Last updated Oct 24, 2023
The best wet cat food is like a freshly-killed mouse in a can. It’s soft, juicy, and delicious while providing all the protein, fat, and micronutrients your cat needs to stay fit and frisky.
When shopping for wet cat food, you’ll want to avoid excessive carbohydrates, cheap fillers, or additives that could harm your cat. It also pays to choose food from a reputable company. Read on to learn about the benefits of wet cat food and how to make a healthy choice for your cat. We’ve also included in-depth reviews of our 12 favorite recipes.
At a Glance: Top 12 Best Wet Cat Food to Buy
Smalls Ground Bird Fresh Cat Food
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Easily digestible formula
- Rich in hydrating moisture
Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Chicken Recipe
- Top five ingredients are all animal-based
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Economically priced under $0.50 per ounce
Open Farm Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend
- Packed with premium animal protein
- Low in carbohydrates
- No artificial additives or preservatives
RAWZ 96% Turkey & Turkey Liver Paté
- Made with turkey as a single source of protein
- Negligible carbohydrate content
- Rich in moisture and animal-sourced fat
Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken Recipe In Chicken Consommé
- Great for cats who prefer shreds and stew
- Wide variety of formulas and flavors
- Free from thickeners or starches
Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe
- Novel protein source for cats with food allergies
- High in moisture to support hydration
- Glucosamine and chondroitin provide joint support
Caru Classics Turkey Stew
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Rich in hydrating moisture
- Cats seem to like the flavor and texture
Weruva Truluxe Steak Frites Dinner
- Rich in easily digestible animal protein
- Good source of hydrating moisture for cats
- Fairly low carbohydrate content
Wellness CORE Signature Selects Shredded Boneless Chicken & Chicken Liver Entree
- Finely shredded texture in flavorful broth
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Low in carbohydrates
Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Chicken Frick ‘A Zee
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Very high in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Many cats like the gravy-like texture
Wellness
- Concentrated source of protein for muscle development
- Rich in animal-sourced fats to support growth
- Salmon oil provides EPA and DHA
Koha
- Short list of simple ingredients for digestibility
- Contains over 50% dry matter protein
- Free from potatoes and peas
Top Picks Explained
We’re constantly updating our recommendations, so the products in this video no longer match our top picks, but the video still offers an in-depth look at some of the brands on this list.
Why Trust Cats.com
We’ve personally purchased and tested the wet cat food products on this list. Our recommendations are not made in exchange for free products.
When evaluating cat food, we analyze each product’s makeup including the guaranteed analysis and list of ingredients. We also research the brand and manufacturer to check for product recalls and read third-party reviews to get a sense of customer experience with the brand.
As part of our in-depth testing process, we feed the food to our cats to gauge their opinion on the product’s general appeal and palatability. We also make observations about the product’s packaging, appearance, consistency, smell, and texture.
In addition to performing our own detailed analysis of the cat food brands on this list, we submitted samples of several recipes for analysis by an ISO 17025-certified food testing and analysis laboratory. This analysis yields a report that details the recipe’s exact macronutrient and micronutrient content. It also indicates whether the food contains microbes, yeast, mold, or heavy metals.
Also Read: Why We Lab Test Cat Food and How to Interpret the Reports
Finally, we consulted seven veterinarians to get their professional opinion on what makes 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
The Best Wet Cat Food: Our Top 12 Picks
We consider a variety of factors when making our recommendations, including quality of ingredients, species-appropriateness, price, and popularity. At the top of our list is Smalls Cat Food for its moisture-rich and meat-centric recipes. This fresh food is formulated to satisfy your cat’s carnivorous cravings, but it’s not the perfect pick for every cat.
Each cat has unique needs and preferences, so while Smalls is our top pick, it may not be the ideal choice for your individual cat. To help you choose, we’ve broken down our recommendations by food type, price category, and other key considerations.
#1 Overall Best: 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
Smalls is a fresh cat food delivery service that uses human-grade ingredients in protein-rich, low-carb cat recipes. The food is delivered frozen, so you’ll need to thaw the package overnight in the fridge before feeding. Every subscription starts with a sampler pack then rolls into a monthly delivery plan you can customize in your customer account.
