Just like people, cats can have allergies and sensitivities to certain foods. Grains are common culprits, and grain-free cat foods are designed to address this problem. As obligate carnivores, cats don’t need grain in their food to stay healthy. In most cases, grains are added to provide extra fiber rather than nutrition.
If grains give your cat an upset tummy, don’t fret! Here are reviews of the best grain-free cat foods in Canada, so you can find the best one for your cat.
A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain Free Cat Food
Animal protein as the first ingredient
Replicates a cat’s natural diet
Safe to feed adult and senior cats
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Best Value
Purina Beyond Grain-Free Cat Food
Inexpensive
High-quality protein
Nutritionally complete food
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Premium Choice
Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Cat Food
All-natural ingredients
Includes antioxidants and probiotics
For all life stages
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Best for Kittens
Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Kitten Food
Kitten food
Supports healthy growth and development
Added supplements for growing kittens
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Purina Pro Plan True Nature Grain-Free Formula
Complete nutrition
Chicken free
Meat is the first ingredient
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The 10 Best Grain-Free Cat Foods in Canada
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain Free Cat Food — Best Overall
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First Ingredient: Deboned chicken
Flavor: Chicken
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 443 kcal/cup
We recommend Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Cat Food as the best overall grain-free cat food in Canada. This dry food is both grain and gluten free and uses sweet potatoes to meet your cat’s carbohydrate needs. Blue Buffalo Wilderness recipes are based on the premise of replicating what your cat’s natural diet would look like in the wild. Then, supplements are added to ensure that the food is nutritionally complete.
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First Ingredient: Deboned chicken
Flavor: Chicken
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 443 kcal/cup
The carefully balanced fat, protein, and calorie ratio will help your cat maintain a healthy weight well into their senior years. While it is labeled as adult cat food, it is safe to feed to senior cats. The only population that this food is inappropriate for is cats with kidney problems. It is a high-protein food, which can complicate pre-existing kidney conditions.
Pros
Animal protein as the first ingredient
Replicates a cat’s natural diet
Safe to feed adult and senior cats
Nutritionally complete
Cons
Not for cats with kidney disease
- Purina Beyond Grain-Free Natural Cat Food — Best Value
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First Ingredient: Hake
Flavor: Ocean whitefish and egg
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 392 kcal/cup
Purina Beyond Grain-Free Natural cat food is the best grain-free cat food in Canada for the money. With fish as the first ingredient and egg included, it is full of high-quality protein to give your cat all the energy that they need. Purina Beyond offers a nutritionally complete dry food that includes all essential vitamins and nutrients, so there’s no need to add anything to your cat’s diet.
Animal protein as the first ingredient
Replicates a cat’s natural diet
Safe to feed adult and senior cats
Nutritionally complete
- Animal protein as the first ingredient
- Replicates a cat’s natural diet
- Safe to feed adult and senior cats
- Nutritionally complete
Not for cats with kidney disease
- Not for cats with kidney disease
First Ingredient: Hake
Flavor: Ocean whitefish and egg
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 392 kcal/cup
It is important to note that if your cat has an allergy to chicken, this food is not chicken free. It is poultry by-product free, but it does have whole chicken listed in the ingredient list.
Pros
Inexpensive
High-quality protein
Nutritionally complete food
Cons
Contains chicken
- Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain — Premium Choice
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First Ingredient: Chicken meal
Flavor: Roasted venison and smoked salmon
Life Stage: All life stages
Calories: 425 kcal/cup
Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Recipe is our premium recommendation for grain-free cat food. While this food is more expensive than many other brands, it includes all-natural ingredients and easily digested proteins to prevent digestive upset. Antioxidants and probiotics are added to promote immune health and digestive health. This cat food is also made for all life stages, so you can use it for cats of any age, from kittens to seniors. This can provide a huge advantage in not having to change foods as your cat grows.
Inexpensive
High-quality protein
Nutritionally complete food
- Inexpensive
- High-quality protein
- Nutritionally complete food
Contains chicken
- Contains chicken
First Ingredient: Chicken meal
Flavor: Roasted venison and smoked salmon
Life Stage: All life stages
Calories: 425 kcal/cup
Taste of the Wild is a high-protein food and not appropriate for cats with kidney disease.
Pros
All-natural ingredients
Includes antioxidants and probiotics
For all life stages
Cons
Not for cats with kidney disease
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Kitten Food — Best for Kittens
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First Ingredient: Deboned chicken
Flavor: Chicken
Life Stage: Kitten
Calories: 457 kcal/cup
If you are searching for quality, grain-free kitten food for your tiny feline, look no further than Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Kitten Food. This recipe is designed to encourage healthy muscle growth and development. It includes DHA, taurine, and ARA to support cognitive and eye health. Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits are full of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals to support your kitten’s whole health.
