I started Pet Food Reviews a decade ago, and it’s been 15 years since I realised I’d been feeding my poor cat biscuits made mostly of grains – for my pet carnivore – as recommended by my vetinarian.
Here we are in 2024, and the pet food industry is yet to answer my simple question – Why do we feed our carnivorous cats grains?
Earlier this year I asked an ex-Hill’s Rep of around 35 years why we feed our pets grains. His first response was “Dogs are omnivores so it’s fine and scientific” (or words to that affect).
I reiterated “Yes, but cats are obligate carnivores, so why is there so much grain in most cat foods?”
That left him a bit stumped, and he recalled overhearing fascinating conversations from Hill’s scientists about the optimal diet for a cat (with kidney issues I believe) almost like for like with that of a blended mouse.
Go figure!
I view cats as carnivores – because they factually are carnivores – and when I review a cat food I rate it primarily based on meat and fat content from animal sources. Or in other words, how appropriate the food is for your cat.
I want you to always view your cat as a carnivore. This will help you choose the right food or better diet for your cat.
In this guide to what I consider the best cat foods in Australia (2024 edition) I will offer a few recommendations if you simply want pointers, but I urge you to read the other info on different types of cat food, feeding, and variety – you’ll pick up some game-changing tips!
Best cat foods in Australia (2024)
We all have different situations – busy lives, not so busy, lots of spare cash, on a tight budget and so forth.
We’re all on a learning journey, which means some of you will be more confident in feeding your cat a balanced raw diet, and others simply wanting a recommendation for a better kibble at this stage in time.
For these reasons I’ve categorised recommendations in the following way:
- Best cat foods regardless of cost
- Best dry cat foods (kibble/biscuits)
- Best wet cat foods (canned)
- Best dry cat food on a budget
- Best raw or BARF cat foods
Please note there are other good cat foods which aren’t mentioned below. The reason is simple – I don’t want to pummel you with recommendations.
If you feed a cat food not mentioned below, refer to the specific review for more information.
Best cat foods regardless of cost
If we want the best for our cats in terms of commercial cat foods (those which you buy off the shelf), you’re looking at air-dried or freeze-dried.
These cat foods offer really decent nutrition but still have the convenience of being dried. They’re expensive, but far healthier for your cat – that should pay dividends in terms of wellbeing, lifespan, and less risk of expensive vet bills if your cat starts suffering in middle to senior age.
Very good cat foods:
- Frontier Pets – Such a great, ethical, Australian company. Frontier Pets cat food is freeze-dried, which means nutrients aren’t destroyed by cooking. It’s basically a raw diet with the convenience of being dried (fantastic shelf life!), and all you do is add a little water. It’s not as expensive as you may think, and it’s well worth feeding as part of your cat’s diet. Full review here.
- ZIWI Peak – This New Zealand air-dried raw food is loved and respected worldwide. The ingredients are fantastic – packed with meat, organs, and the wonderfully nutritious green-lipped mussel. Brands like this make you wonder why raw feeders faff around with chopping, dicing, and weighing every morsel, and best of all – pretty much all cats love ZIWI Peak. Full review here.
Best dry cat foods (kibble/biscuits)
Most dry cat foods contain grains, or if not grains then some grain-free alternatives like legumes, potato, or tapioca.
Keep in mind the reason for this is mostly to keep production costs down, and to some extent starch is required to hold those little brown nuggets of kibble together. For most pet food manufacturers it’s also a balance of how much cat owners (like you and me) are willing to spend on their product, so there are practical reasons as well.
I’ll cover more “budget” cat foods in a bit, but it’s worth realising the more you pay for a kibble the more appropriate it should be for your cat.
Personally I wouldn’t feed a cat a diet solely of dry cat food. I would add variety and moisture, such as one of the cat foods mentioned earlier, or even raw meats, organs, chicken necks, and so forth. New fangled social influencers are calling this a “hybrid diet”, and it’s the way I’ve fed my own cat since I rescued him 13 years ago. He’s now 14, in great health, with great teeth.
Here are a few recommendations for really good dry cat foods in Australia, in 2024:
- Open Farm – This cat food is undoubtedly expensive, especially when compared to the cr*p you get in the supermarkets, but it’s also very good. I believe it’s only sold at Pet Circle, but that’s not a bad thing – they usually have the best prices anyway. Open Farm is packed with meat and fish, some legumes, and great additions like coconut oil. The broths are great too (cartons). Full review here.
- Taste of the Wild – If Open Farm is too expensive (and don’t feel guilty if it is), then Taste of the Wild is a great option for most people. It’s a brand sold worldwide with great feedback, and despite sacrificing some meat for alternatives like peas, it’s still very high protein and fat which is better for your cat than carbs. I see Taste of the Wild as a great base diet which is moderately affordable, and I see no reason why you couldn’t mix it with some other types of cat food or fresh food as well. Full review here.
Please note: If you’re wondering why ACANA and Orijen are currently not on this list, it’s simply because availability is currently a bit of a problem. Once they’re back in stock at retailers I expect they’ll be re-added to this list.
Best wet cat foods (canned)
Many wet cat foods aren’t as meaty as you think.
For example, Felix as one of the most popular cat foods in Australia is little more than undisclosed meat (and “meat derivatives”) mashed up with ambiguous cereal grains (yup, for your carnivore). Then you’ll find added colour (to make it look more appealing to you), ambiguous “flavour”, “thickeners”, and something unnecessary which may get your cat addicted – sugar.
Oh, and don’t go thinking Dine is much better.
Here are two much better wet cat foods, and feel free to compare the ingredients to Felix, Dine, et al – you’ll see what I mean:
- Zealandia – Our cats benefit the most from meats, organs, and yucky stuff like tripe. It may sound gross to us, but these are wonderfully rich sources of nutrients your cat is biologically designed to eat. Zealandia has it all, not to mention green lipped mussels which are a signature of cat foods from New Zealand. I found a couple of negative points when putting this list together, and interestingly negative feedback seems to be “My cat wouldn’t eat it”. Probably because those cats are hooked on sugar and artificial additives of cheaper cat foods. Full review here.
- ZIWI Peak – If you were put off by the cost of Zealandia, you’ll feel the same about the Ziwi wet cat foods as well – in that case skip ahead. If not, for the same reasons as the Ziwi air-dried cat food, the wet cans are also excellent. Very species appropriate.
- Applaws – A more affordable brand you will find in the supermarkets and numerous retailers, this might be a good option for you if you can’t afford the price tag on Zealandia or Ziwi. Applaws are a UK company but have their own manufacturing facility in Australia, with a good reputation. There’s an important point though – like some of the cheaper brands of wet cat food, these are for “supplemental feeding only”. That means they should be fed as only part of the diet, for the simple reason they don’t cover all the nutritional needs of your cat. Sadly many cat owners fail to realise this, and feed a food such as this as their cat’s main diet. As part of the diet, however, you may find Applaws a safe choice on a more realistic budget – combine it with dry, raw, fresh, and so forth.
