Last updated Apr 20, 2023
There are countless cat foods on the market and, with so many options available, it pays to be informed.
What’s best for your cat depends on numerous factors including their life stage, activity level, and health status. But good cat food is good cat food.
Let’s cut through the confusion and learn what makes a great cat food, what defines an excellent cat food brand, and check out the top brands on the market today that have never had a product recall.
At A Glance: Our Top Picks For The Best Cat Food Brands With No Recalls
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.
Open Farm
- Made with 98% humanely raised, cage-free chicken
- Humanely raised and sustainably sourced ingredients
- Low carbohydrate content, under 10% as dry matter
Tiki Cat
- Packed with 80% dry matter protein
- Contains no added carbohydrates
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
Nulo
- Fairly affordable compared to many canned food diets
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Relies primarily on animal-sourced fat
RAWZ
- Typical analysis suggests 48% dry matter protein
- Contains a blend of muscle meat and organs
- Free from artificial additives, fillers, and gum thickeners
Ziwi Peak
- Made with a single source of novel animal protein
- Species-appropriate blend of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
Young Again
- Contains about 60% dry matter protein
- Relies primarily on animal-sourced fats
- Low carbohydrate content under 5%
Dr. Elsey’s
- Appears to be a meat-focused recipe
- Lab tested at around 70% dry matter protein
- Contains only about 8% dry matter carbohydrates
Caru
- Contains over 60% dry matter protein
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Very low carbohydrate content, under 5% dry matter
Identity
- Made with a single source of quality animal protein
- Rich in animal-sourced protein and fat
- Good source of hydrating moisture for your cat
Why Should You Trust Us?
We’ve reviewed over 200 of the world’s most popular cat food brands and hundreds of different formulas. We’ve spent hours researching, contacting pet food companies, analyzing labels, and reading customer reviews. With the help of our cats, we also got hands-on experience with most of these foods.
Finally, we consulted 7 veterinarians to get their professional opinion on what makes a great cat food.
Our Veterinary Advisors
- Sarah Wooten, DVM, CVJ
- Chris Vanderhoof, DVM, MPH
- Sarah Reidenbach, DVM
- Chyrle Bonk, DVM
- Jamie Whittenburg, DVM
- Albert Ahn, DVM
- Elizabeth Youens, DVM
How Did We Make Our Selections?
The best cat food is meat-centric, moisture-rich, and low in carbohydrates but not ever cat food that meets these requirements earns our experts’ recommendation.
When evaluating cat food, we thoroughly research the brand that makes it to ensure they follow safe manufacturing practices, source their ingredients from reputable suppliers, and maintain a strong reputation for quality and customer satisfaction.
Here are the four indicators we used to assess brand quality in making our selections:
- Product Quality – Our top-recommended brands produce cat food that is species-appropriate for cats according to the nutritional requirements outlined below.
- Recall History – The brands on this list have never had a product recall.
- Sourcing and Transparency – Reputable cat food brands are transparent and intentional about the sourcing of their ingredients, prioritizing ingredient quality and safety over cutting costs.
- Customer Satisfaction – All the brands on this list have a generous collection of positive customer reviews across multiple platforms and a history of handling customer concerns quickly and effectively.
Let’s dive in to our top picks for the best cat food brands that have never been recalled.
The Top 9 Best Cat Food Brands
#1 Open Farm
Open Farm is an ethically sourced, sustainable cat food brand made in the United States. Though the brand is headquartered in Toronto, their production facility is in Minnesota and their ingredients are locally sourced.
Though the brand originally launched in 2014 with wet and dry cat food only, it has since expanded their product line to include freeze-dried raw food and raw-coated kibble coated with freeze-dried chunks of chicken or fish. Open Farm also offers a small selection of liquid supplements including bone broth, goat milk, and organic milk kefir.
All Open Farm cat foods are made with 100% traceable ingredients in meat-focused recipes. The brand offers several single-protein formulas including recipes made with novel proteins like lamb. The food is expensive, but the quality of the ingredients is hard to beat. Open Farm has never been recalled.
