How to Choose Cat Food: 3 of the Best Ingredients – and 5 to Avoid
Choosing a healthy cat food can be tricky. When pet store shelves are lined with hundreds (if not thousands) of options, each claiming to be healthy and beneficial, what’s a pet parent to do?
Worry no more!
Today we have for you a helpful guide from our friends at review.com designed to help you select the healthiest cat food by highlighting three of the best cat food ingredients to look for – and five to avoid. Enjoy! Need to get your cat food delivered? We recommend Chewy – great selection & prices, fast delivery and they will donate $20 for each new customer! Use this link: chewy.com/rp/1122
Have more questions about your furry feline’s diet?
Leave us a comment below and we’ll get back to you!
We have a vomiting cat where vomits used supposedly all recommended food we can get. These foods so different and tricky to read mostly size. can you recommend nd it’s not regurgitation. Keeps in sometimes house s then happily back to me like anything occupied. he does wrench.Is their something safe like chlorine for another’s bad breath in humans with old boy with tooth problem? Thank You.
sorry I Meant chlorophyll recommended to humans only for cats?
Please work with a qualified veterinarian on these issues.
I been going through the same thing with my cat, she throws up almost everyday and she is a very picky eater, it is hard to find food that she will eat and when she does its only short term. Well I found out it is kidney disease. if you find your cat trying to drink from faucet even tho you have fresh bowl of water on the floor its could be kidney disease. take the cat to the vet for a test, there is no cure but there is things that can be done to to make them feel better and live with it.
Start giving your cat CULTURELLE yes for humans but it works awesome for my cats digestive system, you can put it in tuna or water from the capsule and give by syringe but my cat I just put some yogurt on it and drop it back, I stared once
a day for a week then now I just give once a week
Stay away from RC ..they say it’s good on their bags but the expiration date is only 60 days WHEN OPENED>>>they don’t tell you this. do they??
Some cats, specifically Maine Coons love water and love to drink and play with running water. There are cat “water fountains” that actually continually filter water that runs because cats prefer to drink it this way.
None of my Maine Coons have or had kidney disease. They are fascinated with running water.
I highly recommend the Glacier Point Perfect Pet Fountain™ (https://glacierpointforcats.com)
At first glance it may seem pricey compared to the standard plastic cat fountains on the market, but it is quite simply the most effective way to encourage your pet to drink more water and prevent disease.
After losing my first cat to kidney failure, I did extensive research on cat fountains and purchased this one before I brought my new kittens home in October of 2013. Over five years later I still say it is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Aside from having a good veterinarian, I strongly believe this was the best investment I could make in my cats’ long-term health and well-being.
I invite anyone who has specific questions about the fountain to reply to this comment and I will respond straight away.
p.s. I am NOT affiliated with this company or compensated by them in any way. I’m just a long standing loyal and happy customer.
I also have a water fountain for my Ragdoll (3 months old) she loves it! The breeder teaches all kittens to use the fountain, climb up and down stairs and use the litter box before they go to their new homes.
Royal canin digest sensitive cat food, canned. Pricey, but worth it
My cat pukes to. 3-4 times a week. He’s longhaired so sometimes it’s hairballs and other times its undigested good which is from eating to much. He is 4 years old now and has been on the same food his whole life. I worry if I change his food he’s going to puke more and get diahrea.
It sounds like you should consult your veterinarian on this issue.
I don’t understand your statement.
My 17 year old domestic cat was vomiting on a constant. Go to two crazy cat ladies . Com. Get their catalyst. It’s liquid that u add to the food. My cat stopped committing and his fur stopped matting.
The problem is a cat throws up I think it’s food related but what do I feed her they’ve eaten whiskas a long time with no problems now all of a sudden it’s not doing so well on same food what am I doing wrong?
I have fed my cats SienceDiet for over twenty years mostly because my vet recommended. Quite a few of my cats have either lived to be twenty or close to it. I buy the age defying one. Last time I bought the usual and they wouldn’t touch it. Have they changed their ingredients? The people at PetsMart said they may stop carrying that brand.
Wet food or dry?
YEP THEY ADDED WHEAT
my cat went on the medicated vet food too which was expensive. This year starting vomiting and loose stool..then wouldn’t touch it. Ingredients aren’t that great. I trusted the vet, but they make a lot of money off that one food they carry. I went to natural pet store and got grain free, meat first ingredients. No bi-products.
My cat has been eating Science Diet all his life as well. Since 2017, he has been having so much problems with digestion (vomitting, diarrhea…). Glad to read your post. I will find a different brand for him.
No, cats don’t eat quinoa. Or brown rice or whatever. They don’t need carbohydrates and don’t eat plants. Cats eat animal protein. They also eat the bones of their prey. But hey! Thanks for not recommending blueberries or potatoes!
