Snappy Tom Cat Food Review

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

We’ve rated Snappy Tom on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Snappy Tom cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.

The Cats.com Standard—Rating Snappy Tom on What Matters

We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.

In total, we give Snappy Tom cat food a 48 out of 60 rating or a B grade.

About Snappy Tom

The story of Snappy Tom began over 50 years ago in Adelaide, Australia. Snappy Tom was the first brand in Australia to feature fish as a primary protein source.

Previously, commercial cat foods largely used beef, chicken, and lamb. Today, Snappy Tom proudly makes cat food from “real fish for real cats.”

In addition to setting themselves apart with a unique ingredient, Snappy Tom puts your pet’s health before their bottom line. This company manufactures their food in company-owned facilities instead of outsourcing production to third-party processors. In doing so, they are able to maintain strict quality control over their products every step of the way.

Unlike other manufacturers, Snappy Tom doesn’t use by-products, chemicals, fillers, and other ingredients deemed unfit for human consumption. Snappy Tom “[takes] pride in this distinction and [believes] it speaks to the quality and integrity of the products [they] put to market.”

Here are four promises Snappy Tom makes with each of their products:

• Real fish and meat
• No artificial additives
• Sustainability
• Grain-free

When you choose Snappy Tom, you’re choosing high-quality protein along with perfect taste and an unbeatable texture your cats will love. Not only does Snappy Tom offer premium-quality cat food, but they also sell two types of cat litter: crystal cat litter and plant-based cat litter.

Snappy Tom crystal cat litter comes in two varieties: unscented and lavender scented. This litter delivers the convenience of instant odor absorption, enabling you to scoop the box less often.

Snappy Tom crystal cat litter inhibits bacteria and helps keep the litter dry. It is lightweight, non-tracking, and environmentally safe. Plus, it’s affordably priced at just $11.99 per 4-pound bag.

Snappy Tom plant-based cat litter is available in lavender and vanilla scents as well as an unscented formula. This litter is made from 100% natural, non-toxic plant-based materials that are completely compostable and biodegradable.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

Snappy Tom’s Lites line of cat food is sold in 3-ounce cans and made with 1 to 2 high-quality animal proteins. Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Snappy Tom manufactures their products in the same facilities used to process human-grade food. As such, their products are approved by both the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

If you have reservations about cat food made outside the U.S., that should settle the matter for you when it comes to the Snappy Tom brand.

Though Snappy Tom does manufacture their products in their own facilities, it’s worth noting that those facilities are located outside the U.S. in Thailand. This raises a red flag for some pet owners, but Thailand is a major hub for pet food manufacture, so their standards are quite high. Again, Snappy Tom foods are approved by the FDA and the CFIA.

While we were able to find this information by communicating directly with the company, it would be nice to have this information readily available to consumers. It could even be a simple mention in their FAQ section.

Recall History

In researching the Snappy Tom brand, we didn’t find any evidence of past recalls. It’s always a good thing when a cat food brand doesn’t have any recalls, but you should remember that this is not a U.S.-based cat food brand, so product recalls may be done differently.

What Kinds of Cat Food Does Snappy Tom Offer?

Snappy Tom is a wet food only brand. This brand offers three different product lines of wet cat food, all made primarily with fish-based proteins, though some recipes contain chicken.

Here are the three product lines Snappy Tom has to offer:

• Snappy Tom Naturals cat food pouches
• Snappy Tom Ultimates wet food tins
• Snappy Tom Lites wet food cans

The Snappy Tom Naturals line of cat food pouches is formulated for cats in all life stages. These recipes are high in protein, just like a cat’s natural diet, and they are packed with real animal flavor. These formulas are always grain-free and always free from artificial additives.

Snappy Toms Ultimates is a wet cat food line comprised of grain-free, high-protein recipes sold in 3-ounce tins. The Snappy Tom Lites line of cat food comes in 3-ounce cans featuring real animal proteins like chicken, tuna, salmon, and more.

All Snappy Tom wet cat foods are free from low-quality grains and fillers, especially corn, wheat, and rice. The brand comments that ingredients like these allow pet food manufacturers to cut their own costs. Snappy Tom says, “We made it our mission to create delicious grain free cat food recipes that give your cat all the natural nutrition and essential nutrients they deserve.”

What Do Customers Think of Snappy Tom Cat Food?

The Snappy Tom Ultimates line of products is sold in 3-ounce tins, featuring premium proteins like tuna, chicken, and salmon. Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Before you settle on a cat food brand, it’s usually a good idea to read some reviews. Cats can be picky and you won’t know until you try whether your cat likes Snappy Tom, but reading about the experiences of other cat owners may give you a clue as to how your cat will take to the brand.

Because Snappy Tom is not a U.S.-based company, we had a hard time finding reviews online. Most of the products on Chewy had just a few customer ratings, most of which were positive.

