The 15 Best Cat Foods of 2024

Cat foods come in different flavors, forms, and nutritional value. Each type of cat’s food is crafted to take care of cats at different life stages. Some are meant for kittens, while others are for adult or senior cats. Only a few are available for either outdoor or indoor cats.

Since different cats have different nutritional needs, pet food companies have come up with a unique approach to meet the growing demand for the best cat foods. Their aim is not only to make money but to provide nutritionally balanced food for pets such as cats.

Cat food, whether dry or otherwise, is a very convenient way of providing your pet with a well-balanced diet. All you have to do is to spend a few coins and get the best quality food for your feline friends. If you are new to this type of diet, this is the right time to learn a great deal of the best cat foods in the market.

Related:The 14 Best Cat Litter Boxes

Purina Friskies-Canned Wet Cat Food 40 ct

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Purina Friskies-Canned Wet Cat Food comes in forty, 5.5-ounce cans to keep your cat satisfied and healthy. Designed for all ages, this best cat food contains savory gravies that provide extra moisture, and softness for your cat to have an easy time when feeding on it.

Made with real turkey or chicken meat, this wet cat food includes tender chunks in its ingredients to add texture to the entire cat food. Also, it has taurine which is known for its ability to support a healthy vision of your feline friend.

The food is formulated to promote the growth and development of your pet’s muscles. This ingredient helps your cat to stay strong throughout. It is a 100% complete and balanced diet for adult cats. At the same time, it is a wet foot that helps your cat achieve its hydration needs.

This superfood contains different flavors that attract cats and maintain their appetite. Beef bites and chicken flavors are just a few of numerous flavors contained in this wet cat food. These flavors are more than100 in total and create a world of exciting tastes for cats of all ages

Taste of the Wild-Grain Free High Protein Real Meat Recipe-Rocky Mountain Premium Dry Cat Food

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Let your cat experience a Taste of the Wild-Grain Free High Protein Real Meat Recipe-Rocky Mountain Premium Cat Dry Food. This is a type of cat food that comprises smoked salmon and roasted venison to give your pet only the right nutrients. It contains an optimal amino acid, top-quality protein, and other essential nutrients that your little feline friend needs to develop lean, strong muscles.

High protein ingredients found in this product with added vitamins and minerals provide dietary needs for your cat. Additional ingredients include fruits and vegetables which act as superfoods with plenty of hard-working antioxidants. Some of these ingredients are rich in fatty acids that promote healthy skin and coat.

The whole product is made up of ingredients from trusted and sustainable sources in different parts of the world. However, this dry cat food is made without corn, wheat, grain, filler, artificial flavors, food color, or preservatives.

As a nutrient-rich product, Taste of the Wild-Grain Free High Protein Real Meat Recipe is highly digestible. It boasts proprietary probiotics that are species- specific to promote a healthy digestive and immune system in cats and other pets. Each pound of this dry cat food provides up to 80 million, live and active cultures that support your pet’s digestive and immune systems.

In addition, this cat food contains taurine. This is an essential amino acid that is beneficial for every cat and helps to maintain their heart and eyesight health. This great food for pets is all-life stage nutrition, formulated primarily to meet your pet’s nutritional needs.

Blue Buffalo-Wilderness High-Protein Grain-Free Natural Adult Dry Cat Food

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Satisfy your pet’s wild side with Blue Buffalo-Wilderness High-Protein Grain- Free Natural Adult Dry Cat Food. A grain-free formula with more meat, this great food is just perfect for your adult cat. It contains real meat as its first ingredient with a few healthy vegetables and healthy fruits to balance its nutrients.

This food is formulated to promote your cat’s health. This is because it supports healthy muscle development, thanks to high-quality proteins in its ingredients. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids found in this food promote healthy skin and coat.

When it comes to supporting immune system health in your feline pet, this nutritious cat food does not disappoint. It is packed with minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants to make your cat’s immune health strong.

Since it contains LifeSource bits, you can rest assured that your adult cat will benefit more health-wise. This unique formula is a precise blend of essential nutrients needed by your pet. It is carefully selected by holistic vets and animal nutritionists to meet your cat’s all life stage requirements while providing the much-needed healthy oxidative balance.

