The 7 Best Dry Cat Foods of 2026

• Made In: United States
• Guaranteed Protein: 38.5%
• Age Range: All Life Stages
• Calories Per Ounce: 109
• Calories Per Pound: 1744
• Typical Cost Per Day: $0.86 per day

This dry food formula features three high-quality sources of animal-based protein as the top three ingredients: wild Pacific salmon, ocean whitefish meal, and ocean herring meal.

We also love that this recipe includes two animal-based sources of added fat (herring and salmon oils), though the primary source is plant-based (coconut oil).

What we don’t like about this recipe is that it includes a significant number of plant ingredients include some which are high in plant-based proteins (garbanzo beans and red lentils). These ingredients contribute to a fairly high carbohydrate content estimated around 25%.

Overall, this is a protein-packed dry food rich in essential fatty acids, but it has an above-average carbohydrate content and is low in moisture.

Sample buyer review...
“My cats enjoyed this food. I have a cat that is allergic to just about every food on the market so it’s very hard to find something she is able to digest without getting sick. This food is not only sourced ethically and naturally, but it has nothing she’s allergic to in it!”

• Made In: Italy
• Guaranteed Protein: 36%
• Age Range: Adult
• Calories Per Ounce: 118
• Calories Per Pound: 1888
• Typical Cost Per Day: $1.13 per day

While whole grains make a nutritious addition to a balanced cat food diet, we prefer brands that don’t go overboard. This dry food from Farmina is a low-grain formula that features whole ancestral grains like spelt and oats, along with numerous sources of animal protein like chicken, eggs and herring as well as essential fatty acids from chicken fat and herring oil.

Seven of the first ten ingredients in this formula are animal-based. Of the remaining three, two are nutrient-rich whole grains and one is an added source of fiber. It’s worth noting that, while this recipe doesn’t contain beans or lentils, it does contain some pea fiber and alfalfa. Sun-cured alfalfa, a legume, is a high-protein ingredient that is rich in phytonutrients.

Sun-cured alfalfa, a legume, is a high-protein ingredient that is rich in phytonutrients. As a dry food, this recipe doesn’t provide for your cat’s hydration needs, so you’ll need to supplement his moisture intake elsewhere. It is a moderate-protein, moderate-fat recipe with fairly high carbohydrate content and no artificial additives.

• Made In: United States
• Guaranteed Protein: 37%
• Age Range: All Life Stages
• Calories Per Ounce: 112
• Calories Per Pound: 1792
• Typical Cost Per Day: $0.69 per day

Open Farm cat foods are made with human-grade, 100% traceable ingredients, and their recipes are ethically and sustainably sourced. This company provides a diverse selection of pet foods for dogs and cats, including dry kibble, wet food, freeze-dried raw options, and gently cooked frozen meals. Additionally, they offer a range of broths, supplements, and treats.

This formula is rich in animal-based protein and fat and contains a little over 20% carbohydrates as dry matter, which is about average for commercial dry cat food.

Fresh turkey is listed as the primary ingredient in this recipe, followed by three additional sources of animal protein. Ocean menhaden fish meal also appears later as the fifth source of protein. This recipe includes a significant amount of plant protein from garbanzo beans, red lentils, and green lentils. There's a substantial list of plant-based ingredients, resulting in a higher overall carbohydrate content than preferred.

Overall, this recipe seems to be a nutritious dry food featuring moderate protein and fat content, with a carbohydrate content comparable to typical dry cat food.

Sample buyer review...
“My cat ate dry food for the first time in preference to the canned food. It smells like its’ ingredients – you can tell the different flavors apart. The fact that the animals are raised humanely and this is a sustainable effort is important for me, and that’s why I happily pay more.”

• Made In: United States
• Guaranteed Protein: 41%
• Age Range: All Life Stages
• Calories Per Ounce: 122
• Calories Per Pound: 1952
• Typical Cost Per Day: $0.49 per day

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.

• Made In: Thailand
• Guaranteed Protein: 43%
• Age Range: Kitten
• Calories Per Ounce: 111
• Calories Per Pound: 1776
• Typical Cost Per Day: $0.88 per day

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.

• Made In: Canada
• Guaranteed Protein: 36%
• Age Range: All Life Stages
• Calories Per Ounce: 98
• Calories Per Pound: 1568
• Typical Cost Per Day: $0.58 per day

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.

Sample buyer review...
"Got a sample of this after writing FirstMate and they were kind enough to send a few sample bags. I have an IBD cat and anyone with a fur baby with this Disease knows how hard it is to find a food they for one will eat, let alone be free of potential irritants and not needed ingredients. For one, “Chicken Meal” is not horrible, it has more nutrients actually than just “Chicken”. Always look at the first 5 ingredients it will tell you all you need to know about the quality of cat food. This food is so far a hit with my IBD cat, he gets it as just a treat for right now along with FirstMate Chicken LID in the can. I also sprinkle powdered pet chicken bone broth on top of his FirstMate canned it is suppose to help repair the intestinal mucosa.. Hats off FirstMate, don’t change anything please"