Wrong! Do some research! Wild small cats eat WHOLE animals and birds, and do often eat berries, grasses, and bugs. They are also eating what the prey has in their stomachs: including other animals, seeds, grasses. berries, bugs etc.
Actually, because cats in the wild eat all of their prey, including the intestinal contents of birds and rodents, they do get their
grains and greens that way, and they also do enjoy munching on tender sprouts–ergo the recommendation of wheat grass.
Funny because my cat culls the insides. She eats the rest.
MY 6 YR. OLD CAT MAGOO WAS TESTED TWICE FOR FELINE LEUKEMIA AND THE TESTS CAME BACK POSITIVE. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE HIS WEIGHHT WENT FROM 12.0 LBS. TO 10.1 LBS. SWITCHED TO AVODERM CHICKEN & DUCK CANNED AND IN 2 MONTHS HIS WEIGHT WENT BACK UP TO 11.2 LBS. FED HIM 3X A DAY IN STEAD OF TWICE. HIS BROTHER CAT DIED FROMTHIS DISEASE AS WELL. TOOK ANOTHER TEST AND NOW THE LEUKEMIA IS GONE. READ WHERE AVOCADOS CURE CERTAIN FORMS OF LEUKEMIA IN HUMANS. AVODERM HAS AVOCADO OIL IN IT. GREAT CAT FOOD. I NOW FEED HIM TWICE A DAY.
We are not veterinarians and can not comment on this.
I just got 2 new kittens from the same litter a week ago Saturday. They are 6 weeks old. Today is Monday. They had been on Iams kitten food dry. When I brought them home I started them on Nuto and mixed with Dr Gary’s Best Breed dry food. They got diarreah and had it for a week. The vet finally recommended we give them more of the kibbles and a little less of the Nutro to harden the stool. I also in the meantime had the stool tested for parasites, came back negative. The stool is forming much better now, I feed them 4 times daily and they love the food. I did see a little blood in the stool yesterday. They are much better. I know I should have done this much slower, but I didn’t so here we are. Just wondering if you have had any other reports of very soft stool with the Nutro kitten chicken food, or the salmon.
Hi.i recently put my cats on Iams. My female got a UTI almost immediately this was quite a coincident we used to raise and show cats they wer on IAMS. . We had a male cat that had a UTI all the time. So much we nearly changed him to a female………. Per my Vet. Well come to find out after this recently happeneing
to 3 people I know that too much magnesium in their food can trigger UTI’s. Just an FYI….
We did this to a male cat per vet suggestion, too. It was the WORST thing we could have done for this poor animal! He was miserable and in much pain, and died shortly afterward. Vets sometimes tell us the wrong things to do. Some just may not be knowledgeable. Some may just be wanting to prolong the animal’s life for their pocketbook benefit. Do research and come to a decision that is both beneficial to your pet and you.
just saw your comment from 2017 in going through some of the comments on this site. What was wrong with your cat. Don’t understand. You said you did something to your cat and it was the worst thing.
I feed my cats EVO Turkey & Chicken Formula Cat & Kitten Food. It is quite pricy, ~$55 per 15.4lb.
Also gerber baby food as treat. (Gerber 2nd Foods Meats – Turkey and Gravy)
All the kittens love it.
What is your take on the mercury content on the ocean fish cat food out there. I feed my cats Fussy Cat and they will only eat the tuna products, not the chicken. I now have one cat loosing his fur and another that seems lethargic after eating Fussy Cat for several years. I remembered a report coming out about the mercury rising in canned tuna . If this is occurring for humans how can it be any different for our feline friends. I cannot seem to find any reports on canned cat food and the mercury content. Do you know of anything?
We don’t know of anything off hand, but it seems that you make a good point … if people are being warned about the mercury content in fish, you can bet the same issue is going to happen for cats. It may be time for you to 1. get your cats examined by a veterinarian and 2. try some other brands of food that don’t have a lot of fish in them.
You should not feed any kind of seafood to cats. It can be high in phosphorus which is not good for kidneys. It can also be high in pollutants like mercury and fire retardants that can cause thyroid problems. Best to stick to chicken or turkey.
fromm is the best natural food , I would take them off the fussy cats. Do you have a flea problem if you do then your cat is allergic to fleas and the flea dirt .. Cherastin is the best and then Revolution. Capstar will kill the fleas and the eggs but you still need the oral on the base of the head to keep them off.
You shouldn’t feed your cats tuna from a can regularly. They get addicted to it and eventually refuse cat food that has the proper nutrients for them. If you want your cat to live a longer, happier, healthy life, stop feeding them tuna from a can. Once in a while as a treat is fine but not always. They will starve from eating tuna regularly. They need the nutrients from a good cat food. I feed my cats, one is a kitten, Chicken Soup for the Soul dry cat food. No grains, and the 1st ingredient is salmon. I have no problems. For a 12 lb bag is around $30.00.
looking at the ingredients in sheba canned cat food, it appears that it has unhealthy ingredients. can you comment on this?
