If you’ve ever stood in the pet food aisle wondering what the best cat food actually is, you’re not alone. With shelves full of options labelled premium, sensitive, hypoallergenic, vet-recommended, human-grade or high-protein, choosing the right food for your cat can feel overwhelming.
Here's the honest answer. The best cat food isn’t a brand, trend or price point. It's a complete and balanced recipe your cat can digest well, made with clear ingredients, that supports long term health and wellbeing.
What is the best cat food? (plain-English definition)
The best cat food is a complete and balanced diet for your cat's life stage, built around digestible animal protein, transparent ingredients, nutritional adequacy, and one your individual cat eats and tolerates well.
This guide won’t give you a top ten list. Lists can't see your cat. Instead this is an informed, plain English framework for how to choose a healthy cat food with confidence based on nutrition, digestibility and transparency.
Whether you’re feeding a growing kitten, an adult or senior cat, this guide will help you separate marketing noise from what actually matters to choose the best cat food for your floof's health and happiness.
TL;DR: How to Choose the Best Cat Food
If you only remember one checklist, make it this:
- Choose a complete cat food suited to your cat’s life stage; kitten, adult, or senior.
- Prioritise named animal proteins (chicken, turkey, fish) over vague meat terms.
- Look for digestible recipes not just impressive percentages.
- Avoid unnecessary additives like added sugars and artificial colours
- Opt for clear, transparent labels you can actually understand
- Support gut health because digestion affects more than just poo
If a food ticks those boxes, you're on the right track.
Why “Best Cat Food” Lists Are Often Misleading
Many “best cat food” lists rank products as if one option suits every cat. In reality, cats differ in digestion, appetite, age and sensitivity. A food that works brilliantly for one cat may not suit another.
That’s why criteria matter more than rankings. Instead of chasing a top-ten list, it’s more reliable to judge food based on completeness, digestibility, ingredient transparency and how your own cat responds.
What does "Best Cat Food" actually mean?
When we say best cat food, we’re not talking about trends or packaging claims. We’re talking about food that is nutritionally complete and balanced for your cat. It has to deliver:
- Complete and balanced nutrition
- High-quality animal protein
- Good digestibility
- Clear ingredient transparency
- No unnecessary additives
- Consistent quality
The best cat food provides all of the above and of course must be palatable. If your cat won't eat it, it's not the best cat food for them!
Cats are obligate carnivores. They are biologically adapted to get most of their nutrition from animal sources. That means protein quality and digestibility is critical for cats, and matter much more than buzzwords like "premium" or "natural". Cats cannot synethesis all essential amino acids and therefore rely on their diet to provide these. In total, they need 41 essential nutrients, including taurine, arginine, fats, oils, vitamins and a small amount of carbohydrates to maintain their general health.
Balancing all of these vitamins and nutrients may seem daunting, but there’s a shortcut: choose a cat food that is specifically labelled as “complete”.
Complete cat food is formulated to provide all essential nutrients for your cat in the right quantities for their life stage, whether they’re a growing kitten or a distinguished senior cat.
| Factor | Strong Signal | Weaker Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein source | Named animal proteins (e.g. chicken, turkey, fish) | Vague “meat derivatives” or mostly plant protein |
| Nutritional status | Labelled complete & balanced | Complementary only |
| Digestibility | Simple, clearly defined ingredients | Heavy fillers or split ingredients |
| Additives | No added sugar or colours | Added sugars, colours, flavourings |
| Label clarity | Specific ingredient names | Grouped or unclear terms |
| Format | Wet, dry or mixed — based on your cat | Claims only one format is best |
Wet vs Dry vs Mixed Feeding: Which is Best?
Ahh, the age-old question in the "best cat food" debate is format.
The evidence-based answer is simple:
Neither wet nor dry cat food is automatically better. A cat can thrive on a diet of solely dry cat food or wet cat food or mixed feeding.
Dry cat food strengths:
- Convenient to store and serve
- Often more cost-efficient per calorie
- Easy for measured feeding
- Suitable for grazing cats
- Can provide natural abrasion for dental hygiene
Dry cat food limitations:
- Lower moisture content compared to wet food
- Typically higher carbohydrate levels though some dry foods can contain low levels so it's worth comparing labels.
Dry cat food can be easily stored at room temperature and left out for cats that like to graze. It has a long shelf life and is generally the best cat food in terms of cost-effectiveness. To hold its shape, dry cat food must use starchy ingredients to form the kibble. Options vary and can impact on digestibility. Therefore, when looking for the best dry cat food, make sure to choose one with a high level of meat content, and one that uses easy-to-digest carbs like white rice to support your cat’s digestion.