Top Recipe: Open Farm Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
Made with 98% humanely raised, cage-free chicken, this freeze-dried cat food is formulated according to a true prey-model diet. It contains nearly 50% protein and over 40% fat when measured as dry matter, leaving the carbohydrate content well under 10%.
Comprised of chicken muscle meat, organs, and ground bone with salmon oil as the only source of added fat, this is a primarily animal-based formula. Though very low in moisture, this food is intended to be rehydrated before feeding to ensure your cat’s hydration requirements are met.
Ingredients
Chicken with Ground Bone, Chicken Liver, Chicken Neck, Montmorillonite Clay, Organic Dandelion Greens, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Taurine, Organic Cranberries, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Salt, Salmon Oil, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative), Magnesium Sulfate, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken with Ground Bone, Chicken Liver, Chicken Neck, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Formulated with prey-model inclusions of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Made with 98% humanely raised, cage-free chicken
- Ingredients are humanely raised and sustainably sourced
- Low carbohydrate content, under 10% as dry matter
What We Didn’t Like:
- Needs to be rehydrated to increase moisture content
- Expensive
#2 Tiki Cat
Founded in 2005, Tiki Cat has a strong following within the cat carer community and their products have never been recalled. The brand was originally founded by Christine and Robert Hackett but merged with Cloud Star in 2015 to form a new company, Whitebridge Pet Brands.
Tiki Cat is known for their protein-packed, high-moisture, and low-carbohydrate wet foods. They also offer a limited selection of dry food which is understandably higher in carbohydrates but still comes in under 20% measured as dry matter.
All Tiki Cat wet foods are manufactured in Thailand in canning plants that meet international standards for human food production. Ingredients are sourced as close to the manufacturing plant as possible and all fisheries are part of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).
Top Recipe: Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consommé
This recipe contains nothing more than chicken muscle meat, chicken broth, sunflower seed oil, and nutritional supplements. It’s packed with 80% dry matter protein with no added carbohydrates. It’s moisture-rich and highly digestible for cats.
Though the guaranteed analysis for this product states a 16% crude protein minimum (as fed), the sample we sent to an independent lab for testing came back over 1% higher at 17.3%. Calculated as dry matter, that’s an extra 6.5%.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Sunflower Seed Oil, Calcium Lactate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Salt, Magnesium Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Zinc Oxide, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower Seed Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Packed with 80% dry matter protein
- Contains no added carbohydrates
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Made with a single source of animal protein
What We Didn’t Like:
- Fairly expensive
- Relies on plant-based fat
#3 Nulo
Nulo was launched in 2009 by Michael Landa who originally sought to produce low-glycemic food products for pets. The brand quickly gained popularity among health-conscious consumers and has been represented by brand ambassadors that include Olympic medalists and fitness icons.
All Nulo wet foods are made in Thailand but their dry foods are produced in the United States. Nulo sources their ingredients from around the world with most of their fish, poultry, and meat ingredients coming from North America, France, and New Zealand.
Nulo is one of our top picks for affordable canned food diets, being slightly lower in carbohydrates than the average wet food. The brand has never had a product recall.
Top Recipe: Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat & Kitten Food
Featuring muscle meat from turkey and chicken as well as turkey liver and tuna, this is a meat-centric canned food. The only source of added fat is animal-based as well. Menhaden fish oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA.
In addition to being packed with 50% protein and 30% fat, both measured as dry matter, this recipe is an excellent source of hydrating moisture. It contains more than our preferred 10% carbohydrate limit but, at under 20% measured as dry matter, it’s lower in carbs than many commercial wet foods.
