Last updated May 19, 2024
Charlotte Fischer / Cats.com
Because their nutritionally complete tinned foods deliver plenty of species-appropriate animal protein, moisture, and nutrition without a lot of plant ingredients, we recommend KatKin as the best cat food in the UK.
Keep reading for tips on what to look for in the best cat food and our other top picks for the ten finest foods for cats in the UK.
At a Glance: Best Cat Food in the UK 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.
KatKin Cat Food
- Personalized meal plans
- Fresh cat food delivered right to your door
- Recipes are gently steam cooked
Meowing Heads
- Made from 93% turkey, beef, and chicken
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
AATU Dry Cat Food
- Low carbohydrate content
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Free of artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives
Untamed Cat Food
- Delivered right to your door
- Made with whole meat ingredients
- Rich in moisture and flavour
Anifit for Cats
- Fresh, high-quality raw ingredients
- Made with 90% to 99% real meat
- Rich in flavor, no artificial additives
Ziwi Peak Lamb Recipe
- Low carb content by comparison
- Nourishing muscle meat, organs, and bones
- Includes novel protein options
Fancy Feast Classic Wet Cat Food
- Hearty animal-based nutrition
- Low in carbohydrates
- Free of carrageenan
Natures Menu
- Rich in digestible protein
- Calorie-dense to support kitten growth
- Low carbohydrate content
HiLife Cat Food
- Moisture-rich to support hydration
- No artificial colour, flavor, or preservatives
- 100% natural ingredients
Farmina Cat Food
- Several product lines to choose from
- Wide variety of protein options
- High-quality animal protein sources
What Really Matters in Cat Food?
The pet food industry has always been driven by trends, hype, and the idea that good cat owners will do anything to give their cats the best. In today’s market, that means an emphasis on all things natural, ancestrally-inspired, and real—whatever that means.
To get a better understanding of the UK pet food scene, I reached out to Dan Richardson of Tuxedo-Cat.co.uk. Dan confirmed that the thriving pet food market is increasingly driven by people who want to give their cats the finest nutrition.
“In recent years, a lot of new pet food companies have sprung up in the UK offering ethically sourced, grain-free (for cats) diets with carefully concocted blends of vegetables. These sorts of companies have seen lots of growth recently as they cater to the growing demand created by increased interest in FHC (fit for human consumption) pet food from health-conscious pet owners,” Dan explained.
With labels like “premium”, “ethically sourced”, and “high-quality” popping up everywhere and their meanings so vaguely defined, the cat food market can be almost as full of hype as the human supplement business.
To find the best food for your cat, you need to ignore the buzz and focus on what’s important.
What To Look For in Cat Food? — Qualities of the Best Cat Food
Activate your tunnel vision, blur out the trends, and zero in on what really matters. Whether your cat is young or old, slim or chubby, whether you’re a kale-eating yoga teacher or subscribe to New Scientist, the feline nutrition principles described below don’t change.
1. Species-Appropriate Macronutrients
The ingredient list is important, but before looking at a food’s ingredients, it’s vital to make sure that the food gets its macronutrients right. The three major macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—are metabolized in slightly different ways by your cat’s body. Macronutrients are needed by the body in large amounts.
Multiple studies have shown that cats thrive on and enjoy a diet that’s rich in protein, with moderate fat and minimal carbohydrate content. A diet with 50% protein, 38% fat, and 2% carbohydrates (what your cat would eat in the wild) supports lean muscle mass and fuels your cat for long days of play.
In practical terms, this means you should look for food in tins and pouches, raw food, or even freshly-cooked meals. Because plant ingredients are a vital part of producing dry food, kibbles are notorious for high carbohydrate content.
Even Diabetes.co.uk—a well-regarded resource for people with diabetes—acknowledges that feeding your cat a dry diet may increase his chances of developing the disease (keep in mind that other factors, such as a sedentary lifestyle and old age, can increase the risk of diabetes in cats). Feeding your cat a wet diet effortlessly reduces carbohydrate content and helps to keep your cat healthy. It may also help prevent obesity by omitting excess calories from your cat’s diet.
2. Plenty of Moisture
Hydration is vital. Without enough moisture, your cat is at an increased risk of developing lower urinary tract infection, including bladder stones and urinary tract blockages. Though a water bowl or fountain is essential, most cats don’t drink enough from them to compensate for a dry diet. Unless you feed her a high-moisture food, your cat will likely experience low-level chronic dehydration. Wet cat foods are nearly 80% water.
Particularly when you’re buying wet food for your cat, make sure that it’s nutritionally complete according to the guidelines established by the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF). Many wet foods are considered “complementary” products and aren’t nutritionally complete for full-time feeding.
3. Safe Ingredients
Avoid any ingredients that could harm your cat. Potentially harmful ingredients include artificial colours, carrageenan, and some preservatives, including BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin.