Additionally, it is formulated specifically to take care of your adult cat’s health and well-being. The food features only the finest natural ingredients to help your pet achieve its dietary needs. It does not contain poultry by-product meals, wheat, corn, soy, food color, preservatives, or artificial flavors. That is why it is considered a healthy treat for your lovely adult cat.

Hill’s Science Diet-Dry Cat Food-Adult Perfect Weight-For Weight Management

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Hill’s Science Diet-Dry Cat Food-Adult Perfect Weight is an ideal cat food designed to help your pet to lose weight. This product is formulated to enable your cat to shed a few kilos in just ten weeks.

That is the reason why it contains 3,409 calories per kilogram to keep your pet in shape and desirable healthy weight. So if your cat is gaining weight at a faster rate, this food is the best remedy.

The same food will support its lean muscle development, transforming it from an ugly chubby cat to an amazingly beautiful pet.

Made with only natural ingredients, this dry cat food can provide your pet with high-quality protein to keep it satisfied between meals. At the same time, it contains low-calorie kibble to reduce hairballs comfortably.

It can also give your kitty a variety of nutrients given that it contains chicken meat and roasted vegetables. Certainly, Hill’s Science Diet-Dry Cat Food- Adult Perfect Weight is a product you can trust.

Royal Canin-Feline Health Nutrition-Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food

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Royal Canin-Feline Health Nutrition-Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food contains chicken as the main nutrient. This cat food is formulated to keep your indoor feline friend happy and healthy most of the time. It helps move hairballs that are usually formed when your cat is grooming itself. These hairballs are usually formed in the digestive system and if they are not removed, they can cause serious health complications.

The controlled calorie content in this food is a plus when it comes to taking care of your indoor adult cat. This calorie content is just ideal for promoting your cat’s leisurely lifestyle as well as a big appetite. As such, your cat is able to maintain its weight by simply taking the right amount of calories. No wonder this diet contains an average of 3,534 kilocalories of metabolizable energy per kilo to keep your cat healthy, strong, and active.

Its crunchy kibble texture plays a significant role in maintaining your cat’s oral hygiene. This is the case, especially when it combines with essential minerals to slow down the formation of tartar. Apart from that, this food’s highly-digestible protein helps increase the digestibility of other nutrients while cutting down the amount of stool and cat litter box odors.

Meow Mix-Original Dry Cat Food

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With the highly delicious flavors of turkey chicken, ocean fish, and salmon, Meow Mix-Original Dry Cat Food is the best choice of dry cat food for your outdoor pet. It boasts a perfect mix that helps you to connect with your lovely cat during mealtime.

This healthy meal comes in four, 3.15 lb bags to meet your cat’s dietary needs. Besides, it is 100 % complete balanced nutrition with all essential minerals and vitamins. These two key nutrients provide your little feline friend with antioxidants it needs to support its long, healthy life.

It also contains high-quality protein that is essential in supporting strong, healthy muscles to keep your pet active throughout. Meow Mix-Original Dry Cat Food is a must-have if you want to raise a happy and jumpy cat in your home. This dry cat food will never disappoint your little pet however much you feed it.

Sheba-Perfect Portions-Cuts in Gravy Wet Cat Food-Tray Variety Packs

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Sheba-Perfect Portions-Cuts in Gravy Wet Cat Food-Tray Variety Packs contains two multipacks of six 2.6 ounces of cat food. These twin packs enable you to make up to 24 servings in total.

Each multipack includes three signature tuna and three roasted chicken entrees to provide your pet with enough protein. These high-quality proteins are covered in delicious and flavorful gravy, which enables your cat to devour them easily.

Crafted with top-quality ingredients containing essential minerals and vitamins, this wet cat food will help your adult cat to access a healthy diet in a few days. This food is also formulated with no corn, gluten, wheat, and soy, making it a safe meal for your cat.

It comes with quick and easy to open trays to save you time. All you will have to do is to pull the lid gently and serve your cat without using can openers or other similar equipment.

