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Searching for a new cat food? With so many pet food companies, brands, and product lines out there, it’s hard to know which one to pick. Lots of factors go into choosing the best diet for your cat, such as their life stage, heath conditions, your lifestyle, and cost. Only you and your veterinarian can make that final decision. This article will help you start your search and prepare for that conversation with your vet.
I make cat food recommendations for my patients based on a few key principles:
Cats need a complete and balanced diet that helps them thrive.
Cat food must adhere to the latest scientific and medical research.
Your feeding plan must be practical to apply consistently at home.
I hope to help you answer some important questions, such as:
What products are available for different types of diets?
What are the advantages of certain cat foods?
What are the best types of cat foods in each category?
How do different cat food types compare in cost?
How common is it to feed certain types of diets?
When should I consider a specialty diet choice?
There are a total of 12 different diet categories that we’ll cover. You’ll also find “cost per day” estimates that provide general averages and guidelines. Feeding amounts will vary based on the food’s calorie content, your cat’s weight, and your goals. For more tips on how to figure out your cat’s calorie needs and tips on how much to feed your cat, refer to our Cat Calorie Calculator.
History of Cat Food
While cats have been highly regarded human companions since ancient Egypt, the modern history of pet food began in the 1800s. Cats were originally viewed as a source of pest control around homes and ships.
As humans developed from hunting and gathering to high-yield farming, they had to store more crops and grain. The stored food attracted an abundance of rodents, as well as snakes that hunted the rodents. Humans valued cats for their keen hunting skills that kept rodent and snake populations down. Those cats were likely fed some table scraps in an effort to foster feline loyalty to a certain household. This continued into the mid- to late-1800s while farming was the predominant way of life.
To find work during the Industrial Revolution, many families moved from rural farms to cities and brought their farm cats with them. People began feeding their cats food like bread, milk, and fish. They shared meat by-products like liver, tripe, lungs, and other butcher shop remnants.
While the first canned dog food became available in the 1920s, the first dried and canned cat food didn’t arrive until the 1930s, developed by Spratt’s. This food was advertised as “less messy” than preparing food at home. Then, with rationing of meat and diverting manufacturing toward the, canned pet foods actually disappeared for a time in the 1940s.
Dry biscuit type foods continued to be manufactured for cats and diets consisted of those, usually mixed with warm broth or milk, as well as fish.
During this time from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s, the feline diet became much more domesticated, but very inconsistent with lots of recommendations for what was best to feed them. Much of the meat sold on the street was rancid and of poor quality. We also now know that cats are largely lactose intolerant, making milk an inappropriate thing to feed regularly. Primarily fish-based diets are not appropriate either, lacking nutrients contained in game and red meat.
Inconsistent meat quality and cooking methods also contributed to high parasite risk, especially from tapeworms and coccidian parasites that can survive in muscle tissue. There is little historical information on feline health up until about the 1930s to 1950s, as there was little focus on feline medicine until that time. Nutritional-related illness was likely a poorly understood but common occurrence among other health risks like infections and injury.
When World War II ended, a great time of prosperity hit the western world. In the US, many families began to move out of cities to the suburbs. Pet food manufacture by companies that produced human foods increased greatly. Personal wealth became more of a thing for the average family, as did personal pet ownership. You could now go to a store to buy all of your food. Cats were still largely indoor-outdoor and hunting but their diet was now primarily provided at home.
We also see the makings of the first prescription pet food developed by Dr. Mark Morris Sr. though the Hill Packing Company (later known as Hill’s) to help dogs with kidney disease.
In the 1960s, a real revolution started. Purina developed the extrusion process, which is now the most common method of producing pet foods. This allowed for a very cost-effective and more convenient way to feed pets, leading to less feeding of leftovers and table scraps. Combating challenges of past decades with food spoilage and rancidity, shelf stable formulations of food became the name of the game.
The study of pet nutrition developed considerably for the next couple of decades. In the 1980s, the National Research Council (NRC) first published the nutritional needs of dogs and cats, updated in 2006. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) was first founded back in 1909, but used the published nutritional requirements to develop guidelines for pet food manufacture. These guidelines are adopted into law by states which govern pet food manufacture regulation.
With nutritional guidelines now available, pet food manufacture began to really take off. Advancements in the manufacturing process now allowed for more accurate tweaking of nutrient profiles to adapt to different life stages and nutritional needs. Hill’s developed a whole line of prescription-based canned and dry foods to target specific ailments. This time could be considered the “golden age” of the wet and dry commercial diet, which lasted for about the next 30 years.
In 2007 a major crisis developed in pet health where thousands of dogs and cats were developing unexplained kidney failure. This crisis was traced to pet foods contaminated with melamine, an industrial plastic type of material.
Menu Foods, a contract pet food manufacturer, issued recalls leading to removal of over 60 million containers of food from more than 100 brands. The company imported its wheat gluten from China. It turned out that in an effort to bolster the apparent protein content of wheat gluten, wheat flour spiked with melamine was used and shipped instead. This was then distributed by ChemNutra to be used in pet foods throughout the US. The crisis resulted in the deaths of an estimated 2000 cats and 2000 dogs.
Unexpected and unprecedented, the melamine crisis occurred around the same time as an already present growing distrust of wheat gluten in the human diet as well as the birth of social media, blogs, and forums. A great shared distrust of commercial pet foods developed as well as suspicion for the long lists of ingredients on the labels that people didn’t understand.
Pet food companies quickly began to develop lines of grain-free diets as a way of separating themselves from the negative perceptions of wheat gluten. In 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed through the FDA to focus on preventing food borne illness instead of just responding to it.
With the advancement of social media where people can freely share and exchange information along with a trend the last 10-15 years of people looking more carefully at what they eat, pet owners began to look for alternative ways of feeding their pets. This led to investigating options other than traditional commercial diets like home-cooked diets, raw diets, and fresh/frozen home delivery diets.
Now, with the further development of the human animal bond, a boom in pet ownership following COVID, and the pet food industry as a whole projected to grow by almost 50 billion dollars in the next 6 years, it’s not hard to see why so many pet food options exist.
This history provides some background for how and why different types of diet options exist. Now, let’s look at characteristics for these different types of food as well as benefits and detractors.
1. Dry Food
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What we call “dry food” goes back to the early biscuits developed by Spratt’s back in the 1800s eventually evolving into kibble made through the extrusion process developed by Purina in the 1960s.
How It’s Made
Dry food may be manufactured largely through the extrusion process or through baking. In the extrusion process, wet and dry ingredients are mixed together to form a dough. The dough is then exposed to high heat and pressure while it gets cut into the small kibble shapes.
The kibbles are then cooled, oven-dried, and sprayed with a coating containing flavors and preservatives to prevent spoilage.
Due to the high heat and pressure, some vitamin and mineral content will be lost during the extrusion process. To account for the losses, vitamin and mineral “pre-mixes” are made and added to ensure that the final product meets the food label requirements.
