The Best Healthy Cat Food
As a cat owner, keeping your feline friend happy and healthy is one of your top priorities. Choosing a cat food that meets your cat's nutritional needs and life stage can help keep them in good health for years to come. With so many options available, finding a healthy cat food can be a challenging task. To help you with your search, we've rounded up some of the best cat foods the internet has to offer.
What to Look For
We recommend keeping the following three things in mind when shopping for cat food: Does it have a healthy balance of animal protein, healthy fats, and essential nutrients? Is it appropriate for your cat’s life stage? Does it have a flavor your cat enjoys? Our favorite was the cat food from Iams, which provides balanced nutrition and has a proprietary fiber blend to help prevent hairballs. We were also impressed by the cat food from Rachel Ray, which contains a superfood blend designed to meet the nutritional needs of indoor cats. Keep reading to learn more about our top picks and find the right one for your cat.
Iams Proactive Adult Indoor Dry Cat Food
Smart nutrition
Chicken and turkey come together in this cat food from Iams to create protein-rich, nutritionally-balanced meals for your feline friend. It’s fortified with essential fatty acids to keep your kitty’s coat shiny and healthy. Plus, its high fiber content helps support digestive health. That’s not all; if your cat could stand to lose a few pounds, it contains fat-burning L-carnitine to promote weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight.
Pros:
- Unique fiber blend helps control hairballs
- Contains potassium and calcium for heart health
- No artificial preservatives
- Rich in high-quality protein
Cons:
- The bag isn’t resealable
Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete
Healthy feast
This premium cat food from Rachel Ray is chock full of nutritious ingredients like chicken, pea, and plant protein. It also contains fiber-rich foods, including dried beet pulp, powdered cellulose, and lentils, to boost digestive health, reduce the occurrence of hairballs, and promote satiety. This cat food is an excellent choice if your kitty has a sensitive stomach.
Pros:
- No artificial colors, flavors, or chemical preservatives
- Uses real salmon and chicken instead of meat by-products
- Contains prebiotics for digestive tract health
- Rich in antioxidants
Cons:
- High in carbohydrates
Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight Cat Food
Slim down
Obesity is increasingly becoming a problem among indoor cats, and this cat food from Hill’s Science Diet offers a solution. The chicken-based formula contains lean protein, one of the building blocks for building muscle mass. Plus, it has taurine to promote a healthy heart. It doesn’t end there; these ingredients are complemented by fish oil, vegetable fibers, and whole grains to help control your cat’s craving between meals and help them maintain a healthy weight.
Pros:
- Suitable for sensitive stomachs
- Promotes satiety
- Chicken flavor is attractive to cats
- Aids weight loss when used regularly
Cons:
- Food crumbles easily in the bag
Wellness Core Protein Rich Healthy Cat Food
If your kitty is allergic to certain grains, this cat food from Wellness delivers complete nutrition without ingredients that may irritate your feline friend’s digestive tract. Protein-rich foods, including chicken, turkey, and herring, make up about half of the ingredients in this cat food. It also contains salmon oil, providing cats with an abundant source of omega-3 fatty acids to support brain health.
Pros:
- Contains fiber-rich ingredients such as kelp and cranberries
- Available in various flavors
- Protein is the primary ingredient
- No artificial ingredients
Cons:
- It has a strong smell that some cat owners may find unpleasant
Purina Beyond Natural Cat Food
Extra tasty
With an emphasis on natural ingredients and balanced nutrition, this wet cat food from Purina gets a lot right. The canned food has a beef broth with chicken as its primary protein source, followed by liver and eggs. These ingredients, paired with carrots, make for a tasty meal even finicky cats enjoy. It also contains essential vitamins and minerals to help keep your cat feeling its best.
Pros:
- Doesn’t contain artificial additives
- Made with cage-free chickens without using steroids or hormones
- No corn, soy, or poultry by-products
- Supports healthy immune function
Cons:
- Large chunks of meat are difficult to break up into smaller pieces
Frequently Asked Questions
How much food should I feed my cat?
The amount of food appropriate for your cat will depend on several factors, including their life stage, weight, how active they are, and whether you’re feeding them wet or dry food. You should follow the directions on the package to determine the correct serving size and check with your veterinarian to ensure your cat’s nutritional needs are met.
What ingredients should I look for in healthy cat food?
When choosing healthy cat food, it’s important to consider whether it contains the essential nutrients your feline friend needs. If it’s dry food, it should contain amino acids such as taurine to aid digestion, muscle function, and boost immunity. Other ingredients to keep an eye out for are protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
About the Author
Why Trust Us
Since 2008, CatTime has provided millions of cat owners with all the information they need to keep their pets happy and healthy. Our experts know exactly what it takes to raise our furry friends and our goal is to help all owners, new or experienced, care for their cats with all the right food, toys, equipment, and accessories.