Given that it has a perfect portion, you will find it convenient and less messy. You may serve one portion now and serve the other one later.

This soft cat food is what you need to satisfy your feline friend’s needs regardless of whether it has a good appetite or the pickiest appetite. Sheba- Perfect Portions-Cuts in Gravy Wet Cat Food is all that your pet needs to grow healthy, stay active, and look appealing.

IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight and Hairball Control Dry Food

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Designed for all breeds of cats, IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight and Hairball Dry Food is a perfect meal for your pet. Its key benefits are numerous and include hairball care, maintenance of a healthy weight, strong muscles, healthy heart, and skin as well as promoting a glossy coat.

All these health benefits come as a result of high-quality nutrients and ingredients. It uses a proprietary fiber blend which includes pulp to help reduce hairballs. Formulated with L Carnitine to help reduce fat and maintain a healthy metabolism for your feline friend.

Given that the main ingredient is chicken meat, your cat will develop strong muscles and healthy tissue.

It also includes omega-6 which plays a critical role in promoting a glossy coat and healthy skin. This cat food is 100 % complete and balanced nutritionally with no fillers or additives. Vets recommend it for your adult indoor cats as it contains high-quality, premium recipes with safe ingredients.

Racheal Ray Nutrish-SuperFood Blends-Dry Cat Food

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Featuring only top-quality ingredients, Rachael Ray Nutrish-Superfood Blends- Dry Cat Food will provide your cat with many health benefits. The ingredients comprise cranberries and blueberries that are rich in antioxidants to support your cat’s healthy immunity.

Its real superfood blend is a true wonder to your lovely cat because it will take good care of it. Also, this dry cat food comprises fiber-rich lentils which play a significant role in promoting healthy weight and metabolism for indoor cats.

Most importantly, this food is made up of natural prebiotics from dandelion greens and pumpkin to promote your cat’s healthy digestion throughout. An assortment of deliciously flavored recipes come in handy to ensure that your pet’s craving is satisfied.

This product does not use poultry by-products, fillers, wheat, and gluten in its ingredients. Instead, it incorporates fish and chicken meat to balance all nutrients and provide your cat with high-quality protein. This is the reason it uses real ingredients that make a naturally healthy dry cat food for your indoor pet.

Purina Fancy Feast-Grilled Feast in Gravy Canned Wet Cat Food

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If you are looking for wet cat food to satisfy your pet’s desire, look no more. Purina Fancy Feast-Grilled Feast in Gravy Canned Wet Cat Food is here to make your cat happy.

This wonderful cat food comes with extraordinary flavor that will make any cat yearn for more.

Crafted carefully using the best quality ingredients, this wet cat food features tender and slow-cooked meat which takes the largest portion of the ingredients used.

It is prepared using real poultry, beef, or seafood to help your cat achieve its dietary goals. The tender texture and enticing aroma make it easy for your pet to enjoy its meal and even yearn for more.

In addition to that, the light, savoy gravy enhances the overall meal experience for your pet to finish every single morsel. The protein-rich recipe is also a plus as it makes your pet love this food so much.

Each serving is capable of providing your little feline friend with 100% complete and balanced essential nutrients. This grilled recipe is manufactured with pride in the US facilities to give you confidence and quality you can trust all the time.

Purina ONE-Tender Selects Blend-Adult Dry Cat Food

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Purina ONE-Tender Selects Blend-Adult Dry Cat Food comes with an assortment of recipes to help your cat achieve its unique dietary needs.

In just 28 days, this food will transform the appearance of your cat. This is because it is a premium food containing high-quality, purposeful ingredients with numerous health benefits. It provides 100% nutrition with 0% fillers, thus giving your pet the best nutrients it needs to grow strong and stay healthy.

Some of its recipes are entirely natural with minerals, vitamins, and several nutrients to promote your cat’s whole-body health. What’s more, this cat food is grain-free with moisture-rich wet recipes to keep your pet hydrated.

Also, it boasts formulas with enough fiber-rich ingredients to minimize hairballs and keep your cat healthy and happy throughout. By using real meat, fish, or poultry, Purina ONE-Tender Selects Blend-Adult Dry Cat Food assures your pet of a protein-rich meal with high-quality ingredients tailored for specific purposes.

This highly nutritious dry cat food delivers targeted nutrition to cats at all stages of growth and development, especially the adult ones. The formula used in the recipe plays an active role in weight management, taking care of indoor cats, supporting sensitive systems, and promoting urinary health.

Purina Beyond-Grain Free, Natural-Adult Wet Cat Food

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Make your cat feel loved and cared for by serving it with Purina Beyond-Grain Free, Natural-Adult Wet Cat Food. This wet cat food is 100% complete and balanced to provide your feline friend with the right nutrients. Its recipe combines wholesome ingredients known for their great taste and a highly nutritious meal that your cat can possibly appreciate.

Besides, it uses a grain-free and gluten recipe to ensure that your cat gets only the right nutrients it deserves. Some of these nutrients include high-quality protein, carbohydrates, fat, essential minerals, and vitamins to promote your pet’s healthy life.

It also features natural ingredients without artificial colors flavors or preservatives, making it safe for your adult cat. Purina Beyond-Grain Free, Natural-Adult Wet Cat Food comprises real meat, poultry, and fish to assure your cat of a healthy meal.

Apart from that, Arctic Char stands out as the number one ingredient in addition to wholesome vegetable accents such as spinach and others. Choose this adult cat food and your pet will be proud of you as you get value for your money.

Blue Buffalo-Indoor Health Natural-Adult Dry Cat Food

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Show some love to your cat and feed it like one of your family members. Your cat will be happy when you provide it with a highly nutritious, complete, and balanced diet. The diet should consist of a recipe with only the finest natural ingredients full of minerals and vitamins not forgetting protein.

Each of these nutrients plays their own unique roles in keeping your feline friend healthy, active, and strong despite spending most of its time indoors. And the only cat food that can meet your pet’s needs is none other than the Blue Buffalo-Indoor Health Natural-Adult Dry Cat Food. It comprises real meat first with wholesome whole grains and healthy fruits as well as fresh vegetables.

Together these foods work to provide your cat with the best nutrients it needs to survive and lead a comfortable life. These ingredients promote healthy digestion thanks to the presence of high-quality protein and fiber. Carefully balanced proteins combine with fat to help maintain perfect body weight. As such, your cat stays free of chronic diseases and other related health problems.

When it comes to supporting a strong immune system healthy, Blue Buffalo-Indoor Health Natural-Adult Dry Cat Food leads the way. It is rich in essential minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that collectively support your cat’s immune system health.

IAMS-Proactive Health-Adult Dry Cat Food-Chicken and Salmon Recipes

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IAMS-Proactive Health-Adult Dry Cat Food-Chicken and Salmon Recipes are a must-have if you have an adult cat. It contains one, a 22-pound bag of cat food to help your feline friend achieve its health goals. Chicken is the first ingredient that you can find in this protein-rich cat food. This nutrient helps support strong, lean muscles and healthy energy for play.

With high-quality protein and 0% fillers, this cat food is a perfect choice of diet to maintain lean, healthy muscles in your adult cat. This food also features a crunchy cat kibble texture that is vital in reducing plaque buildup in your cat. As a result, your pet will enjoy healthy oral hygiene in all stages of growth and development.

It comes fully loaded with calcium and potassium for nourishing your cat’s healthy heart. The Omega-6 fatty acid in this cat food is another important nutrient that helps to maintain healthy skin and glossy coat. Its tailored blends consisting of beet pulp and prebiotics is a plus as it supports your pet’s digestive health.

Purina Beyond-Grain Free, Natural Wet Cat Food

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Purina Beyond-Grain Free, Natural Wet Cat Food contains premium natural ingredients. It includes regionally sourced Alaskan salmon to provide your adult cat with high levels of protein. This cat food contains grain-free formulas without wheat, soy, or corn.

Its recipe contains protein-rich fish such as Icelandic char and Pacific tuna which act as the number one ingredient. Every ingredient used in crafting this cat food can easily be traced to its trusted source making it a safe and healthy food for your cat.

In general, its recipe is free of poultry by-products, flavors artificial colors, or preservatives to help your cat achieve dietary preferences. On top of that, the recipe is formulated with the right quantities of protein, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, and vitamins to give your cat a 100% complete and balanced diet. Finally, it consists of delicious bits in broth to ensure that your cat gets the best texture.

Best Cat Foods Buying Guide

Of all the pets known to man, cats stand out from the rest. They are lovely, cute, cuddly, and playful. They can live longer and make a perfect pet for you and your family members. That’s why most homeowners keep these little animals to provide that much-needed companionship in their homes.

Most significantly, cats act as custodians in most homes as they can scare away destructive rodents such as mice and rats. They are known to be killing machines when it comes to eliminating snakes and other dangerous small animals. So, there is more to cats than just being household pets.

Just like you, these feline friends need food. Their food should be well- balanced and nutritionally rich to keep them happy, strong, active, and healthy.

A good diet will most likely prevent your cats from falling sick. However, it can be a daunting task for you to know which food is suitable for your pet. This is due to the fact that there are too many different kinds of cat food out there that can confuse you.

Also, there are numerous options on the market that can leave you more confused than before, especially if you do not know where to start and what to buy. That said, you must know about what you are going to purchase for your pet before you make that special trip to any pet store near you. If not, you will find different brands of cat foods and this can be so overwhelming that you may end up buying the wrong cat food.

Now the question is, how do you know the right food for your cat? What ingredients should you look for? What ingredients are suitable for your cat’s health? To help you find the right answers to these questions, we have prepared a comprehensive buying guide that will enable you to make a wise decision about the type of cat food to buy.

What you have to know is that each cat has its own dietary needs. These requirements are based solely on their health conditions, different life stages, and different ages.

For instance, your kitten will require a different kind of food compared to what an adult or senior cat will need. The same case is true with indoor or less active cats in comparison to outdoor or more active cats.

Inactive cats will need a diet that contains fewer calories than what your active cat will have. In this regard, the best cat foods are usually rich in nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins among others.

Keep in mind that carbs need to be low in quantity to avoid cases of your cats becoming overweight. Likewise, you need to provide sufficient amounts of moisture every time you are feeding your pet to help address the need for water.

Below are considerations to make when shopping for your cat’s food:

What to Consider when Buying the Best Cat Food

There are a few factors to consider when looking for different cat foods. Such considerations will act as your guiding principle when choosing the best cat food, whether wet, dry, or gravy. You can take into account the label, amount of protein, ingredients, source of cat food, and digestibility.

Here is an explanation of each one of the aforementioned considerations:

The Label

The label will provide you with relevant information about the type of food you are about to buy. This information is vital as it will determine if that particular food is right for your feline friend or not.

Make sure to check the label well to find out who the food is meant for. Maybe it could be designed for a kitten and your cat is already grown, meaning that it will not be of any help to you or your cat. Check if the same food is designed for outdoor or indoor pets with underlying health conditions. This information will guide you into finding the right food for your cat.

In addition to that, the label will state clearly the quantity of food in each bag or can. This quantity will help you work out the amount of food to serve your pet when feeding it. This means that you will know how many servings you will make for each cat and determine if that food is cost-effective.

Still, on the label, check for the types of ingredients listed on the bag. Ingredients play a significant role in maintaining your cat’s health.

Look at the ingredient that is listed first. This is normally the most important ingredient contained in that particular cat food.

Always avoid settling for byproduct meals. Instead, go for ingredients that are readily available in your fridge to know whether they are nutritionally balanced or healthy for your pet.

Amount of Protein

By now you should be aware that cats are naturally carnivorous. They require animal-based proteins to stay healthy. Protein is a determining factor for the survival of meat-eating animals, cats included.

The type of food you feed your cat should contain not less than 30% of protein. This amount is enough to provide them with their dietary needs on a daily basis.

However, the amount of protein each cat needs depends on the age. Kittens will require a different amount of proteins in their diet. They will need this nutrient to help them grow and develop tissues.

On the other hand, adult cats will need a normal amount of protein in order to maintain their tissue. Older cats will have more protein to help them maintain their tissue and slow down their aging.