Best dry cat food on a budget
Being on a tight budget isn’t anything to be ashamed about, and we can do our best to feed our cats regardless.
If you can’t afford one of the premium cat foods mentioned above, you can feed one of the cheaper brands and perhaps combine it with the odd can of fresh tuna, sardines, chicken necks, wings, or any meats/organs you find reduced at Coles or Woolies – it’s a great way to feed cats on a budget, even if part of it is a cheaper kibble.
Here are some recommendations:
- Hypro Premium – There’s a few reasons why I’ve chosen Hypro Premium dry cat food to top the “budget dry cat food” section. Yes, it’s labelled “premium”, and yes it’s more expensive than cereal-based cat foods which aren’t appropriate for your cat. Hypro Premium is still much more affordable than the dry foods listed earlier (a fair bit cheaper than Taste of the Wild). It contains a decent amount of meat (labelled 60% meat/fats/fish oil), and it’s not filled with nasty and problematic cereals. Until early last year (before the hic-ups), Hypro made the well loved brand Meals for Mutts (Meals for Meows), and also Healthy Everyday Pets. What that means to you, is a good track record with quality.
- Applaws – I mentioned Applaws wet food in the last section, and it has to be said the dry food is very good for the price point. There’s more peas and carbs in Applaws than the cat foods mentioned earlier, but on the positive side there’s still a decent amount of meat combined with fish oil and a range of superfoods (in small amounts). Unlike Applaws wet, the dry food is “complete and balanced”. Full review here.
Best raw or BARF cat foods
When it comes to raw feeding this is totally something you can do on your own, using human grade meats, organs, and bones from the supermarket. Feeding raw is a very natural diet for your cat, and I often stress the benefit of your cat gnawing on appropriate raw meaty bones like chicken necks.
If you’re put off by the complexities of raw feeding (even though it’s not as complicated as you may think), there are some great commercial raw options as well. Just keep in mind these products use ground bones, which means your cat won’t have the inherent teeth-cleaning benefits of raw meaty bones (this fact applies to all commercial cat foods by the way, and I’d include dental treats in that).
Here are some great raw diet options:
- Raw Meow – An excellent Perth-based company who offer a freeze-dried raw cat food mix. Laura who owns Raw Meow also runs the Australian Raw Fed Cats group on Facebook, which is well worth joining no matter how you feed your cat.
- Big Dog (for cats) – One of Australia’s longest standing BARF pet food brands, originally for dogs, but they also have BARF for cats. If you’re new to BARF, they’re basically patties made from meat, organs, and ground bone, and great for your cat. You’ll need freezer space.
- Proudi – I honestly don’t have a preference between Big Dog and Proudi when it comes to BARF foods for your cat. Both have shown to be decent brands, so it may depend on which one your local pet store sells.
Note: The links above to Big Dog and Proudi will take you to the dog food reviews, simply because I haven’t written reviews for the cat varieties. Nevertheless, you should find all the info you need!
Quick tips on the best diet for your cat
Personally I feed my cat a wide variety of foods. My general opinion is a raw diet, properly formulated, is the best diet for a cat, but I confess my cat gets kibble, wet, BARF, air-dried, freeze-dried, plus a range of meat, organs, and raw meaty bones.
In fact, Bernard won’t let me go to sleep before he’s had his evening chicken neck. True fact!
Below you will find some quick-fire tips about how to feed a cat, based on my experiences and beliefs:
- Cats aren’t big drinkers and need clean moisture in their diet. We forget our cats were originally desert animals who only consumed moisture from eating prey, and this is sadly overlooked by many who feed their cats dry food.
- Variety is a good thing. Most of us feed our cats a single brand of cat food, day in day out. The problems with that are obvious when you think about them – what if the food doesn’t contain all required nutrition, or what if there’s a manufacturing problem which has led to excessive toxins or a deficiency in something? There’s a good chance the food isn’t overly appropriate for a cat anyway, with most cat foods in Australian being formulated with grain (or “grain-free” alternatives) for your carnivorous cat.
- To elaborate a little on the above point, I see a variety of brands and styles of food a good idea. What I mean by that is add some fresh foods, wet, raw, BARF, and different brands of cat food to their diet. Try and become confident in feeding your cat a variety! Cats can be difficult at times with new foods, simply because they have a “never seen that before, don’t know what it is” mentality – persist!
- As a general rule, avoid any cat foods containing cereal or wheat. I find these to be the most inappropriate and poorly formulated cat foods, usually containing other nasties and food colourings. All dry cat foods contain some grain or alternative “grain free” starch/carbs, so you can’t really avoid them unless you feed raw, BARF, or an absolute top end dry food like Orijen.
- Fresh meats, organs, and raw meaty bones! Our cats are carnivores. It’s disputed a lot with dogs who I consider facultative carnivores (carnivores who will eat other foods), but cats are factually carnivores. You should always question a cat food made from anything other than animal ingredients. The pet food industry is very skewed when it comes to the “science” and “research” which convinces us our cats should be pumped full of wheat, yet that’s the way it is – corn for carnivores, wheat for carnivores, whatever makes the most profit from carnivores. Consider adding fresh meats, organs, and raw meaty bones to your cat’s diet. Chicken necks are one good (and super cheap) option – great for nutrition, and also their dental health!
If you want to read more on my thoughts on feeding our cats (and dogs), then read this page. Yes, it mostly focuses on dogs, but mostly applies to our cats too.
How does a cat food get on the best cat food in Australia list?
If you want to know how the above cat foods made the best cat food list, then I’ll explain a little more. You may be feeding a brand which isn’t mentioned above, but don’t worry – there are other good brands, I’ve simply kept the list short so as not to confuse people.
Firstly, all cat food reviews on this website are written primarily as an overview of the ingredients and analysis – this helps offer you information which can’t be disputed.
For example, if the cat food appears to be mostly wheat, that’s what the review will say. You can then decide for yourself if a cat food is a good choice for your carnivorous cat!
There’s a lot more to the reviews than that, but that’s the gist of it. I do my best to keep the reviews simple and readable, which means keeping them fairly short.
Let’s cover some of the factors I may not talk about in the individual reviews which can affect the ratings:
Many cat foods come from the same manufacturer as other brands, and I track consumer feedback on all those manufacturers. Some have an excellent reputation, and some don’t. Sadly, with some leading Australian manufacturers I have received many reports of sickness and/or diarrhea, which means none of those brands will be on the best cat food in Australia list above.