As a general rule, named ingredients like deboned salmon or chicken meal are preferable to vaguely named ingredients like poultry fat or meat meal. Although by-products aren’t necessarily bad, if you can’t tell what animal they come from, it’s a safe bet they aren’t going to be of very high quality.
4. Manufacturing Quality and Company Reputation
What’s in your cat’s food matters. So does who made it. Look for brands with clean recall histories, reputations for consistent quality control, and good customer service.
Our Top 10 Picks for the Best Cat Food in the UK Reviewed
#1 Overall Best: KatKin Cat Food
When it comes to high-quality nutrition, it’s hard to beat fresh cat food. KatKin offers gently steamed recipes frozen at the peak of freshness and delivers them right to your door.
Top Recipe: KatKin Cluck! Fresh Cat Food Formula
All of KatKin’s recipes are veterinarian-formulated to deliver balanced nutrition. By filling out a simple questionnaire, you can create a personalized meal plan for your cat that suits her age, energy requirements, and dietary restrictions.
KatKin offers eight different recipes featuring premium animal proteins like chicken, beef, lamb, duck, and pork that you can use to fill your custom box. Using your cat’s information, KatKin calculates her daily calorie requirements and portions her meals accordingly.
This formula features fresh chicken thigh, liver, and heart as the main ingredients. In fact, those are the only ingredients, aside from mineral supplements, that are needed to ensure complete and balanced nutrition. The meat content of this formula is very high.
Being packed with animal-based protein and healthy fats, this KatKin formula is incredibly species-appropriate. We also love that it is gently steam cooked to preserve all that nutrition (not to mention the natural chicken flavour) and frozen at the peak of freshness before being delivered to your door.
As a fresh food, KatKin is rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration. Its simple list of whole-food ingredients makes it easy to digest. There are no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives and no fillers or plant ingredients of any kind.
Ingredients
Fresh Chicken Thigh, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart, Minerals.
Ingredients We Liked: Fresh Chicken Thigh, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Limited list of quality ingredients
- Gently steam cooked to preserve nutrition and flavour
- Customized to your cat’s calorie requirements
- Free from gluten, grains, and artificial additives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Subscription required for purchase
- Somewhat pricey
#2 Premium Pick: Meowing Heads
Meowing Heads is currently owned by Inspired Pet Nutrition (IPN), one of the largest dry pet food producers in the United Kingdom. The brand was originally created in 2008 when the three co-founders left their jobs at an American pet food company and set out to create their own pet food.
Top Recipe: Meowing Heads Top-Cat Turkey Wet Food
The brand uses UK-sourced ingredients as much as possible but doesn’t provide specific information about their ingredients other than to say their proteins are 100% natural. The word “natural” implies more than it actually means, however, so these claims should be taken with a grain of salt.
Made with 93% turkey, beef, and chicken, this protein-packed wet cat food formula has a meaty texture and a high moisture content. It’s sold in 100g pouches and Meowing Heads suggests the average 5kg cat should be fed 2 pouches per day.
This wet cat food contains a very simple list of main ingredients, so it should be easy for most cats to digest. It doesn’t appear to contain any added carbohydrates, either. In fact, the only plant-based ingredient is sunflower oil. While we’d prefer not to see plant-based fats in cat food, this ingredient is accompanied by salmon oil as an animal-based source of essential fats and omega-3s.
One thing to keep in mind with Meowing Heads cat food is that most of their wet foods contain multiple animal proteins, so they may not be the best choice for cats with food allergies.
Ingredients
Composition: 93% Turkey, Beef & Chicken includes – Fresh Deboned Turkey (28%), Fresh Deboned Beef (25%), Turkey Broth (25%), Fresh Deboned Chicken (15%), Sunflower Oil, Salmon Oil, Minerals.
Nutritional Additives (per kg): Taurine 800 mg Vitamins: Vitamin D3 240 IU, Vitamin E (DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate) 95 mg, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) 550 mg
Trace Elements: Zinc as Zinc Chelate of Glycine Hydrate 13mg, Manganese (Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate) 0.5 mg, Copper as Cupric Sulphate Pentahydrate 2mg, Iodine as Calcium Iodate Anhydrous 0.4mg
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey, Beef, Chicken, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made from 93% turkey, beef, and chicken
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
- Only contains about 10% dry matter carb content
What We Didn’t Like:
- May not be ideal for cats with food allergies
#3 Best Dry: AATU Dry Cat Food
AATU offers both wet and dry foods, all of which emphasize high protein content and skip the cereal grains that are so common in other products.
Top Recipe: AATU Adult Cat Food Wet Pouches
Their wet foods are primarily made from animal ingredients, with plenty of meat, protein, and other nutrients from meat.
Though it has some great qualities, AATU falls short of our first-place ranking because it leans to the gimmicky side. Their foods are meat-focused, certainly, but they also contain some trendy and unnecessary items like spirulina and tomatoes.
As you might expect given their use of these ingredients, AATU foods are a little more expensive than most. Also, not all cats love the way they taste. This food is 97% meat ingredients, with chicken, quail, and chicken broth taking up most of the recipe.
It also contains what the company describes as the “super 8”, a mix of eight vegetables, herbs, botanicals, and spices. These ingredients aren’t needed by cats, and they increase the food’s carbohydrate content slightly. Overall, though, these extra ingredients exist in small enough quantities to leave the food relatively species-appropriate.
The food is free of artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives.
Ingredients
97% Chicken & Quail (Includes Chicken 57%, Chicken Broth 30%, Quail 10%), Minerals, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Peas, Apple, Lucerne, Chick Peas, Tomato, Tapioca, Pear, Cranberry, Blueberry, Mulberry, Orange, Bilberry, Cowberry, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Parsley, Peppermint, Spirulina, Seaweed, Oregano, Sage, Marjoram, Thyme, Chamomile, Rosehip, Yucca, Chicory, Aniseed, Stinging Nettle, Marigold, Fenugreek, Cinnamon, MSM.
Ingredients We Liked: Meat, Fish
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Chickpeas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Low carbohydrate content
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Free of artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Expensive
- Contains a lot of fluffy, non-essential ingredients
#4 Best for Fussy Eater: Untamed Cat Food
Why go through the hassle of making an extra trip to the pet store if you don’t have to? Untamed delivers high-quality cat food right to your door.
Top Recipe: Untamed Chocka Chicken in Gravy Canned Food
Untamed cat food is formulated by veterinary nutritionists and includes ingredients such as whole meats. This brand offers a selection of canned cat foods made without grains, sugars, vegetable proteins, or animal derivatives. Untamed cat foods are packaged in gravy or jelly. Everything is gently steamed to lock in freshness and flavour, then delivered to your door according to your cat’s personalized subscription.
This shredded-style cat food features fresh chicken breast as the primary ingredient. It also contains chicken broth for flavour and moisture and chicken liver for added protein. The only other ingredients are sunflower oil, tapioca for thickening, and nutritional supplements as needed for balance.
Untamed cat food is packed with species-appropriate nutrition from high-quality animal sources like chicken, and their wet foods are rich in the moisture your cat needs for optimal hydration. This particular recipe features 63% whole meat and is gently simmered to preserve nutritional value.
If your cat is allergic to chicken, Untamed offers a limited selection of other protein choices, including tuna, mackerel, and salmon.
Ingredients
Chicken Breast, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Sunflower Oil, Tapioca, Vitamins, Minerals.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Breast, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower Oil, Tapioca
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Packed with high-quality animal protein
- Rich in the moisture your cat needs for hydration
- Limited list of ingredients, no artificial additives
- Negligible carbohydrate content
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains some plant ingredients
- Limited protein options (only chicken and fish)
#5 Best Species Appropriate: Anifit for Cats
When it comes to species-appropriate nutrition for pets, Anifit is the expert. This pet food company offers a variety of wet food and Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (B.A.R.F.) options for cats, made with up to 99% real meat ingredients.
Top Recipe: Fisch A La Mode
Anifit cat food is made with the freshest ingredients possible. This company has a strict ban on animal meals, vegetable flours, preservatives, sugar, and artificial additives, so you know your cat is only getting the best.
This formula features a protein-rich blend of chicken, reindeer, and fish that comprise 99% of the total recipe. We appreciate that the actual percentage of each protein ingredient is listed and that there are no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Anifit notes that the muscle meat in their recipes includes skeletal, heart, and stomach muscles, so there’s definitely no shortage of protein. The inclusion of beef lung and liver helps ensure proper nutritional balance as well.
The only supplements in this formula appear to be tomato powder for fiber, calcium, and salt along with rosehip. Rosehip isn’t an ingredient we’re very familiar with, but it appears to offer anti-inflammatory benefits.
Ingredients
Chicken Muscle Meat (31%), Reindeer Muscle Meat (7%), Salmon (16%), Whiting (16%), Beef Lung (18%), Beef Liver (11%), Tomato Powder, Rose Hip, Calcium, Salt
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Muscle Meat, Reindeer Muscle Meat, Salmon, Whiting (Fish), Beef Lung, And Beef Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Fresh, high-quality raw ingredients
- Made with 90% to 99% real meat
- Rich in flavor, no artificial additives
What We Didn’t Like:
- No dry food options
#6 Best Dry Cat Food: Ziwi Peak
This New Zealand company makes air-dried and canned foods that spotlight animal muscle meat, organs, and green-lipped mussels.
Top Recipe: Ziwi Peak Cat Food Adult Air Dried Lamb, Dry Food
Though both their dry and wet foods have some great qualities, dry food is Ziwi Peak’s strong spot. Ziwi Peak food is air-dried, so it retains the nutrient value of fresh meat without the pathogens of raw food. It’s a good alternative to both raw food and kibbles.
Although this air-dried food is just as moisture-depleted as any traditional kibble, it has a few qualities that set it ahead of your standard bag of crunchies. For example, it’s primarily made from meat and has a low carbohydrate content.
It’s made from lamb, lamb heart, lamb tripe, liver, kidney, lung, bone, and green-lipped mussel as a source of omega-3 fatty acids.
All of these ingredients are nourishing and species-appropriate, making this a good complement to wet food or main dish for cats who refuse to eat anything but dry food.
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.
Ingredients We Liked: Lamb, Lamb Heart, Lamb Tripe, Lamb Liver, Lamb Kidney, Lamb Lung, New Zealand Green Mussel
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Low carbohydrate content compared to other dry foods
- Uses a variety of nourishing muscle meat, organs, and bones
- A novel-protein diet for most cats
What We Didn’t Like:
- Doesn’t have enough moisture
- Expensive
#7 Best Affordable: Fancy Feast Classic Wet Cat Food
This well-known Purina brand offers some of the best economical foods you can buy.
Some of their recipes contain potentially harmful dyes and others have too much plant matter, but most of the formulas in the Fancy Feast Classics line are meat-rich, species-appropriate recipes. These recipes deliver plenty of nutrition without a lot of starch or other ingredients that may not be good for your cat.
Top Recipe: Fancy Feast Classic Tender Beef Feast Canned Cat Food
This pâté style food is primarily made from beef, beef broth, and liver. It also contains a couple of vaguely-labelled ingredients that may not be top-quality additions to your cat’s diet. What does that mean? The food contains fish, but it doesn’t specify what type of fish is in it. It contains meat by-products, but doesn’t say what kind of meat is in those by-products.
These ingredients aren’t necessarily terrible, but they’re not guaranteed to be particularly digestible, nutritious, or safely handled, either. Like many Fancy Feast recipes, the food contains a combination of artificial and natural flavours.
It’s thickened with guar gum, which is a safer alternative to carrageenan, another common thickener used in cat food.
Ingredients
Beef, Beef Broth, Liver, Fish, Meat By-products, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Vitamin Supplements (E, A, D3, B12), Sodium Nitrite (To Promote Color Retention), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate.
Ingredients We Liked: Beef
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Meat By-Products, Artificial Flavors, Guar Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Hearty animal-based nutrition
- Low in carbohydrates
- Free of carrageenan, a thickener common in lower-priced foods
- Affordable
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains artificial flavours
- Made with animal by-products, which may not be as digestible or nourishing as other cuts of meat
#8 Best for Kittens: Natures Menu
Natures Menu sells raw, freeze-dried, and wet foods, all emphasizing cuts of meat from what they call ethically raised animals. Whether they’re raw or not, all Nature’s Menu foods are inspired by the nutritional value of raw food.
Top Recipe: Natures Menu Kitten Chicken
They’re free of added sugars, rendered meats, and artificial flavours and colours.
Natures Menu foods are a good option for cats of all ages, but their kitten-specific formula stands out as a particularly high-protein, low-carbohydrate, richly nourishing option.
What makes kitten food different from adult food? Usually, kitten food is more calorically dense, nutrient-rich, and, sometimes, a little softer and easier to eat than traditional adult food.
This food is primarily made from chicken in broth—no cereals, no potatoes, with chicken as the only protein source. The super-simple recipe is fortified for kitten nutrition and has a soft consistency that makes it easy to lap up.
Ideally, kitten food would contain a fish oil supplement as a source of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, but this one doesn’t. If you choose this kitten food, you may want to add a salmon oil supplement to round out your kitten’s diet.
Ingredients
Chicken (min 70 percent), Broth (28 percent), Vitamin A 3000iu, Vitamin D3 200iu, Vitamin E 30 mg, Taurine 1.5 g. Trace Elements: Zinc sulphate monohydrate 15 mg, Manganese sulphate monohydrate 3 mg, Calcium iodate 0.75 mg, Sodium selenite 0.03 mg.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Broth
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in digestible protein
- Calorie-dense to support kittenhood growth
- Low carbohydrate content
What We Didn’t Like:
- Doesn’t contain a source of omega-3 fatty acids
- Expensive
#9 Best Wet Cat Food: HiLife Cat Food
Wet cat food contains the moisture your feline friend needs for optimal hydration. Compared with the typical dry food, it also tends to be lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein. HiLife offers a selection of wet cat food pouches and cans that are packed with protein and moisture.
Top Recipe: HiLife it’s only natural The Chicken One Pouches
HiLife is a family-run business made up of pet owners who understand the importance of quality nutrition for pets. They have a reputation for being honest, trustworthy, and knowledgeable in the industry. HiLife wet cat food is made with 100% natural ingredients including good quality animal proteins like whole tuna and whole chicken. Their recipes are gently steamed in pouches to preserve nutritional value as well as natural flavour.
Available in chicken and chicken with beef flavors, this chicken recipe wet food is made with 50% fresh chicken to satisfy your cat’s carnivorous cravings as well as her nutritional needs.
Aside from the fresh chicken, this recipe contains a limited number of extracts to provide essential nutrients, support gut health, and reduce stool odor. Sunflower oil is included to provide omega fatty acids. While all of the ingredients other than the chicken are plant-based, the overall carbohydrate content of the recipe is extremely low.
Sold in packs of 8 or 32 pouches, HiLife is an affordable option for pet owners. Though the selection of products may be more limited than with other brands, HiLife pouches are easy to serve, and they contain plenty of the moisture your cat needs for optimal hydration.
Ingredients
Chicken, Yeast Extract, Cassava Extract, Minerals, Sunflower Oil, Chicory Extract, Yucca Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Yeast Extract, Chicory Extract
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower Oil, Chicory Extract
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Moisture-rich to support hydration
- Made with 50% fresh chicken
- Free from artificial additives and fillers
- Affordably priced
What We Didn’t Like:
- Limited product selection
- Contains some added plant ingredients
#10 Best Variety: Farmina Cat Food
If you’re looking for a cat food brand that offers a wide variety of options for your cat, consider Farmina. This Italian pet food company offers dry and wet cat food options made with a wide assortment of premium proteins like chicken, beef, lamb, wild boar, and ocean fish.
Top Recipe: Farmina Natural & Delicious Lamb Grain-Free Formula Dry Cat Food
Farmina pet food formulas are developed using scientific research and are focused on the well-being of pets. They offer both grain-free cat food and grain-inclusive recipes.
Farmina cat food is naturally preserved using nitrogen to prevent the breakdown of fatty acids and preserve freshness – it’s the same process widely used in human food packaging. Most Farmina pet foods are designed to be low-glycemic, containing no more than 20% cereals, lower than the 40% to 60% cereal content in most commercial pet foods.
As part of Farmina’s Natural & Delicious line of products, this lamb recipe dry food is designed to have a low glycemic impact. Plus, with 97% of the protein from animal sources, it is highly digestible.
This dry food formula may not contain the moisture your cat needs for optimal hydration, but it is packed with high-quality animal ingredients. Fresh lamb and dehydrated lamb top the list of ingredients, with supplemental protein from dehydrated egg, herring, dehydrated herring, and chicken protein concentrate. The primary sources of added fat are animal-based as well.
While this formula contains added plant ingredients like potato, carrots, and sun-cured alfalfa meal, the estimated carbohydrate content is under 20%, as promised. This is higher than we’d like, but still much lower than the average commercial dry cat food.
Ingredients
Lamb Meat, Dehydrated Lamb Meat (Source of Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate), Potato, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dehydrated Egg Product, Herring (Source of Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate), Dehydrated Herring (Source of Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate), Herring & Salmon Oil Blend (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Chicken Protein Concentrate, Dried Carrots, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Chicory Root Extract, Fructooligosaccharide, Yeast Extract (Source of Mannan-Oligosaccharides), Dehydrated Blueberry, Dehydrated Sweet Orange, Dehydrated Pomegranate, Dehydrated Apple, Dehydrated Spinach, Psyllium Seed Husk, Dehydrated Blackcurrant Berry, Salt, Brewers Dried Yeast, Turmeric, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Choline Chloride, Beta-Carotene, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Selenium Yeast, Dl-Methionine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Aloe Vera Gel Concentrate, Green Tea Extract, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Lamb Meat, Dehydrated Lamb Meat, Chicken Fat, Herring, Dehydrated Herring, Herring & Salmon Oil Blend, Chicken Protein Concentrate
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Potato, Dried Carrots, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Two high-quality animal proteins top the list
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids from animal sources
- Relatively low in carbohydrates, under 20% (as fed)
- Free from GMOs and artificial additives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Doesn’t contain the moisture your cat needs
- Contains several added plant ingredients
Why Should You Trust Us?
Charlotte Fischer / Cats.com
Having reviewed over 230 of the world’s most popular cat food brands and hundreds of recipes, we’ve spent countless hours researching both feline nutrition and the pet industry. We’ve consulted with veterinarians and animal nutrition experts, talked to industry insiders, and tried out dozens of recipes with our own cats.