Proper Ingredients

Ingredients are a very important component of the best cat food. They help determine the nutritional value of a certain type of cat food. Therefore, you need to consider this factor every day when you go out looking for your cat’s meal.

As a general rule, ensure that you check the first five ingredients listed on the label. Ingredients of your cat’s food matter a lot when it comes to feeding your pet. As a matter of fact, they make up most of the food for your pets.

Cats are not like dogs that can thrive best on carbohydrates. This should tell you that the first five ingredients on your cat’s food should be meat. It could be chicken, fish, or meat not to forget turkey, salmon, or ocean fish meat.

Meat as an ingredient can make cat food to be a little bit costly but it is the best option. It is also the healthiest and most nutritious ingredient for your kitty. Vegetables and fruits can as well be part of this food although in small quantities.

The Source of Cat Food

The source of your cat food is another important factor to consider when shopping for this commodity. Here the source clearly points to the manufacturers of the best cat food. Such manufacturers are closely regulated to ensure that the food is manufactured in the right environment under good hygienic conditions.

Food safety takes a center stage here to ensure that your cat gets the best and stays healthy. In this case, the best option is to go for the US-based cat food companies if you truly want quality that you can trust.

Look out for certain words on the products’ labels. Words such as “free-range”, “grass-fed” and “organic” on the labels can help you find the right product for your pets.

Digestibility

Digestibility of the best cat food refers to the quantity of food and nutrients that your cat can digest and absorb. Digestibility can pose some challenges to your pet due to the belief that a cat can eat some type of food without a problem. But it does not mean that it can digest it well.

So, how do you tell if a certain food is digestible or not? To know whether a cat food is digestible or nor, you must always remember that what is not absorbed is excreted. What it means is that when you see your cat’s waste matter being loose, larger, irregular, and with a foul smell, just know that the food is not digested as required.

Poor quality ingredients such as fillers, food colors, artificial preservatives, and some byproducts are not well-absorbed. These low-quality ingredients are more likely to block your cat’s digestive system, thus affecting the good nutrients that it needs.

High-quality, moisture-rich cat foods can help improve digestion in cats. With good digestion, your kitty will have a good chance to absorb essential nutrients like minerals, vitamins, and others to build the tissues and maintain its health.

What Ingredients are Good for Cat Food?

There are countless ingredients used in making the best cat food. Most of these items are found on the cat food labels. Some of them are well-known while others are difficult to identify. As such, you may find it difficult to tell which ingredients are good for your pet’s food.

Cats are natural predators, meaning that they require meat to stay alive. For that reason, make sure that their diet consists of three main components; high protein, enough moisture, and low carbohydrates.

Protein is important for building and repairing tissue in cats. The best source of protein comes from a wide range of animal products like chicken, beef, venison, eggs, lamb, sardines, salmon, duck, and mussels.

In the wild, cats hunt down their prey and consume it to get the nutrients they require. Evolution has taught these animals to supplement their usual diet with vegetables and some fruits. This is a very significant step given that such foods provide minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants which are equally important for the cats’ well-being.

Manufacturers have also incorporated such nutrients in the cat food to balance the diet. Such vegetables and fruits should be similar to those found in your fridge. They may include carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, berries, and apples. These foods are rich in carbs and other nutrients needed by your cat.

Even though cats need a lot of moisture/water, they are not adapted to easily feeling thirsty. In other words, they don’t drink as much water as they require. But if your kitty can drink its water bowl daily, that is a good sign.

Vets recommend that you provide them moisture through feeding them on wet cat food instead of dry kibbles. Most kibbles are dehydrated because all the moisture has been taken out of them. Wet cat foods, however, are a great source of moisture for your cats if they are not getting enough of it.

Don’t forget to include a few fats to your cat’s diet. Good fats are important ingredients when included in the cat food. They can be found in chicken, beef, and other types of meat. These fats compromise omega-3 fatty acids, also referred to as DHA, EPA, and ALA.

What Ingredients are not Good for Cat Food?

In the same way, you feed your cat some good ingredients, it is also the same way you might be giving it some bad ingredients. There is a list of foods that are not good for your feline friend. Such foods can cause serious health problems for your cat if they eat.

