10 Best Cat Foods in 2024: We Tested Them All - Cats.com (2024)

Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

Overall Best

Best Dry Food

Budget Pick

Premium Pick

Best Raw

Best for Picky Eaters

Best Novel Protein

Best for Weight Loss

Best for Seniors

Best For Kittens

Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

#1 Overall Best: Smalls Ground Bird Fresh Cat Food

• Made In: United States
• Guaranteed Protein: 13% Min
• Age Range: All Life Stages
• Calories Per Ounce: 40
• 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.

Though Smalls doesn’t portion out your cat’s meals for you, they do provide detailed feeding recommendations according to your cat’s calorie requirements. Each package contains about five ounces of food. Smalls cat food is delivered frozen, so you’ll need to thaw the package overnight in the fridge first before feeding.

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
• Very low in carbohydrates
• Rich source of hydrating moisture

What We Didn’t Like:

• Only available as a subscription plan
• No phone support (text and email only)

#2 Best Dry Food: Open Farm RawMix Open Prairie Recipe

• Made In: United States
• Guaranteed Protein: 38% min
• Age Range: All Life Stages
• Calories Per Ounce: 106
• Typical Cost Per Day:$0.90 per day

Open Farm is a newer pet food brand that’s earned our respect with excellent transparency and end-to-end quality, including detailed information on ingredient sourcing, partnerships with ethical suppliers, and typical analyses available for each recipe.

What distinguishes Open Farm’s RawMix from other dry foods is its inclusion of freeze-dried raw ingredients. The line’s Grain-Free Open Prairie recipe features nutrient-packed kibble coated in a blend of bone broth and freeze-dried raw meat.

While this formula is carbohydrate-heavy, we like that it contains more animal-derived protein than other Open Farm formulas. This recipe derives its animal protein from chicken, turkey, and menhaden fish meal. Additional protein comes from chicken liver, chicken neck, and whitefish meal. This recipe is fairly low in fat, so it isn’t as calorie-dense as others on this list.

What We Liked:

• Open Farm offers superior transparency compared to other brands
• Rich in animal-derived protein
• Seems to be made from high-quality ingredients

What We Didn’t Like:

• Fairly pricey option
• Main sources of added fat are plant-based: coconut oil and sunflower oil
• High in carbohydrates

#3 Budget Pick: Dave’s Pet Food Naturally Healthy Grain-Free Turkey Formula Canned Food

• Made In: United States
• Guaranteed Protein: 10% Min
• Age Range: Adult
• Calories Per Ounce: 33
• Typical Cost Per Day:$1.64 per day

For an affordable option that doesn’t compromise on quality, consider moisture-rich Dave’s Pet Food. Dave’s Naturally Healthy turkey recipe is meat-based and features fresh turkey, chicken, and chicken liver. Chicken broth makes up most of the moisture in this canned food, offering a flavorful alternative to water.

While this recipe contains a few added plant ingredients, the overall carbohydrate content is still fairly low—especially compared to many budget-friendly options. It doesn’t contain any refined grains or hard-to-digest beans and legumes. Most of the food’s carbohydrate content comes from nutrient-rich sweet potatoes and carrots.

Though this recipe doesn’t contain a concentrated source of added fat, it’s still fairly energy-dense. At 33 calories per ounce, you won’t have to feed your cat uncomfortably large portions to meet their needs. This also helps keep your daily feeding costs down.

What We Liked:

• Affordably priced under $0.30/ounce in 12.5-ounce cans
• Rich in animal-sourced protein from chicken and turkey
• Flavorful source of hydrating moisture for cats
• Doesn’t contain refined grains, peas, or legumes

What We Didn’t Like:

• Guar gum may contribute to loose stools in sensitive cats

#4 Premium Pick: Feline Natural Chicken & Lamb Feast Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

• Made In: New Zealand
• Guaranteed Protein: 9.6% min.
• Age Range: Adult
• Calories Per Ounce: 25
• Typical Cost Per Day:$6.31 per day

Feline Natural, a New Zealand brand established in 2006, offers more than just raw or freeze-dried cat food; their product range also includes various canned foods.