All brands featured in this review have been taste-tested by my own cats and I am not being paid to promote any products. All products were bought with our own money.
Our team of veterinary experts provides additional informative support as well as their professional opinion on what makes a great cat food product. Here’s the full methodology behind our cat food ratings.
The best cat food gives your cat gold-standard nutrition.
As a baseline, the food should be complete in nutrients and balanced according to FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation) standards. And beyond meeting those basic nutritional requirements, a great cat food is rich in animal protein with just the right amount of fat. It should be sourced from reputable suppliers and manufactured according to the highest standards.
Want To Learn More About Feline Nutrition and How To Feed Your Cat the Best?
We have plenty of resources to help you become the savviest shopper on the cat food aisle. Check out our guides to the best dry food, best wet food, and kitten food or explore our collection of brand reviews and ratings.
Also Read:
Thank you for this.
Could you please do a review of KatKin. They can’t be bought via big retailers or Amazon but would appreciate a review anyway.
I personally like it and give it to one of my cats who had IBS and found significant improvement in his condition. I also noticed that using this food his stools have stopped smelling.
Hi Mariken, we’ll consider it! Thank you.
I would also like a review of Katkin please.
Hi Samantha, we’ll consider it! Thank you.
Hi,
Would also like a Katkin and Untamed cat food review please.
Hi Noura, thank you for the request. We will consider both of these!
Yes please could you review untamed 🙂
I’d also like this reviewed please!
Thank you, I have just found this site. Very interesting! What is your opinion on Hi life fish platter. Please.?
My cat has hyperthyroidism (0.4ml per day medicine). She loves these. And Sainsbury’s Tuna with crab. She has got to put on some weight…she is 16 years. Quite fit for a vintage lady.
I’ve heard Tuna is bad for cats…is it? And why? (I hate it).
Hi Hazel, glad you found our site! Hi Life’s Fish Platter looks like a tasty and wholesome treat, but it’s not a nutritionally complete food, so you don’t want to give it to her as her sole source of nutrition. Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with the Sainsbury’s product you’re referring to. The key thing here is to make sure that the food is recommended as a complete food. Anything else could lead to deficiencies unless fed in combination with a food that is formulated to meet all of your kitty’s nutritional requirements.
This is out of my realm of expertise, but something to consider and bring up to your vet is the fact that seafood tends to be higher in iodine compared to other foods. With iodine intake appearing to contribute to hyperthyroidism, this may be something to adjust in order to help your cat feel better (in addition to her medication). Additionally, tuna is perfectly fine in moderation, but like most ocean fish, it does come with the risk of excessive heavy metals and other contaminants. Again, moderation is the key. A little tuna is wonderful, but it shouldn’t be the only protein your cat is consuming.
Hope this helps! I wish you and your cat all the best.
– Mallory
could you do a raw (frozen) cat food review please?
Hi Rebecca, we will consider reviewing the best raw cat food available in the UK soon! In the meantime, you might like our article focusing primarily on raw foods sold in the United States. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Mallory! I don’t know if you’ve already reviewed this brand before, but I was wondering if you had any thoughts on Scrumbles? Theyre a local brand to me in London and I can’t find any reputable ‘cat people’ reviews!
Hi Emily, we would love to review Scrumbles in the near future! It looks like a pretty good brand; I’ll add it to our list of UK brands to cover in the near future.
Please give me a review of Nuevo super-premium adult cats food – salmon. Thank you
Hi Loretta, we’ll add it to our list of topics to consider. Thanks!
what about Carnilove for a UK brand? plz review it as it is a more accessible brand to me than Ziwi.
Hala, we plan to review Carnilove very soon!
I have tried a raw cat food called Bella & Duke but my year old cat won’t eat it unless it’s laced with Encore wet food. Also once it’s defrosted it it’s like meat that’s starting to deteriorate. I was tempted to continue with Encore but now realise it lacks necessary vitamins. He came to me eating only Felix and would not touch anything until I found Encore which is all he eats willingly. Now I’ve read that Encore was recalled in a specific store. It used to be there was no benefit in feeding foods with animal derivatives which might included road kill and other awful sources of substandard meat. Even so I was lucky in that my 4 cats lived to 23 and were never actually harmed until they aged by which time I fed them specific diets appropriate like Hills and the competitive dry food which frankly I thought was rubbish but persevered with nonetheless. I’ve saved recipes concocted specially by concerned vets but flinched at grinding organ meats on a monthly basis and freezing. Why can’t even one pet food company make things simple and produce a wholesome food that healthy kittens and cats can digest and enjoy for the balance of their life? I’ve read pros and cons of your reviews and wished the cons could be left out and the pros could be expanded. Owners need one cat food good for all until their animals develop specific ailments due to their genetic pre-disposition. Then of course they need specific diets. I realise this would never work with people since with people but animals don’t crave salt, sweets etc. I feel so confused by this multiplicity of choices and wish it could be standardised better than it is. Farmers don’t struggle to feed cows and horses do they? It was corporations cutting corners that caused the nightmare of mad cows which spread to people and is said to still lie dormant wasn’t it. I feel as confused and discouraged now as when I started to look for a diet I could have faith in. And I haven’t even thought about the jumped up costs. Thank you all the same for your honest attempt to cut through the gibberish. We need real regulators not those who set the lowest standards. There are none of those anywhere it seems with integrity and clout. Thank you for trying to unravel the morass of what to feed one’s cat.