All-natural ingredients
Includes antioxidants and probiotics
For all life stages
- All-natural ingredients
- Includes antioxidants and probiotics
- For all life stages
First Ingredient: Deboned chicken
Flavor: Chicken
Life Stage: Kitten
Calories: 457 kcal/cup
Pros
Kitten food
Supports healthy growth and development
Added supplements for growing kittens
Complete nutrition
Cons
Only appropriate for kittens up to 1 year of age
- Purina Pro Plan True Nature Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
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First Ingredient: Ocean whitefish
Flavor: Ocean whitefish and salmon
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 107 kcal/can
Purina ProPlan True Nature offers a grain-free wet food option that is made with all-natural ingredients and is both grain and gluten free. The ocean-whitefish-and-salmon recipe is chicken free for cats that are sensitive to chicken but remains high in quality animal protein.
Kitten food
Supports healthy growth and development
Added supplements for growing kittens
Complete nutrition
- Kitten food
- Supports healthy growth and development
- Added supplements for growing kittens
- Complete nutrition
Only appropriate for kittens up to 1 year of age
- Only appropriate for kittens up to 1 year of age
First Ingredient: Ocean whitefish
Flavor: Ocean whitefish and salmon
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 107 kcal/can
Purina’s food recipes are designed in consultation with over 400 vets and animal nutritionists. This food is appropriate for cats that are overweight and those diagnosed with diabetes. It also provides complete nutrition, so you don’t have to mix it with dry food if you don’t want to. The biggest downside to this is cost, but it may be worth it if your cat has trouble chewing or tolerating dry kibble.
Pros
Complete nutrition
Chicken free
Meat is the first ingredient
Safe for overweight and diabetic cats
Cons
More expensive than kibble
- Wellness Core Grain-Free Original Formula Cat Food
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First Ingredient: Chicken
Flavor: Turkey and chicken
Life Stage: Adult/Senior
Calories: 445 kcal/cup
Wellness Core promotes its cat food recipes as mimicking a wild cat’s diet. It also includes dried kelp in its recipes, which offers extra fiber. This helps overweight cats feel full for longer and prevents overeating. This particular recipe contains cranberries to promote urinary tract health. This is unique among grain-free cat foods and makes Wellness Core one of the few options for cats with kidney problems.
Complete nutrition
Chicken free
Meat is the first ingredient
Safe for overweight and diabetic cats
- Complete nutrition
- Chicken free
- Meat is the first ingredient
- Safe for overweight and diabetic cats
More expensive than kibble
- More expensive than kibble
First Ingredient: Chicken
Flavor: Turkey and chicken
Life Stage: Adult/Senior
Calories: 445 kcal/cup
This food contains added glucosamine and chondroitin to help maintain joint mobility for older cats. It may also reduce stiffness in cats with arthritis.
The biggest complaint about Wellness Core cat food is the flavor. Unfortunately, picky cats don’t seem to like it. If your cat won’t eat it, this negates any health benefits that they would gain from a regular diet of this food.
Pros
Dried kelp for extra fiber
Good for maintaining a healthy body weight
Cranberries promote urinary tract health
Contains glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health
Cons
Not liked by picky cats
- Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Natural Indoor Cat Food
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First Ingredient: Whitefish
Flavor: Fish
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 391 kcal/cup
Blue Buffalo Freedom is specifically designed for indoor cats to help them maintain healthy body weight. It is lower calorie than other cat foods but still nutritionally balanced to ensure that your pet gets all the nutrition that they need to stay healthy. Blue’s trademark LifeSource Bits are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to maintain the health of your cat’s digestive, immune, and skeletal system. This food will also keep their skin and coat looking their best.
Dried kelp for extra fiber
Good for maintaining a healthy body weight
Cranberries promote urinary tract health
Contains glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health
- Dried kelp for extra fiber
- Good for maintaining a healthy body weight
- Cranberries promote urinary tract health
- Contains glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health
Not liked by picky cats
- Not liked by picky cats
First Ingredient: Whitefish
Flavor: Fish
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 391 kcal/cup
With fish as the primary ingredient, Blue Buffalo Freedom has a strong odor to it. This is likely to appeal to your cat, but it is a huge turn-off for many owners. If your cat eats freely and grazes throughout the day, you may not want your home smelling of fish.