This species-appropriate recipe from Feline Natural is a solid option. It primarily comprises chicken meat, lamb heart, kidney, liver, and blood as its main ingredients. Other components include flaxseed for fiber, New Zealand green mussel for animal-sourced glucosamine and chondroitin to support joints, and supplements to ensure each meal is nutritionally balanced.

Due to its composition of 99% chicken, lamb, and organs, this food is highly protein-rich. However, since there’s no added starch to provide a cohesive texture, it may separate a bit inside the can.

What We Liked:

• High in animal protein
• Contains a variety of muscle meat, organs, and blood
• Enhanced with green-lipped mussel
• Produced under stringent safety standards in New Zealand

What We Didn’t Like:

• Costly
• Contains multiple protein sources, and it might not be suitable for cats with food sensitivities or allergies.

#5 Best Raw: Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food

• Made In: United States
• Guaranteed Protein: 47%
• Age Range: All Life Stages
• Calories Per Ounce: 144
• Typical Cost Per Day:$4.00 per day

Open Farm has an outstanding reputation for transparency and safety. If you want to give your cat the benefits of raw, they offer a freeze-dried line that’s prepared from high-quality ingredients and delivers on nutrition. Their Chicken and Salmon Freeze-Dried Recipe is made with free-range chicken and sustainably sourced wild salmon.

What’s more, Open Farm is refreshingly transparent with its sourcing. To get a true picture of what you’re putting in your cat’s bowl, customers can trace where each ingredient comes from on the company’s website.

During the freeze-drying process, moisture is removed, so we always recommend rehydrating with warm water.

What We Liked:

• Gently freeze-dried
• Grain-free, legume-free
• 100% traceable ingredients
• Rich in animal-derived protein
• Organic fruits & vegetables are always 100% non-GMO

What We Didn’t Like:

• Low moisture content before rehydration
• Expensive

#6 Best for Picky Eaters: Caru Classic Turkey Stew Grain-Free Wet Cat Food

• Made In: United States
• Guaranteed Protein: 9% Min
• Age Range: All Life Stages
• Calories Per Ounce: 28
• Typical Cost Per Day:$3.60 per day

Cats can be finicky in their food preferences; some prefer certain types, flavors, and textures. If you’re having trouble getting your cat to eat traditional canned or dry cat foods, this stew-style recipe from Caru might pique their interest. It also doesn’t hurt that the dry matter carbohydrate content of this recipe is very low.

Caru’s grain-free Turkey Stew is made with a single source of animal protein: turkey muscle meat. The food is gently cooked in turkey bone broth for flavor and moisture, so it supports your cat’s hydration as well. That said, some reviewers comment that the food contains too much liquid and verges on soupy. When it comes to the texture of cat food, your cat has the final say.

This wet cat food is fairly expensive, costing over $3.50 a day to feed the average 10-pound cat. It does, however, come in resealable cardboard cartons rather than cans, so it’s easy to store the leftovers if you prefer to mix it with another food.

What We Liked:

• Made with a single source of animal protein
• Rich in hydrating moisture
• Cats seem to like the flavor and texture
• Very low carbohydrate content

What We Didn’t Like:

• Fairly expensive
• Cardboard cartons can be tricky to open

#7 Best Novel Protein: Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe Canned Cat Food

• Made In: New Zealand
• Guaranteed Protein: 10% Min
• Age Range: Adult
• Calories Per Ounce: 34
• Typical Cost Per Day:$6.96 per day

With just one protein, Ziwi Peak’s canned cat food is a good match for cats with digestive problems or food sensitivities. Venison is a novel protein for most cats, making it a good choice for those with allergies to other common proteins.

Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe Canned Cat Food is made with a single meat source, making it easier to digest. The recipe features venison muscle meat, venison broth, and a variety of nutrient-rich deer parts that are rarely included in cat food—such as liver, lung, heart, kidney, tripe, and bone. Additionally, the food incorporates Ziwi Peak’s signature green-lipped mussel, which provides a carnivore-appropriate source of glucosamine and chondroitin.

Overall, this meat-based food is high in protein, with moderate fat and moderate carbohydrate content.

