As owners of beautiful felines, we want to keep our furry friends as healthy as possible for as long as we can. Most pet owners realize that feeding our cats a high quality diet is one of the very best ways to do that. However, finding the best cat food for your pet can be somewhat confusing, the choices may seem endless and there is no shortage of debate and controversy when it comes to caring for our felines.
The benefits of cat food go far beyond keeping your cat full on a day-to-day basis. Studies indicate that feeding your kitten the right cat food can improve metabolism, promote long-life, and eliminate or delay veterinary expenses for a number of serious medical conditions prone to felines. Compared to cat accessories such as the best cat litter box and more, cat food is considered to be cat’s necessity.
In order to purchase just what it is our cats’ need, you need to understand that the purring bundle of fur on your lap is truly an obligate carnivore. It may not seem likely, but even domestic cats are predators by ancestry, meaning that their genetic makeup requires the tissue of other animals to thrive.
With this is mind, us as cat owners must also take the time to consider what type of cat food products are best suited for our particular feline given our lifestyles, age, activity, health concerns, and breed. Remember, diets are the brick-and-mortar of our health, and it is no different for our kittens. The type of cat food that we purchase has a direct effect on the current and long-term health of our feline friends.
With such a diverse array of cat food products available on the market, it can be challenging as a cat owner to find the product that best fits your need. Either it can be dry or wet cat food and whether you are willing to make a significant investment in the best quality for your kitty, or planning to buy a cat food on a budget, it’s important to take several factors into account, including the age of your kitty, health concerns, lifestyle, and other considerations that may be important to you.
Comparison Chart
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Best Cat Food Reviews
1. 9Lives Dry Cat Food
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Provide your indoor cat with the nutrition that he or she needs throughout each day and at every life stage on a budget, with the great taste they want and the ingredients they need to help provide a long and healthy life.
Product Highlights
Contains nourishing ingredients and essential vitamins that help your cat maintain a healthy weight and metabolism. Choose from Protein Plus, Daily Essentials, Indoor Complete, Lean and Tasty, and Plus-Care, to find the perfect formula for your cat’s needs. Each formula contains a balanced nutrition and antioxidants for healthy immune system support, along with an optimal balance of vitamins and high quality protein for energy and lean muscles. Omega 3 fatty acids also help to promote a healthy coat and skin while taurine helps maintain your feline’s vision and heart health. Promotes senior health and longevity by reducing pH for urinary tract health. It has selenium and Vitamin E for healthy immune system protection.
What’s to like about the 9Lives Dry Cat Food
9Lives Dry Cat Food an affordable cat food choice. We love it comes in your choice of 5 complete and balance cat food formulas formulated for different stages of life. Quality ingredients and essential vitamins are sure to promote long-life and overall health for your indoor kitty no matter their lifestyle.
What’s not to like about the 9Lives Dry Cat Food
Unfortunately this brand of cat food is not grain-free. High grain content pet foods can contribute to sickness, allergy problems, and even obesity. Cats that are accustomed to a high-protein diet may find it difficult getting used to this food and could have stomach problems relating to sickness and diarrhea when they first switch to this food. Furthermore, 9Lives did not offer a formula for kittens.
PROS
- checkAffordable cat food choice
- checkComplete and balance cat food
- checkQuality ingredients and essential vitamins
CONS
- It is not grain-free
- cats may find it difficult getting used to this
- Not for kittens
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2. Purina Friskies Tasty Treasures
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Purina has over 90 years’ experience in providing pet nutrition and blending quality ingredients with cat-enticing tastes. Feed your cat Purina Friskies Tasty Treasures with the knowledge that you’re little not only getting what she wants, but also what she needs.
Product Highlights
It is made with real cuts of meat, poultry, and fish, for the high-quality nutrition that felines crave. Eight delicious flavor options promises to promote lean muscle strength and taste. Accented with tastes of cheese and real bacon and served in a flavorful gravy or sauce. Offers a complete and balanced nutrition. Packed with essential minerals and vitamins to support an active life. Perfect for a daily meal lasting almost a month.
What’s to like about the Purina Friskies Tasty Treasures
Cats devour Purina Friskies Tasty Treasures. Because it’s wet, your cat is also getting valuable moisture that he or she needs. Plus, these delicious diets offer complete and balanced nutrition. Since each can may be divided into several meals, these tasty treasures are actually great for the price.