Ingredients
Turkey, Chicken, Turkey Liver, Turkey Broth, Tuna, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Agar Agar, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Salt, Iron Proteinate, Sodium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Magnesium Sulfate, 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, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey, Chicken, Turkey Liver, Tuna, Menhaden Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Guar Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Fairly affordable in comparison to many canned food diets
- Contains about 50% protein and 30% fat, measured as dry matter
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Relies primarily on animal-sourced fat
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains over 10% dry matter carbohydrate
- Guar gum may cause loose stools in some cats
#4 RAWZ
RAWZ was founded by Jim Scott Sr. in 2015. The brand offers minimally processed cat food free of gums and fillers. RAWZ offers a variety of wet and dry food recipes, all of which are meat-centric and formulated with simple, wholesome ingredients.
On the RAWZ brand website, you can find detailed information about ingredient sourcing. The majority of RAWZ ingredients are sourced from the United States and Canada, though they get some of their beef and fish from Australia or Thailand.
While RAWZ dry food is manufactured in the United States, RAWZ shredded canned foods and pet food pouches are made in Thailand by Chotiwat Manufacturing Company, an award-winning human-grade facility.
100% of the profits for all RAWZ sales are donated to the RAWZ Fund which provides service dogs for individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury.
Top Recipe: RAWZ 96% Turkey & Turkey Liver Pate
Made with a protein-rich blend of turkey muscle meat and turkey liver, this canned cat food is very species-appropriate for cats. While the guaranteed analysis for this food lists 9% protein, a typical analysis posted on the brand’s website shows a typical protein content of 12% as fed. That’s about 48% protein, converted to dry matter.
Overall, this is a very high-protein, high-fat cat food with low carbohydrate content. It’s also rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration but is free from artificial additives, gums, and fillers.
Ingredients
Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Broth, Fenugreek Seeds, Dandelion Greens, Taurine, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Magnesium Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Salt, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid.
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey, Turkey Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Typical analysis suggests dry matter protein content of 48%
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Contains a blend of muscle meat and organs
- Free from artificial additives, fillers, and gum thickeners
What We Didn’t Like:
- Fairly expensive
#5 Ziwi Peak
Ziwi Peak is a New Zealand pet food company started in 2004 by Kimberly and Peter Mitchell. The couple set out to create pet food with high meat inclusions, working with a slaughterhouse to develop a system for recovering waste meat. They then designed a unique air-drying system to make the product stable for export. The result was Ziwi Peak air-dried pet food.
Based in New Zealand, Ziwi Peak sources most of their ingredients from sustainable farms, ranches, and water nearby. They use free-range cattle, sheep, and deer, and their fish are sourced from sustainably managed fisheries in the ocean around New Zealand.
Ziwi Peak owns and operates their own dry food manufacturing facility and their wet foods are made by a manufacturing partner that is also located in New Zealand.
Top Recipe: Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe Canned Cat Food
This single-protein canned food features a species-appropriate blend of venison muscle meat, organs, and bone. The guaranteed analysis suggests a dry matter protein content over 45%, though the results of our lab test came back much higher. Tested at 11.9% protein as fed, our sample batch contained over 54% dry matter protein.
Aside from the venison ingredients, this food contains New Zealand green mussel as a natural source of joint-supporting glucosamine and chondroitin. Unfortunately, the food also contains chickpeas which increases the carbohydrate content, though it’s still under 15% as dry matter.
Ingredients
Venison, Water Sufficient for Processing, Venison Tripe, Venison Liver, Chickpeas, Venison Lung, Venison Heart, Venison Kidney, New Zealand Green Mussel, Venison Bone, DL-Methionine, Dried Kelp, Minerals (Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex), Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid).
Ingredients We Liked: Venison, Venison Tripe, Venison Liver, Venison Lung, Venison Heart, Venison Kidney, New Zealand Green Mussel, Venison Bone
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Chickpeas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with a single source of novel animal protein
- Contains a species-appropriate blend of muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains chickpeas
- Very expensive
#6 Young Again
Young Again was founded in 1987 by Michael Massie, though the brand’s first pet food products weren’t released until a few years later. This brand was among the first to offer grain-free cat food that contained 50% meat-based protein with under 6% starch and carbohydrate.