Advantages
Dry food has advantages from a standpoint of convenience, cost, and nutrition versatility:
Long shelf-life: dry foods can remain shelf-stable for many months, even after being opened.
Versatile nutrition: allows for many options for different life stages and health conditions.
Convenience: an easier option for multiple cat situations (including households, colonies, shelters, etc.)
Cost-effective: more so based on price per weight and feeding amounts required.
Consistency: by and large, the same brand formulation of dry food will be the same from one bag to the next.
Variety: although there are a lot of dry food options, it can be a plus for very picky cats to have choices and allows for easily rotating diets.
Sustainability: although byproducts like bone meal and chicken byproduct meal are unappealing to many on the ingredients list, using these items that have high nutritional value is more sustainable to achieve nutrition goals than using only whole meat products where these animal byproducts are otherwise discarded and wasted.
Disadvantages
Synthetic vitamins and minerals: because the extrusion process affects whole vitamin and mineral content, synthetic vitamins and minerals must be added. There are some who feel that synthetic vitamins and minerals can have health consequences in the body compared to whole vitamins and minerals.
Additives: dry foods are considered highly processed, meaning they go through considerable change from whole food ingredients to become a kibble. Some experts feel that while safe individually, the combination of food additives required in processed foods may contribute to some health conditions.
Rapid digestion: highly processed foods are very rapidly digested, requiring less energy expenditure by the body. When fewer calories are burned during digestion, this can lead to weight gain.
High starch content: starch is required as a part of the extrusion process. Some starches are digested very rapidly, which can lead to blood sugar spikes. Some theorize this could contribute to both feline obesity and diabetes.
Diet Selection Variety: it is largely in dry foods that so many different diet choices exist, which can be overwhelming for some cat parents.
When To Consider Dry Food
If you’re trying to consider what type of food to feed, here are some reasons why dry food might be a choice to consider:
Being on a budget
Having multiple cats in the home
Working with a cat colony, rescue, or shelter where cost and shelf life are crucial.
A need to cater your cat’s diet to a specific health issue (sensitive stomach, hairballs, high fiber, etc.)
How Many People Feed Dry Cat Food?
Dry cat food accounts for about 30.8% of the pet food market distribution. This means that about 30% of cat owners feed dry food to their cats. This statistic does not exclude owners also feeding another type of food at the same time.
Cost
Keep in mind for dry food, at least as compared to wet food, that you will typically feed less volume based on weight compared to a wet food, also reducing cost.
Dry cat food average cost per pound: $4.67
Estimated cost per day (based on an estimated ½ cup (4oz or ¼ pound) per day for a cat weighing 10lb and eating a food containing 400 kcal per cup): $1.18
2. Wet Food
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Wet cat food can be considered either food sold in cans, trays, or pouches. Wet food as an option also goes back to the 1930s with Spratt’s early canned food.
How It’s Made
Wet food is essentially cooked within the can, tray, or pouch. The main ingredients and byproducts are shipped to a factory in either a fresh or frozen state.
The ingredients may be chopped up and added to a recipe mix directly or minced into very fine pieces and mixed with a dry ingredient to form a ribbon that is then diced into pieces of different sizes or shapes.
Other ingredients are added, like fats, oils, vitamins, minerals, grains, or vegetables. Water is also added prior to cooking. Some foods may also have thickening agents and flavors added to form a gravy or jelly depending on the variety (such as a chunks in gravy style vs. a paté).
Once the ingredients are all mixed, they enter the can, tray, or pouch and are then cooked at a specified temperature and period of time to ensure its shelf life. After the packaging cools, it is labeled and stored for distribution.
Advantages
Wet cat foods have advantages from a standpoint of their high moisture content, palatability, and nutrition versatility:
Long shelf-life: canned foods can remain shelf-stable for months or even years.
High moisture content: wet foods are an important source of hydration for cats.
Consistency: by and large, the same brand formulation of canned food will be the same from one package to the next.
Variety: although there are a lot of wet food options, it can be a plus for very picky cats to have choices and allows for easily rotating diets.
Sustainability: although byproducts like bone meal and chicken byproduct meal are unappealing to many on the ingredients list, using these items that have high nutritional value is more sustainable to achieve nutrition goals than using only whole meat products where these animal byproducts are otherwise discarded and wasted.
Palatability: at least compared to dry food, many cats may prefer the texture and aroma of wet food. Cats that are having trouble eating are more likely to respond to the released aromas of warmed up wet food.
Fewer preservatives: because wet food is cooked within a sealed container, it is less common to add preservatives to wet foods compared to dry foods.
Product lines: canned foods often have what are called “product lines” which provide perhaps 3-4 different varieties of protein sources or flavors within the same packaged formulation of canned food. This can make diet rotation easy.
Disadvantages
Synthetic vitamins and minerals: because the cooking process can affect whole vitamin and mineral content, synthetic vitamins and minerals must be added. There are some who feel that synthetic vitamins and minerals can have health consequences in the body compared to whole vitamins and minerals.
Additives: some experts feel that while safe individually, the combination of food additives required in foods may contribute to some health conditions.
Diet Selection Variety: while perhaps less compared to dry foods, there are still a lot of different canned foods and flavor varieties, which can be overwhelming for cat parents.
They dry out: You’ll notice when putting wet food out for your cat, that it simply doesn’t keep well for more than a few hours if they don’t finish it right away. Many cats are averse to eating dried-out wet food hours later and you’ll have to put new food out.
When To Feed Wet Food
If you’re trying to consider what type of food to feed, here are some reasons why wet food might be a choice to consider:
You like short rotation and variety: the availability of both product lines and the ability to purchase single cans of different flavors makes daily diet rotation easier than having to commit to multiple dry food bags at the same time, or feeding the same dry food for several weeks.
You need to stimulate your cat’s appetite: compared to dry foods, wet foods are often a better choice to entice a cat with a poor appetite.
A need to cater your cat’s diet to a specific health issue: (sensitive stomach, hairballs, high fiber, etc.)
Your cat needs better hydration: with at least 70% water content or more, wet foods are a significant source of hydration for cats, who are not known to be big drinkers. Higher hydration is especially important for cats with urinary tract conditions.
Your cat has diabetes: compared to dry food, wet food leads to significantly lower increases in blood sugar after eating and is much lower in starch and other carbohydrates. Prescription diets for diabetes are ideal, but especially in financial situations, many veterinarians will advise converting to a largely wet food diet for diabetic (or prediabetic) cats.
When Not To Feed Wet Cat Food
The biggest disadvantage to this form is that once fed, the food will start to dry out after about an hour. This makes feeding wet foods less ideal for cats that are grazers and snackers versus cats who are getting meal-fed.
How Many People Feed Wet Cat Food?
Wet cat food accounts for about 54.19% of the pet food market distribution. This means that about 54% of cat owners feed wet food to their cats. This statistic does not exclude owners also feeding another type of food at the same time.
Cost
Keep in mind for dry food, at least as compared to wet food, that you will typically feed more volume based on weight compared to a dry food.