Featuring chicken and chicken liver as the top two ingredients, this fresh food is packed with animal protein from a single source. Green beans, kale, and dandelion greens are the only carbohydrate ingredients, and they are easily digestible and rich in nutrients. In addition to being high in protein and low in carbohydrates, this formula is rich in hydrating moisture. It’s also fairly energy-dense to help maintain lean mass.
Overall, this minced chicken recipe is a high-quality source of balanced nutrition for cats in all life stages. If your cat prefers a smoother texture, the food is also available in a pate style marketed as Smooth Bird.
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:
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Easily digestible formula
- Rich in hydrating moisture
- Very low in carbohydrates
What We Didn’t Like:
- Only available as a subscription plan
- No phone support (text and email only)
#2 Best for Kittens: Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Chicken Recipe
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 11% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 35
- Price Per Ounce: $0.35 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $1.98 per day
With many of their canned foods priced under $0.50 per ounce, Nulo is a popular pick among budget-conscious cat owners. They’re also a good choice for finicky eaters because Nulo wet foods come in a variety of textures including minced, shredded, and traditional pate.
This Nulo Freestyle formula features fresh turkey and chicken as the primary proteins, supplemented with turkey liver and fresh tuna. The formula relies mainly on animal-based fat from tuna and menhaden fish oil, both of which are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Overall, this recipe is high in protein and healthy fats with fairly low carbohydrate content. It contains plenty of moisture to support your cat’s hydration and doesn’t contain difficult-to-digest beans and legumes.
Unlike many inexpensive canned foods, this recipe is free from carrageenan, a potentially carcinogenic thickener, but it does contain guar gum and agar agar. These ingredients aren’t universally considered harmful, but they have been known to cause soft stools in some cats.
Ingredients
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:
- Top five ingredients are all animal-based
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Economically priced under $0.50 per ounce
- Menhaden fish oil provides animal-sourced omega-3s
What We Didn’t Like:
- Guar gum may cause loose stools in some cats
- May not be appropriate for cats with allergies
#3 Best Ethically Sourced: Open Farm Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 7% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 30
- Price Per Ounce: $0.54 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $3.60 per day
Though relatively new to the pet food industry, Open Farm has quickly become popular—especially among eco-conscious consumers. Open Farm pet food is made from responsibly sourced, human-grade ingredients. The brand’s sourcing policy emphasizes humanely raised poultry and meat, as well as sustainably-harvested wild-caught fish. All their fruits and vegetables are non-GMO.
This chicken-based recipe appears to rely primarily on animal-sourced protein, though it’s hard to say how much beans and legumes like garbanzo beans and lentils contribute to the total crude protein content. As a whole, the food is moderately high in protein, measured at nearly 39% on a dry matter basis, and fairly low in carbohydrates at under 20%.
The food’s dry matter fat content is almost equal to the protein content. At 30 calories per ounce, this recipe is fairly calorie-dense, so follow the feeding recommendations carefully if your cat is prone to weight gain. Overall, if you prefer to support brands that are conscious of their impact on the environment, Open Farm might be a good pick.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made from responsibly-humanely raised chicken
- Animal protein sources are the food’s primary ingredients
- Free of potentially-harmful artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Cats tend to love the taste of this food
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains some beans and legumes
#4 Premium Pick: RAWZ 96% Turkey & Turkey Liver Paté
- Made In: Thailand
- Guaranteed Protein: 9% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 37
- Price Per Ounce: $0.53 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $2.90 per day
The RAWZ brand itself came to fruition after two members of the Scott family suffered life-altering injuries. Jim Scott III established the RAWZ fund in 2015 and launched the accompanying pet food brand. RAWZ donates 100% of their profits to benefit individuals who have experienced spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries. One of the missions they support provides service dogs for these individuals.
This turkey-based canned cat food features a short and simple list of ingredients. It consists of 96% fresh turkey and turkey liver, cooked in turkey broth. It is a single-protein recipe which makes it a solid choice for cats with food allergies or sensitive digestion, and it’s packed with hydrating moisture.