There is a lot of research out there by various people – we encourage everyone to learn more about what is in commercially available cat (and dog) food.
pure junk , best foods ,, fromm, or a natural food .
Margot!
Look at Susan Thixton’s website truthaboutpetfood.com
Susan is a personal friend and has top stories/updates on pet food. Susan is a true animal person who loves your pets sight unseen!!!!!
Animallover~Jan
I just adopted a 4 year old cat from a rescue she’s healthy now and has been tested for everything. For some reason she doesn’t like the litter we got her. We are thinking about catspot, it is an all natural cat litter, what do you think? Also as far as food we are giving her a mix of science diet and blue buffalo wilderness. Science diet is what the rescue fed her so we are mixing until she gets fully adjusted to the blue buffalo bran. Is blue buffalo really as great as it has been made up to be? Just wanted to make sure.
Cats can be very particular about their litter box. We do not have experience with that litter. We would suggest that you contact the rescue that you adopted your cat from for further help. 🙂
I’ve been looking for a good food for both of my cat’s and ran across this today regarding the Buffalo brand – hope it helps you in making your decision- good luck
http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/6334-blue-buffalo-supplier-charged-with-8-criminal-counts
http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/6319-blue-buffalo-withdraws-17-dog-food-varieties
Lynn I agree the food is the worst for animals .. fromm food is very good , I feed my cats blue 3 of the males in 6 weeks had urinary track and 2 got blocked one died from it .. be careful with blue food
please google blue buffalo food and uti. PLEASE DO IT IMMEDIATELY . AND THEN BUY FROMM OR another natural food
I AGREE Blue Buffalo worst food they have so many pre- probiotics in it after 2 yrs on it my cat had to have 4 teeth pulled…he’s been on Natures REcipe and none pulled in 5 yrs…
One correction…brown rice REMOVES taurrine (necessary element). Not a good ingredient!
I suggest everyone watch the documentary Pet Fooled on netflix. From now on my cat will be on a raw food diet. A lot of vets get paid to promote certain brands of food just like doctors get paid to prescribe different medications. It’s sad but true. Cats are natural carnivores. They don’t need carbohydrates. I will never again feed my cat, Iams, Purina, or major food brands they are all harmful.
100 percent correct , I have worked with cats for 30 years . some don’t like it I use fromm because I have a rescue and the raw is pricey
Our dear was vomiting & had diareah for several days and then it stopped for several weeks and started again so we took him to a vet who said he may have pancreatitis and told us to use holistic canned, raw or cooked human food and No dry cat food. She took him off dry because pancreatitis can be life threatening. We’re not in a position to buy pricey holistic food. Help! No detail given about how much holistic cat and how much human to balance his nutrition. We have not heard back from the vet or assistant and we have to keep calling with questions. Can you suggest a decent good canned food that won’t rock our account? Without any dry or treats won’t his teeth suffer? Thank you.
Please note that we are not veterinarians. Our suggestions:
Buy the best quality canned cat food that you can afford. Look for products that use real meat and minimal additives and by-products.
Dry food does not seem to do anything positive for teeth.
Get a second opinion from a different veterinarian.
Christie thank you for periodically chiming in. A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing:)
We use Science Diet with our kitty and she loves it
YEA she does because they spray it with animal digest to get cats addicted to dry food.
My cats are vomitting quite often? One is almost all bones What can I do I have tried all can food
Hi Zebra, we highly suggest taking your cat to the vet immediately.
How should I manage my 13 yr old cat who was just diagnosed with diabetes. Vet says there is no cure and the insulin level was almost 3 times the acceptable range. She has been eating 9 Lives Pate and she likes dry food for the crunch. Can you recommend some low sugar, high protein dry food? We are trying to keep her as comfortable and happy as we can because the vet doesn’t think she will last 6 months. Thank you for all the information.
So sorry to hear about your cat. It would be best to consult with your veterinarian (and/or get a second opinion) on this topic. We wish you the best of luck.
I just lost a cat that was on Science Diet Prescription can food, he didn’t like the dry food. He was on MD and I give him shots twice a day for 4 years. He was 2 months short of being 16 years old. He was diabetic. He was having difficulty walking, it is a side effect of diabetics.