Wet cat food average cost per ounce: $0.89
Estimated Cost per Day:
3oz. can (estimated 2 cans per day for a cat weighing 10lb and eating food containing 100 kcal per can): $5.34
5.5oz. can (based on an estimated 1.5 cans per day for a for a cat weighing 10lb and eating a food containing 150 kcal per can): $7.34
3. Kitten Food
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Kitten food is specifically formulated for young growing cats and is appropriate to feed up until about one year of age (longer for larger breed cats like Maine Coons). Kitten food is also the most appropriate food to feed pregnant or nursing queens to provide them with the extra energy and minerals they need to support growing or nursing kittens.
Kitten food does have very specific nutritional requirements, which are included in the National Research Council nutritional guidelines as well as the AAFCO guidelines.
All life stages foods, which may be found in both dry and wet versions, are designed to meet the minimum requirements for kittens. In many cases for nutrients there are no maximum limitations in the nutritional guidelines.
If your cat needs to have certain restrictions in particular nutrients (like calcium and phosphorus for example which will be higher in diets for growing animals for their bone development), you should keep a close eye on choosing an all life stages diet compared to a diet made only for your cat’s life stage or nutritional needs (more details in all life stages diets to follow).
What Nutrients are Different in Kitten Food?
Here are some specific nutrients that will be higher in kitten food for their growth and development, compared to a diet formulated for adult cats:
Protein: all cats need higher protein in their diet compared to dogs (or us) but kittens require even higher amounts than adult cats.
Essential Amino Acids: these include arginine, lysine, and methionine, which can be found in the right types of protein.
Fat: kittens need essential fatty acids for growth and development.
Calcium and Phosphorus: these minerals are needed in higher amounts for development of their bones and teeth.
DHA: DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid needed for brain and vision development which may be additionally supplemented in kitten diets.
Vitamins and minerals: kittens need higher amounts of magnesium, copper, iodine, and vitamin A compared to adult cats.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Kitten wet and dry foods can have the same advantages and disadvantages and adult wet and dry foods. But because kitten food is meeting specific nutritional requirements for kittens (and pregnant/nursing queens) the choices lie more in what version of kitten food you want to feed instead of whether or not to feed kitten food.
One advantage of wet kitten food is that it is going to be much more practical for newly weaned kittens who are transitioning off of a milk diet. Kitten milk replacer can be mixed in with wet food to make it more watery for very young kittens so that they can lap it up.
A disadvantage of kitten dry food is that it will be harder for kittens to eat until they have their teeth in by 8 weeks of age. The kibble sizes are typically smaller but still need to be crunched.
How Many People Feed Kitten Food?
Because there are different forms of kitten food, we’ve broken the market share down into each category. Keep in mind that since kittens represent a considerably smaller proportion of the overall cat population, these stats cannot be immediately compared to those for adult cats.
This means about 3% of people feed dry kitten food.
This means about 3% of people feed wet kitten food.
Statistics show that people generally feed wet and dry food to their kittens equally.
Freeze-dried kitten food: 0.06%
When To Feed a Kitten Food
All kittens should be fed a diet formulated to meet the nutritional needs of a kitten. The same goes for pregnant or nursing queens. Feeding cats in these nutritional stages an adult maintenance diet (or senior diet) would be nutritionally inappropriate.
When Not To Feed a Kitten Food
The nutritional make-up of a kitten food may be inappropriate for cats once they reach their early adult years. While they may really love their kitten food, this is a diet transition that needs to happen. All life stages diets have some unique considerations that will be discussed a little later on.
Cost
Keep in mind that we are looking at both wet, dry, and freeze-dried options for kitten food. For dry food, at least as compared to wet food, you will typically feed more volume based on weight compared to a dry food.
Dry kitten food: $5.06 per pound
Wet kitten food: $1.31 per ounce
Freeze-dried kitten food: $2.81 per ounce
Estimated Cost per Day:
For these estimates, we are assuming a median kitten weight of about 5lb. Naturally, some kittens will be younger and weigh less while others may weigh more. Weight differences can be present within litters too. Kittens also have a higher energy requirement of about 2x that of an adult cat (for a 5 lb kitten, about 250 kcal per day) and the median kitten food calorie content is closer to 450 kcal/cup for dry food and 100 kcal/3oz. can and 150 kcal/5.5oz. Can.
Dry food: For kittens, this on average still comes out to about 1⁄2 cup per day for a 5 lb kitten. This equates to about $1.27 per day.
3oz. can (estimated 2.5 cans per day for a kitten weighing 5lb and eating food containing 100 kcal per can): $9.83 per day.
5.5oz. can (based on an estimated 1.5 cans per day for a for a cat weighing 10lb and eating a food containing 150 kcal per can): $7.20 per day.
4. Senior Cat Food
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The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) considers a cat a senior at the age of 10. However in general because cats can age differently, the transition to senior years may occur somewhere in the 7-10 year range.
Feeding senior cats is tricky. Unlike growing kittens and young to middle-aged adult cats, there are no specific feeding guidelines provided by the NRC or AAFCO for senior cats. This does mean that there can be a great variety of differences in the nutrient makeup of senior cat foods.
In general, senior cat foods will follow the minimum nutritional requirements for adult cats with some extra things added in to assist with some age-related conditions (such as glucosamine for joint health and antioxidants for immune support).
In my own philosophy, we need to feed senior cats less as a group and more as individuals based on their needs and health conditions. A healthy senior cat that is 8 years old may have no different nutritional requirements compared to two years prior at the age of 6. But a 12 year old cat with stage II kidney disease will have very different nutritional requirements as a senior.
Energy requirements for older cats vary too. Many healthy cats in early senior years (7-10 years of age) can likely be fed the same amounts and proportions as a healthy adult cat. After 10 years of age this can change with an increase in energy requirements by about 10-20%.
Senior cats can experience a reduction in digestive capabilities especially towards protein and fats, which they need more of as they age. But keep in mind that these guidelines may be different for cats with health conditions like kidney disease (where high levels of dietary protein can be damaging to the kidneys).
To feed a senior cat properly it is important to have as accurate a picture of health as possible by working with your veterinarian.
Here are some health conditions that may affect the dietary needs of a particular senior cat:
Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Osteoarthritis (OA)
Hyperthyroidism
Obesity
Heart disease (like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or HCM)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Because of the need to cater a senior diet to health needs, I don’t necessarily recommend changing your cat’s diet just because they turned the corner at their 7th birthday. Prescription diets are more commonly fed to senior cats to help meet their specific needs for health conditions.
Ingredients Often Added to Senior Cat Foods
While this is not a list universal to all senior cat foods, many of these nutritional additions are common to see.
Glucosamine and/or chondroitin
Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids
Added vitamins and minerals (especially B vitamins)
Added taurine
Prebiotics and probiotics
Digestive enzymes
Herbs of various types (for a host of different purported benefits)
When To Feed a Senior Cat Food
Changing to a senior cat food may be something to consider if the diet you’re looking at helps to cover a specific health need for your cat. For example, a diet might be supplemented with glucosamine for joint health or extra omega-3 fatty acids for joints, skin and coat, and immune health.
