Last updated Oct 24, 2023
Medically reviewed by
Although true semi-moist cat food is all but nonexistent in today’s market, the closest wholesome alternative is Wellness Healthy Indulgence Morsels.
We selected it as the best semi-moist food because it’s meat-based, relatively low in carbohydrates, and has a softer texture than the average kibble.
It combines these qualities with species-appropriate nutrition, low carbohydrate content, plenty of animal-based protein, and no potentially harmful additives.
Read on to learn more about moist and semi-moist cat food, read our reviews of the top 6 best moist foods, and find tips on how to satisfy cats who can’t eat kibble but don’t like canned food.
At a Glance: Best Moist and Semi-Moist Cat Foods 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.
Wellness Healthy Indulgence Morsels
- Has a chunky texture
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Cats seem to love the taste and texture
Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Love Me Tender Chicken & Duck Recipe Grain-Free Cat Food Pouches
- Made from human-quality ingredients
- Primarily made from animal ingredients
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Smalls Ground Bird Fresh Cat Food
- Fresh cat food delivered to your door
- Choose from four single-protein recipes
- Good source of hydration for your cat
Wellness Morsels Chicken Entree Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
- Has a chunky texture that cats love
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Relatively low carbohydrate content
Instinct by Nature’s Variety
- Primarily made from fresh chicken muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Contains salmon oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids
- Relatively low carbohydrate content
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Formula Dry Cat Food
- Rich in animal protein
- Relatively low carbohydrate content
- Tender texture is similar to semi-moist food
Remember Semi-Moist Cat Food?
In 1976, Ralston-Purina introduced cat food that wasn’t dry and wasn’t wet. It didn’t come in a bag or a can. No pâté clumps. No kibble. They called this food Tender Vittles.
It was the United States’ first national semi-moist cat food brand and perhaps the world’s first cat food in a pouch.
Tender Vittles was a smash among both cats and people. By the 1980s, it was the leading moist cat food brand in the United States. Tender Vittles enjoyed over 20 years as an iconic and beloved brand.
But semi-moist cat food doesn’t exist anymore—at least not as we once knew it. Here’s why.
Semi-moist cat food has never been nutritionally ideal for cats. In 1982, a package of Tender Vittles cat food listed, among other more nourishing ingredients, propylene glycol, BHA, artificial color, and ethoxyquin.
These potentially-harmful ingredients have made semi-moist food one of the most criticized varieties, and this criticism seems to have led to its disappearance. Purina discontinued Tender Vittles in 2007 due to declining customer demand and low sales.
Though semi-moist food is now the stuff of pet food nostalgia, there are still good options for those who want that soft-but-not-soupy consistency.
I’ve scoured message boards, review articles, and pet retail sites in search of the best equivalents to moist and semi-moist food.
The following five foods capture something of the old moist or semi-moist magic. Most of them come in the same type of easy-serve, easy-store pouch.
They aren’t exactly the same as the carb-heavy, preservative-laden semi-moist food so many loved, but they’re a lot better for your cat’s health. It’s a fair trade, right?
The Best Moist And Semi-Moist Cat Food – Our Top 6 Picks
#1 Wellness Healthy Indulgence Morsels With Chicken & Chicken Liver In Savory Sauce Grain-free Wet Cat Food Pouches
This food ticks several of our moist cat food boxes—it comes in a pouch, features robust chunks of meat set in a light gravy, and doesn’t contain additives that may not be good for your cat’s health.
The food is primarily made from chicken and chicken liver, with potato starch, eggs, and carrots. It’s a starchy food with 23% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. Ideally, cat food should contain no more than 2% carbohydrates.
This food is recommended as a standalone meal or a topper for dry food—the chunky texture and gravy pair well with kibble. If you’re trying to wean your cat off of dry food, this product could make the transition easier.
The food is popular among people whose cats are suffering from chronic kidney disease. Chewy reviewer TC22 says that “My 17-year-old cat was recently diagnosed with kidney disease. He’s also become a picky eater in his old age.
He doesn’t particularly like the prescription food so I found a list of non-prescription foods that had lower levels of phosphorous and protein. This is one of the options and, so far, it’s one of the few he will reliably eat.”
Ingredients
Chicken Broth, Water Sufficient for Processing, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Potato Starch, Eggs, Carrots, Natural Flavor, Salt, Guar Gum, Tricalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement], Cranberries, Blueberries, White Sweet Potatoes, Xanthan Gum, Choline Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Has a chunky texture
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Cats seem to love the taste and texture
What We Didn’t Like:
- Relatively high carbohydrate content
#2 Weruva Cats In The Kitchen Love Me Tender Chicken & Duck Recipe Grain-free Cat Food Pouches Review
Each pouch contains plenty of gravy, shredded chicken, tuna, and duck. Instead of chunks, the meat has a stringy texture.
Most cats like this consistency and customer reviews attest that this food is delicious for cats of all breeds.
The food’s greatest drawback is its carbohydrate content. Thanks to the addition of tapioca starch as a gravy thickener, the food is 17% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis.
Like all Weruva foods, this food is made in a human food facility in Thailand and, according to the company, made from human-quality ingredients.
It’s free of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives that may not be good for your cat’s health.
Ingredients
Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken (Boneless, Skinless Breast), Tuna, Duck, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Seed Oil, Calcium Lactate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Nicotinic Acid (Vitamin B3), Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made from human-quality ingredients
- Primarily made from animal ingredients
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Relatively high in carbohydrates
- Expensive
#3 Smalls Ground Bird Fresh Cat Food
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 13% Min
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 40
- Typical Cost Per Day: $4.00 per day
Made with human-grade ingredients, Smalls fresh cat food is moisture-rich and comes in multiple textures to appeal to cats with different preferences. Choose from four different proteins—chicken, turkey, beef, or fish—or receive a variety in each order. Cats who enjoy a semi-moist consistency may like Smalls’ ground formulas which have a finely minced or shredded texture.
This Ground Bird recipe features chicken as the sole source of protein with cod liver oil to deliver plenty of species-appropriate essential fatty acids. The list of main ingredients is very short, making this recipe highly digestible for most cats. It’s also rich in hydrating moisture and very low in carbohydrates.
All Smalls cat food recipes are available only through a recurring subscription and are shipped frozen. It’s best to store the food in the freezer and thaw one or two packs at a time, depending how quickly you go through them. If you find you’re going through the food faster or slower than anticipated, just log into your customer account to adjust your next shipment.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Liver, Green Beans, Water Sufficient for Processing, Dried Yeast, Tricalcium Phosphate, Kale, Magnesium Proteinate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Dandelion Greens, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Cod Liver Oil, Salt, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Biotin.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Cod Liver Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Fresh cat food delivered to your door
- Choose from four single-protein recipes
- Good source of hydration for your cat
- Low in carbs and easily digestible
What We Didn’t Like:
- Only available as a subscription plan
- No phone support (text and email only)
#4 Wellness Morsels Chicken Entree Grain-Free Canned Cat Food Review
This Wellness recipe is similar to the one reviewed above, except it’s a canned food and doesn’t come in a pouch. The food consists of hearty cubes of chicken and other ingredients set in a light gravy.
One reviewer, called JCL24, commented that their cat has a few missing teeth and “can’t eat dry food even after soaked in water because he doesn’t chew it, and often vomits. Can’t eat pâté because it is too gummy. Minced works better, but cubed it best of all. He actually can chew the cubes of meat.”
Those sound a lot like the qualities that make moist and semi-moist cat food special.
In contrast to old-fashioned semi-moist food, this food is made without chemical preservatives, artificial colors, or excessive salt.
It’s made primarily from chicken and eggs, with some peas and other trace fruits and vegetables. At about 12% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis, this food is relatively low in carbohydrates, especially compared to kibble.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Water Sufficient for Processing, Dried Ground Peas, Dried Egg Whites, Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Guar Gum, Spinach, Sodium Phosphate, Ground Flaxseed, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Cranberries, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide), Vitamins (Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Has a chunky texture that cats love
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Relatively low carbohydrate content
What We Didn’t Like:
- Price is over the market average
#5 Instinct By Nature’s Variety Frozen Raw Bites Grain-Free Cage-Free Chicken Recipe Cat Food Review
This product is a bit different from the others on this list and quite a bit different from old-fashioned semi-moist food.
It’s a frozen raw food made primarily from chicken and chicken organs. The raw meat and organs are chopped into bite-sized pieces and frozen to stay fresh.
When you’re ready to serve them, you’ll defrost the chunks and let them soften. For the best food safety, defrost the chunks in the refrigerator rather than on the counter at room temperature.
Be aware that raw meat can contain disease-causing bacteria, such as Salmonella. These bacteria could make you and your cat sick if the raw meat is not handled properly while you prepare your cat’s food. Talk with your veterinarian before feeding your cat a raw food diet.
The food is rich in animal protein and fat, with chicken, organs, and bone representing 85% of the total recipe.
Though the food satisfies several of our requirements for a moist or semi-moist food, it tends to be a bit hit-or-miss with customers. Several reviewers said their cats refused to eat the raw chunks.
Ingredients
Chicken (including Ground Chicken Bone), Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart, Apples, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Montmorillonite Clay, Tricalcium Phosphate, Ground Flaxseed, Salmon Oil, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Yeast Culture, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), DL-Methionine, Blueberries, Spinach.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Primarily made from fresh chicken muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Contains salmon oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids
- Relatively low carbohydrate content
- Free of potentially harmful artificial additives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Some cats don’t like the raw food
#6 Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Formula Dry Cat Food Review
This cat food has none of the salt and preservatives found in semi-moist food, but it’s frequently compared to Purina’s Tender Vittles. It’s a dry food, but not extruded. Extrusion is the process of quickly cooking and pasteurizing food to get rid of harmful microorganisms.
Instead, this food is air-dried, a process that allows the manufacturer to use more meat and less starch. Furthermore, air-drying may leave more nutrients intact. At 20% water, this food has about twice the amount of moisture found in traditional dry food.
Chewy user Pat666 says this air-dried food is “the perfect food for those who bemoaned the fact that there were no longer any soft kibble foods on the market for cats, like Tender Vittles.
FatCats4 countered that “If you remember Tender Vittles – this food is not that.” Given these conflicting remarks, it’s unclear whether or not this food is a worthy replacement for Tender Vittles, but it’s worth a try.
This recipe features cage-free chicken and grass-fed, free-range lamb. It contains an array of animal parts, including chicken muscle meat, lamb heart, lamb kidney, lamb liver, and even lamb blood.
Whether or not it meets all the expectations or hopes of those seeking a replacement for semi-moist food, this product is a solid candidate for your cat’s food bowl.
Ingredients
Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Herring Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Ground Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Natural Chicken Flavor, Salmon Oil, Cranberries, Chicory Root Extract, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Dried Kelp, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols (added to preserve freshness), Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in animal protein
- Relatively low carbohydrate content
- Tender texture is similar to semi-moist food
What We Didn’t Like:
- Some cats don’t like the food’s texture
Alternatives To Moist and Semi-Moist Cat Food
Moisten Your Cat’s Kibble
Consider adding water, tuna juice, or bone broth to your cat’s kibble. This is a great way to improve the food’s texture and make it easier to chew. It’s a good mid-point between feeding your cat kibble and a fully wet diet.
Also Read: Best Cat Water Fountain: Top 8 Fountains to Keep Your Cat Hydrated
If you choose to wet your cat’s kibble, be sure to refrigerate or discard it after about an hour.