As Dry cat food naturally has a lower water content than wet food, to gives it its crunch, if you know your cat isn’t a big drinker, monitor their water intake closely. Cats can stay adequately hydrated on dry food alone if their water bowl is kept full and you can always mix in some wet food to give your cat variety and encourage further hydration.
Wet cat food strengths:
- High moisture content supporting hydration
- Often highly palatable
- Texture choice with gravy, jelly, paté or broth options to suit fussy cats
Wet cat food limitations:
- Higher cost per calorie
- Must be eaten promptly once served
- Less convenient for grazing
Cats like strong scents and wet cat food lends itself well here as well as providing choice in textures, which can be appealing to fussier kitties. Be mindful that wet food can go off quickly if left out and should be cleared away after a reasonable time, especially in warm weather. If your cat is a slow-eater or tends to pick at their food, wet food may not be the best cat food option for them.
Mixed Feeding:
For many pawrents, using a mixed feeding (feeding both dry and wet cat food) is the best choice balancing convenience, cost, hydration and palatability.
You can explore options in our wet cat food and probiotic dry cat food ranges. Our cat food recipes are all formulated aligned to current FEDIAF nutritional guidelines and guided by our experience with our cats. We've spent years developing complete cat food designed to support digestion and gut health. We work closely with nutritionists and vets to create recipes that prioritise ingredient quality, digestibility and long-term wellbeing for cats of all life stages.
Protein Quality vs Protein Percentage
You’ll often see bold protein percentage claims splashed across cat food packaging or cat food that is labelled as high-protein. It’s easy to be fooled into thinking that high protein percentage is automatically better but percentages don't tell the full story.
What matters more than the number is:
- Where the protein comes from
- How digestible it is
- The level of animal protein
Cats require animal derived amino acids such as taurine. They need almost twice the amount of protein in their food as dogs, with the FEDIAF recommending at least 25g of dry matter protein per 100kcal of cat food. Meeting that requirement is essential, but so is where that protein comes from.
Prioritise cat foods where most of the protein comes from named animal sources. Chicken, turkey and fish are generally more digestible than red meat, so picking a cat food with these meats is what we would recommend.
Some cat foods boost their protein percentage by using cheaper vegetable proteins like pea protein, which can make the overall protein percentage look impressive on the label. Vegetable proteins are generally less digestible for cats than animal protein and may not suit some cats with sensitive digestion.
A rule of thumb:
Look for clearly named animal proteins and simple formulas, not just big protein numbers.
Ingredients to watch out for when choosing cat food
A healthy cat food doesn't need a long list of extras. Cats have relatively short digestive tracts, indeed they're shorter than ours and dogs'. Cats do well on simple recipes, especially if they're sensitive but what matters most is digestibility and nutritional completeness.
Some cat foods may include unnecessary ingredients for cost, colour or palatability rather than nutritional value. Ingredients worth questioning include:
- Added sugars
- Artificial preservatives, colours and flavours
- Vague terms like "meat and animal derivatives"
- Low meat content and reliance on plant protein concentrates
Added sugar in particular offers no nutritional benefit to cats and is generally considered unnecessary. Diets high in sugar may contribute to dental disease and obesity, along with diabetes and pancreatitis.
Why Gut Health Matters More Than Most People Realise
Digestion is not just about the litter tray. Supporting gut health through digestible ingredients and appropriate fibre sources can make a meaningful difference to your cat's overall wellbeing.
Gut health is incredibly important for our cats and linked to many aspects of their general health and wellbeing. A healthy gut microbiome with a diverse array of bacteria not only delivers on stool quality but also helps your cat absorb nutrients properly, supports their immune system and maintains the quality of their skin, coat and mood.
Healthy bacteria can lower the pH level in your cat’s colon, support nutrient absorption, and improve stool quality, making for pretty poops in the kitty litter.
Improved digestion can also minimise hairballs. Some cats regularly vomit hairballs, which can be uncomfortable and stressful. Keeping your cat’s gut health in tip-top condition can help support hair to pass easily through their digestive tract and into their poop. Prebiotics like slippery elm, present in our wet cat food can also be helpful for hairballs as it forms a viscous lining in your cat’s gut, soothing their tum and helping to trap ingested fur so that it gently passes through the other end.
Grain‑Free Cat Food: Helpful or Hype?
Grain‑free cat food is often marketed as a healthier upgrade but it isn't automatically better, and it isn't necessary for most cats.