When Not To Feed a Senior Cat Food
If your senior cat has been doing well on their current adult maintenance diet and there are no particular health conditions to be addressed, changing to a branded senior diet is not necessary. Remember to feed your senior cat as an individual, based on their unique nutritional needs.
How Many People Feed Senior Cat Food
Because there are different forms of senior food, we’ve broken the market share down into each category. Keep in mind that senior cats represent a smaller proportion of the overall cat population, so these stats cannot be immediately compared to those for adult cats.
Dry senior cat food: 0.73%
Wet senior cat food: 0.31%
But since these percentages are very small, this does suggest that many cat parents feed their senior cats diets other than just a senior-specific food. This might include an adult food or a prescription food.
Cost
Remember that for dry food, at least as compared to wet food, you will typically feed more volume based on weight compared to a dry food when looking at cost.
Dry senior cat food: $6.58 per pound
Wet senior cat food: $0.51 per ounce
Estimated Cost per Day:
For these estimates, we are still assuming a median weight of about 10lb. Naturally, some senior cats will weigh more and some will weigh less. We will also assume for these estimates that senior cats have about a 20% increased energy need (or about 240 kcals per day, though remember this is not the case for all). Generally, the calorie range for senior cat foods are similar to adult maintenance foods (400 kcal per cup for dry foods and 100-150 kcals for 3-5.5oz canned foods)
Based on an estimated ½ cup (4oz or ¼ pound) per day for a cat weighing 10lb and eating a food containing 400kcal per cup): $1.65
3oz. can (estimated 2.5 cans per day for a cat weighing 10lb and eating food containing 100 kcal per can): $3.83
5.5oz. can (based on an estimated 1.6 cans per day for a for a cat weighing 10lb and eating a food containing 150 kcal per can): $4.50
5. Prescription Diets
Prescription diets are made for treating specific medical conditions, like urinary tract disease. Yaya Photos / Shutterstock.com
Prescription foods are going to be specifically formulated for a particular health condition that a cat has. A veterinarian may advise feeding a prescription diet when certain nutrients must be guaranteed to be in the right proportions.
Unlike over-the-counter diets used for certain conditions like hairballs, digestion, or urinary tract health, prescription diets are required to meet certain label requirements so that they can be used to actually treat health conditions.
Similar over-the-counter versions may use language on their packaging like “used to support X condition” or “helps promote healthy X”, but they cannot legally state that they can be used to treat a diagnosable health condition.
One reason is that for the most part, nutrient requirements used to formulate cat foods are designed to meet minimum nutrient needs but there is no maximum restriction.
An example includes diets for kidney disease, where a maximum phosphorus content must be restricted and you’ll typically find the levels much less than 1% on a dry matter basis, usually around 0.5%-0.7%. While hotly debated (and I argue for phosphorus levels to be more tightly controlled in cat foods) you may not even see the percentage of phosphorus in your cat’s regular diet, because this is not a labeling requirement.
If your vet is trying to restrict phosphorus in your cat’s diet because of kidney disease, it will be extremely difficult to make a diet recommendation without recommending a prescription diet.
Diets formulated to dissolve or prevent the occurrence of certain bladder stones are another example. These diets are formulated to keep urine at a specific more neutral pH and to be restricted in certain mineral content. While there may be over the counter urinary tract health diets, they do not have to meet the strict label requirements of a prescription diet.
Prescription diets may be formulated in a special way at a commercial production facility. For example, hydrolyzed protein diets and novel protein diets designed to treat skin and dietary allergies must have a dedicated line in the production facility that cannot be used for other diets. This is to prevent contamination with potentially allergenic protein components found in other diets.
Following is a list of common health conditions where specific prescription diets may be advised by a veterinarian.
Obesity
Dissolving/preventing urinary tract stones
Diabetes
Skin allergies
Inflammatory bowel disease
Kidney disease
Constipation
Hyperthyroidism
And here is a list of prescription diet types that may be used for one or more health conditions.
Urinary care (with an index to dissolve struvite stones and prevent struvite and oxalate stones)
Diabetic management diet
High fiber diet
Hydrolyzed protein diet
Novel protein diet
Kidney/renal care diet
Gastrointestinal support diet
Weight management/weight loss
Thyroid care diet
Dental health diet
When To Feed a Prescription Diet
A prescription diet is going to be prescribed by a veterinarian for a particular health condition your cat has been diagnosed with. Usually, this will come as a result from a veterinary exam or a communication to discuss testing results.
Because many have unique nutritional modifications not appropriate for all cats, prescription diets require veterinarian authorization to purchase. If you think a prescription diet might be appropriate for your cat, you’ll need to check with your vet first.
When Not To Feed a Prescription Diet
In many cases, because the nutrient profile is altered for a cat with specific nutritional needs, prescription diets may not be appropriate to feed other cats in the home. Examples include diets for kidney disease, diabetes, and thyroid disease.
Some diets may be fed to other cats in the home too, since there are no known general disadvantages. This can include a urinary care diet, novel protein diet, and hydrolyzed protein diet. Always make sure to check with your vet to make sure a prescription diet is okay to share with other cats in those multi-cat feeding situations.
You should not feed a prescription diet unless there is some certainty of a diagnosed health condition through consultation with your veterinary care provider.
How Many People Feed Prescription Diets?
There are both dry and wet versions for most prescription diets. Keep in mind that while there are many different types of prescription diets, these statistics put them all in one category. Many cat parents feeding a prescription diet to their cat may also be feeding both dry and wet versions. Here is the percent market distribution for each:
Dry prescription cat food: 1.55%
Wet prescription cat food: 0.96%
Average Cost
Because of their specialized formulation (sometimes requiring a dedicated line in a production facility) prescription diets are much more expensive than over-the-counter diets. Keep in mind that pricing can vary depending on the diet type and so can calorie content. All these statistics should only be used as a general guide.
Prescription dry cat food: $8.28 per pound
Prescription wet cat food: $0.62 per ounce
Estimated Cost per Day
For these estimates, we are still assuming a median cat weight of about 10lb. Naturally, some cats will weigh more and some will weigh less. We also assume for these estimates that cats on a prescription diet have similar calorie needs to a healthy adult cat of about 200 kcal per day (though remember this is not the case for all). Generally, the calorie range for prescription cat foods is similar to adult maintenance foods (400 kcal per cup for dry foods and 100-150 kcals for 3-5.5oz. canned foods)
Based on an estimated ½ cup (4oz or ¼ pound) per day for a cat weighing 10lb and eating a food containing 400 kcal per cup): $4.14
3oz. can (estimated 2.0 cans per day for a cat weighing 10lb and eating food containing 100 kcal per can): $3.72
5.5oz. can (based on an estimated 1.5 cans per day for a for a cat weighing 10lb and eating a food containing 150 kcal per can): $5.03
6. All Life Stages Diets
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All life stages diets are essentially intended to be fed to a cat at every stage of life, including growth (as well as reproduction/lactation), adult maintenance, and senior years.
