Buying cat food can be a bit overwhelming because of all the variety. Should you buy dry food or wet food? What about grain-free options? Is poultry the best protein option for felines, or is fish better? Which additional supplements are essential for your cat? One essential supplement is taurine. Taurine is an amino acid critical for your cat’s heart muscle function, vision, and digestion. It is also needed for a solid and functional immune system.
Cats need to get access to taurine to keep their organs and system working in their food, and it’s found in animal-based proteins. While most cat foods contain some animal protein, you want to ensure that your cat is getting the right amount of taurine. This review goes over our top choices for cat food with taurine that will benefit your feline’s health.
A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription
Healthy, fresh turkey meal
346 mg of taurine per 100 calories
Convenient delivery
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Best Value
Purina ONE Chicken Dry Cat Food
Sufficient taurine
Optimal price
Lower amount of fat than competitors
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Instinct Protein Chicken Freeze-Dried Cat Food
High dose of taurine in each serving
High in protein
Check Price
Best for Kittens
Blue Buffalo Chicken Kitten Food
High levels of taurine
High in protein
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Taste of the Wild Dry Food
High dose of taurine
High protein
Grain-free
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The 11 Best Cat Foods with Taurine
1. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription – Best Overall
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Main Ingredients Turkey thigh, chicken liver, green beans
Taurine 346 mg of taurine per 100 kcal
Protein 41%
Crude Fat 7.5%
If you want the best food with the least work, it’s hard to beat Smalls Cat Food. Smalls Other Bird Recipe is our pick for overall best cat food with taurine because of its healthy, fresh food system that’s delivered straight to your door. This food is made with fresh turkey and other fresh ingredients along with added vitamins and minerals that make it the perfect fuel. It is at about .08% taurine, or 346 milligrams per 100 calories. It is also high in protein, with about 41% protein on a dry matter basis. This recipe does contain peas, which are controversial because recent studies have suggested a negative link between peas and heart health.
Smalls operates through a subscription service that delivers freshly prepared meals to you regularly. Once meals are delivered, you can thaw them as needed to feed to your cat, making it easy and simple to get your cat high-quality food. However, it does come at a higher price than your standard dry or canned food, and there’s no subscription-free option, making it harder to try before you buy.
Pros
Healthy, fresh turkey meal
346 mg of taurine per 100 calories
High in protein
Convenient delivery
Cons
Expensive Subscription-only Contains pea
If you think that your cat might not be getting enough taurine in its diet, our budget recommendation is Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend. There are several great high-taurine cat food options on the market, but you do not want to pay a lot for a cat food your pet might not like. While Purina One Tender Selects Blend has a little bit less taurine than other premium brands, the percentage of taurine per serving is still beneficial overall.
Healthy, fresh turkey meal
346 mg of taurine per 100 calories
High in protein
Convenient delivery
- Healthy, fresh turkey meal
- 346 mg of taurine per 100 calories
- High in protein
- Convenient delivery
Expensive Subscription-only Contains pea
- Expensive
- Subscription-only
- Contains pea
Check Price on Chewy
This blend has a lower amount of fat and protein, making this blend not the best choice for underweight cats or highly active cats.
Pros
Sufficient taurine
Optimal price
Lower amount of fat than competitors
Cons
Lower in protein
Contains rice and corn
Our premium recommendation for high-quality taurine-rich cat food is Instinct Ultimate Protein Chicken Recipe Freeze-Dried. While this brand of cat food is expensive, it is reflective of the ingredients. There is no animal meal, and the protein comes from cage-free chickens. Since this blend avoids grain or vegetable proteins, cat-owners have found this recipe to be more easily digestible. This blend is also higher in protein and fat, making this a good choice for active cats. However, the high protein and fat content might cause weight gain in less active cats or indoor cats that do not get as much exercise.
Sufficient taurine
Optimal price
Lower amount of fat than competitors
- Sufficient taurine
- Optimal price
- Lower amount of fat than competitors
Lower in protein
Contains rice and corn
- Lower in protein
- Contains rice and corn
Pros
High dose of taurine in each serving
High in protein
Cons
Not suitable for inactive cats
Taurine is an essential amino acid for healthy kitten growth. Once they are weaned, you want to get them started on the right track to nutritious eating. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten Chicken Recipe is our recommendation for kitten food. Their mother’s milk provides them all they need to get a strong start with life, so the transition to the right kitten food is essential. This recipe has a high level of taurine – higher than adult formula cat foods because kittens need a bit more to ensure healthy heart development and strengthen their immune system. However, this is considered a superb choice of food. Your kitten might not readily eat foods that are not of the same quality.
