain-free foods are often high in carbohydrates and plant matter. Instead, we recommend looking for a meat-based diet that closely reflects your cat’s evolutionary needs.