There’s not much to complain about with this cat food, though some reviewers comment that the consistency is drier than other pate-style products. Overall, however, it is a high-protein, high-fat cat food with low carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey, Turkey Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with turkey as a single source of protein
- Negligible carbohydrate content
- Rich in moisture and animal-sourced fat
What We Didn’t Like:
- Some reviewers say the consistency is a little dry
#5 Best for Weight Loss: Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken Recipe in Chicken Consommé
- Made In: Thailand
- Guaranteed Protein: 16% min.
- Age Range: Adult
- Calories Per Ounce: 25
- Price Per Ounce: $0.65 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $5.29 per day
Although pate-style foods are typically more species-appropriate and have lower carbohydrate content than stew-style products, a few companies create stews without starches and thickeners. Tiki Cat is one of those companies. Their foods are manufactured in Thailand, a country known for good food production and safety standards. Tiki Cat has never been recalled and they seem to be popular among picky eaters.
This recipe is strikingly simple—it’s a can of fortified shredded chicken in broth and oil. The recipe consists of chicken, broth, oil, and supplements. We would prefer to see animal-sourced fat over the sunflower seed oil but there are no major red flag ingredients in this recipe.
Like all Tiki Cat foods, it’s low in fat and calories, making it a good option for cats who need to lose weight. It only contains about 25 calories per ounce and the dry matter fat content is only 13%.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower Seed Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Great for cats who prefer shreds and stews over pate
- Very high in moisture and animal-sourced protein
- Low fat and negligible carbohydrate content
- Popular among picky eaters
What We Didn’t Like:
- Relies primarily on plant-sourced fat
- Low calorie density may require larger portions for some cats
#6 Best Novel Protein: Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe
- Made In: New Zealand
- Guaranteed Protein: 10% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 34
- Price Per Ounce: $1.18 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $6.96 per day
Since being founded in 2004, Ziwi Peak has consistently produced some of the best natural cat foods on the market. While the company is best known for dehydrated jerky-style food for pets, their canned cat food offers superior hydration. Ziwi Peak relies on ethically sourced meat and seafood from New Zealand, farms, ranches, and waters. All their farmed proteins are free-range and grass-fed while their fish ingredients are sustainably sourced.
This product is 92% meat, organs, and bone from non-rendered venison, meaning that it delivers species-appropriate nutrition that’s easy for your cat to digest. In addition to lung, kidney, liver, and other organs, the food contains venison tripe, which is the deer’s highly-nourishing stomach lining.
The recipe also contains green-lipped mussel, a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin. These nutrients help support your cat’s joint health. Though the recipe contains a small amount of chickpeas, it’s still fairly low in carbohydrates and generally reflects your cat’s natural dietary needs. It’s made without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, and is free from carrageenan and gum thickeners.
Ingredients
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 92% muscle meat, organs, and New Zealand green mussels
- Novel protein source for cats with food allergies
- High in moisture to support hydration
- Glucosamine and chondroitin provide joint support
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains chickpeas
#7 Best for Picky Cats: Caru Classics Turkey Stew
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 11% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 30
- Price Per Ounce: $0.50 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $3.39 per day
Finicky felines can be difficult to please but many cat owners report that even their picky cats enjoy this turkey stew-style wet food. It’s made with turkey as a single source of protein that is novel for many cats as well, so it could also be a good choice for cats with food allergies or sensitivities.
This cat food features a short list of whole food ingredients. It’s free from carrageenan and gum thickeners, though it does contain a little tapioca starch as a binder. The dry matter carbohydrate content remains very low, however, under 5%.
Though some cat owners find this food to be a little too soupy, the texture makes it a great food topper or meal mixer. It’s packed with protein and hydrating moisture without any hard-to-digest beans, peas, or legumes.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey, Egg Whites
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Tapioca Starch
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Single-protein recipe appropriate for cats with allergies
- Cats seem to like the flavor and texture
- High moisture content supports your cat’s hydration
- Very low carbohydrate content
What We Didn’t Like:
- Cardboard cartons can be tricky to open
- Some customers found the food too soupy
#8 Best for Seniors: Weruva Truluxe Steak Frites Dinner
- Made In: Thailand
- Guaranteed Protein: 10% min.