High dose of taurine in each serving
High in protein
- High dose of taurine in each serving
- High in protein
Not suitable for inactive cats
- Not suitable for inactive cats
Pros
High levels of taurine
High in protein
Cons
Not suitable for adult cats
Expensive
The Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Grain-Free Dry Food is an excellent choice because of its blend of ingredients. Grain-free cat food is becoming more widely used for people’s furry felines since grains are not a traditional part of a cat’s diet. Rocky Mountain Grain-Free contains a high-quality mix of proteins and has taurine listed early in the ingredient list. It also includes fruits and vegetables that provide additional vitamins to your cat’s daily diet.
High levels of taurine
High in protein
- High levels of taurine
- High in protein
Not suitable for adult cats
Expensive
- Not suitable for adult cats
- Expensive
While this is a great taurine-rich food for your cats, Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain is a bit more expensive than the average cat food. In addition, salmon is one of the top ingredients, so if your cat has a seafood allergy, this is not a good choice.
Pros
High dose of taurine
High protein
Grain-free
Cons
Can be expensive
Doesn’t work for cats with fish allergies
- American Journey Grain-Free LID Duck & Pea Dry Cat Food Check Latest Price
Main Ingredients Deboned duck, duck meal, peas, pea protein, tapioca starch, sweet potatoes
Taurine 0.15% min
Protein 30% min
Fat 12% min
Sometimes, a simple recipe is often the most delicious. This is why our top choice for best tasting cat food is American Journey Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Duck and Pea Recipe Dry Cat Food. In the wild, cats eat simply and have a basic palate. Modern dry and wet cat foods can have a laundry list of ingredients that might mask the taste of meat in the recipe. Additionally, some recipes have several proteins blended together.
High dose of taurine
High protein
Grain-free
- High dose of taurine
- High protein
- Grain-free
Can be expensive
Doesn’t work for cats with fish allergies
- Can be expensive
- Doesn’t work for cats with fish allergies
American Journey Grain-Free Limited Ingredient formula uses one source of animal protein and one main source of plant protein to keep the final recipe simple. However, this formula includes canola oil, which some cat owners may not want to include in their cat’s diet.
Pros
Low-ingredient recipe
Low in fat
Cons
Contains canola oil
If you have a picky cat that needs an increase in taurine intake, we recommend giving Sheba Perfect Portions Wet Cat Food a try. Wet food is often a good choice when feeding a picky eater. You can also mix Sheba Perfect Portions into dry food to help get your cat used to other textures of food.
Low-ingredient recipe
Low in fat
- Low-ingredient recipe
- Low in fat
Contains canola oil
- Contains canola oil
Picky cats often like the small pieces of meat in gravy. This food comes in a multipack, so they can try either the chicken or the turkey recipe to see which one they enjoy the most. However, it can get costly to feed your cat wet food exclusively, meaning you might need to buy dry food and mix to make the wet food last longer.
Pros
Real meaty flavor
Grain-free recipe
Low in fat
Cons
Wet food diets can get expensive
Less taurine per serving than dry food
- Wellness Complete Health Turkey Canned Cat Food – Best Wet Food for Picky Cats Check Latest Price
Main Ingredients Turkey, chicken liver, chicken, chicken broth, carrots
Taurine 0.1% min per serving
Protein 10% min per serving
Fat 6% min per serving
Picky cat owners will appreciate Wellness Complete Health Turkey Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food. This pate-style blend of turkey and chicken liver and carrots helps promote healthy skin and urinary health while providing your cat with taurine. While the amount of taurine per serving is a bit less when compared to dry food, the amount is still beneficial for your favorite feline.
Real meaty flavor
Grain-free recipe
Low in fat
- Real meaty flavor
- Grain-free recipe
- Low in fat
Wet food diets can get expensive
Less taurine per serving than dry food
- Wet food diets can get expensive
- Less taurine per serving than dry food
Wet food is a great way to introduce more taurine if you have a very picky cat. Some cats prefer an exclusively wet food diet. However, you might need to mix this in with dry food to make the canned food last a bit longer.
Pros
Beneficial vitamins and minerals
Grain-free recipe
Cons
Wet food diets can get expensive
- American Journey Turkey & Chicken Dry Food – Best Dry Food for Picky Cats Check Latest Price
Main Ingredients Deboned turkey and chicken, chicken and fish meal, tapioca starch, dried egg, and pea protein
Taurine 0.15% min per serving
Protein 40% min per serving
Fat 5% min per serving
If you have a picky cat that prefers dry food, our recommendation is the American Journey Turkey and Chicken Recipe. American Journey is already known as high-quality cat food, so there is a great chance your picky kitty will enjoy this recipe. Made with turkey, chicken, and plant protein sources, this taurine-rich formula benefits your cat’s overall health.
