The 12 Best Cat Foods of 2020

What is the Best Cat Food ?

Feeding your cat a good diet is one of the most important ways to keep him healthy, and help him live a long life. But what makes a cat food great?

We understand that the choice can be overwhelming, and catchy pet food advertising can sometimes be misleading. Should you go for dry or wet food, or both? Which nutrients are important, and which ingredients should you avoid?

In this article we will discuss the important things to consider when choosing a food for your adult cat. We have also hand picked our favourite dry and wet cat foods, which are all complete and balanced to give your cat everything he needs.

How to Choose an Adult Cat Food?

You should select the best cat food for your own budget, lifestyle, and your pet’s individual needs. You need to consider things like the nutritional content, price range, flavors and if you want dry or canned food.

There are a few important things to consider before choosing a cat food for your kitty. If you keep these in mind you can choose a diet that meets all of your cat’s nutritional needs.

How old is your cat?

Cats have different nutritional requirements at different stages of their lives. For example, kittens require a diet higher in protein and fat than an adult cat, to help them grow and develop properly.  While senior cat food generally has lower calories, with added supplements to support aging joints, and help keep the kidneys healthy. Most regular adult cat foods are aimed towards cats between 1-8 years of age.  

Is your cat neutered?

Neutered cats tend to have a slightly lower metabolic rate than their non-neutered companions, therefore they can easily put on some weight and are at higher risk of obesity.  ‘Neutered’ diets are a good idea for neutered cats, as these diets have a lower level of calories then regular adult diets.

Does your cat have any medical conditions?

If your cat has a medical condition, then a specific diet might help manage his condition better. Prescription diets have been carefully and scientifically created to help support cats through a variety of conditions. There are hypoallergenic diets to help cats with allergies, hairball diets to reduce the frequency of hairballs, and prescription obesity diets to encourage healthy weight loss. Some prescription diets are even an important part of treating certain diseases, such as renal diets to support kidney function and urinary diets to dissolve bladder stones or prevent recurrence. Your veterinarian can advise you if your cat would benefit from a specific diet to help any medical conditions he has.

Is it easy to get the food?

The last thing you want to do is start your cat on a new cat food, and then realize its nearly impossible to get it regularly. Can you get your cat food from your local pet shop or veterinary clinic? If you order online is the shipping expensive, where is it shipped from and how long does delivery take? Its not good to make sudden changes in your cat’s diet every time you run out of the food, or the delivery is delayed.

Does it meet AAFCO standards?

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a voluntary organization in the United States that sets nutritional guidelines for each life stage of an animal’s life. They also set recommendations and guidelines for listed ingredients, how products are labelled and advertised, and making sure feed companies don’t mislead clients.

If the AAFCO statement says the cat food is “complete and balanced” then you know that it is good quality. “Complete” means the product contains all the nutrients that cats require, while “Balanced” means the nutrients are present in the correct ratios.   

Which is Best: Dry or Wet Cat Food?

The debate of dry vs. wet cat food continues to divide veterinarians, pet nutritionists and cat owners worldwide. Everyone has their own opinion on what to feed their cat, and whether dry or wet food is better.

We think that feeding a wet diet or a combination of dry and wet food is best for your cat.

The truth is there are advantages to both types of food, so let’s take a look at each one in a little more detail:

DRY FOOD (kibble)

Dry food is also known as kibble. It can be given on its own as a complete diet, but most commonly it is used along with a wet food option. Dry food is perfect for free-feeding or ad libitum feeding. This is when you allow your cat to browse on food throughout the day as opposed to strict meal-times, and it gives your cat more freedom to choose when she wants to eat. Wet food tends to spoil faster and may attract flies, therefore is not a good option for free feeding.

Pros

• Dry food diets are convenient, easy to feed, and leave less mess
• They have a much longer shelf life than canned food once opened
• Usually cheaper per meal
• Easy to measure out the exact amount of food required
• Dental dry diets: can help reduce the build of plaque and tartar
• Good for free feeding

Cons

• High in carbohydrates, which may promote obesity and diabetes
• Some cats dislike the hard texture of kibble
• Low in moisture, so your kitten will need to have a higher water intake  

WET FOOD (canned)

Most cats seem to prefer the taste, texture and smell of canned food.  Feline wet food is available in a variety of pouches, cans and trays. Single sachets and small cans can be very practical and convenient for single use. However, canned food spoils easily and usually needs to be refrigerated if it’s opened and not used straight-away.

Pros

• Single sachets and tins may be practical for some people
• Meaty content, high in protein and fat
• High water content helps keep your cat hydrated
• May have benefits for the kidneys and urinary system
• Most cats prefer the smell, texture and taste

Cons

• More expensive per serving
• Spoils easily, has a short shelf life once opened
• Can be messy    

Best Adult Dry Cat Food

Now, lets take a look at our six favorite adult cat dry foods. This list has been compiled from our own research and vet recommendations. We have included a variety of brands, some which offer natural and raw ingredients, some are grain-free, and others have a more scientific approach to feline nutrition.  However, each selection is nutritionally balanced to meet the nutritional needs of a normal adult cat.

Let’s take a look at each one in more detail: