Best Wet Cat Food

Best wet cat food comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s very difficult to decide what kind of cat food you should provide for your cat. Many of us decide to go with the wet food since it just seems more natural. There are so many brands and cat food types on the market and you have every right to ask: what is the best wet food for cats?

Best Wet Food For Cats – Our Favorites for 2023

Here is a quick overview of our top 3 choices for the best wet food for cats. You can find more information and individual product reviews below.

#Wet Cat Food
1Nature’s Valley Instinct Grain Free Wet Cat Food
2Weruva B.F.F. – Best Feline Friend Grain – Free Wet Cat Food Cans
3Nutro Max Adult Wet Canned Cat Food Chicken Supreme
4Hill’s Science Diet Adult Urinary Hairball Control

The best wet food for cats should be high in protein and low in carbs. Cats need meat and moisture in their food. You should pay attention to the fact that there are no fillers or other junk in cat food. This can make your cat slow, lazy and eventually very sick.

Other than macronutrients like protein, the wet cat food you buy should also include quality selected ingredients which then also ensure the micronutrients like minerals and vitamins are preserved. Top wet cat food brands will usually use the best human grade ingredients – like quality poultry or fish sources.

Why Are Our Recommendations of Canned Food Trustworthy?

We do not go out and test every cat food on the market. It is impossible. Obviously when we say “we” – we mean our cats. We have to think of our cats who prefer certain kinds of foods and eventually try something new to see how they react. We always make sure that the foods we select conform to standards set by the relevant government authorities like AAFCO. We also check websites of universities to see whats the newest research when it comes to cat nutrition. If there are compounds that might be bad for our pets.

Different Types of Wet Cat Food

Flaked Cat Foods

Special benefit from this type of wet cat food comes for cats with dental issues. Small kittens will benefit as well. This type of food has smaller flakes and they are easier to chew. You can buy flaked cat food for any breed.

Cat Foods With Gravy

Gravy is something that cats really like. This type of wet food usually comes in a broth, however, there are some that come with a thicker gravy and your cat can lick it up after eating.

Cat Food Pouches

Dealing with cans that take up a lot of space in your kitchen is something that many owners don’t want. This is where pouches come in handy. You can store cat food pouches easily and dispose them after usage.

Canned Cat Foods

Canned cat food is probably most popular kind of wet cat food. The food can be canned in various forms – flaked, tiught, minced, with sauce. Cans are practical for their durability and ease of use.

As with all wet cat foods, issue is that once opened, they should be used soon. We usually place can with food after opening in a bag and leave it in the fridge for the next meal, however in this case make sure to take it out of the fridge about 30 min earlier, depending on the temperature in your home, since cats don’t usually like the food to be too cold.

What To Look For In Wet Cat Food?

In order to keep your cat happy and healthy, it is very important to feed it with high quality cat foods. If you decide to go with wet food for cats, you probably ask yourself: what should it contain in order to make sure that it’s a good choice?

If you feed your cat with low quality wet cat foods, stuffed with fillers, in addition to carbs and other unnatural stuff, you shouldn’t be surprised if you notice changes in cat’s behaviour or appearance. If the cat food includes too much non-muscle anumal meat sources it might have a high proportion of minerals which can negatively effect cats’ urinary tract. In this case low ash cat food is the answer.

A lazy cat, a dull coat, digestion issues. These are some of the issues that may occur if the food is not good enough nutritionally, but try not to make it that far since other issues might accompany such symptoms.

As you may know, cats are obligate carnivores and carnivores need meat and good protein source in their food. If your cat is losing weight, make sure to take it to the vet. In some cases, high calorie cat foods can help, however, they do not always treat the source of the problem.

What to look for on the canned cat foods label?

  • Protein sources should be clearly stated. For example: beef, chicken, lamb. Avoid  products that list “meat” as a protein source since this is too general and it’s usually a bad sign.
  • Protein source should be listed as the first ingredient on the wet food for cats
  • If the wet cat food is produced according to AAFCO’s requirements for “Complete and Balanced” food, it should be stated on the label
  • Avoid chemical preservatives such as BHT, BHA, propyl gallate or ethoxyquin
  • Avoid excess  carb fillers – look for best grain free cat food.
  • Don’t forget to check the expiry date

What Is The Best Wet Food For Cats – Reviews?

These are our top choices for best wet food for cats

1. Nature’s Valley Instinct Grain Free Wet Cat Food

Nature’s Valley Instinct Grain Free Wet Cat Food

Grain free food is something that is recommended for all cats, especially the ones that have some health issues or allergies. Therefore Nature’s Valley Wet Cat Food may be the perfect choice for your cat.

With 10% protein that comes from turkey, chicken, chicken broth and liver, it also contains 6.5% fat.

Carbs are not originating from grains but from peas and ground flaxseed.

This grain-free food has the best combination of protein  and carbs source and it is the number one choice among many cat parents when it comes to the best wet food for cats.