- Age Range: Adult
- Calories Per Ounce: 21
- Price Per Ounce: $0.52 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $5.24 per day
Weruva offers simple recipes with just a few minimally-processed ingredients. When you open up a can or pouch of Weruva, you see real meat—shredded meat, chunks of fish, and other good-enough-to-eat ingredients. This recipe features fresh beef as the primary ingredient.
With its high protein and moisture content, this recipe offers a carnivore-appropriate source of nutrition. The shredded texture is easy for older cats to chew and the food is relatively low in phosphorus. At around 1.0 mg of phosphorus per 1,000 calories, this recipe may support your cat’s kidney health as they age.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Beef
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Potato Starch, Sunflower Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in easily digestible animal protein
- Good source of hydrating moisture for cats
- Fairly low carbohydrate content
- Low in phosphorus, may support kidney health
What We Didn’t Like:
- Relies on plant-sourced fat
#9 Best Shredded: Wellness CORE Signature Selects Shredded Boneless Chicken & Chicken Liver Entree
- Made In: North America
- Guaranteed Protein: 8%
- Age Range: Adult
- Calories Per Ounce: 24
- Price Per Ounce: $0.75 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $6.45 per day
Featuring boneless chicken, chicken liver, and eggs, this formula is rich in animal-sourced protein. The food has a finely shredded texture and is canned in flavorful chicken broth.
While this canned food contains some added starch sourced from tapioca and potatoes, the carbohydrate content is still low—under 10% measured as dry matter. It also contains guar gum as a thickening agent but is free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Overall, this is a high-protein, moderate-fat canned food recipe rich in hydrating moisture. Cats seem to enjoy the flavor and the shredded texture makes it easy for senior cats and cats with dental problems to chew. It’s also a simple recipe formulated with a short list of ingredients, making it easy to digest.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Boneless Chicken, Chicken Liver, Egg
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Finely shredded texture in flavorful broth
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Low in carbohydrates
- Easy to chew and digest
What We Didn’t Like:
- Relies on plant-based fat
- Guar gum may trigger loose stools in some cats
#10 Best for Gravy Lovers: Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Chicken Frick ‘A Zee
- Made In: Thailand
- Guaranteed Protein: 10% min.
- Age Range: Adult
- Calories Per Ounce: 24
- Price Per Ounce: $0.40 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $3.31 per day
Cats who like table scraps and gravy will love the texture of Weruva cat food. This cat food is extremely water-dense, so it has fewer calories per can or pouch than other foods. This both makes it excellent for cats who need to lose weight and more expensive than the average food.
Concerningly, one Weruva brand has been involved in a serious recall. Thiamine is an essential amino acid for cats. The incident was limited to products sold in Australia and made by a single manufacturing partner.
This chicken-based recipe consists of shredded chicken in a broth thickened with locust bean gum, xanthan gum, and guar gum. These gums aren’t a necessary part of the feline diet, but there’s little indication that they’re harmful. The food offers a hydrating source of moisture and appears easy for most cats to digest.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Simple chicken-based recipe is easy to digest
- Rich in hydrating moisture
- Gravy-like consistency appeals to many cats
What We Didn’t Like:
- Very watery—you don’t get many calories per can
- B.F.F., a Weruva brand, was involved in a serious recall in 2017
#11 Best Pate: Wellness CORE Chicken, Turkey & Chicken Liver Recipe
- Made In: North America
- Guaranteed Protein: 12% min.
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 34
- Price Per Ounce: $0.79 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $4.00 per day
All Wellness cat foods are free from corn, wheat, and soy, as well as artificial additives. The CORE line features protein-centric, grain-free cat foods while the Complete Health line offers recipes formulated for specific life stages and lifestyles.