Thank you, Elisabeth Anne. Many, many people share your frustration with the imperfections in the cat food market, but I believe that as the consumer’s voice grows louder, we will see more and more companies satisfying these needs. – Mallory
Hi!! I’ve been binge-reading your articles in the last few days and i’ve literally couldn’t thank you enough for the content you give out!! I’ve learnt so much about my cat’s diet and how to take care of her!! I am currently giving her some dry kibbles in the morning and wet food the rest of the day.. Could you review the Dr. Clauder’s brand? She eats the “best selection” wet food they have and literally loves it. It is made in Germany, and i live in Europe, so i don’t know how accesible it is to you, but thank you eather way.. Take care!!
Hi Jason, thank you for commenting! We are currently working towards expanding our selection of reviews of brands available in Europe and elsewhere outside of the United States, and I’ve added Dr. Clauder’s to the list. Cheers!
I understand that quality and other factors are important when choosing a food, but sustainability has to be too. Recommending Ziwi, which is manufactured in New Zealand, for sale in the UK is irresponsible as the carbon footprint is enormous.
The ridiculous cost of the food is also partly because of the shipping costs, not just the quality of the ingredients.
Sustainability and quality please!
That’s a good point. We’ll keep this in mind when updating this article in the future. Thank you.
Thank you Mallory, your articles are super useful by the way.
Hi Mallory, are you considering reviewing Lily’s Kitchen and Meowing Heads cat food? currently feeding my cat royal canin fit 32 but am willing to give him some of the best available. He’s been strictly on dry food for years now and am open to incorporating wet food into his diet but am overwhelmed and not sure where to start!
Hi Matt,
Yes! We have reviewed Lily Kitchen, you can read the review here:
https://cats.com/lilys-kitchen-cat-food-review
Meowing Heads review is coming up in the few weeks.
Could you let me know when the meowing heads one is released
Yes, I’ll put a Post-It on my desk. 🙂
– Mallory
Can you make a post on combining wet and dry foods? I find it useful to put out some dry food that stays out all day (one of our cats likes to graze) and then feed some wet food morning and evening.
It would be useful to know if there are any recommended combinations of food or discussions on proportions of wet to dry.
Thanks
Hi Ele,
We have a similar article on the topic:
https://cats.com/wet-vs-dry-cat-food
Hi dear,
Thank you very much for this very useful page! Best one in internet.
May I ask you to review Brit cat food (made in Czech). Sounds very nice, but how is in reality?
Many many thanks!!!
Hi Valeria, that’s a great request. We’ll keep it in mind!
I don’t understand why you decided the food containing sunflower oil is a healthy option. Sunflower oil contains has the highest amount of pro inflammatory omega 6 and and I would never feed my cat. Cats like humans need precious omega 3 which has tons of health benefits. Anyway, I am a big fan of all about cats and I truly appreciate your brilliant work towards cats’ wellbeing.
Hi Bella, thanks for commenting! You make a good point—we wouldn’t consider sunflower oil to be ideal, either. However, we weighed a number of factors when choosing our recommendations, and Thrive came out on top by offering a decent variety of comparatively high-value foods that are readily available to customers. A number of the other recommendations on this list are free of sunflower oil and would make an excellent choice for your cat. I appreciate your support! – Mallory
Hi Mallory, I’m still waiting on the Meowing Heads review. Has this been cancelled? Thank you
Hey Matt, no! We just published it. Here you go. Hope you find it helpful!
Katkin have a couple of fishy flavours. The Splash is all fish and the Bubble and Quack is a mixture of fish and meat. Possibly need adding to the reviews.
Thanks for mentioning this, Rachel! We’ll consider this for our next update.
First two recommendations do not give a price until you have gone through the order process – are they scared that th3 price will put people off….
Stephen, it’s a combination of things. For one, the price will be different for each person who purchases a subscription, so they’re not able to give a single price for everyone. But then, these companies must be aware that not giving the price immediately could help to “hook” customers before any sticker shock sets in.
I’m wondering what the best affordable and easily available UK options are? I’m having a really hard time trying to find a brand or product for our kitten.
