Published Jul 21, 2019
Medically reviewed by
The pet food industry in Australia is a largely self-regulated industry that has historically catered more to dogs than cats. So it can be a challenge to find cat food that’s both nutritious and trustworthy.
To help make the search easier for you, I’ve studied the Australian cat food market to identify the safest, most trustworthy brands you can buy.
The following five brands have earned their place on this list with clean reputations, species-appropriate formulations, and excellent customer service.
After hours of research, Feline Natural came out on the top of the pile. Whether you choose one of their freeze-dried or canned recipes, Feline Natural boasts a clean recall history, high safety standards, and species-appropriate recipes.
At A Glance: Best Cat Food In Australia To Buy
Want a quick look at the products reviewed in this article? In the comparison table below, we’ve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. You’ll find more detailed information about each product later in the article.
Freeze Dried Lamb & King Salmon Feast
- Recipes emphasize animal-sourced nutrition
- Good safety reputation
- Low carbohydrate content
Ziwi Peak Cat Food Adult Air Dried Lamb, Dry Food
- Exceptionally low carbohydrate content
- Rich in animal-sourced nutrients
- Contains a mix of muscle meat, organs, and bones
Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme
- Rich in chicken-sourced protein
- Lean recipe is a good option for cats who need to lose weight
- Low in carbohydrates
Wellness Complete Health Natural Grain Free Wet Canned Cat Food
- A good-quality food at a reasonable price
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Low carbohydrate content
Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Wet Canned Cat Food Kitten Turkey & Chicken
- Rich in digestible protein
- Contains menhaden fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids
- Calorie-dense to support kittenhood growth
Choosing The Best Cat Food In Australia
When selecting the best cat food in Australia, I looked for the following key qualities.
1. Cat-Appropriate Meat Content
Cats need meat and they need lots of it. In fact, as obligate carnivores, cats in the wild can’t survive without meat. Although our household cats aren’t typically outside hunting for their food, they are still obligate carnivores and require meat in their diet.
Cats’ prey contains all the amino acids, fats, and minerals that cats need to thrive. Though you can mimic this nutrient profile with plant ingredients and synthetic additives, I’ve given preference to brands that take the simple route, emphasizing whole prey-inspired mixes of muscle meat, organs, and, ideally, bones.
2. Low Carbohydrate Content
We’ve addressed the fact that cats are carnivores and can get all the nutrition they need from their prey. Though they definitely can eat plants, cats are not well-adapted to consuming and digesting plants or high-carbohydrate diets. Excessive carbohydrate intake may predispose your cat to diabetes. If he already has diabetes, those excess carbs won’t do anything to improve the situation.
3. A Reputation for Safety and Manufacturing Quality
How your cat’s food is sourced, handled, and manufactured is just as important as what’s in it.
In Australia, the regulation of pet food is significantly more lenient than that governing the manufacture of human food.
For example, the PIMC Pet Food Controls Working Group Report says that “most states and territories do prohibit the processing of pet meat from carcasses sourced from unhealthy animals.”
This means that some states and territories don’t prohibit the use of those unhealthy animals. In most parts of Australia, pet food must simply be “suitable for pet consumption.”
With the industry largely self-regulated and so many reports of pets getting sick after eating contaminated food, it’s hard to trust that these foods are as safe and pure as they should be.
That’s why it’s vital to pay close attention to the sourcing, handling, and manufacturing standards that individual companies have implemented. All of the products on the following list are made by companies with reputations for great quality control and safe food.
And of course, all of these brands get four-paws-up ratings from cats, earning licked-clean bowls and satisfied whisker-licking.
Best Cat Food In Australia: Top 5 Picks
#1 Overall Best: Feline Natural Freeze Dried Lamb & King Salmon Feast
This New Zealand company manufactures freeze-dried and canned cat food that takes inspiration from your cat’s natural prey-based diet. Their lineup is small but diverse, including proteins like lamb, chicken, king salmon, and beef.
Feline Natural food has a reputation for safety—it has never been recalled and is manufactured in New Zealand, which is internationally recognized as one of the safest, cleanest, and stringently-regulated countries for food manufacturing.
Though Feline Natural’s lineup includes canned foods and supplemental products, I’ve chosen this freeze-dried recipe as their best offering. It’s made with grass-fed beef and sustainably caught Hoki fish.
While many so-called premium cat foods contain just the muscle meat and skip nutrient-dense organs, this food includes various animal parts, including beef heart, kidney, liver, and even blood.
These fresh ingredients are freeze-dried, a low-heat process that destroys pathogens while leaving the meat’s delicate nutrients intact.
Ingredients
Beef heart, Hoki, Beef, Beef Kidney, Beef Liver, Beef Blood, Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed Flakes, New Zealand Green Mussel, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Recipes emphasize animal-sourced nutrition
- Good safety reputation
- Low carbohydrate content
What We Didn’t Like:
- The brand lineup doesn’t include any limited-ingredient foods
- Expensive
#2 Best Dry: Ziwi Peak Cat Food Adult Air Dried Lamb, Dry Food
Another New Zealand company occupies the second spot on our list. This company makes air-dried and canned foods that feature animal muscle meat, organs, and green-lipped mussels over all other ingredients. Air drying is a process that slowly dries food and destroys disease-causing microorganisms, all while retaining the food’s nutrient value.
Though both their dry and wet foods have some great qualities, their dry food is where Ziwi Peak really shines.
