Best Canned Cat Food

What Is the Best Ragdoll Cat Food?

I get the question, “What is the best food for a Ragdoll cat?” or “What are the best-canned cat foods?” or “What is the best-canned cat food?” or “What’s the recommended diet for Ragdoll cats?” at least 10 times a week.

What to feed your cat is an essential part of cat ownership and care. Therefore, I have compiled the resources here for a good reason, and I update this page often.

After reading this feline veterinarian’s website, I decided to put my cats on wet food. It’s called Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM.  So, if you have not ever read that website – stop reading this one and go read that one!!

At 13, my cats were transitioned to an entirely raw food diet – I believe that’s the ideal diet for any cat.

If you want to transition your kitty from dry cat food to wet cat food or raw food, this is where to start.  First, we had to transition Charlie and Trigg and this post explains how we did it – Transitioning Charlie and Trigg from Dry Cat Food to Wet Cat Food Only.

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A Raw Cat Food Diet is Ideal

Please note: After running this site since 2008, I firmly believe the best food for cats is a raw diet. As of September 2022, my cats, after 13 years, are successfully on raw food – many thanks to Pam of Purrrfectly Holistic for helping us get there so quickly.

Others have had the same struggle with transitioning their kitties to a raw diet, and have told me it took them 6 years to transition their picky eater. So, you have to decide what will work for you based on your situation. I definitely believe raw cat food is the healthiest Ragdoll cat food (and for all cats).

This video shows how I am feeding my cats raw. I am feeding them balanced diets made by Fetching Foods with a bit of Primal freeze-dried pork on top – and for Charlie, a minnow from Fresh is Best. And I use an Etekcity scale to weigh the 2 ounces I give each.

Raw food contains only the high-quality proteins, vitamins, fiber, and minerals that meet a cat’s nutritional needs, with none of the artificial flavors, preservatives, corn or other grains that your feline friend just doesn’t need. It has a high moisture content when prepared with something like beef gravy or chicken broth (suited to cats), and a texture that cats tend to enjoy.

It’s a good diet choice for almost any life stage, including a senior cat. However, with kittens it may be best to feed them the same food they were eating at the breeder until they’re ready to transition.

Look for raw food providers that are approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and that ideally use human-grade ingredients, so that you know the quality is excellent.

• Fetching Foods
• Primal Freeze Dried Raw as a topper
• Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale
• Fresh Is Best Freeze Dried Silverside Minnows

Highlights of This Page:

1. Raw Cat Food is Ideal
2. Cat Probiotics are helpful when transitioning
3. Reader Favorite, Canned Cat Food (on Amazon):
   1. Weruva Variety Pack Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Pack of 12, 3-ounce cans)
   2. Tiki Cat Gourmet Whole Food 12-Pack
   3. 9-Flavor Variety Pack Weruva Cats in the Kitchen
   4. Feline Natural

Important Information:

CATINFO.ORG is the HOLY GRAIL OF FELINE NUTRITION.  Please read it before you read the rest of this page.  Please listen to this video below if you don’t have time to read it. It discusses what is the best food for cats and why.

Homemade Raw Diets

Some readers make their own food formula for their kitties. For example, Jamie, a Floppycats’ reader submitted this story of her homemade raw journey: Homemade Raw Cat Food for Ragdoll Cats: One Reader’s Journey Another reader explained how she feeds Frankenprey. And we also have this page that features recipes from three reputable sources for homemade raw cat food recipes.

Here is a more recent interview with Dr. Pierson – there is audio, so you can listen to her reasoning behind not feeding dry cat food.

Do you have Netflix or Amazon? Then, watch the pet food industry documentary Pet Fooled on Amazon.

Holistic veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve, who has done a lot of interviews with us, has written an eBook. It’s titled, What Cats Should Eat: How to Keep Your Cat Healthy with Good Food. This eBook is another way to learn about feline nutrition and to find the best foods for cats out there.

We also had a great interview with Dr. Jean that you might find helpful – Is Grain-Free Cat Food Bad for Cats? An Interview with Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM

I am not a feline nutritional expert, and although I have tried, I have been unsuccessful in getting into the details of it. However, some readers are very knowledgeable, so I hope they will comment!

