Healthy Cat Foods

You want to give your cat healthy food, but there are so many choices it's hard to know which is best. Feeding a variety of wet food brands with different ingredients and textures can cover all the nutritional bases, make mealtime more interesting for your cat and help prevent food sensitivities and finicky eaters.

  1. Raw Food

    • Raw meat and bones are the cat's natural diet. Independent pet supply retailers (not PetCo or PetSmart) sell frozen raw cat food, so you don't have to make your own.

    Homemade

    • Preparing your own cat food, either raw or cooked, lets you control the quality of the ingredients. You'll find a homemade cat food recipe that includes all the nutrients your cats need on veterinarian Lisa Pierson's website (see "Resources").

    Commercial Canned Food

    • If meat, not meat byproducts, is listed first or second on the ingredient label, your cat will get all the animal protein he needs. Most all-natural brands, such as Wellness, Newman's Own, Evo, Weruva and Tiki Cat, contain no byproducts and list meat as the first ingredient. Meow Mix Market Select also contains no byproducts.

    Avoid Rice, Wheat Gluten and Soy

    • Many pet food manufacturers use rice, wheat gluten and soy in canned cat food. But grains are a common allergen in cats. And while soy is a source of protein, cats are obligate carnivores and need meat, not protein from plants. Evo and Wellness CORE are grain-free, although Wellness CORE contains potatoes.

    All Natural and Human Grade

    • Words like "natural" and "human grade" on pet food packaging can be misleading. If you call or email, most cat food manufacturers will tell you the grade of meat used in their food, where the ingredients are sourced and whether their products are made in factories that also produce food for humans.