This canned food formula features fresh chicken and turkey as the top two ingredients. Following chicken broth as a flavorful source of moisture, chicken liver, chicken meal, and turkey liver provide supplemental sources of animal protein. Overall, this is a largely animal-based recipe with high protein and fat content and fairly low carbohydrate content despite containing starchy dried potatoes.
The food contains a handful of carbohydrate ingredients but relies primarily on animal-based fat in the form of salmon oil. Guar gum, cassia gum, and xanthan gum are used as thickeners in place of carrageenan, a potentially carcinogenic pet food additive. Unfortunately, some cats experience digestive upset after eating foods thickened with gums.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Liver, Chicken Meal, Turkey Liver, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Dried Ground Potatoes, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Top six ingredients are all animal-based
- Rich in animal protein and hydrating moisture
- Smooth pate texture is easy to chew and digest
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains starchy ground potatoes
- Gum thickeners may cause loose stools
#12 Best for Sensitive Digestion: Koha Chicken Stew
- Made In: Thailand
- Guaranteed Protein: 8% min.
- Age Range: Adult
- Calories Per Ounce: 24
- Price Per Ounce: $0.40 per oz
- Typical Cost Per Day: $3.30 per day
Koha is a wet-only pet food company, and their formulas are designed with a limited number of ingredients. Many of their recipes are made with novel animal proteins. As a line of minimal-ingredient foods, Koha is a great choice for cats with sensitive digestion. The foods are high in moisture and free from starchy potatoes, peas, and other ingredients that can be difficult for cats to digest.
This minimal ingredient formula features a short list of whole food ingredients starting with fresh chicken. It’s cooked in chicken and vegetable broths, yielding a high-moisture recipe that is both hydrating and easy for cats to digest. As a single-protein recipe, this formula may be a good choice for cats with food allergies and sensitive digestion—as long as they can tolerate chicken. If not, Koha offers several other minimal ingredient stew flavors such as duck and turkey.
The food is supplemented with porcine plasma, a species-appropriate source of amino acids and essential nutrients. It also contains New Zealand green mussels which provide animal-sourced glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Porcine Plasma, Dried Egg Product, New Zealand Green Mussel
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Dried Chickpeas, Xanthan Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Short list of simple ingredients for digestibility
- Contains over 50% dry matter protein
- Rich in moisture to support hydration and digestion
- Free from potatoes and peas
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains chickpeas
Is Wet Food Better for Cats Than Dry Food?
Veterinarian Dr. Lizzie Youens, BSc, VCSc, MRCVS states that “our domestic pet cats have not altered their physiology much from their wildcat ancestor. Cats are carnivores: they are nutritionally dependent on meat.”
Some types of food are more in line with your cat’s carnivorous needs than others. Across the price spectrum and all varieties, wet food is almost universally lower in plant ingredients, starches, and sugars than kibble.
The high carbohydrate content of dry cat food is hard to nutritionally justify. Some high-carb ingredients are necessary for the extrusion process to work but your cat’s ability to digest and utilize nutrients from plant ingredients is limited. Carnivorous animals like your cat are better physiologically adapted to processing animal products.
It’s also important to understand that cats don’t naturally drink a lot of water—they instinctively prefer to get moisture from their food. Though cats who eat dry food do drink more water than those on moist diets, they nevertheless get less hydration than a wet food-fed cat. Because they take in so much less water, these cats are prone to chronic dehydration and, consequently, feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD).
What to Look for When Buying Wet Cat Food
When making our selections for this roundup, we prioritized moisture-rich recipes with high concentrations of animal-sourced protein. We avoided brands that rely too heavily on plant ingredients and opted for natural options free from unsafe fillers, artificial preservatives, and synthetic colors and flavors.
Finally, we considered the brand’s reputation for safety, quality, and customer satisfaction. We consulted customer reviews and referred to unaffiliated review sites like Consumer Affairs. We also contacted the companies directly to gauge their customer service.