Liz Eastwood of the Natural Cat Care Blog keeps a Best Canned Cat Food List. Bottom line is that dry cat food or kibble is not healthy for a carnivore, your cat, and should not be the main diet. Cats need a high protein diet consisting of animal protein, primarily lean muscle mass but with some organ meat and calcium.However, you might want your cat to like dry food in case of emergency purposes, like hurricanes or boarding situations.

However, an all-dry cat food diet can lead to chronic issues such as kidney disease, urinary tract health problems (UTIs), struvite crystals, stones, obesity, diabetes, and the need for frequent dental cleanings and possibly tooth extractions. While some kibbles will meet the nutritional requirements of your cat, they also include wheat and grain products that aren’t needed and can cause health issues, especially to sensitive stomachs.  Therefore, it is best to avoid those for the sake of your kitty’s health.

Also, since many dry cat foods have grains and by-products, your kitty could develop an allergy to one of the foods. If you need to feed your kitty dry food, consider one with no by-products or grains. If it is necessary to feed dry cat food, only do so as a snack, not a full meal.

The best-canned cat food has no by-products, fillers, or toxins. Always read the label to check the ingredients list of your kitty’s canned food and choose a food with no by-products or grains. Since cats are carnivores, grains are not their friend. Taurine is one of the good amino acids, and fatty acids along with vitamin e help to boost the immune system, so they’re good ingredients to look for.

How to Transition a Kitty to New Cat Food

Cat Food Transition Instructions

In most cases, a 7-day transition is ideal, but in drastic changes, 10 days or more is suggested:

• 2-3 days: 75% old food, 25% new food
• 2-3 days: 50% old food, 50% new food
• 2-3 days: 25% old food, 75% new food

This plan gives your kitty’s digestive tract the needed time to adjust to the new food and minimizes the risk of an upset stomach.

Cat Probiotics and Other Supplements

It’s imperative to remember when switching a kitty to new cat food, you need to do it slowly. I always use cat probiotics to prevent diarrhea. I used to always have Purina Fortiflora Feline Nutritional Supplement Box on hand. They recently had a minor issue, so I went to the readership to see what they used.  

You can read the discussion on Facebook about probiotics. For cat probiotic pills, I take one of the capsules out of the jar (it’s refrigerated).  Open it up and then divide the powder inside into two ramekins.  I then cover one of the ramekins and save it for the next day.  Then I add about 1/2 teaspoon or a full teaspoon of water to the other ramekin – mix the probiotics with the water and then offer it to Charlie.  

He usually will drink/lap it up – but sometimes I have to put it in a syringe and slowly put it in his mouth. In an interview with a holistic veterinarian, Dr. Jean Hofve, she mentioned that all geriatric cats should be on omega 3’s, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and antioxidants.

Here are the ones she likes:

• Antioxidant: Only Natural Pet Whole Food Antioxidant Blend
• Digestive Enzymes: Only Natural Pet Vital Digest
• Cat Probiotic: Only Natural Pet Probiotic Blend
• Omega-3: MOXXOR – use MOXXOR coupon code “FLOPPYCATS” to get 10% off of your purchase.

Cat Pre & Probiotics:

As of July 2021, I have started using these wonderful products on Charlie and Trigg, and suspect I will use them for the rest of their lives. I have seen many improvements – including gut health, energy, happiness, contentment, and more.

They have 3 products that actually combine things:

• Adored Beast Love Bugs has prebiotics and probiotics
• Adored Beast Healthy Gut has prebiotics and probiotics + digestive enzymes
• Adored Beast Gut Soothe has prebiotics and probiotics + inflammatory herbs

This video features Julie Lee of Adored Beast explaining the differences between their 3 products.

Canned Cat Food I Fed My Ragdoll Cats

My favorite wet cat food is a variety of brands and flavors so that they don’t get hung up on having the same thing. And, of course, cat food flavors and brands they will actually eat because, at the end of the day, if they aren’t eating, that’s a whole other problem.