What’s not to like about the Purina Friskies Tasty Treasures
As with all wet foods, you want to be sure that your cat also has the ability to promote teeth health. Supplementing your wet food with dry food every now again can help to ensure that your cat’s teeth are kept healthy. This cat food does contain some fillers and artificial flavors that aren’t nutritionally beneficial.
PROS
- checkYour cat is getting valuable moisture it needs
- checkComplete and balanced nutrition
- checkIrresistible tastes
CONS
- Contains fillers
- Have artificial flavors
- Less natural ingredients
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3. Hill’s Science Diet Indoor Dry Cat Food
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Next to veterinary care, the diet that we feed our cats is the most important aspect to feline guardianship. If you are searching for a quality cat food that gives them everything they want and more, Hill’s Science Diet is worthy of your consideration.
Product Highlights
Optimal balance of nutrients essential for every unique need and life stage. Made in the USA, with important ingredients. All-natural ingredients and high-quality proteins, plus amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. Contains absolutely no artificial preservatives or flavors. Premium cat food product that support your feline’s happiness and health.
What’s to like about the Hill’s Science Diet Indoor Dry Cat Food
We like that Hill’s Science Diet doesn’t contain any artificial flavoring or preservatives. It comes in four easy to understand formula options: Kitten, Adult, Adult 7+, and Adult 11+. This dry food contains ingredients especially to promote a healthy immune system, along with eye, heart, kidney, and joint health.
What’s not to like about the Hill’s Science Diet Indoor Dry Cat Food
While most vets and cat owners are happy with Hill’s Science Diet ingredients and formulas, some users thought that the size of the kibble could have been better suited for smaller sized cats. Although this product is made in the USA, ingredients are imported.
PROS
- checkNo artificial flavoring or preservatives
- checkPromotes healthy immune system
- checkBalanced essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals
CONS
- Size of the kibble(small)
- Uses imported ingredients(expensive)
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4. Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Cat Food
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You wouldn’t give your child anything but the best, so why wouldn’t you treat your cat the same way? If you are searching for a top-notch cat food that has everything your cat needs and more, place Wellness Complete Health at the top of your list.
Product Highlights
Provides your feline friend a complete and balanced every-day diet with high quality proteins and healthy grains. Wellness places a special focus on the nutrition that cats need to stay healthy and fit throughout an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. Formulas are not only delicious, they provide a nutrition that cats need for a long and healthy life. Comes in 7 formulas, including Chicken and Rice, Hairball Control, Healthy Weight Chicken and Turkey, Indoor Chicken, Salmon, Senior Chicken, and Kitten. Essential minerals and vitamins help to promote over vitality and fitness, while premium all-natural ingredients contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, meat by-products, coy, corn, and wheat.
What’s to like about the Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Cat Food
Wellness Complete Health is one of the best all-natural dry cat foods available on the market today. We love that Wellness provides various formulas to combat specific common health problems among cats, along with a variety of flavors that cats love. Wellness formulas work well for more active outdoor cats as well as indoor and doesn’t contain any non-nutritional fillers and artificial flavors.
What’s not to like about the Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Cat Food
While people (and cats) generally have very good things to say about this cat food it is on the higher end of the cost spectrum. The bag sizes were also smaller than other brands offer, although this is generally preferred to preserve freshness.
PROS
- checkAll-natural dry cat food
- checkCombat specific common health problems
- checkCompleted and balanced diet
CONS
- Available packaging are small
- Premium food at a slightly expensive cost
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5. Meow Mix Savory Morsels Cat Food
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Looking for a delicious wet cat food that will have your cat meowing for more? Than look no further than Meow Mix Savory Morsels.
Product Highlights
Come in your choice of a convenient 12 or 24 packs and a variety of delicious flavors including Beef, Chicken Breast, Seafood Entrée, Seafood Favorites Variety Pack, and Seafood Selections Variety Pack. Contains wholesome and flavorful ingredients that cats like. Contains bits of real meat and delicious gravy. High quality proteins and balanced nutrition. Helps to maintain the overall health of your adult cat and kittens.
What’s to like about the Meow Mix Savory Morsels Cat Food
Meow Mix Savory Morsels contains actually shreds of real meat that you can see. The smell is strong and attractive for cats, while wholesome nutrients and ingredients are at the top of their list.