Some cat foods have established a great reputation and loyal following, only to change manufacturer or ingredients and seemingly fall off a cliff in terms of quality.
For legal reasons it can be difficult to mention the above information. If a cat becomes sick it is almost impossible to prove the cat food was the cause (although an unfortunate loss of a number of dogs a few years ago was in fact traced to a specific major brand dog food, as was a number of dog deaths a year ago from toxic horse meat sold as beef pet mince).
Pet food manufacturers know how difficult it is to prove a product was the cause of a sick pet, so even if your cat has severe vomiting and diarrhea within hours of being introduced their product, they know you won’t have the capacity as a consumer to have that product tested for all manner of toxins. Even if you do you won’t have the capacity to take them to court over it.
If you report an issue with a cat food to the manufacturer, you will almost always receive a response saying they are not aware of such an issue and will investigate it, with a request for you to return the product (which is better for them, not you). Don’t expect any more than that, and I’ve known manufacturers respond to many consumers saying they aren’t aware of “any issues”.
With little regulations in Australia to benefit you as a consumer of cat food, you’re very much the little guy without a leg to stand on. A government investigation into the safety of pet food was conducted in 2018 with ominous findings, yet the working group who were put together to make regulatory changes over the subsequent 12 months weren’t very productive, and we’re now almost 4 years on (2022).
That means all you can do is make sure you’re feeding your cat something decent, and even if the reviews don’t state any of the issues I’ve logged from consumers on many brands of cat food in Australia, rest assured I will not recommend those cat foods.
Your feedback matters!
If you’ve had a positive or negative experience on a cat food in Australia then let me know, either on the Facebook page (which you should definitely join!) or the comments section below. All feedback matters as it helps me and it helps other cat owners like yourself!
If your cat has been sick on a cat food then I strongly urge you to add a report on the APOG website. APOG (Australian Pet Owners Group) are an independent body who track consumer issues with pet foods in Australia. By independent I mean they are not influenced or under the control of the pet food industry in Australia.
Nutrition analysis of the best cat foods – the “bar”
All the foods on the best cat food list must meet stringent criteria and be what I consider species appropriate for your cat as a carnivore.
In a nutshell, here are a few requirements:
- Must meet AAFCO requirements.
- Must have sufficient protein and fat.
- Must have sufficient meat ingredients.
- Must not contain any nasty or ambiguous ingredients.
- Must avoid allergenic or problematic ingredients.
- Must have a long standing reputation and good consumer feedback from real pet owners in Australia.
For some more technical information, here’s a guide on nutrition analysis requirements.
Latest compilation of the Best Cat Foods in Australia list, April 2024.
Thank you for the time you have taken to write and share this information.
I have been feeding my cats a mixture of dry food in the am, wet canned food early evening, and a chicken wing/neck/giblet/liver at night.
The canned food is almost done, and I hope to feed them raw chicken or beef as well as the dry in the morning.
Can you tell me, is this too much raw? My logical brain tells me no, because they are cats and no one was cooking up their food before serving. Would be good to have someone like yourself weigh in though.
Also I bought small drumsticks by accident, instead of wings. Would these still be okay to give them or will the bone be too big? My guess is that anything they can’t break down, they would leave.
Thanks again, much appreciated!
Sandy
Hi Sandy,
Personally I don’t see “too much raw” an issue for carnivorous cats, but the issue is more about balance or our lack of understanding on what our cats need – i.e. all parts of prey, like flesh, organs, bone etc.
I’m not one for the complex spreadsheets used by die hard raw feeders (and it’s not as if I use complex spreadsheets for my own diet), and consider the below far simpler options:
1. Continue to feed commercial foods as most of the diet as these should have all nutrients in balance (although how they achieve that balance is up for scrutiny, especially with cheaper cat foods made mostly of grain or plant matter). Then feed 20% raw without being too concerned of that raw being balanced. This could simply be chicken necks or wings, or may include some organs as well, or eggs.
2. With a little more confidence and understanding of balance, such as 80% flesh, 10% organs (not overdoing liver), and 10% appropriate raw bones, then increase that 20% to more of their diet – whatever you feel comfortable with.
Drumsticks are fine, but you’ll probably find your cat will eat the flesh and won’t chew on the bone and just leave it. You can stick it in the fridge and let them have another go later, but I suppose that can be a faff. Unless you have a dog who finishes it off!
Thank you for your research and reviews!!
Thank you for your positive feedback!
Searching for more affordable and grain-free alternatives to the Hills Biome wet cat food that my vet recommended, I came across Dine’s Farm Collection.
There’s no nutritional info about it, but the ingredients are “Meat & Fish (including Chicken &/or Tuna &/or Salmon &/or Beef &/or Sheep &/or Pork), Vegetables, Gelling Agents, Binders (derived from Beef &/or Sheep &/or Pork), Flavours, Vitamins & Minerals, Amino Acids.”
I have asked Mars to send me a nutritional analysis – will be interesting to see if they do.
I’m keen to hear your thoughts about this one. Thanks.
Can you take a look at the cat food brand pretty wild? Would be great to see a review on that. It seems up there with applawse. Ingredients look ok for supermarket brand. Cheers
Hi Elizabeth, I expect the “vegetables” as the second ingredient to be almost as much, if not as much, as the concoction of various bits of meat and fish as the first ingredient. Ambiguous flavours as well. Doesn’t scream of quality, but it depends on whether the meat ingredients are any good or not.
Can I get an actual budget dry food? Thanks
Hi Richard, yes, fresh meat, organs, and bones – can often be cheaper than a above-the-bar commercial cat food, especially if you find a reputable meat supplier.
Thanks so much for your reply David.
Mars say that the nutritional values are as follows:
“Protein approximately 8%, fat approximately 4%, Carbohydrate is between 2.1-2.6g/100g, and the vitamins and minerals are as per AAFCO requirements for a complete and balanced diet”
So 1% less protein and 1.4% less fat than Ziwi wet chicken food; but also 1-1.5% less carbohydrate than Ziwi (because no chickpeas!).
Our budget doesn’t stretch to Ziwi wet food (and tbh my cats don’t like it that much either) so this feels like a reasonable compromise. I’d rather not buy from a despicable multinational, but should have thought about that before I expanded my family to include felines!
One kitty has Ziwi Peak in his treat dispenser, so he’ll be getting extra nutrition from that. Sadly, the other is a bit of a doofus and can’t work out how to use the treat dispenser (and also, doesn’t appear to like Ziwi at all).
Thanks for putting this list together. I’m trying to find cat food that doesn’t have a vitamin pre mix. The food is balanced and full of the vitamins and minerals needed based on the good quality of food.
Do you have any recommendations?
