Cats are fussy eaters, right? Not necessarily. Sometimes it is simply a matter of finding the food that they want to eat, rather than forcing them to eat what we think they should!
We spend lots of time thinking about food for ourselves, but only recently has cat food taken on the same attention in mainstream life. But it makes sense. Just like not all people like the same flavors or textures of foods as others, why should all cats? And with all the different types of cat food that are now on offer, ranging from traditional cat foods to home delivery options, having different options has never been easier.
However, picking the right food can be a more challenging part of the process. So, here are some reviews of some options that we like, to help you find the right food for your feline friends!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
The 10 Best Best Vet-Recommended Cat Foods
1. Royal Canin Indoor Adult – Best Overall Dry
Royal Canin is a well-known brand of pet food, and rightly so. Their foods are designed by a team of veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists, so the food is both well-liked by cats, and provides them a healthy, balanced diet. This food combines a great value for the indoor cat, meeting their needs for caloric intake, dental health, and even help with hairballs. It’s a convenient option that is tasty and healthy, so it gets our recommendation for best overall dry cat food.
2. Purina Pro Plan Focus – Best Overall Wet
Purina is a traditional maker of pet foods, so it has a long reputation in the industry for making quality foods. This is one of the best wet cat foods for the money, balancing both quality and value. And it’s easy to find, making it a great option for all-around feeding. It can also be made part of a diet, if you choose to feed a combination of wet and dry.
3. Purina Cat Chow Naturals – Best Value
Another Purina winner, again, for multiple reasons. This food is easy to find in most stores, and is backed by the reputation of one of the leading pet food manufacturers. The balance of ingredients, availability, and cost make this our top choice for best value cat food!
4. Friskies Classic Pate Variety Pack – Best Canned Food Variety Pack
Friskies is another pet food brand that has been tried-and-tested for many years, with cats still loving the many flavors they produce. For cats that prefer a variety of flavors (who wouldn’t?), this multi-pack of canned food offers variety at a great value. Better, this variety pack is easy to find at most stores, online, or in person. The tops are easy to open, as well.
5. Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast – Best Gravy Cat Food
For a brand that mixes quality and value, Fancy Feast is a great go-to. Easy-pop cans in a smaller size make great meals, or accompaniments for cats that aren’t chow hounds. Extra moisture from the gravy and the canned food make this a great choice for overweight cats, as well as for cats that could benefit from higher moisture content of canned food.
6. Science Diet Adult Sensitive – Best Overall for Sensitive Stomachs or Skin
Science Diet Adult Sensitive is a great choice for some cats that just seem to have a tougher time finding a food that agrees with them. Whether than means a cat with chronic food upchucking, constantly itchy skin, or stools that are always a bit on the soft side, this food might be the next thing worth trying.
7. Iams Proactive Health Sensitive – Best Alternative Value for Sensitive Cat
Another choice for cats with sensitive skin or GI systems, that also offers unbeatable value, is Iams Proactive Health Sensitive. This dry food also uses a combination of prebiotic fibers to support healthy digestion, as it is made to be easily digestible.
8. Royal Canin Dental Diet – Best Prescription Dental Diet
Tooth brushing at home can be a nightmare when it comes to cats, though it can be a helpful way of addressing dental disease before it becomes a major issue. Therefore, if tooth brushing isn’t an activity loved by your cat, Royal Canin Dental Diet can be a great alternative to help them maintain optimal dental health.
9. Science Diet Dental Diet – Best Non-Prescription Dental Diet
For owners or cats that aren’t sure if they are going to like dental foods, Science Diet Dental Diet can be a great non-prescription option, which can be found in many pet stores.
10. Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken – Best Grain-Free Wet Food
Tiki Cat is a newer cat food brand that was originally known for their wild and realistic looking cat food concoctions. Fast forward to the current selection, that looks more like human food than cat food, and you have a winner with many cats and cat owners alike.
Buyer’s Guide
Ultimately, how do you pick a good food for your cat? Hopefully, the above list introduced some of the foods we favor in our own feline households. That said, there are always multiple factors to consider when picking the right food for your cat. Reading consumer reviews on multiple sites, asking friends, your vet, and other cat owners what they feed can give you some consensus on what certain cats may like (or not like). After that, it starts to get a bit more interesting.
Cats can certainly have personal preferences, just like people. They may prefer dry over wet food, or a certain texture. For instance, a cat may not like all wet foods, just chunky ones, or just pates. It is important to try many different options when your cat is young, if possible, to find out exactly what they like.
