Choosing cat food isn’t always a straightforward thing to do. However, you already know that it’s your job to provide for your cat’s basic needs, and of course, you want only the best for your feline pal.
That’s why it’s essential that you feed your cat only the best premium cat food. You want food that’s full of nutrients and meets the requirements of your cat. In addition, many cat owners don’t realize that a cat’s nourishment needs change over time, so their food should change over time as well.
Our reviews of the 10 best premium cat foods of the year will help you find the right cat food to keep your cat healthy and happy no matter what stage of their life they’re in. Whether it’s wet or dry cat food, we’ll give you what we think is the best in the reviews below.
A Quick Comparison of Our 2023 Winners
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Smalls Fresh Cat Food Subscription
Human-grade fresh ingredients
High protein content
Easy-to-use subscription service
Click to Save 40% Use code: PetKeen2023
Best Value
Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food
Small kibble for easy chewing
Premium cat food at an affordable price
Contains real meat, poultry, or fish
Check Price
Royal Canin Feline Cat Food
Easy for young kittens to eat
Excellent source of protein
Immune system support
Check Price
Nutro Perfect Portions Cat Food
Single Serving Meals
Grain-Free
Easy to Chew Pate
Check Price
Crave Grain-Free Cat Food
Comes in a variety of flavors
Contains real meat for protein
Supports the immune system
Check Price
The 10 Best Premium Cat Foods
1. Smalls Fresh Bird Raw Cat Food Subscription – Best Overall
Save 40% on Smalls - Click Here & Use Code Petkeen2023
Weight: 11.5 ounces
Life Stage: All stages
Flavor: Chicken
Food Form: Fresh raw
Smalls Fresh Bird is a high-protein, low-fat meal made with USDA-certified ingredients that’s available in ground and smooth textures. The Smalls brand does not include fillers, preservatives, or vague ingredients in any of its cat food. Their fresh cat food is of human-grade level, so you can feel confident that your cat is getting a top-quality meal with the best ingredients. The chicken recipe includes protein made up of 91% chicken breasts and thighs, 6% liver, and 2% heart. Fresh Bird is Smalls’ top recipe for picky cats, and it’s our overall winner for premium cat foods. Compared to competing premium brands, Fresh Bird has more protein, less fat, and fewer carbohydrates. The amount of protein in Fresh Bird will help keep your cat active and healthy without any by-products or unnecessary ingredients.
All in all, we think this is the overall best premium cat food available this year.
Pros
USDA-certified human-grade ingredients 21.2% crude protein Only 8.05% crude fat 66.1% moisture
Cons
Vegetable oil as an added protein
The Rachael Ray Nutrish Premium Natural Dry Cat Food is the best cat food for the money, in our opinion. This dry cat food has small kibble, making it easier for cats to chew and then swallow while still keeping the crunch that cats love and the big flavor this cat food is known for.
USDA-certified human-grade ingredients 21.2% crude protein Only 8.05% crude fat 66.1% moisture
- USDA-certified human-grade ingredients
- 21.2% crude protein
- Only 8.05% crude fat
- 66.1% moisture
Vegetable oil as an added protein
- Vegetable oil as an added protein
Weight: 14 lbs.
Life Stage: All Breed Sizes
Flavor: Chicken and Brown Rice
Food Form: Dry
Check Price on Chewy
It’s a bit cheaper than other premium cat foods but has earned its place as one of the most popular cat foods on the market today. The recipes for this food use only real meat, poultry or fish, because everyone knows protein is the biggest concern with our feline pals.
The only drawback to this food is that it could contain corn, something you don’t want to feed a cat with digestive issues.
Pros
Small kibble for easy chewing
Premium cat food at an affordable price
Contains real meat, poultry, or fish
Cons
Might contain corn
When it comes to your kitten, you want a balanced and highly nutritious diet. The Royal Canin Kitten Food gives you just that. While it may be a little more expensive than many items on our list, it’s worth the price as it’s an excellent source of protein and helps your kitten build a healthy immune system.