Hi Amanda, it’s a very good question which is very hard to answer as nearly all pet foods have added vitamins and minerals rather than meet those requirements with “main ingredients”. The one which sprung to mind was Healthy Active Pets, but although they only offer freeze dried dog food at the moment there are resources on their website for cats and also make at home recipes.
To offer recommendations, have you considered going full raw? Then you’re in full control and it can often work out cheaper. Commercial options you may settle for would be Frontier Pets or Raw Meow, and I’m not sure if you would find a kibble which met your needs!?
Hello!
I’m wondering if you will publish a review on Tiki Cat (After Dark in particular) or if you recommend it at all?
We are currently trying to decide between Tiki Cat After Dark wet food, Ziwi Peak wet food and Feline Natural wet food – based on high protein, low carbs, no grains.
We plan to add a small amount of high protein low carb kibble (like Taste of the Wild) or just chicken necks for their teeth.
Thanks so much,
Terri
Hi Terri, sorry for the slow response but here’s a Tiki Cat food review.
Ziwi and Feline Natural should always be the better option to a dry processed food, but Tiki Cats feels pretty decent to me.
Good to hear you’re feeding chicken necks too!
Super helpful article! Thanks so much.
Do you have any recommendations on a smelly food topper that will entice my goat to eat?
I’ve just started using nutritional yeast and it’s working.
Regards
Katie.
Hi Katie, I’m no expert on goats… maybe alfalfa? Chopped apples or carrots? Not sure I’m helping…!
Thank you, most helpful. A problem I have with ordering some premium canned wet cat food is having to buy in packs of 12-24. Not helpful and costly if cat won’t eat it. Same with dry/kibble, premium always seems to be in large bags.
**What would your recommendation be for a cat on the heavier side to have for dental hygiene? She eats mostly wet, refusing bones/necks.
Hi Lyndall
My cat loves the Zealandia wet cat food such as Brushtail, Goat, Duck, Wallaby, Venison. I buy it from the VeryPet Pet Store website where you can choose how many tins you want to buy.
Hope this helps!
Hi Lyndall, sometimes it takes a bit of persistence to get a cat to transition back to raw meats/bones from kibble, but it can be done. You can try adding bits of raw chicken to their kibble and go from there, or perhaps try some dried meats which are touch and good to gnaw on?
I would like to know more about TIKI CAT products like wet food and other options because it stood up for me almost like Applaws, which I loved buying for my cats. Please comment on tiki cat? they have good variety of wet food and it seems like very natural
Hi Dee, here you go – Tiki Cat food review.
There’s a new range of meal completers for cats – vngpets.com. There’s even a hypoallergenic completer (which is what I needed for my cat; seafood free with vegan Omega 3 is scarce to find). They have meal completers available for healthy adult cats, cats with kidney disease and cats and kittens with food sensitivities. I have used Raw Meow hypoallergenic but my cat barely touched it, including the freeze dried hypoallergenic. Currently all my cats’ meals are made from scratch as there are no wet food brands that cater to hypoallergenic diets.
Would love to see a review for this as well!
We just started our cat on one of the CompleteMe Feline Recipes from vngpets.com but using raw meat (frozen appropriately for 3 days prior), and after about a day of suspicion she got stuck right into it.
She been on it for a few days now and already has so much more energy and attitude, and her poos are tiny and infrequent compared to the Hill’s (which we were told to put her on by the vets). And she is actually eating without constant prompting (again unlike the Hill’s diet), and since the meet is in big chunks she is using her jaws to eat which I imagine is good for her teeth.
For history she was diagnosed with idiopathic hypercaleamia and mild IBD this year (after losing 1/3 of her weight, and an gradually increasing disinterest in eating). She was originally on Royal Canin dry and Felix wet, before being told to put her on Hill’s GI biome by the vets.
She didn’t like Hill’s GI biome very much, we were mixing some Applaws into it to get her to eat it and she still needed prompting.
We are hoping that having moved to a wet, raw, and more cat appropriate diet will help (and a fair bit of research suggests it will).
We are also avoiding DL-methionine, and other acidifiers which are in a lot of dry cat food as well as some wet foods. It seems a lot of research connects DL-methionine and acidifers with a rise in idiopathic hypercaleamia in cats… vit D is also connected too, but it seems there is no known idea of how much vit D is appropriate. We will see how she goes on her next calcium blood test!
Pet circle hardly stores any of the cat dry food you recommend. So, not a reliable supplier. A reliable supplier to me is one who stocks top (your recommended) brands, the whole gamot, even if difficult to source (from overseas, for example), and even if the demand isn’t that good in the present. There is no use recommending these surely fantastic brands unfortunately if one can’t get hold of most of them anywhere.
Would like to mention this website, along with cats.com (Mallory very informative), put me on the road to researching and sourcing the best WET cat foods after inheriting 2 ragdoll kittens.
Yes, many overseas brands hard to come by. Look local or at least our New Zealand neighbours.
I have given my now young adult ragdolls Frontier pets, Ziwi Peak, Feline Natural, Meow for cats, all of which are superb. But they are expensive.
I live in the Sydney area so I have started using Peekapaw, they charge a small amount for delivery but they have the best prices. Other retailers like Petbarn and Petstock will price match if they have the same products on offer.
Frontier Pets are also very good and charge for delivery.
If you want to compare canned food or dry food you need to read the labels. There is no comparison between canned Whiskas and canned Ziwi Peak Provenance range. Whiskas is full of byproducts and other questionable things . Ziwi Peak is full of a variety of proteins.
I also supplement my cats diet with treats like the dried chicken necks and lamb tripe. They consume it all and are very healthy!
It takes a lot of time and effort but research and reviews goes a long way to helping cat owners on their food journeys!
Hi Silvie, Pet Circle are very proactive in stocking many of the brands which are rated highly on Pet Food Reviews.
Can someone tell me if Advance wet food brand is better than Hills Science?
I’ve had horrible problems with Weruva cat food, especially the kitten chicken pate. Both my cats happily devoured it so I didn’t mind the extra cost. Then at some point my male cat (7 months) started having diarrhea. I switched his food from the kitten kind to the adult one, it got better but he still avoided it oddly. Took him off of Weruva altogether and he improved a lot, still has stomach issues but not so bad I have to wash his fluffy butt ever 2-3 days.
Well I didn’t want to waste that kitten food so I gave it to my female cat (1.5 years) and she devoured it for about a week, got stomach issues, and started avoiding the food. Even back on the adult minced chicken Weruva her litter box reeks.
Is there some reason why this company has such good ingredients, but the final product is absolutely awful? I can’t help but wonder what could cause this kind of problem when the ingredients, should, be normal and good.
