Best Cat Food for Your Kitty; Recommended by Vets

The best cat food is the one that offers complete nutrition for your cat and forms a balanced diet for them. Keeping your cat in optimum health is important if you want to have a great relationship with your cat and you do not want to go to the vet every week. Just like canines need the top and best dog food to stay healthy and happy, cats also need high-quality food for great health.

How to choose the best cat food? Which cat food brand is the best? We will answer these questions in this blog. Here, we have explained how you can find and choose the right food for your cat. Also, we have listed down the top picks of the best cat food brands that offer complete nutrition for your cat.

Read on to know more.

What is the Best Cat Food?

The best cat food is rich in animal protein or amino acids and is made with first-grade and clean ingredients. Unlike dogs that do well with carbohydrates and other ingredients, cats have a low tolerance for grains and ingredients other than meat and animal protein. It should be low in carbohydrates and have sufficient nutrients and water to fulfill your cat’s need for water and maintain its digestive health.

However, finding the best cat food could be a bit tricky, especially for the new cat owners. There are a number of cat food brands available in the market, which means that finding the right one could be even difficult. To help you with it, we have gathered a roundup of the best cat food brands in different categories. All of these are great to keep your cat’s optimal health and help you save money also.

Best Cat Food Brands - A Complete Guide

“What is the highest quality cat food?”

Finding good and nutritious cat food could be a bit of a challenge since you come across a number of cat food brands. To ease your difficulty, we have added some of the top cat food brands below.

• Smalls Cat Food
• Ziwi Peak Wet Cat Food
• Authority Chicken Entrée Adult Cat Food Paté Canned Cat Food
• Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine
• Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
• Kirkland Signature Chicken and Rice Formula Cat Food

• Cat Person Chicken & Turkey Kibble
• Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken
• Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Cat Food

• Wellness CORE Kitten Turkey & Chicken Liver Recipe Classic Pate Review
• Blue Buffalo Indoor Health Natural Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Cat Food
• Purina Beyond: Ocean Whitefish and Egg Recipe
• Halo Grain Free Senior Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Dry Cat Food
• Acana Wild Atlantic Dry Cat Food (12 lbs)
• Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate (12-pack)
• Castor & Pollux Organix Dry Cat Food (10 lbs)

Dry, Canned, Grain-Free, and Speciality Cat Food Options

Cat food comes in different kinds and cats with different health conditions may need different kinds of diet. Below, we have listed different cat food brands according to their kind and specialty.

Best Dry Cat Food

• Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Cat Food
• Hill’s Science Diet Indoor Adult Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Adult Indoor Hairball & Weight Control
• Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet for Indoor Cats
• Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Cat Food
• Merrick Before Grain Meat Cat Food
• Nutro Max Dry Cat Food

Best Canned Cat Food

• Newman's Own Organic Grain-Free Turkey & Liver Dinner at Kroger.com
• AvoDerm Natural Indoor Weight Control Cat Food at Petsense.com
• Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Chicken Wet Cat Food at PETCO
• Royal Canin Aging Wet Cat Food
• nstinct Original Grain-Free Pate Recipe Canned Food
• Evanger's Grain-Free Salmon Canned Cat and Dog Food
• Feline Natural Canned Cat Food

Best Cat Food for Indoor Cats

• Purina Beyond Grain-Free, Natural, Adult Dry Cat Food
• Nutro Wholesome Essentials Indoor Dry Cat Food
• 9Lives Dry Cat Food
• Purina Friskies Indoor Adult Wet Cat Food
• IAMS Proactive Health Indoor Weight and Hairball Care Dry Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Indoor Hairball & Weight Control Natural Adult Dry Cat Food
• Diamond Naturals Real Meat Recipe High Protein Dry Cat Food

Best Cat Food for Sensitive Stomachs

• Royal Canin Digest Sensitive Gravy
• Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Adult Dry Cat Food
• Purina ONE Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dry Cat Food
• Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Cat Food
• WholeHearted Healthy Digestion Chicken and Egg Product Recipe Dry Cat Food
• Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Rice Formula Adult Dry Cat
• Halo Sensitive Stomach Holistic Seafood Medley Dry Cat Food