While Young Again only produces dry cat food, their recipes are more appropriate for cats than the typical commercial kibble. They’re packed with animal protein and very low in carbohydrates – this makes them a popular choice among owners of cats with diabetes mellitus.
Young Again is based in the United States and their products are manufactured in company-owned facilities in Stacy, Minnesota. They source their ingredients from the United States and Canada as well as several other countries including India, Switzerland, France, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Finland, and Scotland. The brand has never had a product recall.
Top Recipe: Young Again ZERO Cat & Kitten Formula Dry Food
Packed with protein from pork, chicken, and herring, this formula contains about 60% protein measured as dry matter. It’s also rich in animal-sourced fat from chicken fat and fish oil. The fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory benefits for cats.
Though this is a dry food, it contains very little added plant matter. In fact, the dry matter carbohydrate content is under 5%. The main problem – besides the food being expensive – is that it is very low in moisture, like most dry foods.
Ingredients
Hydrolyzed Pork, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Chicken Liver Flavor, Guar Gum, Herring Meal, DL Methionine, L Lysine, Fish Oil, Psyllium Husk (Source of Soluble Dietary Fiber), Potassium Citrate, Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Brewers Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Potassium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Tryptophan, L-ascorbyl-2polyphosphate (Source of Stabilized Vitamin C), L-Carnitine, Betaine Anhydrous, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Salt, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Copper Proteinate, Biotin (Vitamin B7), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dehydrated Pediococcus Acidilactici Fermentation Product, Beta Carotene, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid (Preservatives).
Ingredients We Liked: Hydrolyzed Pork, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Herring Meal, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Guar Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Contains about 60% dry matter protein
- Relies primarily on animal-sourced fats
- Low carbohydrate content under 5%
What We Didn’t Like:
- Guar gum may cause loose stools in some cats
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
#7 Dr. Elsey’s
Another brand that offers decent options for dry food, Dr. Elsey’s is best known for their cat litter. The brand was founded in 1989 by feline veterinarian Dr. Bruce Elsey. It wasn’t until 2017 that Dr. Elsey released a line of cat food products.
The cleanprotein line of cat foods contains both dry and wet food recipes. They feature animal-sourced protein in highly digestible formulas with fewer carbohydrates than the typical commercial cat food.
Dr. Elsey’s cat food is made in the United States with proteins sourced domestically. Other ingredients are sourced from Europe and Canada. Though the brand may source taurine from China, all of their primary ingredients are sourced elsewhere. The brand has never been recalled.
Top Recipe: Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Though we recommend wet cat food over dry food, this is the formula we sent to an independent lab for testing. The guaranteed analysis shows a 59% protein minimum (as fed) and our lab test results came back over 6% higher. Based on these results, the dry matter protein content was about 70%.
This is a meat-focused recipe featuring chicken and pork protein isolate. Gelatin provides some protein as well, though it is likely included as a binder.
The food relies on animal-sourced fat from chicken fat and salmon oil, and it’s free from grains and fillers. The only significant plant ingredient appears to be flaxseed which contributes to the food’s minimal carbohydrate content of about 8% measured as dry matter.
Ingredients
Chicken, Pork Protein Isolate, Gelatin, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Fructooligosaccharide, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Calcium Carbonate, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide), Potassium Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Taurine, Salt, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Pork Protein Isolate, Gelatin, Chicken Fat, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Appears to be a meat-focused recipe
- Lab tested at around 70% dry matter protein
- Contains only about 8% dry matter carbohydrates
- Free from grains, fillers, and artificial additives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Fairly expensive
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
#8 Caru
Founded in 2010 by Pamela and Adrian Pettyan, Caru produces human-grade pet food. They use only USDA-inspected meat and poultry, and their other ingredients are responsibly sourced from the USA. The only exception is their vitamin and mineral blends which come from Europe and Japan.
