The Best Cat Foods in 2022 (Kitten, Adult, Senior)

As a cat parent, feeding your cat the right way is your responsibility. However, your cat’s requirements for nourishment tend to change over time. As a result, finding the best food for your cat could be a bit challenging.

One important thing to keep in mind is that cats are obligatory carnivores. This means that they cannot survive without protein. Your cat must, as a rule, have protein in its diet. Some of the best cat foods in 2022 have a high protein content.

There are also some important nutrients that a cat needs that it does not produce naturally. These nutrients also have to be a part of their food if you want the best for your cat. Some of these include certain amino acids and vitamins like taurine, vitamins A, B, D3, and arginine.

Choosing the best cat food for your cat in 2022 is important. That’s why we made sure to research deep and hard for the best finds. If you’re ready, then so are we. Read on for our list of the best cat foods in 2022. We also include tester reviews and important information like pros and cons.

1. Best Overall: CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Indoor Adult Cat Food

CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Cat Food is our best overall cat food for 2022. This food gives your cat a high-quality source of protein from chicken and salmon. Its number one ingredient is meat. It is the exact type of protein-rich food that your cat needs to survive.

Best Overall

Crave with Protein from Chicken Adult Grain-Free

• Features high-quality protein from chicken and salmon
• Meat is the #1 ingredient
• Grain-free
• Includes essential nutrients for building muscle, aiding healthy digestion, and immune system support
• Does not include chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat, or soy

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2. Best Budget: Purina Complete Dry Cat Food

We love how Purina Complete Cat Food offers your cat the best ingredients while managing to stay inexpensive. That’s why it’s our best for affordability. This food is also rich in crude protein from chicken and fish sources. It also contains important nutrients like fatty acids and taurine.

Best Budget

Purina Cat Chow Complete Dry Cat Food

• This high-quality cat food is budget-friendly
• Rich in protein from chicken and fish sources
• It contains 25 vitamins and minerals, plus essential nutrients, including fatty acids and taurine
• It helps to build strong muscles
• Features healthy carbs for energy

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3. Best Premium: American Journey Grain-Free Cat Food

While a bit more pricey than the others, American Journey Grain-Free Cat Food is packed full of the protein your cat needs. Boasting about 40% protein content, the first three ingredients of this food are turkey, turkey meal, and chicken meal. This food also contains many essential fatty acids and nutrients like calcium, taurine, and phosphorus.

Best Premium

American Journey Turkey & Chicken Grain-Free

• This food is pricier than some others, but it's packed with protein that cats need
• The protein content is 40%
• The first three ingredient are turkey, turkey meal, and chicken meal
• Fortified with essential fatty acids, calcium, taurine, and phosphorus.
• Also includes wholesome fruits and vegetables

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4. Best for Adults: Sheba Perfect Portions Cat Food

Sheba Perfect Portions comes as wet cat food containing decent protein sources like chicken and poultry liver. However, it is great for adult cats because it has fewer carbohydrates and provides moisture for each serving. This helps to keep your cat hydrated. It also comes proportioned, helping you to avoid food wastage.

Best for Adults

Sheba Perfect Portions Grain-Free Multipack

• This wet formula in convenient single-serving portions
• Contains chicken and poultry liver
• Includes fewer carbohydrates, which makes it perfect for adult cats
• High moisture content helps keep your kitty hydrated
• Does not contain grains, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives

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5. Best for Kitten- Royal Canin Kitten Slices in Gravy

In our number six, we have a Royal Canin recipe. This formula is highly recommended by vets. This food provides optimal nutrition for your growing kitten. It’ll keep your tiny fur babies well-fed until 12 months of age. This food comes in a small can just right for your kitten and has a protein content of up to 55%.

Best Overall

Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Thin Slices in Gravy

• Contains thin slices of meat in gravy
• Best for kittens between 4 to 12 months
• Added fish oil for omega fatty acids
• Good for healthy digestion

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Choosing the Best Cat Foods in 2022 What to Look For

When selecting the best food for your cat in 2022, there are many factors you have to consider. Some of them include your cat’s age, any flavor preferences your cat might have, and what nutrients the food contains. We discuss more on this below

Life Stage

The kind of nutrients your cat needs changes as they grow older. You should keep this in account when choosing the best food for them. This is also why our list contains great food options for kittens, adults, and senior cats.