Best Grain-Free Cat Food

• Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Adult Cat Food
• Purina Pro Plan True Nature Grain-Free Formula
• Wellness Core Grain-Free Cat Food Formula
• Weruva Tuna & Salmon Grain-Free Dinner
• Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Recipe
• Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet - Grain-Free

Best Cat Food for Weight Loss

• Blue Buffalo Weight Control Natural Adult Dry Cat Food
• Instinct Raw Boost Recipe for Healthy Weight
• Nulo Duck & Lentils Grain-Free Cat Food
• AvoDern Natural Indoor Weight Control Formula
• Royal Canin Aging Spayed/Neutered 12+ Dry Cat Food
• Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Low Fat Vegetarian Canned Dog & Cat Food
• Solid Gold Fit as a Fiddle, Fresh Caught Alaskan Pollock

Best Cat Food for Older Cats

• Now Fresh Grain-Free Senior Grain-Free Recipe
• Royal Canin Appetite Control Spayed/Neutered Cat Food
• Wild Frontier True to the Hunt Senior Cat Food
• Purina Pro Plan Prime Plus Salmon & Tuna Entree Classic Canned Cat Food
• Wellness Complete Health Grain-Free Senior Dry Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Carnivora Woodland Blend Grain-Free Mature
• Chicken Soup for the Soul Classic Ocean Fish, Chicken & Turkey Recipe

Best Cat Food for Kittens

• Instinct by Nature's Variety Original Kitten Dry Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
• Iams ProActive Health Kitten Dry Cat Food
• Hill's Science Diet Kitten Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
• Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Canned Food
• Wellness Complete Health Kitten Canned Cat Food
• Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Gravy Canned Kitten Food

Best Wet Cat Food Brands 2022

• Wag Wet Cat Food
• Sheba Perfect Portions Pate
• Meow Mix Seafood Selections
• Wellness Complete Health Grain-Free Pate for Kittens
• Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Urinary Tract Health Formula
• Blue Basics Limited Ingredient
• Reveal Limited Ingredients Chicken Breast Wet Cat Food

Best Dry Cat Food for Indoor Cats

• Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dry Adult Cat Food
• Purina Beyond Grain-Free Whitefish and Egg Recipe
• Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Cat Food
• Instinct Raw Boost Dry Cat Food
• IAMS Proactive Health Kitten Dry Cat Food
• Newman's Own Organics Advanced Chicken Formula

Best Quality Affordable Wet Cat Food

• Purina Beyond Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
• Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Canned Food
• Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Cat Food
• American Journey Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
• Weruva Classic Cat Food
• Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Dry Food
• Wag Wet Cat Food, Chicken & Giblets Recipe

Best Cat Food for Kidney Disease

• Hills Prescription Diet Feline K/D
• Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Renal (wet)
• Purina Veterinary Diet Feline NF (Renal Function) wet
• Eukanuba Cat Veterinary Diet Renal Formula
• Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Renal Special RSF26
• Hi-Tor Veterinary Select - New Feline Formula
• Wellness Complete Health Turkey & Salmon Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

Best Cat Food for Constipation

• NomNomNow Fresh Food
• American Journey JMinced Chicken Recipe with Gravy
• Nature’s Variety Pride Instinct Grain-Free Cheshire Chicken
• Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Healthy Kitten Pate
• Merrick Purrfect Bistro Indoor Senior Chicken Recipe
• Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Indoor
• FirstMate Chicej Mean with Blueberries Formule LID

Best Raw Cat Food

• Stella & Chewy’s Chicken Freeze-dried Raw Cat Food
• Primal Chicken & Salmon Grain-Free Raw Cat Food
• Stella & Chewy Duck Duck Goose Freeze-dried Raw Cat Food
• Primal Turkey Nuggets Raw Cat Food
• Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Grain-Free Real Chicken
• Nulo Freestyle Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
• CANIDAE Grain Free Pure Ancestral Diet