Beneficial vitamins and minerals
Grain-free recipe
- Beneficial vitamins and minerals
- Grain-free recipe
Wet food diets can get expensive
- Wet food diets can get expensive
Since this blend is high in protein, it could cause weight gain in more sedentary felines. The high protein content is better for active cats. This particular brand of cat food can also be a bit on the pricey side, but every cat is worthy of being spoiled a bit.
Pros
High percentage of taurine
High in protein
Grain-free
Good for active cats
Cons
Contains plant proteins
Can be expensive
As your cat gets older, it is still essential to make sure they get taurine in their diet to maintain a strong immune system and heart muscles. Blue Buffalo Healthy Aging Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Mature Dry Cat Food is a top recommendation for senior cats needing more taurine in their daily meals. The recipe is made with quality chicken and healthy grains loaded with fiber required for a healthy gut.
High percentage of taurine
High in protein
Grain-free
Good for active cats
- High percentage of taurine
- High in protein
- Grain-free
- Good for active cats
Contains plant proteins
Can be expensive
- Contains plant proteins
- Can be expensive
In addition to taurine, Blue Buffalo also uses LifeSource Bits in all of their recipes, giving your cat minerals and antioxidants. This formula does contain grains, which is something that some cat owners do not want to give their felines.
Pros
High serving of taurine
Contains LifeSource Bits
Cons
Not grain-free
- Purina Savor with Probiotics Cat Food – Best for Sensitive Stomachs Check Latest Price
Main Ingredients Salmon, rice, corn gluten, poultry by-product meal, soybean meal
Taurine 0.15% min
Protein 36% min
Fat 16% min
Cats who have sensitive stomachs still need taurine in their diets, but what kind of taurine-rich cat food will not upset stomachs? Purina Savor with Probiotics is recommended for kitties with sensitive tummies. Salmon is the first ingredient, ensuring that your cat’s meal will contain quality protein. Another benefit of this recipe is the Pro Plan Complete Essentials formula, which includes live probiotics to help with your cat’s sensitive digestive tract. The probiotics also work to strengthen your pet’s immune system.
High serving of taurine
Contains LifeSource Bits
- High serving of taurine
- Contains LifeSource Bits
Not grain-free
- Not grain-free
This formula is a bit more expensive than the standard formulas of cat food, but the health benefits might outweigh the cost in the end.
Pros
High amount of taurine
Contains live probiotics
Salmon is the first ingredient
Cons
Not grain-free
Can be expensive
High amount of taurine
Contains live probiotics
Salmon is the first ingredient
- High amount of taurine
- Contains live probiotics
- Salmon is the first ingredient
Not grain-free
Can be expensive
- Not grain-free
- Can be expensive
Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Cat Foods with Taurine
How Much Taurine Do Cats Need?
When looking at taurine percentages per serving for cat food, the recommended amount of taurine is 0.10% in dry food and 0.20% in wet food. Some people might wonder why the taurine percentage on wet cat food labels is less than what the AAFCO recommends. However, if you check the feeding instructions, you will be giving your cat several servings of wet food a day, equaling the required amount of daily taurine they need.
What Are the Signs of a Taurine Deficiency?
According to PetMD, it can be hard to detect a taurine deficiency in your cat. However, if you notice your kitty has vision issues or dental problems, this can be a sign. If you are feeding your cat with food that has taurine in it, there should not be any taurine-related health issues. However, if you feed your cat a vegetarian diet, this can lead to a taurine deficiency.
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Final Thoughts
Look at the percentage of taurine per serving in any food you buy. Cat food that is high in animal protein will have a good amount of taurine in it. Cats can be picky, so you might need to try a few options of food before finding one they enjoy. A diet of wet food can get a bit costly, but so can premium dry food.
If you want the best food with the least work, it’s hard to beat Smalls Cat Food. Smalls Other Bird Recipe is our overall best pick for cat food with taurine because of its healthy, fresh food system that’s delivered straight to your door. This food is made with fresh turkey and other fresh ingredients along with added vitamins and minerals that make it the perfect fuel.
Or the Sheba Perfect Portions Wet Cat Food also has quality ingredients that are beneficial to your cat’s health. Trying out one dry food and one wet food can help you figure out the best recipe for your cat.
- Want to know how various cat foods stack up against one an other? Read the Best Cat Foods (Updated)
Featured Image Credit: Photo_Olivia, Shutterstock