I have had a similar experience too. All three cats transitioned to Weruva in November, tolerated the loaf/pate style pouches well. Then it wasn’t in stock so I ordered the gravy style pouches, and a few weeks after that, two out of three lost their appetite (super unusual for them, but I thought it was the heat) and then just one of them has now had lots of issues with vomiting and loose poo’s. Vets have seen her and there’s no obvious other cause.
It may be worth adding a report to the Weruva page on APOG – https://www.apog.com.au/recall-issue-log/weruva/
Hi Rebekah, Weruva isn’t a brand I get negative reports from, so it’s worth adding what you’ve said to the APOG website – https://www.apog.com.au/recall-issue-log/weruva/
I hope your cats have both fully recovered?
Pet circle seem to be removing a lot of their pet food products, canidae, earthborn and acana are no longer available on the website.
Assume it’s importation related. All of those are USA made and none are available anywhere that’s sold them before. Either the importer stopped or there’s some other importation issue.
Thank you so much for your hard work! Certainly very informative. I’ve been feeding Science Diet’s dry food to all of my cats over the years with wet food of a cheaper brand as the occasional treat (and meat off of our plate more often). So far so good. No UTI, obstruction or dental issues. Both my cats drink a lot of water too and have regular poos. But in the last couple of weeks, my 13 yo cat appears to not eat as much. I think it could be jaw/toothache so was looking for wet food as a softer option for her. We tried Science Diet’s two varieties of wet food for 7+ years and she’s really not keen. As she’s a grazer normally while the younger one is a wolf-it-all-down kind a cat, he eats his and then hers before she has time to circle back for another go. And your reviews are making me question Science Diet now so was looking at Applaws as a wet food to try, and another dry food. You reviewed another variety of Kirkland Signature’s cat food and I was wondering if you had a look at “Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Chicken and Rice Formula Cat Food”. My cats aren’t really that fond of fish (which I found rather puzzling) but usually will go for chicken. Thanks for your help.
https://www.costco.com.au/Grocery-Household/Pet-Supplies/Cat-Food/Kirkland-Signature-Super-Premium-Maintenance-Chicken-and-Rice-Formula-Cat-Food-1134kg/p/132024
Hi Dominique, the trouble with almost all cat kibbles is the amount of grains or other carbohydrates, but choosing one with a higher protein and lower carbs should always be beneficial. I find Science Diet very grain-intensive, which is just odd for a carnivore, and more odd considering the price.
If your cat isn’t eating then I highly recommend a check-up at the vet. If it’s dental pain, some teeth may need to be removed – and I recommend this rather than avoiding the issue, and cats adapt very well.
Chicken necks may be a good option as a treat, for both nutrition and maintaining strong jaws.
Applaws wet food is supplementary, so fine alongside a balanced diet (Kirkland may be an option). But given it’s supplementary, some decent human grade sardines or tuna are also an option and may be cheaper.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Applaws was hour a success, with both cats refusing to go beyond the broth, leaving what looked like real food in the bowl. Have reverted back to Dine wet food for now until we can see a vet. Have been recommended an Aussie brand of kibbles: Advance – Healthy Ageing. Have you heard of it? Got the chicken and rice variety today and so far both cats seem to like it.
Hi. Just wondering if you would be making a new list? Some of the food here are hard to source in Australia in 2023. Most are out of stock.
I agree Jamie. Having a hard time getting a reliable supplier of the dry foods in particular. Is there something going on to cause this?
Have you tried Pet Circle? They’re usually pretty good with stock.
I am desperately searching for an alternative food after HEP went into liquidation and came across Talentail. They claims they are using premium ingredient for the cat food ( Ultimate New Zealand Chicken Dry Cat Food and Pacific Ocean Fish), hence the high price tag. Some of the ingredients are really fancy, but I notice that there is a list of vegetable on the ingredients list. Would you please do a review for their cat food？ Thank you
Hi Alicia, here’s a Talentail review for cats (there’s also a review for the dog food).
Can you list the worst supermarket brands and the best affordable supermarket brand in dryfood for cats
Hi Keisha, there are buyers guides for Woolworths, Coles, and Petbarn if that helps. I realise those pages cover dog foods, but most brands are the same for cats. With Woolworths, the Baxters dog food is the equivalent of Smitten cat food. Hopefully they give an overview of brands sold at those stores along with rating.
Generally with supermarket brands avoid anything with cereal or wheat at an absolute minimum, especially for cats – as obligate carnivores they shouldn’t have anything but animal ingredients in their diet, and moisture, and only a small percentage of fruits and veggies as an optional. Unfortunately no dry cat foods are designed fully for your cat.
Hi
I am waiting to see the list of wet cat food that are healthy and in the affordable price range. When you have multiple cats, whilst I would like to feed them the best, I cant afford brands like ziwi. I look forward to your reviews on other products and particularly on wet food.
Hi Anjie, it may take a while before wet cat foods are properly reviewed. My best advice at this stage is most of the highly rated dry foods have a corresponding wet food which is as good as if not better.
When it comes to keeping cost down I personally feed my cat fresh meats, offal, and some fish. Chicken necks are a really cheap and nutritious option to add as part of the diet and to offset the sometimes ridiculous cost of wet cat foods.
Hi,
Great website. Read it a lot!
I would love to see a review on the Applaws, Lux & Bones, Pretty Wild and Purr loin treats (available at supermarkets)?
I like feeding my cat these 1-2 meals per week with a broth (Farmers Market), spoon of kibble and a freeze-dried natural topper. Cat loves this meal (so many textures and flavours).
Also intrigued to read a review of Meat Mates, Farmers Market and The New Zealand Natural (meow), and Enhance Supernutrition brands.
Our kitty rotates between Applaws, Feline Natural, Meat Mates wet/dry foods; and a homemade boiled chicken breast / hearts mix which she loves occasionally. Did not take to BARF so happy with this once a week.
She also gets a small snack of natural freeze dried treats (various brands) in her puzzle feeder or as a treasure hunt daily (kangaroo, goat, chicken, sardine, anchovy, mussel, duck, Lamb Green Tripe).
Cat loves the variety in her diet and she is very spoilt, loved (and healthy)!! Your website gave me lots of info and the confidence to give her a varied diet so thank you.
R
Hi there
I have been feeding my cats Black Hawk brand grain free, I thought it was one of the better brands but it doesn’t rate a mention on your best dry food List. You don’t feel it’s any good?
I appreciate your feedback.
Thanks
Julie
Hi Julie, I feel Black Hawk seems fine for many, and it’s definitely better than many in terms of ingredients. However, more with the dog food, I find there are many negative consumer reports. It’s worth reading some of the comments on the Black Hawk dog food review – https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/black-hawk-dog-food-review/
Thanks for the info.
I have an 11month kitten and about to transition to adult food. Currently she eats Purina One Kitten dry food breakfast/lunch and Hills Science Kitten wet food for dinner.