My cats stopped eating canned in August 2022. When they did eat canned, these are some of the best wet cat foods they would eat:

• Farmina N&D Prime Boar & Apple Wet Cat Food 2.8oz
• Farmina N&D Pumpkin Boar & Apple Wet Cat Food 2.8oz
• Farmina N&D Pumpkin Duck Wet Cat Food 2.8oz
• Farmina N&D Pumpkin Quail Wet Cat Food 2.8oz
• Farmina N&D Quinoa Skin & Coat Duck Wet Cat Food 2.8oz
• Farmina N&D Quinoa Skin & Coat Quail Wet Cat Food 2.8oz
• Koha Limited Ingredient Duck Paté Wet Cat Food
• Koha Limited Ingredient Turkey Paté Wet Cat Food – 3oz
• Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Duck Grain-Free Shredded / Minced 3oz
• Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Cravings Duck & Chicken Recipe Wet Cat Food Pouch – 2.8oz
• Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Cravings Purrfect Pate – Duck & Chicken Wet Cat Food 2.8oz
• Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Cravings Savory Shreds – Chicken & Chicken Liver Wet Cat Food 2.8oz
• Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Cravings Savory Shreds – Chicken & Turkey Wet Cat Food 2.8oz

Freeze-Dried Raw to Try

I like to buy from companies like our local independent pet food store or Chewy. They will let me return opened food that my cats won’t eat while I am transitioning them to raw.

• Vital Essentials Duck Dinner Patties Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Cat Food, 8-oz bag
• Vital Essentials Turkey Dinner Patties Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Cat Food, 8-oz bag
• Vital Essentials Pork Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food, 8-oz bag

Additionally, I feed them mid-day freeze-dried treats – Whole Life Pet Treats.

Sometimes I use the Whole Life Pet treats as a topper and have been known to use Eden Foods Bonito Tuna Flakes on top of their food if they will not eat it.  I randomly also sprinkle Nutritional Yeast on their food to entice them to eat it. However, in July 2021, Charlie started having allergic reactions to fish, so I had to stop doing that.

Here are more brands and flavors I used to feed them. Sometimes Charlie and Trigg would stop eating a particular flavor, so I would take it out of our rotation and may or may not reintroduce it.

• Tiki Cat (grab a Tiki Cat Gourmet Whole Food 12-Pack 9-Flavor Variety Pack on Chewy to try it out)
• Wellness Signature Selects Grain Free Shredded Chicken & Chicken Liver Natural Wet Canned Cat Food
• Wellness Natural Grain Free Signature Selects Flaked Wet Cat Food Variety Pack Box
• Hounds and Gatos
• Nature’s Variety Rabbit
• Ziwi Peak Chicken
• Merrick Purrfect Bistro Chicken Pâté Canned Cat Food
• Merrick Purrfect Bistro Duck Pate Canned Cat Food
• Cornucopia
• Ziwi Peak – you can buy it from their website.
  • Rabbit & Lamb
  • Mackerel & Lamb
  • ZIWI Peak Provenance East Cape Canned Wet Cat Food
  • ZIWI Peak Provenance Hauraki Plains Canned Wet Cat Food
  • ZIWI Peak Provenance Otago Valley Canned Wet Cat Food
• Feline Natural
• Weruva (grab a Weruva Variety Pack Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Pack of 12, 3-ounce cans) on Chewy to try it out)
• Weruva Cats in the Kitchen
• Earthborn Holistic Catalina Catch Mackerel Dinner with Shrimp Wet Cat Food
• And others.
• I like other cat food brands, like Nature’s Logic, but they won’t eat it.  My brother’s cat will, though – so don’t eliminate it entirely.  You must find the brands, flavors, etc., that work for you and for your cat.

Changing Cat Food Flavors

When figuring out cat food flavors, I first buy two of every flavor. Then, I shop locally (or through websites or stores I can order online or over the phone by the can) to make sure the cats like the taste enough to get an entire case. I also sometimes share an order with my sister to split the cost and number of cans. Transitioning cat food flavors is a slow process. So be patient, and don’t rush the process.

Where to Buy Cat Food and Get Help.

Feeling overwhelmed? Want help in figuring out what cat food to buy? Try these fantastic stores – and you can talk to a knowledgeable person on the phone!

• Healthy Spot – Reader Kristie reported that you can buy individual cans of cat food here and have them shipped to you. This is an excellent option if you need a local store that carries food and want to try a new one without buying an entire case.
• Luke’s All Natural – 1-855-752-5853 – Luke’s is a locally owned pet store in south Florida that sells natural pet food and has a super knowledgeable staff.
• Only Natural Pet – 1-888-937-6677 – Only Natural Pet is a pet store in Boulder, CO, that sells natural pet food and has a super knowledgeable staff.