But there are some caveats to this to be aware of. On the surface, an all life stages diet seems very simple. After all, it implies you can just continue to feed the same food for your cat’s entire life. So easy!
However, the true definition of an all life stages diet is one that meets the minimum nutrient requirements in the AAFCO guidelines for all life stages. But as mentioned in the senior cat food section, there are only two real life stages recognized as far as AAFCO nutrient profiles go, which are growth/reproduction and adult maintenance.
Because nutrient requirements can vary so much for senior cats, you can’t develop a single list of nutrient requirements for all senior cats. This means that diets developed for senior pets can vary quite a lot in their nutrient profiles.
AAFCO nutrient profiles (which are based on the NRC guidelines) are intended to prevent nutrient deficiencies. If you look at the AAFCO nutrient profiles for cats (from the link, scroll a little more than halfway down to find the cat profiles) you’ll notice that there are many minimum nutrient values set, but very few maximum values.
When nutrient requirements for dogs and cats were first researched and published in the 1980s, nutrient deficiencies were of paramount concern. It hasn’t been until the last couple years that concern has developed over maximum nutrient amounts for certain nutrients.
And this is where an all life stages diet can be an issue. For some nutrients, the requirements for growing kittens can be much higher than what is required for adult cats (or senior cats). But because there are no maximums set for most nutrients, commercial diets can call a diet an “all life stages” diet as long as it meets those minimums.
But does that mean adult or senior cats might be getting more of certain nutrients than they need? It’s absolutely possible because a particular food’s formulation may vary considerably from company to company depending on how far over the minimum requirement they are including certain nutrients.
Phosphorus is an excellent example. Studies within the last few years have started to make connections between higher phosphorus levels in cat food and a higher risk for cats developing kidney disease.
You’ll notice from the AAFCO profiles that the minimum level of phosphorus (based on calorie content, not dry matter) to be included in cat foods for kittens is 2g/1000 kilocalories of metabolizable energy (kcal/ME). The minimum for adult cats is 1.25g/1000kcalME.
Recent studies have suggested (which you can read about more in our Phosphorus in Cat Foods article) that safe levels of phosphorus in cat foods should be less than 3.6g/1000 kcal/ME. A number of diets have been found to exceed these levels in studies.
There are other factors that come into play too, but the point is, an all life stages diet that needs to meet the higher requirement for growing kittens may be more likely to exceed the 3.6g/1000kcalME compared to an adult maintenance food. Phosphorus content is not found on many pet food labels and currently there is little way to know or figure out levels until pet food labeling becomes more transparent (something AAFCO has been lobbying for).
When To Feed an All Life Stages Cat Food
The only reason I have found where an all life stages diet is favored is in situations where you don’t want to transition from a kitten food to an adult food. Perhaps your kitty is really picky or diet changes of any kind really upset their digestion. All life stages diets can help to eliminate the need to change from a kitten food to an adult food.
But because of the higher level of nutrients that may be present which would be unnecessary for an adult cat, I don’t personally feel that these are appropriate for all cats. I prefer to feed foods dedicated to individual life stages.
When Not To Feed an All Life Stages Cat Food
I would always be very precautious about feeding an all life stages cat food as a cat reaches senior years and make sure to track health carefully with your vet twice a year. Especially if phosphorus or protein levels are high, this may be a nutrition concern for some senior cats.
How Many People Feed All Life Stages Cat Food?
We don’t have data specifically. It’s hard to determine this, as all life stages diets can be in commercial dry and wet forms and may be classified under both kitten foods as well as adult foods.
Estimated Cost
There is no specific data, but all life stages diet cost is likely comparable to adult maintenance foods. Because they most often come in commercial dry or wet forms, refer to those sections in this article for estimated costs.
7. Raw Cat Food
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
A raw diet can be simply defined as one that is not cooked. Beyond that, raw diets may be prepared in a couple of ways, including “fresh” raw meat, frozen, and freeze-dried.
There is a difference between raw food prepared at home and raw commercial diets. Some of those differences will be highlighted more in the freeze-dried and homemade diets sections.
There is no doubt that raw diets for pets are increasing in popularity. As of 2019, raw pet food sales were increasing by 15% annually with about 10% of cats fed some kind of raw meat.
Before we get into more details, I want to make it clear that I am not a complete and total hater of feeding a raw diet. However, I view raw diets the same way I view other diets as having certain advantages and disadvantages and I evaluate them based on our scientific evidence-based understanding of what they do (or don’t do).
Raw diets as pets are being fed today are not more natural or closer to an “ancestral” diet which is one of the most appealing marketing approaches for this diet class. For cats, an ancestral raw diet would be composed of several small rodents a day. But feeding several small rodents a day is completely impractical.
Unlike pet snakes, cats would have little interest in eating thawed frozen mice. Unleashing 6-10 live mice into your home everyday would be some degree of chaos, a poor likelihood your cat would catch and ingest all of them, and would introduce multiple disease risks into the home.
Ancestors of our house cats might also have caught and eaten lizards, small insects, and the occasional small songbird. But a whole chicken, turkey, beef, or even fish, as found in raw diets, is not what small cats were hunting thousands of years ago.
I wondered myself at one point if raw diets might be superior for pets until I read an excerpt from a book written by Dr. Ernest Ward (founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention). He points out that there is a huge difference between a carnivore hunting, catching, and killing live game compared to feeding a cat or dog processed raw food.
And yes, raw food goes through processing, which simply means the food is altered from its natural state. At multiple points with meat processing, there is a change to the nutrition profile of the meat and a higher risk for bacterial contamination compared to when the food animal first died. Even if you purchase meat directly from a butcher, the meat has been handled and refrigerated.
At the grocery store, raw meat has gone through a slaughterhouse, meat processing facility, refrigeration, packaging, transport, and then sits on a shelf. At every step it is handled multiple times. Raw meat from the store is not intended for raw consumption by either humans or pets.
When a carnivore in the wild catches and kills prey and starts eating it immediately, this freshly caught game carries little risk of bacterial contamination because bacteria has no chance to grow on the meat before it gets consumed. In the wild, animals adapted for eating carrion ingest the leftovers.
This concept of the difference between fresh game and raw meat we purchase in a commercial setting revealed to me at least, that raw diets are not superior. They are simply another diet choice that folks can choose that requires an assessment of advantages and disadvantages just like any other diet choice.
And with that in mind, here are some proposed advantages and disadvantages of raw diets.
Advantages
Advantages for raw diets of any form are not proven. This means that there are no peer-reviewed studies looking at raw diets for pets and concluding that certain benefits are present. This was supported in my own experience during a continuing education event I attended with a representative of Primal Pet Foods in 2020, where it was openly shared that there was no peer reviewed research available to support claims. The only “data” for benefits was anecdotal and based on personal feedback from individuals.