The major brands (Hills, Purina One, RC) all have an indoor cat adult range that is supposed to reduce the smell of the litter/faeces. My cat is indoor and does have really stinky poo.
Do you think any dry foods are better for indoor/litter reasons, or is it all just marketing?
Thanks!
Hi Yun, I would say if those brands aren’t working (in terms of smelly poos) then perhaps try one of the brands on this page for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. Whether a cat is indoor or outdoor, their digestive system is the same and they will benefit from a healthy diet. If you read the ingredients of the brands you’ve mentioned then you can probably decide for yourself if they sound healthy for a carnivorous cat!
If you do change food, let me know in a few weeks how it goes!
My cat will only eat Felix beef,lamb and chicken flavours and Friskies meaty grills.He is a indoors cat as he is deaf is this food nutritional enough for him?I am only on a disability pension so I can’t afford the expensive food
Hi Susan, there’s a full review of Felix here, but in a nutshell the main ingredients of Friskies Meaty Grills is actually cereals, cereal by-products, or vegetable by-products. Your cat’s a meat-eating carnivore, so that should give you your answer.
Unfortunately brands like Friskies cater for most people on a budget, not so much for the health of our cats.
Well done and thank you. I have been a cat owner for 50+ years and have been concerned for years about the emphasis on feeding cats dry kibble only. Since kibble became mainstream, and the fact my cats over the years love eating them, I always mix in either good quality tinned wet food or raw chicken, kangaroo, lean beef, white fish…I agree that a diet of dry cat food must affect the urinary tract of cats.
Hi, I feed my two cats Hills Science Diet CD Urinary Care ( only because I lost my other cat recently to UTD )and I had this 6 kg bag already.
Both are desexed males,one 6 years, the other is 8 months.
They also get wet food twice a day. Do you recommend changing the dry Hills kibble to something cheaper or leaving it as a preventative to struvite crystals ?
Val.
Hi Val, I was rewriting the Hill’s Prescription Diet cat food review yesterday so will refer you to that – https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/hills-prescription-diet-cat-food-review/
In the review I cover KD Renal but the information you’ll find there will apply to Science Diet CD Urinary as well.
You could still feed the food rather than wasting it, but keep in mind the points in the review which you can address by feeding wet food (like you’re already doing), and making sure their diet is primarily applicable to their carnivorous needs.
Hi, I’m feeding a mix up of Meals for Meows Grain Free, Applaws, and Feline Naturals as the evening meal. Sometimes I’ll add other dry to the mix like Call of the wild. As he needs high fluid intake because he’s a male and predominantly eating dry, I give wet mixed with water for breakfast. He’s very partial to Dine Melting Soups and broth types and predominantly fish. I’ve tried raw meat of different types but he really isn’t keen, except for the little pots of “beef mince” which i have trouble sourcing, tins from Ziwi peak, Feline Naturals etc are also rejected. Does it matter that he isn’t eating a lot of “red meat”? Thank you.
Hi Lisa, I think it’s good he’s eating a mix – which isn’t the case for most cats! It’s also great you’re adding a decent amount of wet and clean water. I feel most cats suffer from lack of moisture on dry foods.
Cats are really fussy, and it’s often really hard to introduce different types of food. But they’ll never go hungry if there’s food available, so with something like beef (I buy Coles beef mince) if you persist he’ll likely eat it and get used to it.
Hello. You said you buy Coles beef mince. How many stars do you buy or percentage of fat content? It’s usually labeled on the front. You’ve mentioned cats need a certain amount of fat in their diet so I’m just after some advice on whether to get the super lean mince or less lean with a higher fat content. Thank you.
Hi Ange, generally I consider animal fat good for cats, so tend to buy the higher fat minces. These are also cheaper as most people will happily pay more for leaner mince because it’s considered healthier for us.
I also feed a variety, with nothing in excess, so generally protein/fat will balance out anyway. Mince on it’s own isn’t a balanced diet for a cat as they need the nutrients from organ meats as well, and also bone.
Hi, my cat has IBD and we’ve been giving her royal canin sensitive control as recommended by the vet. I assumed as this was vet recommended it was a good food! I have only just discovered that it’s not rated very highly. Would love to be directed to a food that is rated highly but also recommended for gut sensitivity! Thanks!
Hi Josephine, my best advice is take a look at the ingredients you were feeding before the Royal Canin. This can give you an idea of what may’ve caused the IBD in the first place.
With Royal Canin Sensitive you have to ask yourself if rice is overly appropriate for a carnivorous cat. I believe it’s the main ingredient in the food? I wouldn’t consider rice ideal, but on the other it’s a better alternative to wheat or cereals. The other “magic” in the formula is it uses duck as a novel protein. So formulating with rice (non-allergenic) and avoiding proteins from chicken/beef/lamb which in some cases are problematic, it can be used as a “sensitive” formula.
LifeWise seems to work well as an alternative if you want to stick with kibble, but you’ll likely find some of the better more meat/whole-prey focused dried or raw (BARF) foods may prove successful.
She was diagnosed years ago, so can’t remember exactly what we were were feeding her before. I do remember giving her raw beef for a while though.
And yes i did see that rice was the first ingredient in Royal Canin. I’m finding good natural food that’s IBD appropriate very hard to find though. We tried her on some air dried venison from Kiwi, but she turned her nose up at it. And I’ve just looked up Lifewise but there are none without fish, lamb or chicken and from what I’ve read those are all allergens. Gah, super frustrating.
Thank you so much for all your hard work and the information supplied. Could I ask about food for my 18 month old cat. He had severe UTI and was put on Urinary SO plus medication. It cleared him up. He was then switched to Urinary CD. Which gave him diarrhoea. I now am just feeding him boiled chicken, with a bit of pumpkin and 6 pieces of the Urinary CD mixed in. He is not really enjoying it and doesn’t eat much. He loves crunching on dry food. I’d like to swap him onto one of the ones on your list, but am a bit hesitant as to which one. Would appreciate your feedback.
Hi Ann, I consider dry cat foods the main cause of UTIs, so even expensive urinary dry diets from Hill’s and Royal Canin don’t address that issue. Then when you look at the ingredients and consider it’s for a carnivore it just doesn’t come across as appropriate – makes you wonder what you’re paying for.
Quite often cats refuse to switch away from dry food which can be frustrating, but I’d recommend adding in a more moisture-rich meat-based food into the diet. On this list Meow or K9 Natural are good examples, or Ziwi which offers more moisture and far better digestibility than dry kibbles. Additionally adding in fresh (raw) meats, organs, or chicken necks/legs/thighs which are very cheap to buy and well worth considering.