Quite a number of these unsafe ingredients fall under the group of low-quality ingredients. Their source is also a matter of concern, hence their low quality, Most of them are obtained from cheap locations or they are simply nondescript or vague. Some of them may contain harmful substances that could impact your cat’s health negatively.

Foods with such ingredients can be the root cause of health complications like kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, and even obesity in cats. If possible, stay away from ingredients that are of very low quality, Ingredients like artificial colors, flavors, synthetic or artificial preservatives, wheat, corn, sugar, soy, any byproduct, rendered fat, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, and vitamin K.

Oftentimes, health experts recommend that you should go for an ingredient that you can clearly pronounce without any problem. If you cannot pronounce certain ingredients, you should not let your cat eat them. Generally, the best cat food is the one that contains only minimal, natural ingredients.

Is it Right to Give my Cat dry, wet or uncooked Food?

As a cat owner, you must have an idea of what type of food to give your kitty. Whether dry, wet, or raw cat food, rest assured that each one of these categories is beneficial to your pet in one way or the other. They also have their drawbacks which you must be aware of. So, it is prudent that you make up your mind on which food type your cat should eat.

Dry Cat Food

Dry cat food comes with its own advantages to your pet. It is somehow convenient such that you can leave it for your cat to eat at a later date. This type of best cat food can help you save some money in the future because it can last longer than wet or raw foods. It is also important that you let your cat feast on it later when you are not at home.

What’s more, this type of cat food is the most affordable you can think of compared to the other two types. Its longer shelf life is also a plus among those cat owners who want to save money for other projects in their homes.

You should ensure that your cat’s dry food contains all essential nutrients and natural ingredients. The first five ingredients you should look out for must be those from different types of meat as stated above.

Check your cat dry food label to be sure of what you are buying in terms of nutrients and ingredients. No matter how often you feed your pet dry food, make sure to supplement it with some wet cat food, preferably those with natural ingredients like meat, fish, and chicken.

Wet Cat Food

As the name suggests, wet cat food contains high amounts of moisture or water content compared to kibble. They can be very beneficial to your pet because they will provide it with enough moisture to keep it hydrated throughout. Keep in mind that cats don’t naturally drink water until you teach them to use water bowls.

Instead of forcing them to drink from water bowls, you can just give them wet food to help them not only to achieve their dietary requirements but also to have access to water through their food. Wet cat food comes in cans which are usually costly in comparison to dry cat foods. They also have a shorter shelf life, relatively difficult to serve, and not easy to store.

Raw Food

A raw diet is more of a natural type of food that mimics a diet the cats would experience in their natural habitat. It is a diet that is quite different from wet or dry cat food. In the wild, all cats are strictly carnivorous.

They only consume raw meat to stay alive. That said, it will be of great benefit to your kitty to provide it with food similar to that found in its natural habitat. A replica of this food will create a big difference in your cat’s diet. Such a diet is usually free from ingredients such as BHT and BHA.

These two ingredients are in the form of chemical preservatives and can be potentially dangerous to your pet. But preparing raw meat to include it in your cat’s meal every day can be costly for most cat owners.

They can also be time-consuming considering that they are perishable and extremely difficult to store. Due to these two problems, many cat owners overlook the idea of providing their pets with raw foods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it right for me to buy my cat a different type of food based on its life stage?
A: Just like other animals-humans included-cats have their own dietary needs at different stages of their growth and development. As such, they require different cat foods to meet their nutritional needs at a particular stage of their growth.

For intense, kittens will need a special kind of food that will help them grow healthy and develop their tissue. They will need more calories and protein in their diet since they are growing and active at the same time.

On the other hand, senior cats will require food that is low in calories to minimize cases of becoming overweight and develop age-related complications. Consult with your vet to know the type of food that will work best for your cat at different stages of its growth and development.

Q: Do I have to follow the feeding recommendations found on the cat food label?
A: Even though these directives are as important as the food itself, you must know that each cat has different dietary needs. Recommendations on the product’s label can help you go about serving your food the right quantity and at different times of the day. If you are not sure about the listed recommendations, have a word with your local vet to know how much food you can give your cat.