Customer reviews on Chewy often mention the quality of the ingredients, particularly the real animal proteins. Customers seem to appreciate the high moisture content of Snappy Tom wet foods as well as the low carbohydrate content.

Let’s take a look at a few customer reviews from some of the most popular recipes from Snappy Tom.

Positive Reviews

“I have one kitty that has severe food allergies and stage three kidney disease. The water content is high so it’s great for him as he has to eat the wettest food possible and can’t have the prescription food because of his allergies. This is one of the only things he can eat. All four of their coats have improved and they are all silky and soft. My picky four fluffalo LOVE this food while it’s expensive it’s worth it!”- Perfect reviewing Snappy Tom Lites Tuna with Pumpkin recipe

“Our cats love this product and you can see the quality ingredients. One tip though is to shake the package before you open. It makes it easier to get out after the pieces have settled.”- Jlb7 reviewing Snappy Tom Naturals Ocean Fish with Salmon recipe

“Cats like the food, that’s the most important thing. The food is good quality, and you can tell the ingredients are what they say they are. It is like human food but not as pretty since cats don’t care about that. Good food, liked by the cats-what more could I want?”- Monica Hitt, reviewing Snappy Tom cat food on Facebook

Negative Reviews

“I’m in the middle of transitioning my cats to a low carb/no carb diet because one of them has developed diabetes. Unfortunately, this brand didn’t taste as good as another brand. Your mileage may vary.” – PetOwner reviewing Snappy Tom Ultimates Tuna Barramundi recipe

“With the limited ingredients and description of the food I hoped my guys would gobble it up. Even my cat that eats anything turned his nose up to it.”- CatMom reviewing Snappy Tom Naturals Tuna with Whitebait & Crabmeat recipe

“I reached out with some questions I had of their product. I waited 2 days to hear from them, heard nothing and reached out again. It has now been a week with no response. That is not a way to treat a potential new customer. Will not be ordering. Thanks.”- Laura Ashley, reviewing Snappy Top cat food on Facebook

What Did Our Test Cats Think?

All Snappy Tom cat foods are high in moisture and protein content but very low in carbohydrates. Kate Barrington / Cats.com

To review Snappy Tom, we ordered all three of their variety packs from an online retailer. We appreciated the simplicity of the formulas, most of which contained a single source of protein with few to no additional ingredients (aside from vitamin and mineral supplements). Every recipe listed a real source of animal protein as the first ingredient.

In testing the products, we found all of our test cats seemed to enjoy the food. The Snappy Tom Naturals line of products was particularly popular with its large chunks of meat and flavorful gravy.

One thing we noticed about Snappy Tom cat food is that the recipes are only sold in very small portions – just 3 or 3.5 ounces. It’s pretty common for cat food brands to offer their recipes in 3-ounce cans, but many also offer larger 5.5-ounce cans. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but it does affect the number of cans or pouches you’ll need to purchase.

For example, Snappy Tom recommends feeding 2 to 2 ½ pouches per 5 pounds of body weight daily. Priced around $1.80 each, that adds up to over $4 for a 5-pound cat. For a 10-pound cat, you may need to feed 5 pouches a day or more, equaling about $9 per day in food costs.

Snappy Tom Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

All nutritional percentages in this table and hereafter are taken from the manufacturer’s guaranteed analysis. Exact nutritional percentages are not available.

All calculated values are determined using these minimum and maximum published values and may differ from actual values. Snappy Tom is the ultimate authority on their products, so please contact the company for more nutritional information.

The Snappy Tom Lites line of products includes eight protein-rich flavors made with tuna and chicken as primary ingredients. Kate Barrington / Cats.com

#1 Snappy Tom Lites Tuna with Pumpkin Canned Food

$64.56 At Chewy

This Snappy Tom Lites recipe features real tuna as a single source of premium animal protein. In fact, the only other main ingredient is pumpkin, added as a source of dietary fiber.

We appreciate that this recipe has a very limited list of ingredients and that the first ingredient is a source of quality animal protein. We are a little confused as to why the manufacturer doesn’t list out the vitamin and mineral supplements, however. It may simply be a difference between U.S. and international labeling standards, however.

In terms of nutrition, this recipe is rich in protein with low fat and fiber content. The estimated carbohydrate content is negligible which is always a good thing for cats, considering they are obligate carnivores with an extremely limited ability to digest plant matter.

Ingredients

Tuna, Pumpkin, Taurine and Vitamin Supplements, Trace Minerals.

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Tuna Pumpkin	None	Fish

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 14%

Crude Fat: 0.5%

Crude Fiber: 1%

Moisture: 85%

Ash: 1%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 93.33%

Fat: 3.33%

Fiber: 6.67%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 92.02%

Fat: 7.98%

Pros

• Real tuna as the first ingredient
• Very low in carbohydrates
• No artificial additives or fillers
• Limited number of simple ingredients

Cons

• Supplements aren’t named

#2 Snappy Tom Ultimates Lean Chicken & Fish in Broth Canned Food

View On SnappyTom.com

This Ultimates formula from Snappy Tom comes in a 3-ounce tin or tray and features two premium sources of animal protein: chicken and ocean fish.

