Cats are unique domestic animals with an equally unique taste. Unlike other pets, they can be finicky. So, choosing the right cat food is everything as whatever you feed them has a massive impact on their overall health and well-being. In that regard, canned or wet food is an excellent choice.
With the high moisture content and rich nutrients in such foods, your cat gets close to nature’s feeding design in the wild. Perhaps, you are a new cat owner or looking to switch your pet from a dry kibble formula to a more tasty and stomach-friendly option, take a look at this carefully-researched best canned cat food.
You’ll save yourself the hassle of choosing from tons of cat food brands in the market and unnecessary medical expenses in the long run.
Best Canned Cat Foods Options
- Best Overall: Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme
- Best For Weight Control: AvoDerm Natural Indoor Weight Support Recipe
- Best Natural: Royal Canin Aging 12+ Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Cat Food
- Best Grain Free: Evanger’s Grain-Free Wild Salmon Canned Cat Food
- Best Variety: Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Recipe Variety Pack Wet Cat Food
- Best For All Ages: Ziwi Peak Wet Cat Food
- Best For Coat: Nulo Canned Cat Food
- Best Protein: Dr. Elsey’s clean protein Cat Food
Below you can read the best canned cat foods around today, take a look below
1. Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme
Protein is one of the essential nutrients that should be present in a cat’s diet. Not only is it crucial for proper growth, but it’s also the source of amino acids that takes part in many essential metabolic processes.
If you have a significantly underweight cat, Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme is the recipe your need to get that cat back in healthy shape. Packed with high-quality shredded chicken, your underweight cat will build muscle in no time. With grain, corn, carb fillers, and gluten out of the way, you’ll nurse your cat back to a healthy weight without the risk of triggering any form of allergic reactions.
There’s a high moisture content, which promotes healthy digestion and dilution of concentrated cat urine—an excellent choice for cats that are not a fan of drinking water in a bowl. That’s not all; vitamins and essential minerals also make this one a complete diet for your cat’s well-being.
2. AvoDerm Natural Indoor Weight Support Recipe
Being underweight is undoubtedly not healthy for pets, so is being overweight. If you are looking for cat food that will get your overweight cat into a healthy form, this AvoDerm Natural Indoor Weight Support Recipe is what your cat needs. It has chicken broth, and chicken as the protein source, so there’s no compromising your cat’s natural craving for animal protein.
One of the unique things about this wet food is the presence of avocado-derived fats and oil with the omega series fatty acid. Your cat will, no doubt, enjoy a healthy and rich coat. So, you can see that your cat’s weight loss journey will remain a tasty one.
With vitamins, antioxidants, and essential minerals to boost the immune system, this is one of the most fantastic weight-loss recipes for cats. You don’t need to introduce the unnecessary meal-skipping practice to cut down your cat’s excess weight.
3. Royal Canin Aging 12+ Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Cat Food
Aging is nature’s design, and there’s probably little or nothing we can do to reverse the process. Cats grow old too. Yes, once they start to approach eight years, they are technically seniors and may need to approach the senior cat foods available. Like humans, a change in metabolism and diet is not uncommon among felines.
Royal Canin Aging 12+ Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Cat Food is a special recipe that’ll help your senior cats thrive and enjoy the latter part of their life. This wet food contains a healthy balance of essential minerals. For example, it has a controlled phosphorus and magnesium level to support your cat’s kidney functioning and urinary tract health.
Furthermore, the protein source is high-quality pork and chicken, so your cat will undoubtedly enjoy a delicious presence of meat in its diet. With nearly 80% moisture, this canned cat food is GIT-friendly and an excellent choice for cats with stomach issues. It also has 2.5% fat, just enough to give your cat the energy it needs for daily adventure. Who said senior cats can’t have fun?
4. Evanger’s Grain-Free Wild Salmon Canned Cat Food
Because cats can be quite picky when it comes to food, many cat owners avoid tampering with their pet’s diet once they finally get the food the cat loves. But here’s the thing. Cats can get bored eating just one food type. So it’s not a bad idea to spice up things in your cat’s bowl.
Evanger’s Grain-Free Wild Salmon Canned Cat Food is an excellent complement cat owners can adopt so that their cat can enjoy a more delusions meal. Also, you can use this wet food as a topper to get your cat to eat more. The salmon and fish broth flavor will undoubtedly entice your cat’s sense and awaken its taste buds.
The nutritional breakdown is about 10 % protein, 6 % fat, 1.5 % fiber, and of course, 78% moisture to keep the traffic of the digestive and urinary system flowing. If your cat is a fan of dry food, you can add this grain-free recipe to the bowl without changing its usual dry diet.
5. Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Recipe Variety Pack Wet Cat Food
Talk about a balanced diet with a high-quality protein; Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Recipe Variety Pack Wet Cat Food is what you should opt for when you want it pretty close to what is obtainable in the wild.