Because their dry food is air-dried, not extruded (processing food into a specific size or shape), it retains the nutrient value of fresh meat without bringing the risks of raw food. The food is a good alternative to both raw food and kibble; kibble is usually loaded with potatoes, grains, and other high-carbohydrate ingredients.
Ziwi Peak cat food is made in New Zealand from primarily New Zealand-sourced ingredients. They’ve never issued a recall and get great customer reviews.
While most dry cat food is loaded with high-carbohydrate ingredients, this air-dried product is among the most meat-rich, low-starch foods you can give your cat.
It’s primarily made from lamb, lamb heart, lamb tripe, liver, kidney, lung, and bone. Green-lipped mussel provides a source of omega-3 fatty acids in the food.
This recipe doesn’t contain corn, peas, potatoes, or any of those other ingredients that you’d find in a typical dry food. Though its texture is a little different from the typical kibble, most cats seem to love it.
Ingredients
Lamb, Lamb Heart, Lamb Tripe, Lamb Liver, Lamb Kidney, Lamb Lung, New Zealand Green Mussel, Lamb Bone, Lecithin, Inulin from Chicory, Dried Kelp, Minerals (Dipotassium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite), Salt, Preservative (Citric Acid, Mixed Tocopherols), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), DL-Methionine, Taurine.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Exceptionally low carbohydrate content
- Rich in animal-sourced nutrients
- Contains a mix of muscle meat, organs, and bones
- A trusted company with a reputation for safety
What We Didn’t Like:
- Ziwi Peak dry food doesn’t have enough moisture for optimal health
- Expensive
#3 Best For Weight Loss: Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme
If your cat needs to lose weight, think about feeding her one of Tiki Cat’s low-calorie, low-fat recipes. Tiki Cat is among the most well-regarded brands on the market, providing simple, meat-based recipes that emphasize meat over starch and unnecessary additives.
All Tiki Cat foods are high in moisture, which is essential for general health and also helpful for cats who need to lose weight.
Moisture-rich food is satisfying, meaning your cat will be more likely to feel full after a meal and not beg for more. By increasing the food’s water content, you can feed your cat fewer calories in a bigger, more satisfying meal.
This basic recipe from Tiki Cat features shredded chicken in broth. It doesn’t contain any organ meat and its primary fat source is sunflower oil, so it’s not the most carnivore-appropriate food on the market. However, it is protein-rich, lean, low-carbohydrate, and a low-calorie, nourishing choice for cats who need to lose weight.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Sunflower Seed Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Niacin (Vitamin B3), Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Calcium Iodate, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin K3 Supplement.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in chicken-sourced protein
- Lean recipe is a good option for cats who need to lose weight
- Low in carbohydrates
What We Didn’t Like:
- Expensive
- Low fat content isn’t right for every cat
#4 Best Affordable: Wellness Complete Health Natural Grain Free Wet Canned Cat Food
Wellness Complete Health foods are meat-rich and wholesome. But, unlike a lot of super-premium brands, they don’t cost a lot of money.
Compared to some of the other foods on this list, Complete Health foods contain a few more plant ingredients, but they’re some of the best foods you can buy at this price point. Wellness Complete Health foods are made primarily from meat and don’t contain potentially-harmful additives like food colors, preservatives, and flavors.
Wellness Complete Health canned paté is a meat-rich product made with turkey, chicken liver, and chicken meat. The food contains some carrots, cranberries, and a variety of thickening gums, none of which are species-appropriate for cats.
Despite including a few plant ingredients, the food is a low-carbohydrate product and has most of the qualities we look for in great cat food.
Ingredients
Turkey, Chicken Liver, Chicken, Chicken Broth, Carrots, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Cranberries, Ground Flaxseed, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Salt, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Beta Carotene, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- A good-quality food at a reasonable price
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Low carbohydrate content
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains several thickeners and species-inappropriate ingredients
#5 Best For Kittens: Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Wet Canned Cat Food Kitten Turkey & Chicken Liver
The Wellness CORE line includes several foods that are great options for kittens. They’re protein-rich with extra fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA. DHA is essential to brain and eye development.
Though their canned foods’ moisture content makes them ultimately better options for cats of all ages, Wellness CORE also offers a selection of dry foods for adults and kittens. Compared to other kibble foods on the market, Wellness CORE dry food is some of the best.
High protein and calorie content, generous fat, and DHA for healthy brain and eye development mark this food as a good option for kittens. The food is supplemented with probiotics, vitamins, and minerals that Wellness says support a healthy immune system.
In addition to the good stuff, this food contains a few ingredients that kittens don’t need—flaxseed, cranberries, and several thickening gums. Although these ingredients improve the food’s texture and may increase its marketability, they’re not particularly nutritious for cats.
Ingredients
Turkey, Chicken Liver, Turkey Broth, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Herring, Natural Flavor, Cranberries, Menhaden Fish Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Guar Gum, Tricalcium Phosphate, Ground Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Dried Kelp, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Alfalfa Meal, Salt, Magnesium Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in digestible protein
- Contains menhaden fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids
- Calorie-dense to support kittenhood growth
- Low carbohydrate content
What We Didn’t Like:
- Uses thickeners heavily
- Contains a few plant ingredients
If you need more information, read our article on the overall best cat food on the market.
This article takes an in-depth look at the fundamentals of feline nutrition and will give you the knowledge you need to shop with confidence.