Though Caru was created by two Canadian medical professionals, it’s based in the United States. Most Caru products are made in small batches in the United States, though the Daily Dish Smoothies line is made with human-grade ingredients in a human food facility in Thailand.
Top Recipe: Caru Classic Turkey Stew Grain-Free Wet Cat Food
Made with turkey muscle meat as the primary ingredient, this wet cat food contains over 60% dry matter protein and under 5% dry matter carbohydrates. It’s a moisture-rich recipe that supports your cat’s hydration and many cats seem to enjoy the stew-like consistency.
This food is free from gum thickeners and dangerous binders like carrageenan, relying instead on tapioca starch. Though this ingredient isn’t particularly valuable in terms of nutrition, it isn’t harmful to cats.
Ingredients
Turkey, Turkey Broth, Tapioca Starch, Egg Whites, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Apples, Natural Flavor, Tricalcium Phosphate, Choline Bitartrate, Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Dandelion Greens, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Iodine Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite).
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey, Egg Whites
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Tapioca Starch
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Contains over 60% dry matter protein
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Very low carbohydrate content, under 5% dry matter
- Cats seem to enjoy the stew-like consistency
What We Didn’t Like:
- Fairly expensive
#9 Identity
A relatively new pet food company, Identity was founded in 2017. Identity Pet Nutrition, LLC was created by Jeremy and Trevar Petersen, the founding members of two other pet food brands: Wild Calling and Zoic. Identity launched with 16 canned pet foods, all made with sustainably and responsibly sourced ingredients.
Identity is headquartered in Denver, Colorado and all of their canned cat foods are manufactured in the brand’s partner kitchens located in Canada. This brand is very transparent about the sourcing of their ingredients, often going so far as to include the country of origin in the name of the product.
Top Recipe: Identity 95% Free-Range Angus Beef & Beef Broth Pâté Wet Cat Food
Made with 95% free-range angus beef and beef liver, this is a meat-centric wet food. It’s also a single-protein recipe, like many Identity cat foods, which might make it a good choice for cats with food allergies. Though some of the food’s fat content comes from the beef and beef liver, the only sourced of added fat is plant-based.
The guaranteed analysis for this food shows a 9.5% as-fed protein content but a typical nutrient analysis linked on Identity’s website shows 10.25% protein and 9.5% fat, as fed. Converted to dry matter, the food has over 46% protein and about 43% fat. This makes the dry matter carbohydrate content under 10%.
Overall, this is a high-protein, high-fat cat food rich in moisture with low carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Beef, Beef Broth, Beef Liver, Carrot, Calcium Carbonate, Agar-Agar, Coconut Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Salt, Taurine, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid.
Ingredients We Liked: Beef, Beef Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Coconut Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with a single source of quality animal protein
- Rich in animal-sourced protein and fat
- Good source of hydrating moisture for your cat
- Short list of simple ingredients, should be highly digestible
What We Didn’t Like:
- Guaranteed analysis suggests high carb content, but typical nutrient analysis was much lower
- Very expensive
- Relies primarily on plant-sourced fat
What Are The Qualities Of Healthy Cat Food?
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For obligate carnivores like your cat, meat isn’t a single component of a varied diet. It’s a biological necessity. Obligate carnivores cannot survive without the nutrients found in fresh meat.
In the wild, cats would consume plant matter found in the GI tracts of their animal prey. They also naturally nibble on grass. Aside from these tiny amounts of plant content – which don’t exceed 10% of a cat’s diet — a natural feline diet doesn’t contain fruits and vegetables. Particularly alien to a biologically correct diet are high-glycemic ingredients like grains and potatoes.
The Best Cat Food Brands Include Meat As The First Ingredient.
It’s key to find food made with species-appropriate protein. A cat food packed with plant protein is less digestible and less nutritious than one made with highly digestible animal protein.
Meat, poultry, or fish should be the first ingredient – ideally accompanied by supplemental sources of animal protein like meat meal and organs. Whole, named sources are best but animal by-products aren’t necessarily bad for your cat.