Small kibble for easy chewing
Premium cat food at an affordable price
Contains real meat, poultry, or fish
- Small kibble for easy chewing
- Premium cat food at an affordable price
- Contains real meat, poultry, or fish
Might contain corn
- Might contain corn
Weight: 3 oz
Life Stage: Kitten/Adult
Flavor: Varies
Food Form: Wet/Gravy
The protein content is ratioed well with the fat and carbohydrate content, along with other nutrients your kitten needs to be healthy, making this wet food a win for kittens and cat owners. The food is also full of antioxidants that your kitten needs for a healthy immune system.
The pieces are thinly sliced and put in gravy, making it easy for young kittens to eat and enjoy as they transition to hard food. While it may be a bit expensive, it’s essential to note that this food is often recommended by vets for kittens who have digestive issues as well.
Pros
Easy for young kittens to eat
Excellent source of protein
Immune system support
Cons
Expensive
Many cats like to eat different flavors of cat food. Our feline friends love Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Natural Cat Food. This grain-free product comes in twin packs of single-serving meals and features turkey and chicken flavors. The trays are individually sealed and snap apart to give your cat the food he wants on the day he wants it.
Easy for young kittens to eat
Excellent source of protein
Immune system support
- Easy for young kittens to eat
- Excellent source of protein
- Immune system support
Expensive
- Expensive
Weight: 2.6 oz
Life Stage: Any
Flavor: Turkey and Chicken
Food Form: Wet
Filled with high-quality protein, this food is grain-free, making it perfect for cats that suffer from allergies or have sensitive stomach issues.
The food is an easy to chew pate, which is excellent for older cats or cats that suffer from dental issues and have a hard time eating.
The only issue with this premium cat food is that the packages can be difficult to open, resulting in splattered gravy across countertops and bowls. You can remedy this by opening the individual packages over the sink, however.
Pros
Single Serving Meals
Filled with High-Quality Protein
Easy to Chew Pate
Grain-Free
Cons
Packages can be hard to open
Real chicken is the first ingredient in this dry cat food, making it one of our favorite premium cat foods. Crave Indoor Adult Cat Food comes in a variety of flavors, including chicken, chicken with salmon, salmon, ocean fish, and more.
Single Serving Meals
Filled with High-Quality Protein
Easy to Chew Pate
Grain-Free
- Single Serving Meals
- Filled with High-Quality Protein
- Easy to Chew Pate
- Grain-Free
Packages can be hard to open
- Packages can be hard to open
Weight: 10 lbs.
Life Stage: Adult
Flavor: Chicken and Salmon
Food Form: Dry
The number one ingredient in this cat food is meat so that your cat can get the protein he needs to be healthy and thrive. One of the best things about this food is that it supports your cat’s immune system with essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin E. While it can be a bit expensive, it provides the right protein and nutrients for energy, immunity support, and helps to build healthy muscles as well.
Pros
Comes in a variety of flavors
Contains real meat for protein
Supports the immune system
Cons
Expensive
When it comes to keeping your cat healthy with great-tasting organic food, Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Dry Cat Food makes the grade. This food is USDA certified to be organic and has an organic chicken and sweet potato flavor that many cats love.
Comes in a variety of flavors
Contains real meat for protein
Supports the immune system
- Comes in a variety of flavors
- Contains real meat for protein
- Supports the immune system
Weight: 10 lbs.
Life Stage: Adult
Flavor: Organic Chicken and Sweet Potato
Food Form: Dry
What we like the best about this cat food is that it’s not only cooked in an organic kitchen but that it features free-range chicken as its main ingredient. This grain-free dry food also contains superfoods such as cranberries, flaxseed, and even coconut oil to give your cat the best nutrition possible. With no artificial preservatives, antibiotics, or growth hormones, this is a win-win for any cat, no matter the age of your cat.
There have been reports of some cats refusing to eat this blend, so make sure to test your cat on it before making a final decision.
Pros
Grain-Free
Contains free-range chicken
USDA Certified to be organic
Contains a superfood blend
Cons
Some cats won’t eat it
As your feline companion ages and becomes less active, it’s possible that they’ll become overweight. A high-quality weight control cat food can help with that problem. That’s why Blue Buffalo Weight Control Dry Cat Food comes in at number six on our list of premium cat foods.