Pros
Helps maintain a healthy body weight
Nutritionally balanced
Cons
Strong fish smell
Not appropriate for active, outdoor cats
- Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Adult Cat Food
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First Ingredient: Deboned salmon
Flavor: Salmon, chicken, and turkey
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 412 kcal/cup
Merrick Purrfect Bistro offers a grain-free cat food with an extremely high protein/fat-to-carbohydrate ratio of 74% to 26%. This food has the lowest amount of carbohydrates of any food on this list. This can help promote weight loss or prevent weight gain from excess carbs in cats that need it. Another unique quality of Merrick Grain-Free food is that it helps prevent hairballs. If you’re tired of cleaning up gooey balls of hair, this may be the food for you.
Helps maintain a healthy body weight
Nutritionally balanced
- Helps maintain a healthy body weight
- Nutritionally balanced
Strong fish smell
Not appropriate for active, outdoor cats
- Strong fish smell
- Not appropriate for active, outdoor cats
First Ingredient: Deboned salmon
Flavor: Salmon, chicken, and turkey
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 412 kcal/cup
If you have a cat that may be prone to developing urinary tract crystals or bladder stones, we don’t recommend this food due to it being high in protein. With fish as the first ingredient, this food also smells “fishy,” which is unpleasant for some owners. As with any food, some picky cats don’t like this flavor.
Pros
Low carbohydrate content
Promotes a healthy body weight
Helps prevent hairballs
Cons
Not for cats prone to urinary crystals
Smells like fish
Some cats don’t like the flavor
- Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
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First Ingredient: Rabbit meal
Flavor: Rabbit
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 457 kcal/cup
Cats that need grain-free food but also suffer from food allergies may benefit from eating Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Recipe food. This food has a limited-ingredient list to prevent allergic reactions and uses rabbit as its primary protein. Instinct guarantees that its food is 100% free from chicken, beef, fish, dairy, eggs, grains, potato, corn, wheat, soy, sweet potato, chickpeas, and any artificial colors or preservatives.
Low carbohydrate content
Promotes a healthy body weight
Helps prevent hairballs
- Low carbohydrate content
- Promotes a healthy body weight
- Helps prevent hairballs
Not for cats prone to urinary crystals
Smells like fish
Some cats don’t like the flavor
- Not for cats prone to urinary crystals
- Smells like fish
- Some cats don’t like the flavor
First Ingredient: Rabbit meal
Flavor: Rabbit
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 457 kcal/cup
The biggest downside to this food is the price. It is an above-average cost for grain-free cat food as a freeze-dried raw food with a novel protein. But it is one of the few foods that meet these criteria and is necessary to keep certain cats healthy.
Pros
Novel protein
Limited ingredients
Guaranteed to be free of allergy-triggering ingredients
Cons
Above-average cost
- Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Formula for Cats
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First Ingredient: Salmon meal
Flavor: Salmon meal and potato
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 333 kcal/cup
Novel protein
Limited ingredients
Guaranteed to be free of allergy-triggering ingredients
- Novel protein
- Limited ingredients
- Guaranteed to be free of allergy-triggering ingredients
Above-average cost
- Above-average cost
First Ingredient: Salmon meal
Flavor: Salmon meal and potato
Life Stage: Adult
Calories: 333 kcal/cup
The biggest downside of Kirkland Signature food is the carbohydrate content. It does contain carbs from several different sources but maintains its grain-free status. This doesn’t seem to cause any obvious digestion issues for healthy cats. Online reviews show that most cats love this food and that it is even tolerated by cats that have GI difficulties with other cat foods.
Pros
Economical option
Quality animal proteins
Probiotics for gut health
Cats love the flavor
Tolerated by cats that have GI sensitivities to other foods
Cons
High carbohydrate content
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Grain-Free Cat Food in Canada
If you feel overwhelmed by the available options for grain-free cat food, you’re not alone. Grain-free diets are necessary for some cats, but you shouldn’t change your cat’s diet without first speaking to your vet. Not all cats need a grain-free diet, so make sure the switch is beneficial for your cat’s health first. If your vet has recommended that your cat avoid grains, here’s what to look for in grain-free cat food.
Economical option
Quality animal proteins
Probiotics for gut health
Cats love the flavor
Tolerated by cats that have GI sensitivities to other foods
- Economical option
- Quality animal proteins
- Probiotics for gut health
- Cats love the flavor
- Tolerated by cats that have GI sensitivities to other foods
High carbohydrate content
- High carbohydrate content
Look for nutritionally balanced cat food. Any food that you choose should be “balanced and complete.” It should comply with the AAFCO nutritional guidelines for cats and be appropriate for your cat’s age. Kittens, for example, have different nutritional requirements than senior cats, so their food should reflect this.
Consider your cat’s food preferences. Keep in mind the type of food that your cat prefers — wet or dry, for instance. Maybe your cat is picky and doesn’t like chicken-flavored kibble. It doesn’t matter how healthy a food is if you can’t get your cat to eat it.