Thankyou so much for providing a web site to help us navigate the issues associated with cat diets,lm greatfull as l am aware of the time consuming hours that it takes,l have been looking for a kibble & wet food that is made in Australia with ingredients that arn’t sourced from China or overseas.One of my big concerns is food products made overseas then radiated to come in to Australia,My cat is very fussy she loves kangaroo meat which l buy human grade,lm having problems finding kibble that she likes a friend put me on to Cachet from Aldi she loves it,but it’s made in Thailand so l’ve stopped using it.lve come to the conclusion to buy the best Australian products,pay more & possibly save huge vet bills down the line, lm pleased l have found your web site & again thankyou for your efforts to help us in knowing what we are feeding our fur babies,
Hi Sylvia, thank you for your feedback, and I’m glad the reviews have helped.
I can put your mind at rest a little – it’s illegal to irradiate cat foods imported into Australia, so any main brand cat food should be safe in that respect (although being “healthy” is a different matter).
Can you point me in the direction of your wet food only list.
I can’t seem to see them?
Hi Lesh, I haven’t reviewed wet foods, but generally if a cat food is rated highly you’ll find the corresponding wet food of the same brand equally as good. In fact wet foods are better for cats due to the moisture content, so a cat’s diet should never be entirely dry food.
Thanks for helping us look after the nutritional health of our pets.
I have been trying to switch my 7 year old toothless moggy over to Ziwi with little success. She will eat it at a push mixed in with other food being mainly providore with a touch of royal canin. I have found even with some water, she won’t eat the providore by itself (I have tried for months). The smell of ziwi she can’t seem to get past! How does providore compare? Can I use you review on it for dogs as a proxy?
I feed the soft ones as their main meals. Providore, Kiwi Kitchens, Absolute Holistic. I found mine don’t like the regular Ziwi, they prefer the Provenance series ones, their a bit softer cause more meat.
You can most certainly use the softer varieties, there’s nothing wrong with them at all.
Thank you for your recommendations. What is best dry food for hairballs for cats.
On Pet Circle Cherish has hairball treats. I’m not sure if there’s many other treats who do it. But essentially if you want to feed a specific food, you can try treats that treat hairballs instead of changing foods.
The ingredient in most hairball foods is cellulose fibre.
In Cherish food it’s paraffin. In the treats it’s cellulose.
Hello, I’m interested in these brands but I notice a lot of them do not make kitten varieties, or not that I can find on pet circle anyways. I was particularly interested in taste of the wild and Applaws but they don’t make kitten varieties. Applaws does make a kitten wet food, but only one variety, tuna flavoured. I’m worried feeding my kitten the same tuna one everyday could be too much mercury. Is there anything you could recommend that is healthy for my kitten whilst also being fairly budget friendly?
Hi Chantelle, firstly – variety is always good. Generally cat foods are “all life stage”, so unless the state “Adult” they likely meet the nutritional requirements for kittens as well. I believe this is the case for Taste of the Wild cat foods, but the Applaws formulas are labelled “Adult”.
Hello. Firstly, congratulations for the amazing job. It’s really helpful. My question is related to food for sterilised cats. Which brand is the best one for this group?
Hi Edgar, keeping in mind they’re a carnivore I would still recommend a diet focused on meat/organs/meat fats. Generally I find weight gain more an issue on cat foods made of starches with high carbohydrates which a cat struggles to digest, but if a cat gains weight on a meat/meat fat food then it can be worth cutting down on fat by opting for a lean formula (such as turkey, kangaroo, or fish).
Hi there! We just changed over to Hills 12+ cat food but I recently read your reviews and don’t think it’s best for her. Is there another good option for her age or is it even necessary for her to have a special kibble for her age? Shes pretty picky and has taken to Hills more than other kibble. We also feed her one can of pate at night. She’s 14 or 15 years old.
Hi Lauren, senior cats depend on a diet of animal ingredients as much as younger cats – such is the nature of a carnivore. Based on that alone makes me question Hills dry foods as species-appropriate. If you compare it to something like Orijen you’ll see a vast difference in ingredients, but another important factor with feeding cats is moisture. You’re addressing that already with pate, but also have a look at raw diets such as Raw Meow (from WA) or BARF patties like Proudi and Big Dog (for cats) which are available at most pet stores. There is also no reason you shouldn’t feed fresh meats, organs, and raw meaty bones (such as chicken necks) which are nutritious, ward off plaque, and are also cheap.
I can see Taurine listed within the ingredients in some of these brands, why is that? being an essential aminoacidic for their wellbeing.
Hi Carolina, there’s two ways I can answer that. Taurine like you say is essential in a feline diet, which is why you see it added as a supplement in many cat foods. The foods where it isn’t listed on the ingredients should mean taurine is catered for with one of the other ingredients, namely animal ingredients. When you look at the ingredients of many pet foods, many of the nutrients listed at the end of the list would naturally be sourced by an animal in the wild from their prey. Therein lies somewhat of a truth about pet food, how it can be made mostly of grain but still meet the nutritional requirements (as we currently understand) for a carnivorous cat.
Hi. My girl has just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. She’s almost 17 and has just lost a little weight but isn’t eating excessively. I’m getting her on more raw foods excluding fish as that is high in iodine. (She loves prawns so maybe as a treat).
But I’d like to know which Aussie dry food is best for her that is low in carbs and is also grain free. Any ideas?
Thank you, Veronica.
Hi Veronica, I’d recommend avoiding dry as much as possible, but in terms of Australian brands the lowest carbohydrate grain free food is Healthy Everyday Pets, but also have a look at Orijen. Raw or wet is still the better option though, so keep that up as much as possible.
Thank you so much for all the information! This website is like my bible when I choose food for my cats. Just wondering if you could review Kirkland signature cat food when you have a chance? I’ve seen good reviews about it and I’m curious about your opinions!
Hi Hazel, here you go – Kirkland Signature!
Can’t help but think this is sponsored as all the top dry cat food is available from Pet Circle. If like to know what supermarket brands are quality as I don’t have a Pet Circle store near me.
Hi Dani, I think it’s more that Pet Circle have a focus on better brands, and I know they use this website to decide what to stock. A lot of these brands are available at many retailers, so you should find some at your local pet store.
If my budget is between $1 and $1.50 per 100g, which is the best dry food I can get for my cats?
Hi Jess, have a read of this page as it covers feeding strategies on a budget. In terms of dry foods, Applaws seems to be a safe bet for a decent price, or Taste of the Wild as a good reliable brand for a little bit more per kilo. You can always mix and match cat foods, and it’s well worth adding more wet foods into the diet – tins, BARF, or fresh meats/organs/bones which are cost effective.
Thanks for putting together these reviews and the other info on your site.
Time for me to try to get my cats on healthier options again.