What’s not to like about the Meow Mix Savory Morsels Cat Food
Some of the flavor combinations do contain some fillers and additives, which don’t add any nutritional value for your feline. Unfortunately, many cats turned their nose up at this food and did not favor it as much as other wet cat food providers.
PROS
- checkContains actual shreds of real meat
- checkSmell is strong and attractive for cats
- checkNutrients and ingredients are premium
CONS
- Contains fillers
- Contains additives
- Some cats might not get attracted
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BUYER’S GUIDE
Nutrition for your feline is important. The best way to maintain your cat’s health is with a high quality diet. Just like people, eating poor foods will cause obesity and poor health – in animals this also includes a poor coat.
Cats are naturally carnivores, meaning that their diet doesn’t require carbohydrates. Grains are typically found in pet food because it makes them cheaper and they are needed to form kibble. They are present in most cheap cat foods.
If you want to learn more about the quality of your cat’s food, browse the ingredients on the side of the box or bag. Here’s what to look for:
Key Feature 1: Complete and Balanced
Pet food that is available for commercial purchase in the U.S. is required to be nutritionally complete and balanced by the AAFCO. This gives the owner a certain degree of certainty that their furry friend will consume the minimum combination of minerals, vitamins, fiber, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to meet their needs.
Key Feature 2: Named Protein Source
Protein is by far the most important ingredient to search for in your cat’s food. Look for products that have a specific protein source other than “meat”, such as salmon, lamb, turkey, chicken, beef, etc. By regulation, a product that advertises “Chicken” or another meat must contain 25% of that specific protein.
Key Feature 3: Avoiding Carbohydrates and Fillers
Your cat is a natural obligate carnivore, meaning that they need meat to thrive. This also means that they don’t need carbohydrates. In fact, this is hard for your cat to digest and allergies can be triggered. However, dry foods require some level of “fillers” to hold the ingredients together. Look for potato starch, sweet potatoes, and green peas over wheat and corn.
Key Feature 4: Made in U.S.A.
Excess calories found in highly processed foods have led pets to suffer from a variety of health problems. Internationally, pet foods have been known to cause kidney failure and even death. For this reason, it’s important to purchase pet food products from a country that has strong regulations in place to protect the health of your pets. This key feature is also common among other pet consumables such as the best cat shampoo and more.
Cat Food F.A.Q.
Does cat food give my cat all of the nutrition that him/her needs?
Foods that are labeled, “Complete and Balanced”, “Complete”, or something similar will give your cat the minimal daily nutrition that is needed without the need for additives or supplements. Foods that are labeled “supplemental feeding” or “intermittent feeding” are designed to meet all of your cat’s needs nutritionally.
“Complete and Balanced” always a healthy choice?
Pet owners should keep in mind that AAFCO protocols, such as Complete and Balanced Nutrition are the “minimum necessary” to meet requirements. Just because a food is labeled “completed and balanced” doesn’t mean that is the best product for your cat nutritionally, but rather that is meets minimum regulations for pet food sale.
What is the best type of food for my cats?
In order to feed our cats the best type of cat food, we must learn to identify foods that best mimic a feline’s natural prey – in composition. Food that has already been processed should contain the right amount of moisture your cat needs, with the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, and species appropriate ingredients. Look for food contains:
- High amounts of animal-based proteins
- Contain little to no plant-based ingredients
- Doesn’t contain grain
- Is low in carbohydrates (contains few starches)
FINAL VERDICT
Nutrition for your cat is important, so it’s only natural that you want to feed them a high quality diet to preserve their health. Although high quality foods cost more, they could save you an expensive visit to the vet.
While you are looking for the best cat food diet for your feline, keep in mind that cats are carnivores, and their species appropriate diet requires meat and little carbohydrates. For this reason, it’s important to avoid high-grain content foods in favor of safe carbohydrates.
If you want to feed your cat the best food on the market, we recommend Product 4: Wellness Complete Health as a high-quality option. Wellness Complete Health goes above and beyond complete and balanced nutrition by providing delicious, high-quality ingredients that contain no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Serve your cat with the confidence that you aren’t giving them any wheat, soy, corn, or meat by-products.
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Plus, Wellness Complete Health is made entirely in the USA and backed by Wellness Guarantee. If you want to serve your cat the best cat gifts available, these are important factors to consider.