I still have his twin and she is very well. I give her Friskles can food and Friskles dry food as a snack. She loves it.
my 11 year old is diagnosed with Diabetes as well. 3 months now on 2 insulin shots a day. I have always fed him Friskies and Fancy Feast with the gravy. Since he is diabetic I am told not to feed gravy products to him because of Carbs. His levels each week for the past 3 months have been in the high 300’s. insulin units went up from 4 to 6 then to 8.5. when he had the 8.5 units he crashed and went down to 38 glucose so he then received a big syringe of glucose. he went back to 78 in 2 days then a week later he was back in the 300’s. my vet said feeding him friskies is fine but I need to weigh in Grams and to stay away from dry food.
last week vet said its ok for dry food but to weigh it and watch the calorie intake. I get confused because he said first no kibble then he said its ok, he started gaining weight in the beginning but last week he had lost half a pound and we went up to 6.5 units 2 times a day. we go back This Thursday. I changed his food yesterday to the Blue Buffalo High protein grain free. Duck flavor he liked it but didn’t eat all of it 3oz can) also gave him .5 oz of the dry Blue Buffalo Wilderness for weight management, He seemed good this morning and looked more perky. but still meows and acts hungry and thirsty all the time . its like 3 oz can 2 times a day does not sastisfy him but I have to watch his food intake. this is hard.
I asked my equine vet since he is a small animal vet as well and he said to use Hills prescription he said Hills (which is science diet ) MD and another one would be best. I just dont know who to trust in what food to use. I know grain free and High protein low carb is best but there are so many. any other suggestions from anyone?
I am 71 years old and showed Afgan Hounds for over 30 years, now have two Miniature Poodles, (13 & 15) and four cats. Several years ago one of my Cornish Rex cat’s was throwing up almost daily. Took her to my vet and had her tested for allergies. She had many and I had to switch her over to dry and canned food that did not have any allergies that she was allergic to. In the past few years, my poodles started non-stop itching `and I took her in to have the testing done. Yes, she is allergic to barley, green beans, dust mites, lamb, venison, pork etc. I then took in my younger cat for testing and she is also allergic to dust mites, turkey, and various other environmental and foodstuffs. Yes it is expensive, and the dry food they eat is expensive, but I also cook my own liver, heart, chicken and even whole tilapia, ( which is now more expensive than salmon!) as it is less expensive to use a little less dry food and a tablespoon of whatever I have cooked up for the month. I get most of my animal food at Sams or Cosco because it comes in larger quantities than the grocery stores I shop at. Yes, it is a hassle, but all my animals have amazing coats, the cats’ coats are shiny and feel like silk and the poodles are doing well and the eldest one should be off her drops next year. Also, if you decide you would like the testing done, check around for prices. My vet in Tennessee was charging me $157. for two bottles of allergen whereas my vet here in Wisconsin charges me $102. for the same two bottles, and yes they last quite a while, 2 drops under their tongues in the AM and PM. Hope this helps with your dietary problems..I definitely know what a pain it is to clean up all the vomit and diarrhea!
Be careful of wellness new grain free pate (chicken and turkey). The old grain free chicken and turkey canned cat food had a dry matter phosphorous content of 1.1. So I was giving this to my 15 yr old Siamese cat who was showing signs of early CRF. Now this product has been replaced by the pate (which contains no carregeenan and grainfree). Since this one was just a replacement for the old one, I continued to give this to my cat. All of a sudden his thirst increased dramatically and he started urinating a lot. When I took him to the vet, the blood test showed that his createnin level had shot up to 2.6!. Since well ness does not list phosphorous values (now they have also stopped giving Ash values) I called them and found that the phosphorous value of the new product is now 1.9! I was practically making my cat sick with this product. People who have older cats should be aware of this.
I have a one year old kitten who eats Friskies dry food for kittens. She eats the same brand wet food but she wants only the gravy from the wet food. She is overweight and I leave the dry food out all the time. What’s the problem here?
Hi Virginia, I would suggest trying another brand/type of wet food that perhaps your kitty will like more. Also, diet will depend on your cat’s age. Here is an article with some diet tips for different ages: https://www2.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/how-often-should-you-feed-your-cat
My 16 year-old Himalayan cat does not yet have kidney disease, but does have slightly elevated BUN and Creatine levels. Therefore, she has been eating three different flavors of Royal Canine Renal Support dry food over the past 3 years. She has difficulty with wet food because of her flat face, which is why she eats the dry food.
However, after reading the list of “what to avoid,” and examining the ingredients in my cat’s food, I see the food contains the fillers: corn, corn gluten meal, and wheat gluten. Fortunately, the food also contains chicken fat, pork meal, pea fiber, chicory, fish oil and lots of amino acids and vitamins.
Is there something even healthier I could give her to eat?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Hi Martha, thanks for reaching out. We would suggest discussing the specifics of your cat’s diet with your vet. They will be more qualified to speak to what she should be eating. Thanks!
Now cat food has low phosphorus cat foods.