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The best wet cat food is like a freshly killed mouse in a can. It’s soft, juicy, and delicious while providing all the protein, fat, and micronutrients your cat needs to stay fit and frisky—without excessive carbohydrates or unnecessary additives.
In this guide, you’ll discover the benefits of wet cat food and learn how to make a healthy choice for your cat. We’ve also included in-depth reviews of our favorite recipes.
When selecting wet cat foods for testing, I prioritized recipes made primarily with animal ingredients and chose a variety of flavors and textures. My selections were informed by in-depth research into the nutritional value of wet food for cats as well as my own experience having tested hundreds of products with my own cats.
I ordered these products at full price and tested them at home with my two cats, Wessie and Forest. While my cats provided their opinions on taste and general appeal, I performed an in-depth analysis of the product information and made my own observations. I also researched the brands, seeking information about their recall history, manufacturing practices, and general reputation within the cat-lover community. Here’s the full methodology behind our cat food ratings.
I also consulted our team of veterinary experts to determine what features to look for in a healthy wet cat food.
Finally, we consulted seven veterinarians to get their professional opinion on what makes great cat food.
Budget Pick: Dave’s Pet Food Naturally Healthy Grain-Free Turkey Formula Canned Food
Made In: United States
Guaranteed Protein: 10% min.
Age Range: Adult
Calories Per Ounce: 33
Typical Cost Per Day: $1.64 per day
With many canned foods priced under $0.30 per ounce, Dave’s Pet Food is a popular pick among budget-conscious cat owners. This brand offers a variety of flavors and textures, all in meat-focused formulas rich in hydrating moisture.
This turkey recipe from Dave’s Naturally Healthy line features turkey muscle meat as the primary ingredient. Chicken liver and chicken also contribute to the food’s 45.45% dry matter protein content. While the recipe could benefit from a source of omega-3 fatty acids, it’s still fairly energy-dense and nutritionally balanced.
Unlike many inexpensive canned foods, this formula is free from artificial additives and hard-to-digest beans and legumes Overall, it’s a simple and easily digestible recipe that most cats seem to enjoy.
Best for Kittens: Tiki Cat Baby Chicken, Salmon & Chicken Liver Recipe Wet Cat Food
Made In: Thailand
Guaranteed Protein: 15% Min
Age Range: All Life Stages
Calories Per Ounce: 35
Typical Cost Per Day: $5.81 per day
Featuring a protein-rich blend of chicken, salmon, and egg, this Tiki Cat recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of growing kittens (4 weeks and older). It comes in small cans filled with a creamy mousse topped with savory shreds.
Measured as dry matter, this recipe contains about 68% protein and nearly 23% fat. Because it’s designed for kittens, it’s higher in fat and more calorie-dense than many of Tiki Cat’s recipes. The one downside is the use of plant-based fat (sunflower seed oil) as the primary added fat, but the food also contains salmon oil as a species-appropriate fat source (also rich in DHA and EPA).
Though this recipe is pretty pricey at about $1 per ounce, it has the benefit of being nutritionally balanced for kittens and cats in all life stages. That means you can keep feeding it after your kitten matures or, perhaps a more cost-effective method, start using it as a food topper for your cat’s new adult recipe.
Best for Seniors: Halo Turkey & Duck Recipe Pate Grain-Free Indoor Cat Canned Food
Made In: United States
Guaranteed Protein: 10% Min
Age Range: Adult
Calories Per Ounce: 35
Typical Cost Per Day: $2.38 per day
Made with simple, sustainably sourced ingredients, Halo products offer whole-food nutrition for cats. This recipe features protein-rich turkey, turkey liver, and duck as the primary ingredients. What makes this formula particularly appropriate for senior cats is the smooth pâté texture and focus on easily digestible poultry protein.
Measured as dry matter, this recipe contains about 45.5% protein to help your aging cat maintain lean mass. It’s fairly energy-dense, so your cat won’t have to eat excessively large portions to meet their calorie needs, but lower in fat than many commercial wet cat foods.
This food is also rich in taurine and L-carnitine with a little salmon oil at the end of the list. Omega-3s support healthy skin and coat while also offering anti-inflammatory benefits which may help protect your senior cat’s joints.
Premium Pick: Ziwi Peak Venison Recipe Wet Cat Food
Made In: New Zealand
Guaranteed Protein: 10% Min
Age Range: All Life Stages
Calories Per Ounce: 34
Typical Cost Per Day: $8.06 per day
Since being founded in 2004, Ziwi Peak has consistently produced some of the best natural cat foods on the market. While the company is best known for dehydrated jerky-style food for pets, their canned cat food offers superior hydration. Ziwi Peak relies on ethically sourced meat and seafood from New Zealand, farms, ranches, and waters. All their farmed proteins are free-range and grass-fed while their fish ingredients are sustainably sourced.
This product is 92% meat, organs, and bone from non-rendered venison, meaning that it delivers species-appropriate nutrition that’s easy for your cat to digest. In addition to lung, kidney, liver, and other organs, the food contains venison tripe, which is the deer’s highly-nourishing stomach lining.
The recipe also contains green-lipped mussel, a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin. These nutrients help support your cat’s joint health. Though the recipe contains a small amount of chickpeas, it’s still fairly low in carbohydrates and generally reflects your cat’s natural dietary needs. It’s made without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, and is free from carrageenan and gum thickeners.
Best for Picky Eaters: Caru Classics Turkey Stew Grain-Free Wet Cat Food
Made In: United States
Guaranteed Protein: 9% Min
Age Range: All Life Stages
Calories Per Ounce: 28
Typical Cost Per Day: $3.67 per day
Finicky felines can be difficult to please but many cat owners report that even their picky cats enjoy this turkey stew-style wet food. It’s made with turkey as a single source of protein which is novel for many cats as well, so it could also be a good choice for cats with food allergies or sensitivities.
This cat food features a short list of whole food ingredients. It’s free from carrageenan and gum thickeners, though it does contain a little tapioca starch as a binder. The dry matter carbohydrate content remains very low, however.
Though some cat owners find this food to be a little too soupy, the texture makes it a great food topper or meal mixer. It’s packed with protein and hydrating moisture without any hard-to-digest beans, peas, or legumes.
Best for Weight Loss: Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken Recipe in Chicken Consommé Wet Cat Food
Made In: Thailand
Guaranteed Protein: 16% min.
Age Range: Adult
Calories Per Ounce: 25
Typical Cost Per Day: $6.61 per day
Although pate-style foods are typically more species-appropriate and have lower carbohydrate content than stew-style products, a few companies create stews without starches and thickeners. Tiki Cat is one of those companies. Their foods are manufactured in Thailand, a country known for good food production and safety standards. Tiki Cat has never been recalled and they seem to be popular among picky eaters.
This recipe is strikingly simple—it’s a can of fortified shredded chicken in broth and oil. The recipe consists of chicken, broth, oil, and supplements. We would prefer to see animal-sourced fat over the sunflower seed oil but there are no major red flag ingredients in this recipe.
Like all Tiki Cat foods, it’s low in fat and calories, making it a good option for cats who need to lose weight. It only contains about 25 calories per ounce and the dry matter fat content is only 13%.