Hey there Eva, I would consider Fancy Feast’s classic paté line or complete wet cat food from HiLife. Hope this helps!
Hi Mallory, thank you for your reply.
Sadly Fancy Feast isn’t readily available in th UK (and they’re using different product names it seems). Only place that sells it is Amazon and its £86 for 24 cans. Wet food from HiLife is £8-£12 / kg which isn’t cheap. But I found an affordable wet food for around £5 / kg. It’s Animonda Carny (Kitten). We’re slowy transitioning from Felix Kitten food to this now.
Also natures menu can be reasonably priced, and you get a really packed packet
Mallory. As a breeder and (mainly)RAW feeder I try and give a range of options to my kittens new parents, so thanks for the comprehensive work on your reviews. I would like you to consider Millie’s Lionheart for review. I used to use their dog food ( for my dogs!) and found them a good middle ground for value/quality.
Hi Adrian, I’ve taken note of this request. Thank you!
Have you tried Cool Cat Club? Please consider reviewing them. I am currently subscribed to Katkin and Cool Cat Club seems to be promoting itself as basically Katkin but better value. I’m sceptical about the quality at that price though. Please email me if you learn anything! Thanks Mallory
Hi Alice,
Cool Cat Club is on our list!
We’ll keep you updated once the review is live
I’d be interested to see a review of Cool Cat Club. Their products seem good quality at a reasonable price but they are canned, pouches and trays, not frozen like Katkin (Katkin has just drastically changed its product, so I’d be interested to see an updated review).
Would you be able to review James well beloved. I was recommended it by a holistic vet in London, a few years ago. But I was advised recently, that the quality had gone down, but not sure this is true. Thanks
Hi Karen, thanks for the comment. We’ll consider it! Thanks.
Hi Mallory! Would you have any alternative UK recommendations for Kitten Wet Food? I’ve heard it’s good to have a variation of brands and protein on offer to prevent picky eating and in case of recalls. Thank you for all your work!
Hi Ali! We’re working on an article on the best kitten food in the UK right now, but for now, you might appreciate the recommendations in our article on the overall best wet cat food in the UK.
Could you please research an alternative food for the “Best Affordable” section? Fancy Feast seems no longer to be available.
You might consider Aldi’s Heart to Tail cat food—they do use artificial colors, but the recipes are comparably species-appropriate and similar to Fancy Feast. Hope this helps!
Thanks!
What do you think about Feline 40 is it good or is it a scam
A lot of the components of Feline 40 are things that cats can definitely benefit from, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw some improvements in wellbeing after giving it to your cat. However, the micronutrients included here shouldn’t be necessary if you’re feeding a nutritionally complete and balanced diet, and excessive supplementation isn’t necessarily harmless.
Ca you review natures menu for adult cats please? 🐈 I feed it to my cats but find it dries out quickly I add water to it to serve is it good fir them?
Hey Lesley, thanks for asking. We did review it! Here you go.
I bought Katkins food & my cats ate it unlike some of the other quality foods! They do use Sunflower oil as I asked & I do know ALL seed oils are a toxin! Either way I found the buying process a NIGHTMARE as I have many cats & run a rescue for 30 plus years. I also found the process treated you as if you knew nothing & that I was of a young child’s mentality .
Also I do not like the fact you have to sign up to a monthly order as I prefer to order when I want/need!
I did speak to them about the above but they obviously want to talk down to their customers!
After a lot of research into felix/purina products I would NOT touch them . Felix also add sugar to their food. I do telephone many food companies and ask them many questions RE their foods!
There is a page on fb RE Cats that have been ill on Felix foods. I am not saying they all would be down to the food, but from my experiences I am sure many are !
Hello, could you revisit Katkin please. They have recently changed the packaging and also the processing of the food itself it seems. The result has been a disaster. The amount of recent one star reviews on Trustpilot is astounding. Thankyou.
Thanks for this article! I’m confused about why some of these foods were chosen over many better foods available in the UK, though. Katkin is fantastic and Meowing Heads is great, but Untamed has tapioca in it, so it seems like a weird choice for number 1. I also feed my cat Wellness Core 98%, Scrumbles, and Nature’s Variety, all of which are excellent quality wet foods with better ingredients than Untamed and HiLife. Thrive, Blink, and Lily’s Kitchen (smooth pate style only) are also fantastic. All are available at Pets at Home and other major pet stores here.
Hi Shannon, thanks for mentioning this. We shifted this list around recently to reflect changes in the KatKin customer experience, but I agree that the list could be improved overall. I appreciate the suggestions and will take them in mind when editing the article in the future.
Great! It sounds like there may just be a need to look at/try a broader range of foods available in the UK.
FWIW, I’m still very happy with Katkin 🙂 the texture is not quite as nice now, but I think a lot of the backlash was overblown and came from a vocal minority of people.