Canned Cat Food

Best-quality canned cat food brands

When it comes to canned cat food, reviews say label-reading is important. Premium cat foods should contain primarily meat and protein. According to editors at the Max's House website, cats really don't need carbohydrates at all, because their systems have a short digestive tract made for absorbing nutrients from protein sources rather than processing carbohydrates. Modern cats have adapted to eating some carbohydrates, but if cats eat too much grain (including wheat, corn and soy products), the excess can turn to glucose, causing weight gain.

When it comes to wet cat food, About.com's Franny Syufy puts Natural Balance (*Est. 85 cents per 3-ounce can) at the top of her list. Like other cat foods she recommends, Natural Balance is extremely high in protein and low on by-products, but it has the added advantage -- at least for her -- of being well liked by her cats. She notes that the Indoor Ultra Formula is a particular favorite; its primary ingredients are chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, duck, salmon, carrots, brown rice flour and fish meal. Natural Balance pet foods were developed partly by actor Dick Van Patten.

Some Natural Balance varieties were voluntarily recalled in 2007 when melamine was discovered in rice protein concentrate provided by one of its suppliers (this is a separate incident from the wide-spread contamination found in Chinese-supplied wheat gluten used in products made by Menu Foods). Since then, the company has launched its own extensive testing program that tests samples from each date code of product sold and provides the results to consumers via the web or by phone. The company's Buy with Confidence program has been steadily expanding the list of contaminants it tests for, adding salmonella and e. coli to the program this past September, no doubt in reaction to the September recall of Mars-manufactured pet foods contaminated with those bacteria strains. Syufy calls the program "a huge plus, in my opinion."

Overall, however, we saw the most positive comments for Wellness cat food varieties, such as the company's Chicken Formula (*Est. $1 per 3-ounce can). Dr. Lisa Pierson at CatInfo.org calls it a complete and balanced diet with, for the most part, low carbohydrate content. She does note that the company adds some high-quality grains -- brown rice -- to some of its foods, but that others are grain-free and clearly identified as such. Susan Peters gives perfect or near perfect scores to most varieties. The site's only concern is that many of the Wellness formulas contain an ingredient listed only as "natural flavor," and site owner Susan Peters is uncomfortable not knowing more about its origin.

Wellness also makes Franny Syufy's list of topped canned foods, but with a small asterisk. "Some cats love it and will dive right in, while others turn their noses up at it every time," she writes. Because of that, and because it is on the high end of the cat food price spectrum, Syufy recommends buying a can or two before committing to a larger order. Calsifer at Tipped Ear Clan reports a switch to Wellness (from Natural Balance) with good results, though "the beef flavours aren't popular."

Franny Syufy's cats have a similar reaction to Evolve Natural Canned Chicken Formula (*Est. $1 for a 5.5-ounce can). She says it smells good, and looks nice and juicy. But while the cats seemed to take to it initially, they've eventually spurned it. On the plus side, she says that the ingredients are excellent, and it is reasonably priced.

Wysong offers a line of Au Jus canned cat foods (*Est. $1.50 for a 5.5-ounce can) that are essentially all meat. While the brand is recommended by several reviewers, including About.com's Franny Syufy and Dr. Lisa Pierson of CatInfo.org, both say that the foods are not suitable as an everyday choice because they are missing some important nutrients. The company does make a supplement that can be added to the food to make it a balanced diet. Otherwise, the Au Jus canned meats should be used only a few times a week in most cases. Dr. Pierson notes that the food is both expensive and hard to find.

Halo's Spot's Stew cat foods (*Est. $1.25 for a 5.5-ounce can) have also been earning some kudos. About.com's Franny Syufy puts the food on her list of top canned choices and comments that no chemicals, fillers or by-products are used. Susan Peters of Ask Susan Peters rates several of the flavors highly, and subjects the Succulent Salmon Recipe variety to both her new revised grading scale and her Pet Food Danger Gauge, from which no commercial food escapes unscathed. That said, she notes, "This recipe seems to be one of the better cat formulas I have rated with the Pet Food Danger Gauge," and she calls it a good choice. The Wholesome Lamb Recipe variety scores very highly with users at Zootoo.com.

Another highly recommended wet food is Drs. Foster & Smith Chicken Formula (*est. $1.10 per 5.5-ounce can). Main ingredients are chicken, chicken liver, chicken broth, brown rice, eggs, flaxseed, carrots and sweet potatoes. This food, however, is only available via the manufacturer's catalog or website. While a few varieties of the company's "Lite" cat food line were also involved in the 2007 rice gluten recall, the chicken formula was not.

Innova canned cat food (*Est. $1.20 per 5.5-ounce can) makes canned food that contains very similar ingredients. Innova EVO (*Est. $1.25 for a 5.5-ounce can) is a grain-free product that Dr. Lisa Pierson at CatInfo.org says is a complete diet for daily feeding. However, she notes that it is high in phosphorus so it would not be a good choice for cats with kidney problems.