Where to Buy Cat Food in Bulk

• Amazon.com – Prime members get free and quick shipping on many canned and dry cat foods, including freeze-dried raw.
• Chewy.com – So many pet owners love and know about Chewy for their free shipping and quick shipment (usually arrives in 2 days).
• Luke’s All Natural – 1-855-752-5853 – Luke’s is a locally owned pet store in south Florida that sells natural pet food and has a super knowledgeable staff.
• Only Natural Pet – 1-888-937-6677 – Only Natural Pet is a pet store in Boulder, CO, that sells natural pet food and has a super knowledgeable staff. Use Only Natural Pet Promo Code “CANLOVE” 20% OFF all Cases of Canned Dog & Cat Food. This coupon is valid for one-time use and expires on 12/31/2019.
• Petflow.com – Like Chewy, PetFlow carries most major brands –  FREE shipping on orders over $49. I order from PetFlow.com monthly for the price, free shipping (no tax in my state of Kansas), and quick shipment (usually arrives in 2 days)
• Pet360 and other sites – I am subscribed to sites like Pet360 – they sometimes offer promo codes that make buying from them cheaper.
• How Floppycats’ readers get their cat food – be sure to read the comments!

List of Best Canned Cat Foods:

• Best Canned Cat Foods According to Liz Eastwood of the Natural Cat Care Blog
• Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM
• Susan Thixton’s TheTruthAboutPetFood.com’s The List

Many Ragdoll breeders and cat specialists do not recommend food made by Iams, Eukanuba (same company as Iams), Hills (Science Diet), Nutro, Purina, etc.

You might be interested in:

• Canned Cat Food Calculator
• Dry Matter & Carbohydrates Calculator

Raw Food for Cats

As I mentioned above, I believe a raw cat food diet is the best food for a cat. Many companies make pre-packaged raw cat food, so you do not have to make it yourself.

• Bravo (usually cheapest)
• Darwin’s Natural Pet Food
• Fetching Foods
• Hare Today
• Instinct (easiest to find)
• Primal (usually the most expensive)
• Raw Paws Pet Food – Save 10% On All Orders on Raw Paws Website  – Code RAWTAKE10
• Savage Cat Food
• Stella & Chewy’s (each batch tested for bacteria and salmonella)
• WAzzOR – raw delivery in OR and WA states.

If you decide to go the raw cat food diet route, avoid feeding dry and raw food simultaneously. Since dry cat food has many ingredients that aren’t needed, it takes longer for your kitty to digest.

However, with raw cat food, kitties use all the nutrients; therefore, they have fewer stools, less volume, and no smell! Also, when considering the raw cat food diet, never feed your cat cooked bones. Raw bones are soft and easy to digest, whereas cooked bones will splinter and will cause choking and/or death.

Cat Water Fountains:

An essential part of the feeding process is plenty of fresh water. Be sure to refresh your kitty’s water bowl daily, if not more frequently. Cats like to have fresh, clean water; in fact, many cats like ice cubes in their water dish because the ice cubes keep the water as fresh as possible. In addition, consider using a pet fountain because the water gets filtered and recycled. Read our cat water drinking fountain review.

Ceramic Cat Water Fountains:

• Glacier Point Fountains
• IPETTIE Ceramic Pet Drinking Fountain
• Pioneer Pet Raindrop Ceramic Drinking Fountain for Pets

Metal Cat Water Fountains:

• Drinkwell 360 Multiple Pet Drinking Fountain
• Pioneer Pet Stainless Steel Fountain Raindrop Design

• NautyPaws Cat Water Fountain Stainless Steel

Plastic Cat Fountains (don’t recommend these for kitties with acne problems):

• Catit Design Senses Fountain with Water Softening Cartridge
• Petmate Drinking Fountain
• Cat Mate Pet Fountain

When my Ragdoll cats were transitioned to wet only, they no longer had an interest in drinking water. That is because now that they are on wet food only, they get water with it. Therefore, I find fountains less important for wet food-only feeders.

Feed your kitty in a glass, ceramic, or stainless steel dish. This is because plastic dishes tend to hold bacteria and can cause cat acne.

Further Reading on Feline Nutrition

• The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care
• Compassion for Pets
• What Cats Should Eat: How to Keep Your Cat Healthy with Good Food