Dry Cat Food

Better dry cat food brands

Innova EVO (*Est. $18 for a 6.6-pound bag) gets top grades from About.com's Franny Syufy. Its formula contains no corn, no artificial preservatives and no by-products. Syufy says that EVO is "closer than other commercial dry cat foods in matching the nutritional quality of a raw food diet." Turkey, chicken, turkey meal and chicken meal are its top ingredients. It is very high in protein (about 50 percent) and low in carbohydrates (about seven percent); however, it can be hard to find.

Regular Innova (*Est. $16 for a 6.6-pound bag) also rates well with Syufy. Its formula contains no corn, no artificial preservatives and no by-products. Syufy says turkey, chicken meal and chicken are its primary ingredients; Innova dry cat food is 36 percent protein. One drawback is that regular Innova has a higher caloric content than some other foods, so it may not be the best choice for cats prone to weight gain. There is a light formula for heavy cats.

Wellness also makes several dry foods that have earned respect from experts. Franny Syufy says that she rates Wellness CORE dry food (*Est. $20 for a 5.14-pound bag) on a par with Innova EVO and appreciates that it is entirely grain-free. Christopher Eng at PetFoodRatings.net also gives Wellness CORE a top grade and states that it's what he is currently feeding his cats. Like Innova EVO, the food is 50 percent protein, which is very high. Deboned turkey, deboned chicken, chicken meal and whitefish meal are the top four ingredients.

Among other concerns, dry foods have long been associated with urinary tract issues in cats. Wellness Complete Health (*Est. $19 for a 5.14-pound bag) is said to be designed to address that problem, and also provide all of the nutrition a cat needs in its regular diet. It is 36 percent protein.

Fran Syufy tests the food and comes away impressed. She notes that the protein content is exclusively delivered through animal protein, not fillers like corn, and that there are no meat by-products. There are some grains, but they are higher grains such as rice and barley. One possible issue according to Syufy is that some vets recommend less protein for cats with kidney problems -- exactly the kind of cats, or more accurately, cat owners -- that might be drawn to a product that promotes feline urinary health. Syufy recommends checking with your vet if that's the case with your cat before starting on the food.

Syufy reports that cat acceptance of Wellness Complete Health is high. "My cats scarfed it up in short order," she writes. The fact that she is so impressed with the ingredients leads her to add that despite her preference to rotate foods to prevent boredom, "I suspect it will be served more often than not, from now on." Susan Peters is also impressed, despite a few quibbles such as inclusion of some fat and natural flavors, which she downgrades in her rating system. Still, she gives the brand kudos. User ratings at sites such as the Only Natural Pet Store are also generally positive.

Natural Balance Ultra (*Est. $14 for a 6.6-pound bag) is another good dry food choice. It contains no chemical preservatives, no corn and no by-products. It has 34 percent protein. While more expensive than cat foods found in most supermarkets, it's relatively inexpensive for a premium brand and easily found at large pet food chains.

Experts applaud the cat foods from Fromm Family foods for their quality. One plus is that Fromm makes all of its dry foods itself in a USDA-certified plant in Wisconsin, and obtains ingredients from local producers. Christopher Eng at PetFoodRatings notes that four of the first five ingredients in Fromm Four Star Nutritional Grain-Free Surf & Turf (*Est. $17 for a 5-pound bag) are named meats, and that there are no by-products or fillers. About.com's Franny Syufy includes Fromm dry cat foods on her list of top choices.

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul (*est. $11 for a 6-pound bag) is made by Diamond Foods and has a bit of a checkered past, including a history of some recalls. Susan Peters is not a fan, but other experts are much more positive. About.com's Franny Syufy says that it's a favorite among her readers, and that it's become "a regular staple" for her own cats. Christopher Eng notes that the grain content is a little higher than he'd like to see, but that they are high quality grains and their presence is offset by the high meat content. Eng adds that Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul is relatively inexpensive considering its quality.

Among mainstream cat food brands, we saw mixed recommendations for Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care (*Est. $19 for an 8-pound bag). Christopher Eng at PetFoodRatings.net gives it a middle of the road three-star rating and notes positives and negatives. He's happy to see chicken meal as the top ingredient and applauds the absence of undesirable stuff like by-products. On the other hand, the inclusion of corn gluten meal as the third ingredient earns a definite thumbs-down. Still, while Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care does not compare well to premium cat foods, Eng opines that it's "probably one of the best you'll find in a big-box store." However, like the canned varieties, Nutro has been the target of an unusually high number of user complaints.

We saw some recommendations for Eukanuba (*Est. $19 for an 8-pound bag) in some older reviews, but the current ingredient listings don't inspire much confidence. For example, the company's Chicken Formula cat food leads off with chicken, but follows that with chicken by-product meal, corn meal and corn grits. Protein is listed at 34 percent. A new variety, Wholesome Naturals with Farm Raised Chicken (*Est. $19 for a 7-pound bag), sounds more appealing, but the top four ingredients are identical to the less expensive Eukanuba varieties, as is its guaranteed protein content.

Science Diet dry cat food is another high-profile product with some questionable ingredients. Science Diet Optimal Care Original (*Est. $26 for a 10-pound bag) lists poultry by-product meal, ground corn, brewers rice and animal fat as its first four ingredients. The protein level is 33.5 percent.

Purina and some other pet food companies manufacture both low-cost and premium products. Purina's less expensive product, Purina Cat Chow, comes in several varieties, but most critics find little to like among any of them. For example, Complete Care (*Est. $10 for a 7-pound bag) lists poultry by-product meal, corn meal, ground whole wheat, corn gluten meal, soy flour, brewers rice and beef tallow as its main ingredients. That ingredient lineup earns it zero out of 10 points at AskSusanPeters.com. Christopher Eng at PetFoodRatings.net looks at Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula (*Est. $11 for a 7-pound bag) and finds an equally disagreeable ingredient lineup.

Purina ONE Chicken and Rice Formula (*Est. $12.50 for a 7-pound bag) is a little better; chicken tops the ingredient list, but that's followed by brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, wheat flour and animal fat. While Purina One is less expensive than Natural Balance Ultra Formula, and a lot less expensive than Wellness CORE, those products don't contain any by-products or corn at all. On the other hand, the ingredient list is on a par with brands such as Eukanuba, but Purina ONE Chicken and Rice costs less and delivers the same amount of protein (34 percent).

Purina Pro Plan is the company's top of the line cat food and does earn a little respect from some quarters. For example, Darlene Cheeks, a cat breeder, recommends it in an article posted at Suite101.com and says that it's what she feeds her breeding cats. On the other hand, Christopher Eng is disappointed at the inclusion of corn gluten meal and by-product meal in the Adult Chicken and Rice variety (*Est. $12 for a 4-pound jug). Purina's Pro Plan Selects varieties are a little higher in quality. While undesirable grain products such as corn gluten meal and wheat gluten are present, Purina Pro Plan Selects Natural Chicken and Brown Rice (*Est. $24 for a 7-pound bag) contains no by-products and the first named ingredients are chicken and brown rice. However, it's as expensive as some much higher quality premium foods, making it a poor value.

Although premium foods are on the pricier end of the cat food scale, they're consistently cited for their reliability, quality and long-term benefits. People posting to forums have written testimonials about the improved condition of their pets' coats after switching to these brands. Cat foods like Wellness, Innova and Natural Balance aren't the only good cat foods -- once you know what ingredients to look for, you can read the labels and make your own analysis.