Veterinarians rely on both peer-reviewed research as well as anecdotal evidence for therapy approaches. So while there is no peer-reviewed research to support raw diet use, this does not mean that anecdotal evidence may not support use in individual cases.
With this in mind, here are some proposed advantages of raw diets for cats
Advantages
Healthier body condition
Higher energy level
Shinier coat
Cleaner teeth
Normal looking bowel movements
Smaller bowel movements
Fewer observations of digestive-related issues
Disadvantages
There are a number of disadvantages observed and even confirmed for raw diets both in the case of pets as well as the human family.
Bacterial contamination: There is a higher risk of bacterial contamination (both for pets and for humans handling food, especially by Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes).
Higher levels of phosphorus: This is especially the case for raw diets containing ground bone.
Gastrointestinal obstruction risk: Bone fragments in some diets present a risk
Nutritional imbalance (which has been documented in commercial diets by Tufts University Clinical Nutrition Service) and is a significant risk in diets prepared at home for cats.
Cost: Commercial raw diets tend to be more expensive.
Short shelf life: Some raw foods (fresh or frozen) have a much shorter shelf life than most commercial diets.
Need to reconstitute/rehydrate: Some forms of raw food may require rehydrating with raw goat’s milk or cow’s milk. As most cats are considered lactose intolerant, any health benefits would be overshadowed by digestive issues and bacterial contamination carried by raw milk alone.
Perceived versus true benefits: The specific benefits of a shinier coat and smaller less frequent bowel movements are criticized by some veterinarians to simply be the result of a higher fat content in the diet (which is not ideal for all cats) and a low amount of dietary fiber.
When To Consider a Raw Diet
A raw diet should only be considered on an individual basis. There is no concrete evidence (meaning peer-reviewed journal articles or studies) supporting their use for any particular life stage or health condition.
Anecdotally, raw diets have been considered for the following reasons:
Food allergies
Skin allergies derived from food sensitivity (called a cutaneous adverse food response or CAFR)
Overweight/obesity
The need for a higher protein, lower carbohydrate diet (obesity, diabetes mellitus)
It’s important to note that there are non-raw dietary options that can be used to address all of these conditions. For these reasons and because of a proven higher risk for bacterial contamination, many veterinarians are hesitant to support use of raw diets, at least beyond individual cases.
When Not To Consider a Raw Diet
There are some cases where a raw diet should be avoided, whether commercial or home-prepared. This can largely be based on the bacterial contamination risk.
Your cat has a compromised immune system (being treated for an immune disorder or is on an immunosuppressant medication).
Either you or a family member at home has a compromised immune system.
There are young children in the home who may handle (or ingest) your cat’s food.
Estimated Cost
There can be a lot of variability in cost for raw diets, since raw diet types can vary. Generally they can be more expensive to feed. The costs for freeze-dried cat food, one form of raw, will be covered in the next section.
8. Freeze-Dried Cat Food
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Freeze-dried cat food is one particular type of raw diet that goes through a special process to remove moisture from the food. This extends the food’s shelf life and palatability and makes a diet that is light-weight and easy to transport. This process is similar to the process used to create meals ready to eat (MREs) for the military or food developed for astronauts.
Freeze-dried products may include completely nutritionally balanced diets, treats, and toppers intended to be used alongside a complete diet. It’s always important to be aware of what type of freeze-dried product you’re using and whether it’s intended as a complete diet or not.
How It’s Made
To freeze-dry a food, the moisture is removed from the food through a process called sublimation. This changes the water content from a frozen state directly to a gas state, skipping the liquid phase entirely.
Raw ingredients are mixed with a vitamin/mineral mix or other supplements, then rapidly cooled in a blast freezer. The food is then placed in a freeze-dryer, where it is further cooled, then put through two drying phases to remove nearly all moisture.
Compared to other commercial frozen raw diets or gently cooked diets, freeze drying creates a light-weight and shelf-stable product.
Advantages
As a form of raw diet, freeze-dried foods would have some of the same advantages generally proposed that raw diets may have (listed above). There are some additional benefits unique to the freeze-drying process.
Highly shelf stable: freeze-dried foods can last for very long periods. In theory, freeze-dried foods could remain stable for up to 25 years.
Lightweight: even larger bags will be easier to lift, carry and store.
Highly palatable: if directly fed in the dehydrated form
Retained nutrients: Freeze-drying results in little nutrient loss, with a limited need to add additional ingredients.
Disadvantages
Similar to any category of raw diet, freeze-dried foods do have similar disadvantages. Contrary to some belief, bacterial contamination risk is still present in freeze-dried foods despite the freezing and low temperatures used though it may be lower compared to fresh or frozen raw meat. Salmonella specifically has been documented to survive the freezing process. Some companies may use high pressure pasteurization (HPP) as a way of lowering bacterial contamination risk without cooking.
Disadvantages specific to freeze-dried food include:
Lower moisture content: (about 2-5%) even commercial kibble is higher at about 10%.
Less palatable when rehydrated: diets requiring rehydration may have a less appealing consistency for some cats.
Variable moisture content: diets requiring rehydration will vary depending on amount of water a cat owner chooses to use.
Gastrointestinal obstruction risk: without rehydration, there is a risk for constipation, obstipation, or GI obstruction.
Cost: higher cost, given the more advanced process required to make it.
Potential added bacterial contaminant and digestibility risk: rehydrating with raw goat’s milk or cow’s milk may cause digestive issues (cats are generally lactose intolerant) and carry their own bacterial contamination risk.
Not all products are nutritionally balanced: there are many different freeze-dried products available and not all have fully balanced nutrition, which may not be clear to some consumers.
When To Feed Freeze-Dried Cat Food
The main considerations will follow the same as for raw diets, which should be considered on an individual basis. Freeze-dried food is certainly about as convenient as dry commercial food and has an even longer shelf-life. It also is very lightweight, which is easier compared to large bags of kibble or heavy packages of cans.
When Not To Feed Freeze-Dried Cat Food
Here are some reasons to heavily consider avoiding freeze-dried food, at least as a primary diet.
If your cat is at a higher risk of constipation or obstipation
If your cat benefits from a higher moisture food (possibly all cats, but especially those with urinary tract disease, kidney disease, or diabetes).
Senior cats are at higher risk for dehydration, constipation, and kidney disease, making low moisture foods more risky.
While risk may be lower, you should still avoid freeze-dried foods in households that have immunocompromised kitties or humans.
How Many People Feed Freeze-Dried Cat Food?
Freeze-dried cat food accounts for about 3.5% of the pet food market distribution. This means that about 3.5% of cat owners feed a freeze-dried food product to their cats. This statistic does not exclude owners also feeding another type of food at the same time.
Cost
Costs can be higher for freeze-dried products, as a lot of energy is required for the freeze-drying process. Keep in mind that not all freeze-dried products are balanced diets, so costs can also include treats, toppers, etc.