Dry food, particularly dry food containing wheat, corn, and other cereal grains, is prone to aflatoxin mold growth. In fact, it’s more dangerous to leave out moistened kibble than it is to leave out fresh or canned food.
This means no grazing! Provide a single serving at a time and throw it away or refrigerate any leftovers as soon as you can.
Consider Other Types Of Food That Have A Texture Between Kibble And Wet Food.
Moist or semi-moist food isn’t the only option for cats who want something softer than kibble but not as wet as canned food. Think about freshly cooked foods, which are soft and chewable but not wet. Smalls Cat Food is a good example of this.
Smalls cat food recipes are primarily made from gently cooked chicken and fish, so they have a naturally tender texture with plenty of chewable chunks.
Freshpet sells a cooked fresh food that comes in soft kibble-style niblets that are extremely similar in consistency to the old-fashioned semi-moist products. Learn more about Freshpet in our complete brand review.
You can also consider raw food, which is available in a world of consistencies and styles. A chunky raw food is both soft and substantial. Remember to always speak with your veterinarian before feeding your cat a raw food diet.
Freeze-dried foods may also fit the bill. Typically, these foods are rehydrated and mashed into something resembling a canned pâté-style food, but you can also rehydrate them without mashing or smashing, giving you little chunks of slightly-softened food.
Try Using Semi-moist Treats To Encourage Your Cat To Try Wet Food.
If your cat refuses to eat both dry and wet food, the solution may not be a moist food but simply finding a way to convince your cat to eat a wet food.
Convincing your cat to eat a new food is a relatively complex issue and we can’t go into much depth on it here. But one of the easiest ways to get started is by sprinkling something your cat likes on top of the thing he doesn’t like.
Although semi-moist diets have gone out of vogue, moist and tender treats still exist. You can sprinkle these treats on top of your cat’s food to entice him to try it out. Semi-moist treats include Pet Greens Cat Craves and Blue Buffalo Kitty Yums.
To Whom It May Concern,
I wish they would start making Tender Vittles again. I had a cat that lived to 22 years and that is all she ate. When we traveled and the cat went with us, it was so easy to pack her belongings, as we didn’t need a can opener, etc. She had her favorites too. We would just shake the package and wherever she was she would come running. i still miss her so much. We had her when she was a tiny baby kitten.
I have since rescued two cats.
Do you think the company will ever bring back “Tender Vittles”? I keep hoping they will soon some day.
Thank you for reading about our remarkable 22 year old cat.
Her name was “Ms Kitten” and she was a true eloquent little cat.
Hi Lola, thanks for your comment. I’d recommend bringing your request to Purina directly. https://www.purina.com/contact-us
I hope Tendervittles never makes a come back. My cats loved this food to back in the days and would raid the cabinets where once Id get up for school some mornings, I’d find half clawed open foil packs on the floor. When this food was available, food nutrition for pets was just booming and not many knew that starchy foods like this was harmful to cats. It did not break down well and I lost 2 cats to diabetes, not knowing the damage was caused by the food I was feeding them. Even when giving insulin shots to both my cats, I still fed them Tendervittles which resulted in tumors forming in their little bodies 🙁 If they remove the bad parts, Id welcome it back, but not its original formula!
I AGREE with….To whom it may concern! When my cat had kittens, I kept the “runt” out of the litter.
I fed her kitten chow the 1st yr. Then I fed her “HAPPY CAT”. It was exactly like Tender Vittles. That was 1983 give/take. That kitten became my BEST-EST FRIEND I’ve ever had! She lived a SOLID 27yrs. She was born
Summer before 8th grade. I’m 51 yrs old now, by the time she died I had been blessed to have her for more than half of my life.
After a check up, with a clean bill of health I asked our vet …What is it, Why/How is SHE Still ALIVE?
He said to me…. LOVE, PURE LOVE!
