Best cat food brands according to veterinary experts and owners

Finding a good cat food brand can be difficult, but it can make a big difference to your pet's health and wellbeing. 

We surveyed 3,240 cat owners to reveal which brands customers – and their pets – preferred. 

We've also spoken to three independent veterinary experts to learn how to find the best food for your pet. 

Read on to see which brands make the top-rated cat food, from veterinary brands such as Harringtons and Royal Canin to supermarket options from the likes of Aldi and Lidl. 

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Cat food comparison

Our cat owners rated their brand of cat food – these results apply to dry food, wet food and specialist ranges from every brand. 

Which? members can log in to unlock the full results. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Our top-rated cat food brand achieved an impressive 75% among customers, while seven brands at the bottom of the table scored less than 50%.

Some brands received one-star ratings for value for money and/or the cat's reaction to the food. 

Our top scorer received five-star ratings for both the cat's reaction to and wellbeing on the food. 

Best dry, wet, sensitive and senior cat foods

Log in or join Which? to see our expert food picks from the top-rated brands.

Also a dog owner? See our guide to the best and worst dog food brands

How to choose the best cat food

Deciphering all the pet nutrition information on the internet can seem like an impossible task. It can range from confusing to completely contradictory. 

We've spoken to three veterinary nutrition experts – with more than 50 combined years in the field – to find out what really matters. 

Good news: finding the best food for your cat isn’t as complicated as it seems.

‘The most important part of choosing a food is actually monitoring your pet,’ said Dr Teresa Hollands.

Dr Nigel Kendall agrees. ‘If your pet is on completely the wrong diet, then there will be physical signs.’ 

Signs that your pet is eating a nutritious diet, and being given the right food for their needs, include: 

• Good overall health 
• Plenty of energy 
• Good sleeping habits
• Regularly passing firm stools 
• Maintaining a healthy weight.

How to feed your cat

As well as choosing the right food, you can maximise the nutritional value of your cat’s diet by feeding them in the right way. 

We spoke with Dr David Gardner to find out more.

Choose a complete cat food

‘Start by making sure you are feeding your pet a complete food,’ he said. ‘That’s really important, but it isn’t always clearly labelled.’ 

Complete foods are designed to give your pet all the nutrients they need, so you can feed them the same thing every day without causing a nutritional imbalance or deficit. 

Weigh out your cat food

Dr Gardner also highlighted the importance of weighing your pet’s food every time you feed them. 

Remember, you may not notice that you're overfeeding your pet if you accidentally increase the size of their feed very slightly each day. 

Vary what you feed your cat

If you want to take additional steps to ensure your pet is getting the best nutrition, David also suggested varying the food you give them (provided that this doesn’t upset their stomach).

These changes could be as small as varying the flavour of food that you give to your pet. 

‘If you buy a bag of lamb cat food one month, try the chicken next time,’ Dr Gardner suggested. 

If you do want to try changing the type or brand of your pet food, remember to do so gradually. Your pet's meal should be no more than 25% new food for the first couple of days, increasing over the course of a week. 

Cats can be fussy, so know that varying your pet's food is not essential. The main thing is that they eat and enjoy their food, and that it's nutritionally complete.

What is the healthiest food for cats?

The healthiest food for your cat is a complete food – that means it contains all the nutrients your pet needs to thrive. 

If you have an indoor cat, a senior cat or a kitten, you should opt for a food tailored to this life stage, as the nutrients required by these cats differ from the average pet. 

If your veterinarian has advised you that your cat has a food intolerance or allergy, you should also feed a diet that does not contain these foodstuffs. 

Other than that, you can generally feed your pet whatever food you prefer. 

You might have heard different pet food brands claim that raw diets, grain-free diets, ancestral diets or others are healthier for your pet. However, there is currently no body of independent, peer-reviewed research to suggest that these diets are healthier or superior to traditional pet foods. 

If you want to know more about the best diets for dogs, we've written about why your dog probably doesn't need grain-free food

What's the average cat weight?

The average cat weight is approximately 4kg, but this varies significantly by breed. 

According to a UK Pet Food, the leading trade body, 43% of cats (and 50% of dogs) are overweight or obese. 

Being overweight can have a huge impact on your pet’s quality of life, including limiting their ability to exercise or sleep properly. It also predisposes them to illness including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. 

Cat weight chart

Dr Hollands suggests a simple method for checking your pet’s weight:

‘Create a fist with your hand, and feel your  knuckles with your fingers,’ she says. ‘If your pet’s ribs feel like that, they are underweight. Then lay your hand flat, and feel your knuckles again. If their ribs feel like that, they are the perfect weight.

‘Finally, keep your hand flat, turn your hand over, and run your fingers over the pads on your palm at the base of your fingers. If their ribs feel like that, they are overweight.'

Is wet or dry food better for cats?

Both wet and dry food can be nutritionally complete, so there is no significant advantage to either food type. 

Dr Gardner recommends feeding your pet a mixture of wet and dry food. This is because there can be slight differences in the nutrients they contain, so having the variety gives you the best of both.

Wet food tends to be more appealing, but it's often more expensive and can predispose pets to dental disease. 

Dry food is beneficial to a cat's teeth and gums, and is usually cheaper and easier to use and store. If you opt for mostly dry food, make sure your cat has access to plenty of fresh water, so they stay well hydrated.

Can cats be vegan?

It's more difficult to create a balanced vegan diet for cats than dogs. This is because cats require a lot of taurine, and meat is a much better source of taurine than most non-animal products. 

However, complete vegan (and vegetarian) cat foods do exist.

Experts don't generally recommend that you feed your pets a homemade diet, because it's very difficult to ensure that it's complete – even if you follow a recipe. This is particularly true of vegan homemade diets for cats. 

Find out if you can save money on your pet insurance

How we calculated cat food brand ratings

To find the best and worst cat food brands, in July 2023 we surveyed 3,240 Which? members who'd bought cat food recently and asked about their experiences with their chosen brand.

We asked them to rate the brand on various attributes, including value for money, how their cat responded to the food and its perceived wellbeing on the food.

Overall customer scores are based on how satisfied customers were with the brand overall and whether or not they would recommend it. 

Sample sizes: Aldi own brand (Vitacat) (85), Asda own brand (Tiger) (38), Applaws (85), Blink (62), Encore (98), Felix (286), Go-cat (214), Gourmet (216), Harringtons (90), Hill’s (190), Iams (202), James Wellbeloved (107), Lidl own brand (Coshida) (73), Lily’s Kitchen (95), Meowing Heads (38), Morrisons own brand (46), Perfect Fit (57), Purina One (224), Royal Canin (222), Sainsbury’s own brand (105), Sheba (215), Tesco own brand (87), Waitrose own brand (65), Webbox (106), Whiskas (234).

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