Grain free recipes were originally developed for pets with specific dietary sensitivities. However, true grain intolerance in cat appears to be uncommon. Many cats tolerate small amount of well-chosen, digestible grains without any issue.
What matters more than whether a recipe contains grains is the overall formulation including protein quality, digestibility and nutritional completeness.
For dry cat food especially, some type of starch is needed to form the kibble shape. Grain free products typically replace grains with alternative carbohydrate sources such as legumes. These can work well in some recipes but are not automatically more digestible or more nutritious than grain inclusive options
It's also worth remembering that not all grains are equal. Ingredients like white rice are widely used because they are generally well tolerated and easy to digest for many cats.
A practical rule of thumb: Don't judge a food by grain-free alone. Look at the full ingredient list, the protein sources, and how your cat actually does on the food.
If your cat has ongoing digestive issues or suspected food sensitivities, your vet may recommend a structured diet trial to identify suitable ingredients.
How To Read a Cat Food Label
You don't (and shouldn't) need a science degree to decode your cat food label!
We’ve written an entire Cat Food Guide detailing exactly how to read a cat food label like a pro, but here are a few rules for you to follow:
Start with the first ingredients
Ingredients are listed by weight before cooking. The first few matter most. Look for named meat sources (e.g. Chicken or Salmon), clear fat sources and ingredients you recognise.
Watch out for vague grouping terms
Less transparent terms like "meat derivatives" or "animal by-products" means batch to batch the source might change. To avoid this, stick to transparent, specific named sources like Chicken
Watch out for split ingredients
As ingredients must be listed by weight, some recipes "split" list to make certain ingredients look like they hold a smaller weight e.g. maize, maize gluten and maize flour all appearing in the same list. Once added all together you'll realise that maize may make up a rather high overall percentage
Fewer core ingredients is often easier to digest
Very long ingredient lists aren't always bad but could mask "split ingredients". Simpler formulas are often easier to evaluate and easier for your cat to digest.
Don't be misled by marketing words
All brands are guilty of following one another and using buzzwords. But terms like "natural" "premium" "hypoallergenic" have very limited regulated meaning. The ingredients list matters more.
See our previous blog on dispelling Hypoallergenic cat food
"Cheap" Cat Food Can Cost More Long Term
Lower priced food isn't automatically bad. But cheap food is often achieved by using lower ingredient quality, less digestible ingredients, a lower meat content. If a food is poorly digested you may see:
- Larger stool volumes
- More digestive upsets
- More food needed per day
That can offset apparent savings. We're not saying the best cat food is the "most expensive" but remember, cheap cat food with subpar ingredients can end up costing you more in the long run in vet bills. The goal is choosing best value.
So, Where Does Scrumbles Fit?
Our approach is simple: apply the same criteria you've just read.
We focus on doing the basics really well. That means recipes designed with:
- Gut health at the forefront
- Complete and balanced recipes
- Digestible animal protein (and lots of it)
- No added sugars or artificial preservatives or fillers
- Clear and honest labelling
If that's what you're looking for, explore our kitty options. We use up to 77% meat in our complete cat food and add probiotics or prebiotics to support sensitive tummies and make for pretty poops.
All of our healthy cat food is naturally gluten free, using only small amounts of highly digestible grains where necessary. Just check our ingredients list, it’s easy to read, we promise!
FAQs
Is dry food bad for cats?
No. Complete, high-quality dry cat food is perfectly safe for cats to eat daily, as long as fresh water is available and the label meets your cat’s nutritional needs (like all foods).
Do vets recommend specific foods?
Most vets suggest choosing balanced, complete cat food from reputable brands rather than a single “perfect” brand. Specific diets may be recommended for cats with allergies or health conditions. Food allergies are rare.
How quickly should I switch cat food?
Switch cat food gradually over 7-10 days to help your cat adjust and avoid digestive upset. Start by mixing a small amount of the new food with the old, gradually increasing the new food each day until the transition is complete.
Why does my cat have a sensitive stomach?
True food allergies are very rare in cats, and sensitive stomachs are often linked to cat food quality/digestibility rather than intolerance. Choosing easily digestible cat food may support your cat’s digestive comfort and manage sensitive stomachs.
Should I feed wet or dry food?
Both can be healthy if chosen carefully. Wet food supports hydration and is often more palatable, while dry food is convenient and cost-effective. Many cat parents find mixed feeding, offering both wet and dry, works best for variety, hydration, and enjoyment.
Is grain-free cat food better?
Not necessarily. Grain-free cat food can help cats with specific sensitivities, but most cats digest small amounts of whole grains well. Focus on overall ingredient quality, protein content, and digestibility rather than just the absence of grains.