Grain-Free
Contains free-range chicken
USDA Certified to be organic
Contains a superfood blend
- Grain-Free
- Contains free-range chicken
- USDA Certified to be organic
- Contains a superfood blend
Some cats won’t eat it
- Some cats won’t eat it
Weight: 7 lbs.
Life Stage: Adult
Flavor: Chicken and Brown Rice
Food Form: Dry
Containing real deboned meat and no artificial preservatives, this chicken and brown rice flavored cat food is excellent to help with weight loss.
The food contains premium natural ingredients such as cranberries, pumpkin, spinach, and blueberries to ensure your cat gets the nutrients and minerals he needs, without all the ingredients that caused him to gain weight, to begin with.
The only drawback of this weight loss dry cat food is that some bags aren’t resealable, and some cats refuse to eat the blend.
Pros
Contains real deboned meat
Contains no artificial preservatives
Contains premium all-natural ingredients
Cons
Some bags aren’t resealable
Some cats refuse to eat this food
- Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Dry Cat Food
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Weight: 6 lbs.
Life Stage: Adult
Flavor: Game Bird
Food Form: Dry
Number seven on our list is Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Dry Cat Food for cats who enjoy a little raw in their regular diet. Full of protein, including raw fish and game birds that are freeze-dried, that helps keep the food tasting fresh, this grain-free product is something that most cats crave.
Contains real deboned meat
Contains no artificial preservatives
Contains premium all-natural ingredients
- Contains real deboned meat
- Contains no artificial preservatives
- Contains premium all-natural ingredients
Some bags aren’t resealable
Some cats refuse to eat this food
- Some bags aren’t resealable
- Some cats refuse to eat this food
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Weight: 6 lbs.
Life Stage: Adult
Flavor: Game Bird
Food Form: Dry
With a taste and feel your cat will love, this food is an essential part of your cat’s diet as it’s a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, something your cat needs to keep its healthy fur and skin. In addition, the food is all-natural and is excellent for digestion.
The only thing we didn’t like about this food is it contains turkey and chicken meal.
Pros
Great for Digestion
Grain-Free
Excellent source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Cons
Contains turkey and chicken meal
- Purina One Sensitive Systems Natural Dry Cat Food
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Weight: 7 lbs.
Life Stage: Adult
Flavor: Turkey
Food Form: Dry
Quite a few cats suffer from sensitive skin and stomach problems. If your cat is one of them, then we recommend Purina One Sensitive Systems Natural Dry Cat Food to help with the problem. Made for cats with sensitive skin and stomach issues, this formula is easy to digest and great for your cat’s skin.
Great for Digestion
Grain-Free
Excellent source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Great for Digestion
- Grain-Free
- Excellent source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Contains turkey and chicken meal
- Contains turkey and chicken meal
Weight: 7 lbs.
Life Stage: Adult
Flavor: Turkey
Food Form: Dry
Featuring real turkey, coupled with a chicken by-product, this natural food is chockful of protein your cat needs to be healthy. With real carrots, peas, and other natural ingredients, this is an excellent choice for cats who have health issues.
While this is a bit more expensive than other brands on the market today, we feel it’s worth the extra cost for the peace of mind in knowing you’re putting your feline companion’s health first.
Pros
Easy to digest
Good for sensitive skin
Features real turkey
Cons
More expensive than some other brands
If you’re looking to treat your furry feline to a portion of food they’ll love, can we recommend Ziwi Peak Canned Wet Cat Food containing superfoods mackerel and lamb. Made with 92% bones, organs, raw meat, and seafood, these five-star food will light up your cat’s taste buds and have them meowing for more.
Easy to digest
Good for sensitive skin
Features real turkey
- Easy to digest
- Good for sensitive skin
- Features real turkey
More expensive than some other brands
- More expensive than some other brands
Weight: 6.5 oz.
Life Stage: Adult
Flavor: Mackerel and Lamb
Food Form: Wet
The company has free-range and sustainable farming practices, which is a double win-win for you and your cat, as well as the environment. Limited ingredients with no fillers, by-products, and additives mean that you can feel good about feeding this treat to your cat.
The only drawback to this wet cat food is that it can get super expensive if it’s the only thing you feed your cat. However, if you alternate it with a portion of high-quality dry food, then you should be fine.