Each 3 oz can contains 85 calories, or approximately 34 calories per ounce.

What We Liked:

• Includes muscle meat, organs, and bones
• Low in carbohydrates
• Contains green-lipped mussel for glucosamine and chondroitin
• High in animal protein
• Free from artificial ingredients

What We Didn’t Like:

• Contains chickpeas
• Nearly 20% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis
• Costly

#8 Best for Weight Loss: Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken Recipe in Chicken Consommé

• Made In: Thailand
• Guaranteed Protein: 16% Min
• Age Range: Adult
• Calories Per Ounce: 25
• Typical Cost Per Day:$5 per day

If you’re looking for a healthy way for your cat to lose weight, the right food can help. Consider Tiki Cat’s Puka Puka Luau Wet Food. The protein content of the brand’s Succulent Chicken Recipe is incredibly high at about 80% measured as dry matter, and there is no significant carbohydrate content. It’s definitely worth noting the very low calorie and fat content of this food.

This recipe from Tiki Cat is low in ash, which will help lower the risk of urinary crystal formation. This recipe also has enough moisture to flush the urinary tract and has a species-appropriate pH that won’t cause crystal formation.

We’ll admit, this food is very expensive to feed as a staple diet. However, the cost may be less than a prescription diet formulated to support urinary tract health.

What We Liked:

• Rich in nourishing animal protein
• High moisture content helps to flush the urinary tract
• Low ash shouldn’t contribute to crystal formation
• Species-appropriate pH helps keep things in balance

What We Didn’t Like:

• Contains sunflower oil instead of species-appropriate animal fat
• Low fat content isn’t right for every cat
• Very low in fiber

#9 Best for Seniors: Weruva Truluxe Steak Frites

• Made In: Thailand
• Guaranteed Protein: 10% Min
• Age Range: Adult
• Calories Per Ounce: 21
• Typical Cost Per Day:$6.00 per day

Weruva wet foods are known for high moisture levels and animal-based proteins. Their Truluxe line is regarded as the brand’s highest-quality foods, made with unique meats and an emphasis on hydration.

Weruva’s Truluxe Steak Frites Dinner with Beef & Pumpkin is served in a sumptuous gravy—which not only entices reluctant eaters to finish their dinner, but also adds moisture to your senior cat’s diet.

What sets this food apart from the rest is its low phosphorus content. While still above AAFCO’s minimums for adult cats, the food has lower phosphorus content than most. This may help to support kidney health. The soft food is also easier for cats with dental problems to eat.

What We Liked:

• Offers a blend of vitamins, minerals, and taurine: essential for your older kitty’s vision and heart health
• Made with grass-fed beef
• 100% grain-free
• Carrageenan-free
• Free from artificial ingredients and meat by-products

What We Didn’t Like:

• Very expensive option

#10 Best for Kittens: Wellness CORE Kitten Classic Paté

• Made In: United States
• Guaranteed Protein: 12% Min
• Age Range: Kitten
• Calories Per Ounce: 36
• Typical Cost Per Day:$3.5 per day

Wellness CORE’s Chicken, Turkey, and Chicken Liver Recipe has everything we look for in kitten food. It’s loaded with nourishing animal protein from turkey, chicken liver, chicken muscle meat, and chicken meal. The dry matter carbohydrate content is below 10%, and it’s a hydrating source of moisture.

While fish oil is the primary added fat in this recipe, herring also supplies animal-sourced omega-3 fatty acids. Both are strong sources of DHA, which contributes to brain and eye development in kittens. Omega-3s also play an important role in supporting healthy skin and coats in cats.

This recipe doesn’t contain any grains or starchy beans, peas, or legumes.

At over 50% crude protein measured as dry matter, this recipe is formulated to support the development of lean mass. It’s also calorie-dense enough to fuel your kitten’s growth at about 36 calories per ounce.

What We Liked:

• Ultra-soft pâté texture is easy for kittens to eat
• Rich in protein and calories
• Hydrating canned food
• Supplemented with fish oil as a species-appropriate source of DHA

What We Didn’t Like:

• Can be quite expensive when feeding a hungry kitten

Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

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