She was 23-24yrs old that day.
Her name was DWEEB, and she was a Very, “HAPPY CAT”!
I too had a cat I got as a tiny little baby, his momma was killed before he was ready to be weened. I took him home and bottle fed him, then when he was old enough he started eating Kitten Chow and then
Tender Vittles for the rest of his 24 years. He was a healthy, happy boy who I went everywhere with us. Mr. Stevens had a great personality and a beautiful black coat! Tender Vittles was great for him all of his life.
If it were on the shelves today, I would buy it for all my cats. Yeah for Tender Vittles and all of its followers today!!
Ann, that’s a wonderful story! Mr. Stevens sounds fantastic, and it’s always a joy to hear about people’s experiences with Tender Vittles. – Mallory
Hello
Lots of information here. My 4 year old cat is early on in CKD (IRIS Stage 1) – and to be safe, the nutrition service department at a local veterinary teaching hospital here in Northern California wants to introduce a prescription diet to force lower phosphorus, etc.
I wonder if certified veterinary nutritionists are independent and trustworthy – as opposed to simply knee-jerk advocates for a small number of prescription pet food makers and their exclusive products?
Anyhow, just looking to keep my feline friend healthy & happy!
Thank you
Hi RB, thanks for your comment. You’ve asked an excellent question, and it’s not an easy one to answer. To my understanding, it depends on the nutritionist. I work with one veterinary nutritionist who is very well-informed, a critical thinker, and certainly not tied to any companies or their products. However, it is true that the bigger vet-recommended brands have a strong hold on that segment of the market (perhaps for good reason), and you will see them recommended by a large portion of those in the veterinary community.
Hi. I an very confused at the basis for your summaries. You’ve listed a the first 2 of these foods as high carb foods for being 16-25% carbs on a dry matter basis. You then go on to say the last 3 with 16-36% carbs are low carb foods. That seems contradictory to me. What is the basis for “low carb” vs “high carb” considerations here?
Hi Tara, you’re right to be confused. I just double-checked the article, and I can see that the charts included there are inaccurate. The last three foods are very low carbohydrate products, but the pie charts are calculating incorrectly. I’m working on this with our dev team, and I hope we’ll be able to sort it out soon.
I adopted a rescued cat. She’s 14 years old. Her original owner passed away last year. She’s refused to eat canned cat food since day 1. She likes Temptations and more recently fancy Feast. She first like to eat out of a bowl. So I often feed her by hand. This is less than ideal. She does pick at dry food, when she’s hungry enough today I tried some Blue Buffalo wilderness treats. She absolutely loves this. However it’s supposedly just a treat not for frequent consumption. I’ll keep trying other things but have yet to find a combination that ‘ll keep her happy. I fear she’s just not getting enough calories. We also have an 18 year old tabby. He’s a bit of a glutton so we’re not able to leave wet food out.
If your new kitty likes wet Fancy Feast, that could be a perfectly great option for her, and the Temptations treats will keep her calorie intake up as well. If you’re worried about it, I would try to get a handle on how many calories she’s eating every day and use this calorie calculator to figure out how much she needs. Once you’ve done that, you can start putting out the perfect amount every day.
Mallory,
You may want to edit this statement: “They aren’t exactly the same as the sugary, preservative-laden semi-moist food so many loved, but they’re a lot better for your cat’s health.”
I don’t know where you got the idea TV were “sugary” as it contained no sweeteners. Cats do not have receptors to detect “sweet,” and commercial cat food does not contain added natural or chemical sweeteners
Hi PD, thanks for pointing that out. Since even the product label shown in this video is free of sugar/sweeteners, I’ve edited the article to remove any mentions of it being “sugary”. I did get the impression that the food contained sugar from some of the sources I consulted (like an unquantified, unsourced claim in this article from 1987), but I’m now thinking that this may have been inaccurate from them as well. Really appreciate the observation.