Top Pick: 2025's Preferred Wet and Dry Cat Food Recommended by Veterinary Experts
When choosing food for your adorable, fuzzy kitten, it's crucial to ensure they're getting the right nourishment to help them grow into a healthy adult cat. And with loads of options on the shelves, it can get overwhelming to choose the best kibble or wet food for your furry bundle of joy.
Veterinarians suggest considering some factors while hunting for kitten chow. Here's a lowdown on what to factor in when picking the perfect kitten food:
AAFCO nutrition standards
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) establishes nutrition standards and labeling standards for different life stages for pet food. To make sure the kitten grub you buy fulfills AAFCO standards, check for the "complete and balanced for growth" or "complete and balanced for all life stages" nutritional adequacy statement on the packaging.
Ingredients
The AAFCO states that ingredients on a food label are listed by weight, from highest to lowest. The first three ingredients are the most important to consider. The first should be a meat source, ideally containing some source of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, such as fish oil. AAFCO advises kitten food should have appropriate levels of essential nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E, taurine (an amino acid), and fiber.
Food type
Ideally, cats, regardless of age, should eat wet and dry food daily, as each type provides unique benefits. Wet food is high in water content and helps cats stay hydrated, while dry food is excellent for dental health due to its abrasive texture.
Availability
With kittens eating several times a day, it's essential to have a constant supply of food at home. Make sure you can grab it at the store in a pinch or buy online if need be. And, if it's only available online, ensure delivery from your preferred retailer is a breeze.
Price
While the price and quality of kitten food aren't always correlated, focus on finding an affordable, high-quality food your kitten will enjoy.
With this in mind, let's dive into some top-notch kitten food picks approved by veterinarians!
The Best Dry Kitten Food
Best Overall
Iams ProActive Health Kitten Dry Cat Food
This dry kibble is small enough for kittens to chew with ease and is free of fillers, artificial flavors, and preservatives. It contains nutrients similar to those found in kittens' mother's milk, such as Vitamin E, helping boost their immune systems. The food offers omega-3 DHA and fiber and prebiotics for healthy digestion.
Editor's Pick
Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Kitten Food
Small pellet-shaped kibble makes navigating meals easy for little paws. Made with natural ingredients, this dry food does not contain chicken by-products, fillers, artificial preservatives, or flavors. Its nutritional formula includes vitamins A, E, and zinc to support immune health, calcium and phosphorus for bones and muscles, prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber for digestive health.
Best for Digestive Health
Purina Pro Plan Kitten Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Food
A two-texture formula of crunchy kibble and shredded, meaty chicken pieces satisfies your kitten's taste buds while delivering essential nutrients like DHA, calcium, and phosphorus, as well as probiotics to support their digestive systems.
Best Natural Kitten Food
Hill's Science Diet Kitten Healthy Development Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
This all-natural dry food is free from chicken by-product meal, artificial flavors, synthetic colors, and artificial preservatives. The small, pellet-shaped kibble is easy for kittens to chew, and it's formulated with DHA from fish oil, antioxidants, and prebiotics for gut health. You can also purchase a version without corn, wheat, or soy.
Best Grain-Free Kitten Food
Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Healthy Kitten Recipe Dry Food
This grain-free, small, pellet-shaped dry food contains natural ingredients like deboned chicken, salmon oil, potatoes, and cranberries. It has probiotics for digestion, antioxidants for immune health, and omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids for skin and fur.
The Best Wet Kitten Foods
Best Overall
Fancy Feast Kitten Tender Ocean Whitefish Feast Canned Cat Food
This pate-style wet food is packed with real milk and vitamins like E, B-12, and D-3. The recipe is free of artificial preservatives and colors. Both of my cats gobbled it up with ease!
Best Pate
Blue Buffalo Baby Blue Natural Kitten Wet Cat Food
This wet food is made with real chicken, devoid of poultry by-products. It's also free from corn, wheat, and soy, as well as artificial flavors and preservatives. The smooth pate texture is enriched with brown rice, flaxseeds, sweet potatoes, and carrots, and features fish oil as a source of DHA.
Best in Gravy
Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Kitten Food
This wet food contains thin slices of meat in a gravy sauce, making it easy for baby teeth to chomp on. The food contains antioxidants, fish oil, and is available in two textures - thin slices in gravy or as a pate loaf in sauce.
Best for Picky Eaters
Hill's Science Diet Kitten Liver & Chicken Entree Canned Cat Food
With 5 protein-rich flavors to choose from, you can find the perfect match for your fussy eater. The formula contains easily digestible ingredients, vitamins C and E, DHA from fish oil, and prebiotic fibers to promote gut health.
Happy shopping, pet parents! May your kittens have delightful dining experiences that set them up for a healthy, happy life!
References:
- FDA. (2021). Cat and dog food. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/products/cat-and-dog-food
- AAFCO. (2021). 2021 Cat and dog food nutrient profiles. Retrieved from https://www.aafco.org/AAFCO_Dog_and_Cat_Food_Nutrient_Profiles
- Hart, D. (2021). Wet vs. dry food: What's the difference, and should you feed them to your cat? Retrieved from https://www.chewy.com/pet-owner-learning-center/articles/we-can-help/what-is-the-difference-between-wet-and-dry-cat-food-9454
- Loftus, J. (2021). What can cause a kitten to stop eating. Retrieved from https://www.chewy.com/pet-owner-learning-center/articles/how-to/what-can-cause-a-kitten-to-stop-eating-5826
- Hart, H. (2021). How to pick the best kitten food. Retrieved from https://www.chewy.com/pet-owner-learning-center/articles/how-to/how-to-pick-the-best-kitten-food-17984
- To ensure your kitten gets the right nourishment as they grow, look for food that meets the nutrition standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
- Check for the nutritional adequacy statement "complete and balanced for growth" or "complete and balanced for all life stages" on the packaging of kitten food.
- When considering kitten food ingredients, prioritize meals with a meat source as the first ingredient and avoid foods containing excessive fillers, artificial flavors, and preservatives.
- Follow veterinarian guidance when choosing food types for your kitten, aiming for a daily diet of both wet and dry food, as each provides unique benefits, such as dental health from dry food and hydration from wet food.