For instance, flavors can also be an important factor for cats. So, if they don’t like a poultry-based food, try out a seafood or beef recipe to see if you get a different response.
Cats can also have preferences for certain kibble sizes and shapes. Some of this can be dictated by the breed of cats. For example, shorter-faced cats, like Persians, may prefer different kibble characteristics than a Maine Coon cat. If you do have a purebred cat, consider asking your vet if a breed-specific diet is an option, as they often take these specific factors into consideration.
Next, you want to ensure you meet any specific medical needs your cat may have. This can include conditions such as food allergies, which hugely impact what food choices your cat may have. Other medical issues can include chronic kidney disease, which might need restricted minerals, or higher moisture or protein contents. Cats with liver disease, are underweight or overweight, and those recovering from illnesses, are all other categories of cats that might need a specific diet or type of food. Generally, these are selected with help from your cat’s vet.
Even when picking a general food for a happy, healthy adult cat, it is hugely important to consider the company making the food you purchase, in addition to the value, availability, and your cat’s like or dislike of the food on offer.
Unfortunately, in recent years, pet foods have made the news for containing imbalanced vitamins and minerals, or for being contaminated with bacteria—all of which you don’t want your cat eating. Some of these ended up in recalls in recent years. For instance, Melamaine, an organic compound, was substituted for protein from an ingredient supplier to a number of brands in the early 2000s—making many cats and dogs quite sick. Unfortunately, some even died as a result of the severity of the contamination.
Avoid contaminated cat foods by sticking to the brands that have been around for a long time, as they are often more likely to catch issues with food batches early on, or to prevent them altogether. Botique foods may sound fun and good for your cat, but that isn’t always the case. Remember, we still don’t know nearly as much about pet nutrition as we would like. Just because there is medical data available with regards to people (for instance, gluten allergies), it doesn’t always mean the same information translates to our pets. If in doubt, talk to your cat’s vet!
When purchasing food, know food is usually at a better value when purchased in larger quantities. Once you know what your cat likes, this can be an easier process. Keep in mind that many pet food brands do offer satisfaction guarantees. This generally means that, if you purchase a food and your cat doesn’t like it, they will refund a portion of the purchase price. Some companies, such as Royal Canin and Science Diet, will often refund the entire purchase price, with certain conditions. There are mixed opinions about whether you should stick only to one food, or alternate between different kinds to get your cat used to different foods. Every cat is different, so it’s worth speaking with your vet to see what works best for you and your cat.
When transitioning your cat to a different food, there are some general rules of thumb for switching from one to the other, in order to prevent gastrointestinal upset. Traditionally, this was to start with a 75:25 blend of old and new foods, and gradually swap this ratio around every 24-48 hours, until only feeding them the new food. This isn’t always the suggestion anymore. If you think about it—we can go from eating Thai food, to burgers, to Mexican food—often without any ill effects. So why should our pets be any different? That’s not to say that some cats don’t have extra sensitive systems. So find what works best for your cat, and stick to that route!
Final thoughts about cats, and comparing wet (or canned) food versus dry food. Whether in packets, pouches, or cans, wet food is a great option to include in your cat’s daily diet. Canned wet food, by nature, contains higher water content than dry food. With cats, higher water content is believed to promote urinary tract health. This can become even more important in cats with chronic kidney disease, or issues with certain urinary stones or crystals.
Conclusion
Picking a cat food is not a simple challenge, but hopefully these reviews help make the process slightly easier. We’ve picked out top choices, for a combination of availability, taste, and value—plus, they are simply good healthy foods to feed your cat.
Our choice for best overall dry food for adult cats is Royal Canin’s Indoor Adult. We love how most cats find it tasty, and it meets all the needs of a typical indoor cat—including calorie control, hairball help, and healthy ingredients. Its rave reviews indicate that it should be a strong consideration as a new dry food for your cat.
Equally important, we found that Purina Pro Plan Focus wet food was the best overall canned food for cats—not only for taste, but also for being easy to find in stores or online, and for keeping cats healthy.
For best value overall, we like Purina’s Cat Chow Naturals—a classic dry food found at pet and grocery stores alike, making it easy to grab in a hurry, and also well-liked by most cats. This food has the added benefit of not having artificial ingredients or coloring, making it a great alternative for those looking to be a bit more health savvy.
Featured Image Credit: AJR_photo, Shutterstock