Best Cat Food - Wet & Grain-Free

• Nom Nom Chicken Chow Meow
• Smalls Food for Cats
• Instinct Grain-Free Recipe Natural Wet Canned Cat Food
• Weruva Grain-Free Cat Food
• Wellness CORE Natural Grain-Free Wet Canned Cat Food
• Purina Beyond Natural Adult Grain-Free Cat Food
• Blue Indoor Freedom Grain-Free Chicken Recipe

Best Cat Food for Allergies

• Hill's Prescription Diet Hypoallergenic Feline Treats for hypoallergenic cats
• Cat Chow Naturals Dry Cat Food
• Halo Purely For Pets Halo Spot's Stew Natural Dry Cat Food
• I AND LOVE AND YOU All Natural Canned Cat Food Oh My Cod! Pate
• Instinct Grain-Free Wet Canned Cat Food Salmon Flavor
• Blue Buffalo Blue Basics Limited Ingredient Duck & Potato
• Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Cat Food

Best Cat Food for Urinary Tract Health

• Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary Canned Cat Food
• Wysong Uretic Dry Cat Food
• Hill's Prescription Diet Multicare Urinary Care Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Weight Management + Urinary Care Dry Cat Food
• Purina Pro Plan Urinary Tract Health Canned Cat Food
• Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary Feline Cat Treats
• UroMAXX Urinary Tract, Kidney & Bladder Formula

Best Cat Food for Hairballs

• Royal Canin Hairball Care Dry Cat Food
• Hill's Science Diet Urinary Hairball Control
• Purina Hairball Adult Formula Cat Food
• Hill's Science Diet Hairball Control Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Indoor Hairball Control Cat Food
• IAMS Proactive Health Hairball Care
• Feline Greenies SmartBites Hairball Control Treats

Best Cat Food for Shedding

• Taste of the Wild Canyon River Grain-Free Recipe
• American Journey Salmon Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
• I and Love and You Savory Salmon Pate Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
• NomNomNow Fresh Food
• Nature’s Variety Instinct Healthy Cravings Salmon Recipe
• Go! Sensitivity + Shine LID Duck Recipe Grain-Free Dry Food
• Redbarn Naturals Salmon Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

Best Organic Cat Food

• Organix Organic Canned Cat Food
• Newman’s Own Advanced Cat Dry Formula
• Rachael Ray Nutrish Zero Grain Natural Dry Cat Food
• Newman’s Own Premium Canned Formulas for Cats
• Tender & True Organic Cat Food
• Natural Planet Organics All Life Stages Dry Cat Food
• Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Market Nuggets

Best Cat Food for Diabetic Cats

• ROYAL CANIN Feline Glycobalance Morsels In Gravy
• NomNomNow Wet Cat Food
• Crave Grain Free High Protein Wet Cat Food
• Ziwi Peak Grain-Free Canned Cat Food Recipe
• AvoDerm Natural Tuna
• Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Wet Cat Food
• Purina Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic Management

Best Limited Ingredients Cat Food

• Natural Balance LID Green Pea and Salmon Recipe Dry Food
• Petcurean Go! Limited Ingredient Duck Recipe Dry Food
• Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Rabbit Formula Canned Food
• Blue Buffalo Basics Grain-Free Indoor Fish & Potato Recipe
• Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet (Rabbit)
• Merrick 24 Count Limited Ingredient (Real Turkey)
• Go! Sensitivity + Shine Limited Ingredient - Duck Recipe

Best Cat Food for Smelly Poop

• Smalls for Smalls Fresh Chicken Pate
• NomNomNow Fresh Food Delivery Service
• FirstMate Chicken Meal With Blueberries Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dry Food
• The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Turkey Recipe Dehydrated Cat Food
• Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Game Bird Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
• Natural Balance Salmon & Chickpea Formula LID Dry Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Basics LID Grain-Free Duck & Potato Formula Dry Food