Freeze-dried cat food average cost per pound: $10.49
Freeze-dried cat food average cost per ounce: $3.07
Freeze-dried kitten food average cost per ounce: $2.81
Estimated Cost per Day:
The packaging for freeze-dried foods can vary considerably, with many ranging from 8-14oz. and calories ranging from about 200 to 300 kcal per cup. Most diets in the data set had cost on a per ounce basis. Based on this, a cat weighing 10lb, and eating 2⁄3 of a cup up to 1 cup per day, here is what you might expect:
Keep in mind that with many freeze-dried foods only containing several ounces of food, this will require purchase of multiple packages at a time. Despite their appearance of looking more like dry food, this would actually be more akin to the way you might purchase and feed canned or pouch foods.
9. Air-Dried and Dehydrated Cat Food
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Air-dried and dehydrated cat food is kind of a hybrid between a raw food and a cooked food, with some advantages and disadvantages of both. Air-drying or dehydrating a food slowly removes moisture from the food with low levels of heat but is not technically cooked. Dehydrated food can be considered a type of raw diet as the air-drying process does not occur at temperatures high enough to fully kill bacteria.
How It’s Made
The raw food is mixed with vitamins, minerals, and other supplements and then placed into a drying oven that has circulating air. Oven drying occurs at about 140 degrees F or less, and may take anywhere from 6 to 10 hours or longer, depending on the temperature used.
Advantages
Retained nutrients: dehydrated food retains more nutrient content compared to cooked foods (though less than freeze-dried).
Long shelf-life (though shorter than freeze-dried)
Light-weight: like freeze-dried foods, dehydrated foods are easier to lift, carry, and store.
Raw diet advantages: with less cooking involved, these diets may have some of the same proposed advantages as raw diets in general.
Higher nutrient density: may be more cost-effective than freeze-dried foods.
Disadvantages
Bacterial contamination risk: air-dried or dehydrated foods are still not fully cooked meaning they can be considered raw diets and carry the same potential health risks.
Not all products are nutritionally balanced: air-dried foods, like freeze-dried foods, are not all completely balanced and may also include treats and toppers, which may be confusing for some consumers.
Lower moisture food: (about 14-15%) while higher compared to freeze-dried foods and most dry kibble foods, this still may not be ideal for cats at risk for constipation, obstipation or dehydration.
Higher nutrient density: this may increase risk for overfeeding and obesity.
When To Feed a Dehydrated Diet
The rationale for feeding a dehydrated or air-dried cat food may be similar to when any raw diet would be considered on an individual basis. Though shorter than freeze-dried food, dehydrated food still has a long shelf life. It is also lightweight. Dehydrated diets may have more nutrient density compared to freeze-dried foods, which may impact a decision on cost.
When Not To Feed a Dehydrated Diet
From a public health perspective, dehydrated food can still contain risk for bacterial contamination, as it is not fully cooked and is not frozen either. Some companies do use high pressure pasteurization (HPP) as a means of lowering bacterial contamination risk. These foods should be avoided in the case of immunocompromised pets or humans in the home.
Dehydrated foods do contain more moisture than freeze-dried foods, but are still about the same as feeding only a commercial dry kibble. Cats that require more moisture in their diet (possibly all cats but especially those prone to constipation, urinary issues, kidney disease, and diabetes) should not eat a dehydrated diet as the sole diet.
With higher nutrient density and palatability, be cautious feeding this diet type if your cat is overweight or if weight loss is one of your feeding goals.
How Many People Feed Dehydrated Cat Food?
Dehydrated/air-dried cat food accounts for about 0.8-0.9% of the pet food market distribution. This means that a little less than 1.0% of cat owners feed a dehydrated/air-dried food product to their cats. This statistic does not exclude owners also feeding another type of food at the same time.
Cost
Costs can be higher for dehydrated/air-dried food products, but they can be more energy dense compared to freeze-dried products. Keep in mind that not all air-dried products are balanced diets, so costs can also include treats, toppers, etc.
Air-dried/dehydrated cat food average cost per pound: $15.66
Air-dried/dehydrated cat food average cost per ounce: $2.15
Estimated Cost per Day:
The packaging for air-dried foods can vary with complete diets ranging from about 1-2 lb packages. Nutrient density is higher, with calories ranging from about 400 to 500 kcal per cup. Most diets in the data set had cost on a per ounce basis. Based on the price per ounce, a cat weighing 10lb, and eating about a half cup per day, here is what you might expect:
10. Homemade Diets
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
A homemade diet is simply a meal you prepare for your cat at home from scratch. This may include both raw and cooked meals as options. Providing the right nutrients and balance of them is entirely in your hands.
Homemade diets for cats are a tricky subject. Because cats are obligate carnivores, they have very specific nutrient requirements. A small rodent like a mouse contains ideal nutrients for a cat, including water content, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids. But unless you plan to serve up at least 6 small rodents at home as a meal everyday to your cat, a homemade diet is not more “natural” or “better” but still just another diet choice option with advantages and disadvantages to weigh and consider.
Some cat parents like the appeal of a homemade diet because they know exactly what is going into their cat’s food. However, pursuing homemade diets as an option requires a great deal of dedication, time, and planning to have a hope of being done well. Even then, there is no real way to confirm if the final meal is balanced properly.
This is why veterinarians will often recommend referral to a board certified veterinary nutritionist. There may be very few available, depending on your location, but you can follow this link to search for a veterinary nutritionist local to you.
Unfortunately, based on a study from 2019, home prepared maintenance diets (HPMD) had a poor track record for being fully nutritionally balanced. Of 114 diet recipes, problems with nutritional adequacy were found in every single one to varying degrees. This included diets developed by veterinary general practitioners.
Besides nutritional inadequacy, about half of them did not provide any feeding instructions in terms of how much or how often to feed, and all except one required assumptions to be made regarding ingredients, preparation, and supplements.
Because of the difficulty of quality and consistency of homemade diets for cats, I usually refer cat owners interested in providing their cats with fresh ingredient diets to either a veterinary nutritionist or to fresh/frozen home delivery diets, which is the final category in this article.
How It’s Made
A homemade diet can be either raw or cooked and can include a variety of ingredients. What is included is essentially up to you. But for a balanced diet, you must have appropriate percentages of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber. In addition, vitamin, mineral, and fatty acid supplementation is needed.
Dedicated cat parents who make their cat’s food at home consider it a kind of passion and devote a lot of time to it. Meals are planned out in advance and often prepared for the week.
Advantages
Ingredient control: the main advantage of making a homemade diet for your cat is having complete control over all ingredients included in their diet.
Raw diet benefits: if feeding a raw homemade diet, some of the same proposed raw diet benefits may apply here too.
Ability to avoid adverse ingredients responses/allergies: with ingredient control, you can avoid foods your cat is known to be sensitive to.
High moisture content: moisture content of homemade diets is often higher, though this depends on any degree of cooking that occurs.
Disadvantages
Nutrient deficiencies: homemade diets often have one or more nutrient deficiencies and there is no way to confirm their final nutritional make up.