Nature’s Valley is probably one of the most sought brands currently. They have won dedicated cat fans by producing food that is juicy right out of the can. Their products are made from top ingedients and one can see it – the food is not a weird meat paste but nice pieces of best ingredients, be it meat or fish sourced. They avoid fillers as much as possible and keep carbs to minimum.

2. Weruva B.F.F. – Best Feline Friend Grain – Free Wet Cat Food Cans

Weruva B.F.F. – Best Feline Friend Grain - Free Wet Cat Food Cans

Wild caught tuna and delicious chicken are the top ingredients for this wet cat food. And we will tell you one thing, cats just love it!

Packed with gravy, it presents a great way to provide extra hydration for your cat. When taken out and presented on the plate it shows a cre4amy texture which is almost instagram ready, if cats were instagram users (and not Internet’s biggest stars)

This product contains low carbs. Essential vitamins, omegas, minerals and taurine are a huge advantage. We especially liked the fact they list taurine since this is not one of required aminos to list on the product. Taurine is an important amino-acid for cats and along with other nutrients is a cornerstone of cat’s diet.

If you want to keep your cat on a balanced diet, in order to make sure that it does not become overweight, this wet food should be your choice

3. Nutro Max Adult Wet Canned Cat Food Chicken Supreme

Nutro Max Adult Wet Canned Cat Food Chicken Supreme

Another great choice is Nutro Max Canned Cat Food Chicken Supreme.

This cat food is made with premium ingredients only. It does not contain any byproducts and in addition, it has beneficial additives that are suitable for any cat.

Nutro Max food contains 8% crude protein. It has a chicken and chicken liver as main ingredients and fat percentage of 4.5%.

If your cat does not have any grain or chicken allergies, this might be the perfect choice. We usually try not to recommend products with grains, however this one has been a huge hit with our meowy fiends. They literally demand it. We swear they even distinguish the sound of the can opening for this particular product. This one is true cat’s choice even if its not grain free. Other reason is also the fact that its more affordable than other products we recommend.

Other cat owners love this wet food since it provides extra hydratation to their cat, it’s well priced and it comes in 3 oz and 5 oz cans.

4. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Urinary Hairball Control

Many cat parents are dealing with hairballs every day. In a way, it becomes your way of life. You will probably often find pieces that your cat throws up around your apartment, if she is having a problem digesting cat hair.

If your cat is experiencing this kind of problem, we can suggest that Hill’s Science Diet Adult Urinary Hairball Control is a wet cat food.

This wet food provides enough fiber and magnesium for your cat. Both magnesium and fiber are a great help to cat’s digestion and hairball elimination. This makes the

Other cat owners confirmed that hairballs were reduced by using Hill’s Science Diet wet food. We like Hill’s because its probably one of the most transparent pet food companies out there. They openly disclose ingredients, sources, values, supply chains and environmental impact on their website.

The food comes in chicken flavours and unless your cat does not have a poultry allergy, you should definitely try it. In case your cat is allergic to regular protein sources, try feeding it hydrolyzed protein cat food.

Should you go with dry or wet cat food?

Wet or dry food for cats? This is an everlasting debate for every cat owner. Each cat food has its pros and cons.

Wet food for cats should not be left out since it can get really bad. Even though it contains preservatives, it should not stay out for a long time. Wet food is good for hydration, especially if your cat has diarrhea or sensitive stomach. Find best cat food for firm stools where we recommend the best products to resolve this issue. Wet food is also recommended for cats with enlarged thyroid glands. Most of cat foods for hyperthyroidism are canned.

Dry food, on the other hand, is very convenient and you can let your cat to eat whenever it wants it. Check out this article for Best Dry Food For Cats and find out what are the other benefits of dry kibble.

Cats usually do not drink enough water and their thirst drive is very poor. The reason behind this is that they take a lot of their water from the prey. Most meat has more than 60% of moisture content. Wet cat foods contains water and it can be a good choice for your cat if you notice that it is not consuming enough water. High moisture content is definitely one of advantages of wet cat food.

If you decide to go with either dry cat food or wet food, the most important thing is to keep an eye on ingredients found in the best cat food. Try to get grain free cat food if possible. Look for protein percentage. Avoid fillers.

Best Wet Cat Food FAQ

Why might wet cat food be better for your cat?

The obvious reason is that moisture content is high and it is closer to what cats would eat in nature. This way cat can meet it’s water requirements through food. Other reasons are that wet cat food might be better for cat’s urinary tract and kidneys. Wet cat food also includes less grains and fillers compared to dry food.

Should I look for a special canned cat food formula for my cat?

There are many formulas on the market currently. Some are better for certain purposes than others, however if you have a healthy cat you may go with any formula that has good ingredients and less grains. Follow AAFCO guidelines and if you dont have time, check our short list of recommended wet cat food products.

What are disadvantages of wet cat food?

There are not many disadvantages when it comes to nutrition, however if your cat prefers dry cat food, then you should not force wet foods. Storing can be a bit of an issue if you buy large cans to save money, but then you need to keep them in the fridge. We also noticed that wet cat food in the bowl attracts more flies and other bugs.