With real chicken, turkey, and chicken liver on the menu, your cats will have access to all the essential amino acids it needs. That’s not all; instinct original also brings fruits and vegetables so your cat can get the needed vitamins as well.
This wet food is also ideal for cats with a sensitive digestive system and other allergies, so it’s devoid of grain, corn, gluten, and wheat, which are potential allergens. What’s more, you’ll notice significant changes in your cat’s coat and skin as this recipe contains fish oil-derived omega-3 fatty acids.
6. Ziwi Peak Wet Cat Food
If you are a multi-cat owner, i.e., you’ve got cats of different ages, Ziwi Peak Wet Cat Food has you covered for all your cat feeding needs. This New Zealand made wet food contains premium animal protein raised with the highest ethical standards. It contains berry high moisture content, a blend of meat and organs, plus New Zealand green mussel, which supports your cat’s bones.
Whichever the flavor: lamb, beef rabbit, mackerel, chicken, etc., this manufacturer guarantees a single source of protein, making it an excellent option for cats with a tendency to develop allergic reactions by-products.
What’s more, the formula is devoid of grains, corn, fillers, artificial preservatives, and additives, so it’s ideal for cats that react to multiple potential allergens. The fact that it’s suitable for all ages means you may not have to look for a new recipe when your cat approaches senior age.
7. Nulo Canned Cat Food
Here’s another wet canned food for all your cats at different life stages. Nulo Canned Cat Food formula contains muscle meat, organs, and plant matter, preventing a balanced formula. Furthermore, it’s an all-natural recipe devoid of any artificial sweeteners or preservatives.
For a brand that has never had a case of recall since manufacturing inception, you can rest knowing this cat food was put together with the highest quality and safety standards.
Furthermore, it contains a balanced amount of fats, fiber, omega three fatty acid derived from Menhaden fish oil for your cat’s coat. What’s more, it contains a hint of pumpkin and natural supplements that help relieve cats’ stomach issues. Cat owners recommend Nulo for its ability to ease cats’ stomach issues.
8. Dr. Elsey’s clean protein Cat Food
Dr. Elsey’s brand might be relatively new to the cat food market, but the brand has been catering to domestic felines and other pets for a long time. This Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein Cat Food comes in with “clean protein” as the selling point, giving cat owners a guarantee of premium quality protein and fewer chances of an allergic reaction.
The formula came into the market four years back with premium-quality turkey, broth, dried egg, and liver. What’s more, there are no grains or fillers, but the recipe has omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Furthermore, the veggies and carbs in this one are very low, making it a wet food with mostly protein and moisture for natural and healthy digestion. That’s just the way nurture wants it. The cat food is particularly recommended for seniors that have low needs for carbs.
Canned Cat food Buying Guide and FAQ
5 Things to Look Out For When Buying Canned Cat Food
– Artificial additions.
Most manufactures don’t use artificial preservatives, but some are still adopting cheaper options. You want to ensure your steer clear of any canned food with artificial flavors, preservatives, and sweeteners. Studies show some are carcinogenic.
– Age of cat
When it comes to canned cat food, “what’s good for the goose might not be good for the gander.” That’s because the nutritional needs of cats are different with different ages. Ensure you are not choosing a senior cat’s formula if you have a kitten. Some manufacturers make it simple by tagging their product with the “suitable for all ages tag.” However, make sure you check the ingredients to be sure it’s ideal for your cat’s age.
– Ingredients
It’s best to look out for specific protein sources, e.g., chicken, salmon, duck, etc. Manufactures that label this way give cat owners comfort that the protein source isn’t a bunch of by-products with low quality. If you have a sensitive cat, you’ll do well to check for potential allergic reaction triggers such as corn, gluten, grain, fillers, etc. Altogether, cats are carnivores; they don’t need too many carbs in their diet.
– Nutritional needs
The essential nutrient in a cat’s food are proteins, fats/ fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. You’ll do well to ensure they are in the right amounts. Some are needed in tiny quantities, e.g., magnesium and phosphorus, as they can cause urinary issues.
– Moisture
The moisture content of your cat’s canned food should not be less than 70%. It should be one of the reasons you are adopting a canned/wet food so that your cat can enjoy a healthy digestive and urinary system.
Canned Vs. Dry Food – Which One is Better?
Manufacturers make both canned and dry food with essential ingredients and nutrients necessary for your cat’s health and overall well-being. Therefore, the question of “which is better?” should probably be replaced with “what’s best for your cat?” However, many cat owners adopt dry food for convenience since they can leave excess food and water behind whenever they want to be away for a day or more.
While that may be impossible with canned food, its moisture content is its most significant advantage over the dry formula. If your cat feeds on dry food and doesn’t hydrate well, the chances of developing bladder stones/crystals and stomach upsets are much higher than wets foods, which dilutes the urine and also promotes easy digestion.
Altogether, pet owners can adopt anyone or both based on preference and the cat’s need. Some owners even combine both to give their pet tastier and new experiences.