Unclear recipe instructions: available recipes often leave some things to be assumed, including ingredients, supplements, and feeding directions.
Prep time: properly making food at home for your cat requires a great deal of time, dedication, and study to do well.
Food safety risks: there is a risk of use of inappropriate or unsafe food ingredients.
When To Feed a Homemade Diet
Homemade diets for cats are really only for the dedicated. It’s kind of like starting a new diet for yourself or an exercise program. If you are the type of person who can make the time in your schedule and keep with it, including lots of time doing real research, this may be for you. A labor of love, so to speak.
When Not To Feed a Homemade Diet
Raw homemade diets carry the same risks as those that have been discussed previously as far as bacterial contamination. The risk is possibly higher, because purchased raw meat must be used and handled regularly. Homemade diets could be a higher risk for immunocompromised individuals.
If you’re the type of person who gets excited about a new diet trend or exercise program but loses steam after a couple weeks, this is definitely not the type of diet for you and your cat.
If there is the possibility of distractions from day to day that might affect the consistency of your homemade diets, or if your household is rushed or chaotic for one reason or another, a prepared diet is likely a safer choice for you.
Lastly, if you don’t already cook for yourself, don’t venture into the art by cooking for your cat. Missteps can be more costly for your cat than for yourself.
How Many People Feed Homemade Diets to Cats?
According to a 2024 study involving 1100 surveys of cat owners from 27 countries, 3.7% fed homemade raw diets and 0.1% fed a homemade cooked meat-only diet.
Cost
A homemade diet’s cost will naturally vary depending on the ingredients you purchase. If the cost of a required ingredient is too high, do be careful substituting with a “similar” ingredient and make sure the nutritional make-up is the same.
11. Gently Cooked/Refrigerated Diets
FreshPet is an appealing in-store option to feed a freshly cooked type of diet. The Image Party / Shutterstock.com
In this category, food is gently cooked, shipped and refrigerated, where you can purchase it in store. FreshPet essentially has a monopoly on this category as an in-store item.
How It’s Made
FreshPet is made through steam cooking the mixture of meat protein, vegetables, fruits, probiotics, and other ingredients, which helps to retain nutritional integrity and moisture content. The cooked product is then refrigerated until purchased.
Advantages
Gentle cooking: gentle cooking removes risks associated with raw food while still retaining nutritional integrity and limiting the need for added ingredients.
High moisture: similar consistency to a canned/wet food with a high moisture content, without the canning part.
Tasty: many cats find this type of diet to be highly palatable.
Convenience: you can pick up FreshPet in an on-site store just like other commercial diets.
Disadvantages
Limited variety: the only protein choices for cats with FreshPet are chicken or beef.
Shorter shelf life: unopened FreshPet products can reportedly be stable for about 5 months. But once opened, the FreshPet rolls must be used within 7 days.
It dries out: just like canned/wet foods, FreshPet will start to dry out after about an hour.
When To Feed a Gently Cooked/Refrigerated Diet
If you’re looking to split the balance between something that is prepared but not kibble, with the addition of convenience and reasonable cost, a gently cooked, refrigerated diet may be a good choice.
When Not To Feed a Gently Cooked/Refrigerated Diet
Like any moist foods, this shouldn’t be your cat’s exclusive diet if you are unable to change it out when it starts to dry out and may not be the best choice for cats who prefer to graze throughout the day.
Cost
Most stores sell 1 lb rolls of FreshPet for cats for about $6-7 a roll. Based on a calorie content of 272 kcal per 1/2 lb, and that the average 10 lb cat would need about 1/2 lb per day (or a little less), FreshPet will cost about $3-4 per day to feed exclusively.
12. Fresh/Frozen Home Delivery Diets
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
In this category, we’re talking about diets that are gently cooked and prepared and then shipped frozen directly to your home, where you thaw it and feed it directly. Examples for this diet type include Smalls and Just Food for Cats. Click the links for detailed, unbiased reviews on each brand. While shipping directly to the consumer is the general model, there are some locations where both Smalls and Just Food for Cats can be purchased on location.
How It’s Made
According to Smalls, their food has a simple “chop, steam, freeze, ship” approach. Human grade ingredients are chopped up into small bits and then steam is used to gently cook the ingredients to a temperature that kills unsafe microbial growth without greatly altering the raw ingredient nutritive content. After the food is packaged it is then shipped frozen, to be thawed out at home and then fed.
Advantages
Home cooking alternative: all of the fresh, human grade ingredients without the preparation and nutrient deficiency risks of home cooking.
Ingredient control: good option for consumers who want limited ingredient diets and more control over what is included (though not as much as home cooking).
Home shipping model: many people nowadays find this to be more convenient than shopping in a store.
Disadvantages
Home-shipping model: in many cases, purchase in-store is not an option or not as widely accessible as for other diet choices (Just Food for Cats can be purchased at some PetCo’s and boutique retailers).
Thawing process: these diets must be thawed before they can be fed, requiring about 24 hours per 1lb of food. This may take about 12-72 hours depending on the size you order.
Short shelf life: these diets can remain frozen for nearly 12 months. However, once thawed, they must be used within 5-7 days.
They dry out: like all moist foods, these diets will start to dry out if they sit out for more than an hour or two.
Unclear nutrition consulting: while all diets claim to meet AAFCO feeding guidelines, consultation/partnership with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist is not clear in most cases. Just Food for Dogs/Cats is the exception, which provides a detailed accounting of all of their consulting partners. In the Smalls specific review and com’s exclusive interview with Smalls’ founder, some details on nutrition consultation are provided though their website provides limited information.
Varying variety: depending on the brand, protein options for cats may be varied or limited. Just Food for Cats has only one option while Smalls has several.
All life stages diets: these are all-life stages diets and may not be nutritionally appropriate for all cats, even when meeting AAFCO guidelines. Smalls indicates that for cats with kidney disease, the protein and phosphorus levels would be considered too high to feed safely.
When To Feed a Fresh Home Delivery Diet
If you have interest in a home-cooked diet for your cat but don’t have the ability to dedicate the time and effort required, these diets are about as close as you can get. Like any wet/moist food, these diets are best when consumed quickly in designated meals for your cat.
When Not To Feed a Fresh Home Delivery Diet
If your cat is more of a grazer or snacker versus a meal-time eater, these diets, like any moist or wet food, may not be the best choice. As discussed in the section for all life stages diets, be cautious about feeding these diets to senior cats and especially cats with any kidney disease concerns.
Cost
The portions for Smalls and Just Food for Cats are about 320 kcal/8 oz cup and 277 cal/8 oz cup, respectively. Both brands cost about $0.65 per ounce.
Assuming an average calorie content of 300 kcal/cup and our average 10lb cat requiring about 200 kcal per day, these diets would cost about $3.50 per day.
Cats.com uses high-quality, credible sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the claims in our articles. This content is regularly reviewed and updated for accuracy. Visit our About Us page to learn about our standards and meet our veterinary review board.
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