While Innova products are said to be free of by-products, Susan Peters, author of the Ask Susan Peters website, is among the principals in a class-action lawsuit against a number of pet-food makers -- including Natura, makers of Innova -- for false advertising. In the case of Innova, the suit alleges that feathers -- a by-product -- were found in samples of food that was tested, among other complaints. We have no way of judging the validity of the complaints, and we've seen scant mention of the suit anywhere outside of Peters' pages, those of the law firm that's involved, and some forum discussions, but it certainly bears watching.

Merrick cat food is marketed with names meant to invoke the feel of a gourmet recipe, with flavors such as California Roll (*Est. $1.30 for a 3.2-oz. can) and Grammys' Pot Pie (*Est. $1.30 for a 3.2-oz. can). The ingredient list keeps up and is loaded with quality proteins and no undesirable grains or by-products. The company also offers a line of 100-percent meat products. Dr. Lisa Pierson of CatInfo.org is among those who recommend the food, and both the grain-free and with grains varieties make her list.

The next step down from these products includes the higher-quality supermarket and pet store cat food brands. Iams has a reputation as a premium brand, but some varieties of their canned cat food contain by-products. Science Diet, another brand with a premium pedigree, does not stack up well either. For example, Science Diet's Minced Savory Chicken Entree (*Est. $1 per 5.5-ounce can) lists meat by-products as its fourth ingredient, and also contains corn starch, corn gluten meal, soybean meal and wheat flour. The primary ingredient is water.

We did see some recommendations for some Nutro products, including Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Indoor Adult Cat (*Est. 90 cents per 5.5-ounce can). The top three ingredients are chicken broth, chicken and chicken liver. In addition, there's no corn, wheat or soy, and no by-products.

However, Nutro has been the subject of an unusually high number of user complaints on forums and at sites such as ConsumerAffairs.com. In August, the site -- which is independent and not affiliated with any local, state or national consumer affairs agency -- posted that a review by Dr. Steven Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist who manages the Animal Poison Control Center for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) showed that illness reports are "not consistent and not likely caused by the food," but adds that others are not sure. To its credit, Nutro has addressed the controversy on its website and says that it has been proactive in reaching out to consumers who have expressed concerns. Still, some experts, such as About.com's Franny Syufy, have stopped recommending Nutro products at least for the time being. Others, such as Susan Peters of Ask Susan Peters.com have gone further and said simply, "I would never purchase any Nutro products for my pets."

As for lower-priced mainstream brands, serious ingredient issues frequently pop up. For example, 9Lives Chicken and Tuna dinner (*Est. 65 cents per 5.5-ounce can) certainly costs less, but the primary ingredient is meat by-product, followed by water, chicken, poultry by-products, tuna and fish. Friskies Classic Pate Chicken and Tuna dinner (*Est. 50 cents per 5.5-ounce can) lists meat by-products and poultry by-products as its first two ingredients.

However, even among supermarket brands, a few acceptable choices can be found through careful label reading. Some varieties of Fancy Feast cat food may be a good choice because they contain no wheat, corn, soy, gluten or meat by-products. One example is Fancy Feast Flaked Fish & Shrimp Feast (*Est. 55 cents per 3-ounce can), which lists ocean fish, fish broth and shrimp as its first three ingredients. Note that some other varieties of Fancy Feast don't measure up as well, with Flaked Salmon & Ocean Whitefish Feast (*Est. 55 cents per 3-ounce can), for example, containing wheat, soy, corn, gluten and meat by-products.

Trader Joe's, a grocery store chain with outlets in many parts of the country, has a private label cat food that's earned some kudos. For example, Catinfo.org's Dr. Lisa Pierson puts it on her list of high quality canned foods with grains but no wheat, corn or soy. User discussion is limited, but all we've seen is positive. The store's Chicken Turkey & Rice Dinner (*Est. 60 cents per 5.5 oz. can) lists chicken broth, chicken, turkey and ocean fish as its first four ingredients.

Organic canned cat food

Organic cat foods are favored by some pet owners because fewer preservatives, chemical additives, pesticides and hormones are used in the manufacturing and procurement of ingredients.

According to About.com cat guide Franny Syufy, Evanger's Organic Braised Chicken Dinner (*Est. $1.25 for 5.5-ounce can) is a top organic choice. She notes that the company claims to use the highest quality ingredients, with no additives, artificial colors, preservatives, by-products or salt, and that the brand is well received among participants on her Cat Forum. In addition, the food is certified USDA organic. Evanger's Organic Braised Chicken also has a fan in Susan Peters, who gives it a perfect score at her Ask Susan Peters website. The company's Organic Turkey & Butternut Squash Dinner scores equally well.

Newman's Own Organics also offers a line of organic pet foods, including canned cat food. Franny Syufy recommends the brand, and notes that varieties such as Chicken and Brown Rice (*Est. $1.60 for a 5.5-ounce can) contain chickens that are fed an all-vegetable, antibiotic-free diet and that the grains are grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. The company says that more than 70 percent of the products in its foods are organic, and that its manufacturing plants have been certified as organic by Oregon Tilth. The brand is included, but without comment, by Dr. Lisa Pierson on CatInfo.org's list of Quality Canned Foods with Grains.