The problem with by-products is that we don’t know what’s in them. We don’t know how digestible they are. In the case of vaguely named by-products (i.e., poultry by-product meal vs. chicken by-product meal) we don’t know what types of animals contributed to the by-product slurry. If your cat is allergic to a specific protein, this could be an issue.
Cats need hearty doses of protein, but nourishing, digestible protein is expensive.
For cat food manufacturers focused on the bottom line, plant protein is a cheap way to pump up protein percentages. You’ll see it on pet food labels in the form of ingredients like corn gluten meal, potato protein concentrate, soybean meal, or pea protein.
The inclusion of plant proteins isn’t ideal, but it’s better as a minor inclusion in a meat-based recipe than as part of a predominating theme of vegetable matter.
The Best Cat Food Brands Don’t Include Any Dangerous Or Risky Ingredients
There’s simply no good reason to include ingredients that don’t contribute to your cat’s overall health and nutrition. This goes for additives like artificial flavoring, food dye, and sweeteners. Even more important, however, is avoiding ingredients that could be a direct detriment to your cat’s wellbeing.
Artificial Colors
One artificial color commonly used in cat food is caramel color. This artificial coloring may contain 4-Methylimidazole, a chemical used to make drugs that increase lung cancer in mice.
Even if you weren’t aware of the dangers of caramel color, you probably know about the risks surrounding several other food dyes. Controversial dyes include Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40. These artificial colors are linked to cancer and behavioral problems in humans and animals.
Many cat foods are treated with preservatives like Ethoxyquin, BHA, and BHT. These chemicals are connected to organ disease, cancer, and skin problems. It’s easy to find products that aren’t treated with BHA and BHT. Vitamin E is an effective and safe alternative.
Ethoxyquin, however, is a challenging bullet to dodge. While it’s an uncommon pet food preservative, it’s a popular preservative for fish meals. When those fish meals enter your cat’s food, the ethoxyquin is still there, but indirectly added ethoxyquin doesn’t make it onto the label.
This is why transparency is crucial. The best brands monitor every part of the supply chain and tell customers about the origins of the ingredients.
Carrageenan
This natural seaweed-derived ingredient is often used in moist cat foods as a thickener and binding agent. It’s under scrutiny for its inflammatory effects, however, and numerous studies demonstrate links between carrageenan consumption and health problems.
The potential health effects of carrageenan are diverse and include such serious issues as fetal toxicity, ulcerative colitis, immune suppression, and cancer.
Other studies oppose these findings, leaving carrageenan a continually controversial ingredient. Until we’ve seen any conclusive evidence to the contrary, it’s a good idea to regard carrageenan as a risky ingredient.
The Best Cat Food Brands Offer Moisture-Rich Food
You’ve heard it before. Cats have low thirst drives, meaning that it’s easy for them to under-hydrate. In your cat’s ancestral environment, desert cats might get most of their water from their prey.
A freshly-killed animal is a veritable water balloon, made of about 70% water. Compare that to your cat’s moisture-devoid dry kibble. Diets and lifestyles have changed, but your cat’s disinclination to drink water from a bowl hasn’t.
Cats on dry diets may become chronically dehydrated, leading to serious conditions like feline lower urinary tract disease and kidney failure. Homemade raw food, commercial canned food, and rehydrated freeze-dried food are moisture-rich choices that help keep your cat hydrated and healthy.
Also Read: Best Cat Water Fountain: Top 8 Fountains to Keep Your Cat Hydrated
Choosing A Brand With Integrity
A Clean Recall History
Recalls aren’t always indicative of a bad brand, but how a brand responds to a recall is a strong indicator of its integrity.
The worst recalls are ones that happen after cats have already gotten sick. The situation becomes worse when companies attempt to disguise the truth about what went wrong. Any lack of transparency or hint of deception in the aftermath is a dirty red flag.