Q: How do I tell when my cat is overweight?
A: There are a few things you will observe in your cat to know if it is overweight or not. The first thing to do is to gently run your hand on your cat’s flank. Your hand should be able to locate and even feel the cat’s ribs.

Another thing is to look down at your cat from above. You will be able to see a narrowing of its waist. Finally, you may look at it from the side to see the narrowing of its body. Should you fail to notice any of the signs mentioned, just know that your cat is overweight or obese.

Q: Can I feed my cat “human” food?
A: You can feed your cat some human food. It does not imply that you should make it a habit of feeding your cat on food that you eat. This habit of providing your cat with food from your kitchen or kitchen increases the chances of giving it something that can affect their health. Also, feeding them treats or table scraps regularly can lead to cases such as gaining too much weight or cause other health complications.

Q: Is it possible for the cat food to go bad?
A: Food is one of the few commodities that are considered perishable. Their shelf-life is usually short. To answer your question, cat food can still go bad just like other types of foods. But this depends on how you keep or preserve it.

For dry cat food, the situation is a little bit different. This type of cat food has a longer shelf life compared to wet and raw foods. You can leave it for your kitty to eat later when you are not around. The food will not go bad and will remain in good condition for a very long time provided that it is not moist or exposed to excess heat.

But wet cat food like canned food cannot stay too long without going bad. This food should not be left out for longer than four hours. Instead, it should be stored in the fridge where conditions are favorable for it.

Always remember to feed your cat before the expiry date of its food. Maintain the best hygienic practices when handling your pet’s food at any given time to prevent it from going bad before the expiration date.

Q: How much water should my cat drink?
A: Just a reminder, your cat is not wired to naturally drink water. But this commodity is one of their requirements besides food. So you must always provide your pet with fresh water throughout the day. This will enable it to digest its food better and faster.

Water is vital as it will help prevent health problems like dehydration or urinary tract infections. Ensure that you give your cat plenty of water, especially when feeding it dry food. You may also give it wet food which has enough moisture to keep your feline friend hydrated throughout.

Q: What could be the reason for my cat to only pick food from the middle of its bowl?
A: This is a common case when the bowl is too deep to the point of preventing your cat from picking its food from the edges.

Cats have whiskers around their mouths. If the bowl is too narrow and deep, your cat is likely to eat from the middle to protect its whiskers from bumping the sides of the bowl. To prevent such cases, you must provide your pet with a bowl that is wider with lower sides so it can comfortably pick its food without interfering with its whiskers.

Q: Should I change my cat’s diet from time to time?
A: Changing your cat’s food depends on you and your pet’s needs. Most of the cats will be contented with one type of food for a very long time while a few will prefer changes in their diet after a few days.

Changing your pet’s diet is also important when it comes to different stages of growth and development. A kitten will not eat the same food when it grows into an adult cat. The same case is true when an adult cat gets old. Changes in diet will help your cat to transition from one stage of growth to another.

Q: What is the right time to transition my pet from kitten to adult cat food?
A: It is recommended that you transition your cat from kitten food to adult cat food at the age of one. The transition should be gradual to prevent your cat from falling sick due to being subjected to a new diet immediately. Watch your cat as it transitions to a new diet to ensure that it does so without problems.

Q:Is it possible to mix dry and wet cat food?
A: Yes! You can easily mix dry and wet cat food to provide your pet with an extra special treat full of different flavors. The mixing of these two types of food is also important when transitioning your cat from dry to wet food. But some cats are comfortable with eating wet food

although they can still be happy to have dry food mixed with wet food in the right proportions.

Conclusion

So far so good. At this moment you are enlightened about the best cat foods that you can give to your feline friend at home. These foods are nutritionally balanced and will keep your pet healthy for a very long time.

They are affordable and save you a lot of time during the preparation as they come already prepared. Mostly, they are processed to last a little bit longer, unlike home-made foods. Their ingredients are carefully picked to meet your cat’s dietary needs. So, you won’t have to worry about supplementing their daily food ration with something else.