Best Soft Cat Food

• Blue Wilderness Wild Delights High Protein Meaty Morsels
• Halo Holistic Grain Free Natural Wet Cat Food
• Wellness Complete Natural Wet Canned Cat Food
• Instinct Ultimate Natural Wet Canned Cat Food
• Hill's Science Diet Adult Wet Cat Food
• Ziwi Peak Grain-Free Canned Cat Food Recipe
• Blue Healthy Gourmet Adult Pate Cat Food

Best Tasting Cat Food

• Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
• Hill’s Science Diet Kitten Healthy Cuisine Roasted Chicken & Rice Medley Canned Food
• Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Real Rabbit Recipe Wet Canned Cat Food
• PetGuard Fish, Chicken & Liver Dinner Canned Cat Food
• Purina Muse Natural Ocean Whitefish & Mackerel Recipe Grain-Free Pate Canned Cat Food
• Friskies Extra Gravy Pate Variety Pack Canned Cat Food
• Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Poultry & Beef Feast Variety Pack Canned Food

Best High Protein Cat Food

• Purina Beyond Grain-Free, Natural, Adult Dry Cat Food
• Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Premium High Protein Dry Cat Food Rocky Mountain – Roasted Venison and Smoked Salmon
• Crave Grain Free High Protein Dry Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free, Natural Adult Cat Food
• Purina One Natural Adult Canned Food
• Orijen Cat & Kitten Dry Food Recipe (Dry)
• Merrick Backcountry Real Rabbit Recipe Cuts Wet Food

Best Dry Cat Food for Diarrhea

• Stella and Chewy's Freeze-Dried Dinner Morsels for Cats
• Primal Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Cat Food
• Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Green Pea & Duck Formula Grain-Free Cat Food
• Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Cat Food
• Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Chicken Recipe Adult Cat Food
• Applaws Cat Pots Chicken and Rice

Best Wet Cat Food for Kittens

• Hill's Science Diet Kitten Canned Cat Food
• Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Loaf
• Purina Pro Plan Kitten Canned Wet Food
• Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Canned Food
• Hill's Science Diet Chicken & Rice Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Pate Kitten Variety Pack
• Wellness Natural Pet Food Grain-Free Wet Canned Food

Best Cat Food for Outdoor Cats

• Purina Cat Chow Grain Free, Natural Dry Cat Food, Naturals With Real Chicken
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Cat Food
• Meow Mix Original Choice Dry Cat Food
• Special Kitty Outdoor 44 Lbs Bag of Dry Cat Food
• IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH High Protein Adult Dry Cat Food with Chicken & Salmon Cat Kibble
• Royal Canin Adult Fit & Active Dry Adult Cat Food
• Purina Friskies Dry Cat Food, Seafood Sensations

Vet Recommended Cat Food for Cats with Skin Allergies

• Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo BLUE Basics Limited Ingredient Cat Food
• Hill's D/D Skin and Food Sensitivities Canned
• Instinct Limited Canned Cat Food for Allergies
• Feline Natural Hypoallergenic Canned Cat Food
• Halo Purely For Pets Halo Spot's Stew Natural Dry Cat Food
• Cat Chow Naturals Dry Cat Food

Best Cat Food with Taurine

• Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
• NomNomNow Cat Food
• American Journey Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
• Fussie Cat Premium Tuna with Salmon Formula
• The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Chicken Recipe
• BFF OMG Rainbow-a-Gogo Variety Pack Wet Food
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Recipe Grain-Free

Best Cat Food for Cats with Hyperthyroidism

• Hill’s Prescription Diet Thyroid Care y/d Feline Canned
• Nom Nom Chicken Chow Meow
• Hill’s Prescription Diet y/d Thyroid Care Original Dry Cat Food
• Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Real Lamb Recipe Canned Cat Food
• Wellness Complete Health Pate Chicken Entreé
• Feline Natural Chicken & Venison Feast Cat Food
• Solid Gold Indigo Moon with Chicken & Eggs Grain-Free

How to Find the Right Cat Food for your Kitty?