Pros
Farming practices are free-range and sustainable
Limited ingredients
Raw meat, bones, and organs add up to 92% of this food
Cons
Can be expensive if it’s all you feed your cat
Farming practices are free-range and sustainable
Limited ingredients
Raw meat, bones, and organs add up to 92% of this food
- Farming practices are free-range and sustainable
- Limited ingredients
- Raw meat, bones, and organs add up to 92% of this food
Can be expensive if it’s all you feed your cat
- Can be expensive if it’s all you feed your cat
Buyer’s Guide: What Should You Look for in a Premium Cat Food?
Now that you have an idea of what we feel are the top 10 best premium cat foods on the market today, according to us, it’s time to move into our buying guide. Unfortunately, many cat owners aren’t sure how to choose the best cat food for their furry feline friends. So, in this section of our guide, we’ll give you a few suggestions for doing just that.
Consider Your Cat’s Stage of Life
When choosing the right premium cat food, you must first consider your cat’s life stage. As your cat grows, he’ll have unique nourishment needs, and what he needs to stay healthy as a kitten won’t be the same as when he’s a senior cat.
During the years when he’s most active, you’ll want a portion of food that provides plenty of energy and nutrients to keep up with the active life he leads.
Once your cat becomes a senior, the food you fed them as a kitten and an active adult will change. Find food that will help your cat in his golden years at this point.
Consider Essential Nutrients
Amino acids, minerals, and vitamins are essential nutrients to look for in cat food and to help your cat lead his best life. You want a cat food that has at least the minimum of these nutrients and nothing less.
One thing to keep in mind is that your cat does not need carbohydrates in its diet, so that’s something to watch out for as well.
Consider Flavor
This, of course, isn’t essential to your cat being healthy, but it’s necessary to make sure they eat the food you buy them and keep your furry friend happy. You don’t eat flavors that you don’t like, do you? Well, cats have specific flavor preferences as well.
Some felines are pickier than others. For example, one cat may gobble up tuna-flavored cat food, while another cat in your family turns his nose up at it. Sometimes, finding a flavor combination your cat enjoys can be challenging, so try different flavors until one clicks, and you’ll have won half the battle.
These are just a few tips for finding the best premium cat food for your feline. Remember, sometimes it takes time to find the right cat food, so do your research and never give up.
We’ve gotten a lot of questions over the years about feeding cats and choosing the correct premium cat food to meet a cat’s needs. We’ll address some of your questions in the next section.
Is It Possible for Dry Cat Food to Go Stale?
One of the biggest questions we get is whether dry cat food can go stale or not. Just like with any other pet or even human food, it can go bad.
Make sure to always check the expiration date on wet and dry cat food before feeding it to your cat. Keeping the food in the original bag can help the food stay fresh longer, as these bags are intended to do just that.
Store the bag in a cool, dry location, and always seal it up correctly so that air can get in and damage the food for the best results.
What Should You Look for in Cat Food?
You already know that the cat food you choose should be full of vitamins and minerals your cat needs to be healthy. You also want to ensure the cat food has a high level of protein and fiber as well. Turkey, fish, chicken, and other proteins are great for giving your cat energy and helping him live an active life.
Fiber helps with your cat’s digestion, so make sure to choose a cat food that has fiber according to your cat’s needs. Remember that each stage of your cat’s life will also call for different nutrients to be given.
If you’re unsure which is the best cat food for your cat, then it’s best to make an appointment with your vet so he can recommend the right food to meet your cat’s dietary needs.
Do your research when searching for high-quality cat food, no matter which stage of life your feline pal is in. Remember, the older your cat gets the more his needs will change. This, coupled with regular visits to the vet and love and patience from you will go a long way towards keeping your cat healthy and happy for many years to come.
Final Thoughts
This concludes our review of the best premium cat foods as we see them. For the best overall cat food, Smalls Fresh Bird contains real human-grade meat and provides support for your cat’s immune system. Our second pick was the Racheal Rae Nutrish Premium Cat Food for its affordable price and easy-to-eat small kibbles. These are our opinions of the best premium cat foods out there today.
- You may also want to read: 10 Best High-Protein Cat Foods – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: AlexanderDubrovsky, Shutterstock