But a recall can be a cat food brand’s best opportunity to show its strength. When something small goes wrong and the brand immediately issues a recall before it creates a problem, it’s a sign of integrity.
Repeated recalls, deception, and errors that had serious health consequences are all indicative of a dangerous brand. A brand that has a recall every five years isn’t one that you want to gamble your cat’s life on.
Sourcing And Transparency
You should know where your cat’s food comes from. If the company isn’t upfront about sourcing, you don’t know what you’re getting.
Some companies may obtain ingredients from loosely-regulated countries with a poor reputation for food safety. They may use meat that’s beyond subpar – think non-slaughtered animals that could carry disease or euthanasia drugs.
The best cat food brands are open about sourcing and are happy to share information on where their ingredients come from. They’ll also tell you where their products are made, by whom, and what standards for quality and safety they follow.
Customer Satisfaction
A good brand makes its customers happy. The best brands are surrounded by loyal customers who have nothing but good things to say about the food and the company behind it.
Again, problems are bound to arise from time to time, but it’s a mark of a quality brand if customer concerns are acknowledged and addressed. It’s impossible to make every single customer happy but good brands care about the people (and cats) they serve.
Agar agar is a red algae used to thicken like carragen, it gives a false feeling of fullness causing your pet to be hungry faster from my experience. It is also just a filler and is known to have other health effects
Hi Crystal,
Thank you for your comment!
You’re right—agar-agar, like other binders, gums, and emulsifiers, isn’t an essential additive in any cat food. These ingredients are added for texture and appearance. There’s not a cat in the world who physically requires agar-agar.
So yes, you could call it a filler, but it’s not necessarily harmful. Though agar-agar is drawn from red algae, it certainly doesn’t share carrageenan’s connection to inflammation. While adverse effects may surface in the future, it currently appears that agar-agar is entirely safe. The only potential side effects are a slight laxative effect and the feeling of fullness you mentioned, neither of which are harmful.
It sounds like you’re serious about avoiding fillers and maintaining control over your cat’s food, so you may opt for a homemade diet. Making your own cat food allows you to exert almost complete control over what goes into your cat’s body—no need to compromise.
Best,
Mallory
I thought this article is about best wet cat food brands that don’t have any recalls and instead almost every single cat food listed was involved in something… this is misleading.. how come it never mentions Tiki Cat or First Mate that actually never have been recalled (based on your website) ?
Hello there. When I originally wrote this piece in 2018, it was framed as “best cat food brands”, not “best cat food brands with no recalls”, but it seems that someone changed the title of the piece after it had been published. I’m sending an email to the site owner to see what we can do to correct this. Thank you for making me aware of it!
Good day Mallory,
I appreciate your response! To be honest with you I was only able to notice that because I use your website a lot and I value all the work and effort that you put into it. I was desperate for solutions and it made me a bit frustrated. I’m sorry if my comment came across as harsh criticism. I didn’t mean any harm. I am actually really grateful for all you do! Because of your research I was able to save my cats health! Thank you so much for all the hard work 🙏🏻
It’s absolutely okay! I’d be frustrated, too, and it’s important that we’re aware of these issues and able to correct them. Besides making sure that you get good information, my reputation is on the line, so I’m very grateful to be made aware of things that may undermine it. It was kind of you to come back months later to apologize—you’re the best. Take care.
Do you have any videos or articles on best cat food for cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. There is very.little information on the specific brands that are heart healthy low sodium etc.
Thanks
Good question, Colleen! You’re right, there aren’t many diets specifically formulated for heart health in cats. While some cats may benefit from reduced sodium intake but overall, the priority in nutritional management of HCM seems to be maintaining healthy body composition and avoiding nutrient imbalances. Even cats with heart disease need a certain amount of sodium in their diet… the problem appears to be excess sodium from treats or foods used to disguise medication.
Here’s a detailed article about nutritional management of HCM in cats written by a licensed veterinary technician: https://todaysveterinarynurse.com/nutrition/feline-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-and-the-role-of-nutrition/