Finding the right and the best cat food to feed your cat is important. When choosing cat food, consider the following key factors.

• Choose canned food over dry food. Since cats are less accustomed to drinking water, canned food has water and this is why it is better for cats’ digestive systems.
• Check the food label and make sure that it is AAFCO compliant and has the needed nutrients in a balanced amount.
• Check the kind of meat it has; chicken, lamb, beef or turkey. Avoid food that does not mention the kind of protein.
• Change the food regularly after a few months or mix dry and canned food for more variety of food. Like us, cats also like variety to avoid boredom.
• Avoid the cat food that has artificial flavors, chemical preservatives, cornmeal, and other carbohydrate fillers.
• Choose the food that is according to your cat’s age, health condition, and activity level. Indoor cats usually need fewer ‘heavier’ meals than outdoor cats.

Choosing the right cat food is important because good health is important for your cat also. Having a healthy cat means more time with your feline friend and a healthy cat imparts fewer allergies also. Though there are some hypoallergenic cats that shed less, keeping your cat healthy and clean inside out will also lessen the chances of cat allergies.

Natural, Organic, Human-Grade - What Do Different Cat Food Labels Mean?

A cat food label tells you a lot about the contents of the food. However, understanding these labels is becoming bizarre with each day. Since people want to make sure that their cat’s food is as safe and carefully made as possible, terms like ‘scientifically formulated’ have entered the scene.

Below are some types of ingredients that you will usually find on cat food.

• Natural

  Natural or ‘all-natural’ means that the food is made with all-natural ingredients. As per the FDA guidelines. Food having ‘natural’ labels must be prepared without any chemicals and genetic alterations.

• Organic

  Organic cat food is all the rage nowadays but, you must understand that organic does not mean wholesome. While it does tell you about the kind and quality of ingredients used in the food, it does not tell you if that would be nutritious for your cat. It could be just as bad as any other cat food so it is important that you choose carefully.

• Human-Grade

  For human-grade status, the food should be made with human-quality ingredients. However, this is not all, other than the ingredients, the food must be prepared in a USDA-inspected human food processing factory or facility. This also does not mean that the food is prepared with better ingredients.

Having a healthy cat means more time with your feline friend and a healthy cat imparts fewer allergies also. Though there are some hypoallergenic cats that shed less, keeping your cat healthy and clean inside out will also lessen the chances of cat allergies.

We hope that you have learned all about the best cat food brands and what they offer. No matter if your kitty is picky or not, there are plenty of options out there for them to eat healthily!

If you're still unsure of how to find their perfect match, contact your vet today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top 5 healthiest cat foods?

The top 5 healthiest cat foods that are also easy on your pocket are as follows:

• Weruva Paw Lickin' Chicken Formula. ...
• Purina Beyond Dry Cat Food (Salmon) ...
• Merrick Purrfect Bistro Canned Pâté (Chicken) ...
• Rachael Ray Nutrish Kibble Recipe (Chicken) ...
• American Journey Dry Cat Food (Salmon)

What cat food do vets actually recommend?

The best brands recommended by vets are Science Diet, Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan, and Eukanuba. If these brands are too expensive, they recommend "any of the Purina lines such as Purina One, or Purina Cat Chow".

Should cats have dry or wet food?

Dry food is cheaper and easier to use. However, cats with lower urinary tract disease, constipation, or who are overweight should eat wet food. Dry food can be a way to provide a lot of calories to thin cats who have a limited appetite.

Is it OK to mix wet and dry cat food?

Yes! You can mix wet cat food and dry cat food for your pets. It is a good way to make sure they get what they need. But be careful of overfeeding them because it can cause obesity!

Do cats get tired of eating the same food?

Yes, cats can get bored of eating the same type of food every day. That's why vets recommend mixing up your cat's food with wet and dry food.