Best and worst cat food brands

Choosing the best food for your cat can make a big difference to their health and wellbeing. 

We surveyed 3,240 cat owners to uncover the brands preferred by pets and their owners, from how much the cat enjoys the food to whether it's considered good value for money.

Plus, we've got tips from pet nutrition experts to help you pick the healthiest diet for your cat. 

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Best cat food brands

Cat food brands customer satisfaction survey ratings

Our top scorer earned a very impressive customer score of 75%. 

At the other end of the table, eight brands scored less than 50% - including some with only one out of five stars for value for money and one brand with an overall poor customer score of 40%. 

Which? members can log in now to unlock the full results. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access to this and thousands of other reviews and customer insights. 

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How to choose the best cat food

We spoke to pet nutrition researchers to understand what really matters about choosing a cat food. 

‘The most important part of choosing a food is actually monitoring your pet,’ says Dr Teresa Hollands, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Nutrition at the University of Surrey. ‘If you are feeding your pet a particular brand of food, and they have plenty of energy and seem well in themselves, then you are on the right track.’ 

Dr Nigel Kendall, Lecturer in Nutrition at the University of Nottingham, 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 is 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

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How to give your cat the best and healthiest diet

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

Dr David Gardner, Professor of Physiology at the University of Nottingham, tells us it's important to:

Choose a complete cat food

Start by making sure you are feeding your pet a 'nutritionally complete' food.

These are designed to give your pet all the nutrients it needs, so you can feed it the same thing every day without causing a nutritional imbalance or deficit. 

Weigh out cat food

You may not notice that you are overfeeding your pet. The safest way to avoid this is to weigh out the right amount of food for your cat at every meal. 

Vary what you feed your cat 

If you occasionally change the food you give your cat, then you are more likely to cover all the nutrients they need. 

These changes could be as small as varying the flavour of the food. Remember, though, to make any dietary changes gradually. Give your cat no more than 25% new food for the first couple of days, increasing gradually over the course of a week. 

Some cats can be fussy, though, and varying your pet food is not essential. So if your cat will not eat different food, then it is more important to ensure they are eating than having a varied diet. 

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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 is often more expensive and it 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 that your cat has access to plenty of fresh water, so they stay well hydrated.

Is a raw food diet good for cats?

Raw pet food has become more popular over the past few years, but experts don't generally recommend it due to the risk to human health when handling and having raw meat around the house.

Bacteria present in raw meat can include salmonella, listeria, campylobacter and e-coli. These cause severe illness in humans and animals, particularly young, old and immune-compromised individuals. 

These can be spread around the house during food preparation and can also be spread if, for example, your pet kisses your face after eating. 

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Is my cat overweight?

According to a 2022 survey by 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. 

How to if tell your cat is overweight

Dr Teresa 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.'

Physical signs that your cat is overweight

You can also monitor the weight of your cat using visual signs. 

• Very thin - very little muscle, no body fat, jutting ribs, backbone and hip bones.
• Underweight - a little fat over hip bones, can see ribs and backbone, obvious tucked-in waist.
• Ideal - smooth, tucked-in waist, abdominal fat pad just visible, can feel ribs, backbone and hips but not prominent.
• Overweight - ribs, backbone and hip bones difficult to feel, no waist, enlarged abdominal fat pad.
• Obese - Round body, fat pad hanging under cat, cannot feel ribs, backbone or hip bones.

How we rated cat food brands

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.

Which? customer scores are based on how satisfied customers are with the brand overall, and whether or not they’d recommend it. 

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