Make the change gradually. When switching your cat’s diet, mix the new food with the old and gradually increase the amount of new food. This will allow your cat’s body and digestive system to adapt to the new ingredients without causing unwanted side effects.
Does Your Cat Need a Grain-Free Diet?
Grain allergies in cats are rare, but they do happen. Grain allergy symptoms include:
- Look for nutritionally balanced cat food. Any food that you choose should be “balanced and complete.” It should comply with the AAFCO nutritional guidelines for cats and be appropriate for your cat’s age. Kittens, for example, have different nutritional requirements than senior cats, so their food should reflect this.
- Consider your cat’s food preferences. Keep in mind the type of food that your cat prefers — wet or dry, for instance. Maybe your cat is picky and doesn’t like chicken-flavored kibble. It doesn’t matter how healthy a food is if you can’t get your cat to eat it.
- Make the change gradually. When switching your cat’s diet, mix the new food with the old and gradually increase the amount of new food. This will allow your cat’s body and digestive system to adapt to the new ingredients without causing unwanted side effects.
Itchy, red skin
Hair loss or bald patches
Scabby and scaly skin
If you suspect that your cat has an allergy, it’s best to see your vet to do testing and to determine if their diet is the cause. It is also possible for cats to have a sensitivity or intolerance to grains, and some owners find that their cat has decreased vomiting episodes when fed a grain-free diet.
- Itchy, red skin
- Hair loss or bald patches
- Scabby and scaly skin
Pros and Cons of Grain-Free Cat Food
There are advantages to feeding your cat a grain-free diet, including:
Grain is frequently used as a “filler” in cat foods to increase the carbohydrate content and because wheat, rice, and corn are inexpensive. These are often replaced with better-quality ingredients in grain-free foods.
Cats wouldn’t eat grains in the wild. Grain-free cat food more closely resembles what a cat’s natural diet would look like.
If your vet has issued a grain allergy or sensitivity diagnosis, a grain-free diet may be necessary to avoid your cat having an adverse reaction.
Disadvantages of feeding a grain-free diet:
- Grain is frequently used as a “filler” in cat foods to increase the carbohydrate content and because wheat, rice, and corn are inexpensive. These are often replaced with better-quality ingredients in grain-free foods.
- Cats wouldn’t eat grains in the wild. Grain-free cat food more closely resembles what a cat’s natural diet would look like.
- If your vet has issued a grain allergy or sensitivity diagnosis, a grain-free diet may be necessary to avoid your cat having an adverse reaction.
When you remove grain from cat food, it has to be replaced with another ingredient. Therefore, grain-free food is often higher in fat and calories than food with grain. This is important because it can lead to your cat becoming overweight.
Grain-free food is often more expensive than other options.
Myths and Misconceptions About Grain-Free Diets
Theoretically, there is nothing wrong with feeding your cat a grain-free diet. While grain-free cat food used to be reserved for cats with allergies and food intolerances, they have seen increased popularity in recent years. This popularity has coincided with the popularity of grain-free and low-carbohydrate diets for humans.
- When you remove grain from cat food, it has to be replaced with another ingredient. Therefore, grain-free food is often higher in fat and calories than food with grain. This is important because it can lead to your cat becoming overweight.
- Grain-free food is often more expensive than other options.
Do most cats need a grain-free diet? No, most don’t, but it is true that cats are obligate carnivores. What they need most in their diet is meat. As long as a cat food meets their requirements for protein, vitamins, minerals, and calories in a nutritionally complete recipe, there’s nothing wrong with it.
Do Grain-Free Diets Cause Heart Disease?
While there has been a link between grain-free dog food and canine heart disease, it has not yet been suggested that there is any risk to cats. The FDA launched an investigation into grain-free pet diets in 2018, which found that grain-free diets do not pose a health risk to cats.
Conclusion
If you are shopping for grain-free cat food, it can be hard to determine which foods are the best. Hopefully, these reviews and buyer’s guide have given you a good idea of what to look for. To recap, we recommend Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain-Free Cat Food as the best overall grain-free cat food in Canada. This recipe closely replicates the food that your cat would eat in the wild and provides them with complete nutrition. The best value for the money is Purina Beyond Grain Free Natural. This dry food still has all the nutrition that your cat needs but is available at a lower price point than many other grain-free recipes. For kittens, we recommend Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Kitten Food. This recipe contains all the nutrition that Blue Buffalo Wilderness is known for but with added supplements to support healthy growth and development.
Featured Image Credit: Nataliia Dvukhimenna, Shutterstock