Choose Low-Carbohydrate Options
Dr. Youens reminds us that, as carnivores, cats “have quite unique needs from their diet, gaining most of their energy from protein rather than carbohydrate and using fats to process certain vitamins and essential nutrients.” An ideal diet for cats gets fewer than 10% of its calories from carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are included, whole grains and low-glycemic veggies are preferable to harder-to-digest ingredients like peas and legumes.
Prioritize Animal-Sourced Protein
Your cat’s body is designed to process whole prey, so animal-sourced ingredients are more biologically valuable than plants. Animal protein contains all the amino acids your cat needs, so it’s best to choose cat foods that list whole meat as the first ingredient. Plant proteins like corn gluten meal and pea protein aren’t carnivore-appropriate.
Dr. Albert Ahn, DVM recommends choosing whole proteins over meat by-products. While by-products are not necessarily problematic, there is some degree of uncertainty surrounding their quality. Dr. Ahn recommends cat foods “that are minimally-processed, using high quality, wholesome ingredients that can help provide excellent nutrition.”
Avoid Artificial Additives and Unsafe Ingredients
Synthetic flavors, colors, and preservatives can trigger inflammation or otherwise damage your cat’s health over time. It’s best to stick with wet cat foods that use natural alternatives. Canned foods tend to rely less heavily on preservatives than kibble but often make use of binders and thickeners. Though naturally derived, gum thickeners may contribute to loose stools while some ingredients, like carrageenan, have been called into question as a potential health risk.
Select Reputable Brands
Buy from companies with a reputation for quality control, safety, reliability, and good customer service. Avoid brands with an extensive history of recalls or poor customer service. There’s no need to dismiss a company based on a single minor recall, however, provided that they responded to it swiftly, honestly, and effectively.
Wet Cat Food: Price Comparison Table
| Brand Name | Recipe | Made In | Protein | Age Range | Cost Per Day |
| Smalls | Fresh Ground Bird | United States | 15.5% min. | All Life Stages | $3.00 to $4.00 |
| Nulo | Freestyle Turkey & Chicken Recipe | United States | 11% min. | All Life Stages | $2.00 |
| Open Farm | Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend | United States | 7% min. | All Life Stages | $3.60 |
| RAWZ | 96% Turkey & Turkey Liver Paté | Thailand | 9% min. | All Life Stages | $2.90 |
| Tiki Cat | Succulent Chicken Recipe In Chicken Consommé | Thailand | 16% min. | Adult | $5.00 |
| Ziwi Peak | Venison Recipe | New Zealand | 10% min. | All Life Stages | $7.00 |
| Caru | Classic Turkey Stew | United States | 11% min. | All Life Stages | $3.20 |
| Weruva | Truluxe Steak Frites Dinner | Thailand | 10% min. | Adult | $5.75 |
| Wellness CORE Signature Selects | Shredded Boneless Chicken & Chicken Liver Entree | North America | 8% min. | Adult | $6.50 |
| Weruva | Chicken Frick ‘A Zee | Thailand | 10% min. | Adult | $3.00 |
| Wellness CORE | Chicken, Turkey & Chicken Liver | North America | 12% min. | All Life Stages | $4.00 |
| Koha | Chicken Stew | Thailand | 8% min. | Adult | $3.30 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What wet food is best for my cats?
While all cats are obligate carnivores and share a requirement for flesh-based nutrition, your cat’s ideal diet is determined by highly-individual factors. Consider your cat’s flavor preferences and health needs, then build on those requirements to find the highest-quality wet cat food you can afford.
What is the best inexpensive wet cat food?
WholeHearted, Authority, and Simply Nourish are a few of the best inexpensive wet cat food brands on the market. You’ll also find a few good recipes from Fancy Feast’s Classics and Flaked lines.
What is the best wet cat food for indoor cats?
The best wet cat food for indoor cats is a satisfying, species-appropriate diet that helps to keep your cat strong and lean. Avoid foods that contain too much starch, fiber, or calories.
Is dry or wet cat food best for cats?
Because it's hydrating, usually low in carbohydrates, and tends to be meatier than kibble, wet food is almost always best for cats. A dry diet is convenient, but it could increase your cat's chances of developing urinary tract disease and diabetes.