One has hairball problems which cause her to vomit a lot, the other is overweight and also scratches her face and ears until bloody. No idea if it’s food related, vets can’t figure it out after spending thousands on tests and novel diets, but at least with a healthier food she might lose some weight. Oh and she also won’t eat real meat, never been able to get her to eat raw chicken or bones.
Would you recommend any particular brands for these two cats with issues?
Cats are imprint feeders, so if they’ve never had a food before they won’t recognise it as actual food to eat. You just need to keep at it, add it together with the other food, in small amounts of course to start.
It’s been known to take anywhere from a month to a few months and very rarely years.
Don’t get discouraged by that time frame though, sometimes it happens much sooner.
Thanks Edanna, I just need to be persistent I think, you’re right.
Hi Gavin, first step would be assess the food you’re currently feeding as this may give some ideas on what’s potentially causing the issues. The scratching can well be diet related, particularly if the food you’re feeding contains grains (especially wheat or cereals). It can also be additives such as colourings or antioxidants, and sometimes specific meats (such as chicken, lamb, beef). Hairball issues are multifactorial, but omega fatty acids in a food can help (stuff like salmon oil, flaxseed etc) – these can be found in most decent cat foods.
I can’t vouch for this product as have little info on it, but Vetalogica offer these hairball treats which have a range of ingredients beneficial for hairball control. From a quick assessment of the main ingredients they look to be one part meat to three parts potato/peas/tapioca, so keep the treats suitably limited as a supplement rather than feeding lots of them. Or even just add sardines in spring water to their diet and give a regular brush.
As for your cat refusing to eat raw meat – firstly, cats can be fussy and confused by new foodstuffs, so it sometimes takes time, effort, and mixing with the old food. It’s frustrating with cats at times. Maybe try Ziwipeak, Meow, or Raw Meow as dried raw – mix with the old food to start.
Thanks for replying. The scratching is so hard to get to the bottom of. Like I said we did try novel diets, scans, blood tests, biopsies and even vet dermatologists.
I actually do have those hairball treats, I will try giving them to her a bit more regularly. I think the pack says 8 max per day.
Thanks for the tips on the raw food. Will try that 🙂
Hi Gavin, I also have an itchy cat, did the raw food help? Thanks, Lea
What about wet food for our elderly cats with few teeth? Which product is best for them?
Hi Karen, most of the better-rated brands have corresponding wet foods which are equally as good if not better. Generally wet has better ingredients than dry, with another benefit being they don’t undergo the same heating process. Wet obviously contains more moisture which is an essential for cats (they’re not big drinkers). Worth noting whether dry or wet they’re all “products”.
To skirt on dental health though – neither wet nor dry do much for dental health, and unfortunately most cats begin to suffer periodontal disease from a young age. Often it goes unnoticed and undiagnosed, and as our cat’s can’t speak they can’t verbalise any dental pain. I’m a big advocate for raw meaty bones in this respect, or if not raw then at least some of the freeze-dried treats available like chicken necks. The chewing/gnawing action keeps teeth in better shape, so consider that too if you haven’t already.
Wasn’t Orijen recalled for a toxicity related to irradiation of the food prior to export to Australia? And the company stated it wouldn’t supply Australia anymore?
And a friend of mine changed to Ziwi Peak- her cats immediately developed severe diarrhoea!
I’m not sure that I trust your reviews
Hi Kate, what you’re speaking of was an issue with Australian quarantine regulations not Orijen par se. Once the toxicity was correlated with irradiated cat foods irradiation was subsequently banned and made illegal in terms of cat food. This was in 2009. Unfortunately it was never banned for dog food and numerous dog food products (particularly imported treats such as jerky or rawhide) are still irradiated to this day. We have been campaigning to ban the irradiation of all pet food products and addressed it with the Senate during an inquiry into pet food in 2018. This is also the standpoint of RSPCA and has been for quite some time.
Orijen is a product sold worldwide and the irradiation issue is only a factor with Australian regulations not Orijen products, and you should be reassured that since 2009 it has been illegal to irradiate cat food products in Australia. We have more information on irradiation here.
As for your second point, it is common for cats (and dogs) to have diarrhoea when fed a new product. What many fail to realise is it often stems from the previous diet being fed for a long period without variety. It’s the same for us humans – if we eat the same food every day, then one day introduce something new, we will likely suffer ill effects. Obviously other factors may be at play such as the health of the cat, possible underlying conditions or food sensitivities, and yes the product itself can never be ignored as a potential issue.
The reviews on this website are written in the hope they offer insight into how cat foods are formulated vs how they’re marketed, with the end result (hopefully) being a consumer can make a better informed decision. My personal goal is to raise information from a pet nutritionist perspective who has had a fair amount of exposure to the pet food industry, but at the end of the day products are products and none will work perfectly in every case. But I think it’s fair to say standards of pet food are heading in the right direction, but still have a long way to go.
What about wet food? My cat is 15 and does not like dry food.
Hi Narelle, I’ve added a paragraph at the top of the page as wet/fresh foods are important for a cat’s diet. Most dry foods on the list have corresponding wet foods which are well worth considering, especially as cats are far more dependent on moisture being provided in their diet.
The reason there aren’t any wet foods reviewed on this website is I’ve sadly never got around to writing them, hence why most reviews are dry foods.
Great article, perhaps, but most of those foods are only available where I live by ordering online, which makes them horribly expensive, particularly if they come from the US. Why not a list of freely available cat foods, unless the rest are not up to scratch?
I’ve noticed when asked about doing wet food reviews, that you’ve said that most dry foods have corresponding wet foods.
However you’ve also educated people on multiple occasions of the benefits of a balanced raw diet. I don’t in anyway want this to sound rude but may I ask, why you review dry food at all? Excluding freeze dried types, it’s my understanding that there is no such thing as good kibble.
Hi Cassandra, the main reason is most people feed dry food. Usually when people buy a dog for the first time it’s dry food which is the go to choice.
Balanced raw takes a lot of understanding which the average consumer doesn’t have, but I hope with the reviews on this website they start pointing people in the right direction or at least plant a seed.
There’s a vast difference in quality with kibble, and I believe many dogs can benefit even if a slightly better kibble is fed. Hopefully these reviews deter people away from some of the worst kibbles in Australia, of which there are sadly many.
Hello and thanks for your research. Out of all of the above best cat food brands you recommended, which works out to be the most affordable. Also since having surgery in 2019 and then pumped with antibiotics, one of my cats is sniffly, prone to ear infections and has a sensitive stomach.she was a hardy ex stray before her surgery i have been trying to improve her gut microbiome. Any suggestions?
Hi Caroline, I’m thinking of doing a separate list for more readily available products which will also be cheaper. Watch this space!