We love that this recipe is very high in protein and that both sources are at the top of the ingredients list. We also love that this recipe contains no added sources of carbohydrate, or any other main ingredients for that matter.

Again, the vitamin and mineral supplements could be specified and the moisture content of the product is not disclosed, but we imagine it is similar to the previous product.

Ingredients

Chicken, ocean fish, vitamins, minerals, taurine.

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Chicken Ocean Fish	None	Chicken Fish

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 13%

Crude Fat: 1.5%

Crude Fiber: 0.5%

Moisture: 84%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 81.25%

Fat: 9.38%

Fiber: 3.13%

Carbs: 6.25%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 73.68%

Fat: 20.65%

Carbs: 5.67%

Pros

• Real chicken as first ingredient
• Limited list of simple ingredients
• High in protein, low in carbohydrates

Cons

• Supplements aren’t named
• Limited guaranteed analysis info

#3 Snappy Tom Naturals Tuna with Mackerel Cat Food Pouches

$32.28 At Chewy

Like the previous two formulas, this Snappy Tom Naturals recipe lists high-quality animal protein sources at the top of the list. This particular recipe features two animal proteins – tuna and mackerel – with the only other main ingredients being modified tapioca starch and gum.

What makes this recipe different from the first two is the inclusion of those two thickening agents – tapioca starch and gum. These ingredients don’t provide any significant nutritional value, but they probably help give the product more of a sauce or gravy than the canned foods.

In terms of nutrition, this recipe is high in protein and a little higher in fat than some of the other recipes, perhaps due to the fact that tuna and mackerel (fatty fish) are the main proteins. Again, the carbohydrate content is extremely low.

Ingredients

Tuna, Mackerel, Modified Tapioca Starch, Gum, Taurine, Vitamin Supplements, Trace Minerals, Caramel Color.

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Tuna Mackerel	Modified tapioca starch Gum Caramel color	Fish

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 11%

Crude Fat: 1%

Crude Fiber: 1%

Moisture: 85%

Ash: 1%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 73.33%

Fat: 6.67%

Fiber: 6.67%

Carbs: 6.67%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 76.24%

Fat: 16.83%

Carbs: 6.93%

Pros

• Real tuna and mackerel as top two ingredients
• Limited list of simple ingredients
• High in protein, low in carbohydrates

Cons

• Supplements aren’t named
• Contains added thickeners (tapioca and gum)
• Contains added color (caramel coloring)

How Much Does Snappy Tom Cat Food Cost?

When it comes to pricing, Snappy Tom is surprisingly affordable for the level of quality it delivers. Snappy Tom wet food is sold in 3-ounce cans, 3-ounce tins, and 3.5-ounce pouches.

If you’re shopping for a specific recipe, you may find the best price for Snappy Tom wet food on Chewy. Snappy Tom Lites canned food is priced around $35 for a case of 24 3-ounce cans – that averages to about $0.49/ounce. Snappy Tom Ultimates are sold in cases of twelve 3-ounce tins for about $24 – that averages to about $0.67/ounce. Snappy Tom Naturals 3.5-ounce pouches are sold in cases of 12 for about $21.50, or about $0.51/ounce.

To save on Snappy Tom cat food, consider purchasing a variety pack on the brand’s website. Snappy Tom sells variety packs for each product line. You’ll receive 12 cans, tins, or pouches for between $18 and $24, depending on the product line.

Overall, Is Snappy Tom Cat Food a Good Choice?

For the most part, we like the Snappy Tom brand. We appreciate that the company has dedicated itself to producing high-quality wet cat foods instead of branching out too much. We also like that each recipe starts with a real source of animal protein and that many recipes are single-source protein formulas.

We’re a little confused as to why the vitamin and mineral supplements aren’t named on the ingredients list, but it is probably just a matter of international labeling requirements. The guaranteed analyses for these products was very detailed, on the other hand, and support the company’s claim that their products are high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

If you’re looking for a high-protein diet for your cat, Snappy Tom offers a good selection. The brand may not be the cheapest or the easiest to find, but the products are of decent quality and our test cats seemed to appreciate the flavor of the food.

Where Is Snappy Tom Cat Food Sold?

You can find Snappy Tom products in stores and online. If you prefer to shop in store, look for Snappy Tom at your local pet store or feed store. You can use the Store Locator on the brand’s website to search for brick-and-mortar store locations throughout Canada.

Online, the best place to shop for Snappy Tom cat food is through the Snappy Tom website. You can also find Snappy Tom products on Chewy and Walmart.com.