Flavor

Some cats are picky eaters. This could make finding the best food for them a bit of a challenge. One way to work around this is to try different protein sources to see which your cat enjoys. Your cat could also have a preference to wet food over dry food.

Essential nutrients

The important nutrients your cat needs to survive include vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. Some of these, like the amino acid taurine, your cat does not naturally produce. A great diet should contain these ingredients and more.

The Different Types of Cat Foods: Pros and Cons Compared

There are many different kinds of cat food in the market. We have two main variations on this list- wet cat food and dry cat food. Knowing the pros and cons of each of these can help you better decide which is best for your cat.

Wet Cat Food

Dry Cat Food

Verified Review: User Experience

CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Indoor Adult Cat Food

Testers of the CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Recipe say their cats cannot get enough of it. It is delicious, healthy and comes at a great price too. Here’s what one reviewer had to say “I’ve tried a lot of foods over the years from ignorant cat owner to now. I’ve tried specialty foods too trying for a natural raw diet for my f6 Savannah (she wouldn’t eat). They love this food! It is a healthy balance that keeps them satisfied and at healthy weight.”

Reviewers however wish that the kibble came in smaller sizes. This reviewer says “Crave ingredients looked so good and at a decent price. But both my cats vomited on it. I’m certain it was the size of the kibble. Sometimes I hear them crunch their food but other times not so much.” If you have cats that tend to wolf down their food, reducing the kibble size with a food processor might help.

Purina Complete Dry Cat Food

Our reviewers who tried Purina Complete Dry Cat Food love it for many reasons. Here’s what one of them had to say, “They like it, get their vitamins, and it’s reasonably priced. Also, in summertime, I can add water for a gravy and it helps get water to them so they stay hydrated. What I REALLY LIKED is that it comes in 4 bags. Makes it easier to lift and most especially, it allows us to open 1 bag and put it in our pet container while the rest remains fresh until we open the next bag. Very clever. KUDOS to you, Purina, for thinking of that”

Some testers however seemed to have delivery problems with getting this food in the past. This seems to have however cleared up. One customer described the problem, “I received a large and heavy bag. It’s advertised as four small bags. Disappointed”

American Journey Grain-Free Cat Food

Most testers of this cat food found that their cat loves it. “I research my cats food as much as possible before buying. When I got a new kitten I decided to try the combo of the dry and canned. My kitten developed to a healthy, beautiful adult. I decided to switch to the adult version as my other adult cat was always after the kitten food. They both like this food and are doing well on it. I feed canned American Journey along with the dry. They seem to prefer the turkey/chicken formula over the plain chicken.”

One tester however had picky cats that weren’t fats. “The American Journey turkey and chicken 12 lb has great ingredients and price but my kittens aren’t loving it like. They will eat AJ if there’s nothing else (I leave them to ponder). I recommend a small bag first to see if they like the flavor.”

Sheba Perfect Portions Cat Food

Sheba Perfect Portions is great for furry parents that need a good option for their cats. “Our 14 year old calico cat has gotten more and more picky about her wet food. She used to get Fancy Feast pate only, but lately she has turned up her nose at that. We tried a couple of other brands, but she seems to like the Sheba pate only. At her age we do cater to her fussy palate, but she is a big part of our family and want her to be pampered a bit. I would recommend this product for the picky eater in your family.”

Testers however had some issues with vendors delivering bad batches. So, when you get your delivery, please look at the pack to be sure it’s safe. “I always buy Sheba and my cat loves it so no complaints there. But whoever stored the box I received didn’t do a good job. I saw hundreds of empty bug eggs and had such a foul smell. I managed to take 2 pictures without gagging. Threw it out right away.”

Royal Canin Kitten Slices in Gravy

Vet recommend, this food for kittens and our testers who tried it do the same. “My kittens love this cat food! I feed them 1 can shared between 2 kittens a day in addition to dry kibble. They go crazy for this canned food. Their vet recommended they continue to eat some canned food so that when they’re older, they’re used to it. Prevents picky eaters as they age and need more moisture for their kidneys.”

While kittens loved this food, some testers experienced problems with delivery. “Need to make sure you have a backup plan. Our delivery was delayed. Love chewy, but just need to be prepared if it doesn’t come on time.”

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