Best Dry Cat Food

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Dry cat food is very popular with cat owners, and there are many different variations, brands and flavours available. 

We will review some of the best dry cat food later on in this post, but if you are in a hurry then we have prepared this useful at a glance table for our top choices.

As discussed in our post on wet cat food, ensuring that your cat has a healthy and nutritious diet is one of the most important aspects of being a cat owner.

Most cat foods will be a variation of either wet cat food or dry cat food, but with so many choices available how to decide what to fill your cat’s bowl with?

We are concentrating on the best dry cat foods in the post, and some of the benefits of this type of food are:

Benefits of Dry Cat Food

1 - High in natural ingredients

It is important to remember that cats need a diet that is high in protein. This doesn’t mean they should exist entirely on scraps of ham, fish and chicken, as it is also important they have a balanced diet with carbohydrates and fibre included as well.

This means that the best dry cat foods should include a high level of natural ingredients such chicken, fish or turkey. This will make them tastier as well as good for your cat’s health. 

Although some ‘fillers’ are usually required to bind the food together these don’t have much nutritional value and should be kept to a minimum.

2 - Convenience

There is no doubt about it, dry cat food is much more convenient for cat owners as it is great value, it is easy to store and the bowl can be filled up a couple of times a day for ‘free feeding’.

This is a benefit as different cats will require different amounts of food during the day according to their age, health and activity. If they feed freely from a cat bowl it is easier to control different amounts of food rather than from a packet of wet cat food.

As dry cat food is slower to perish in the open air, this means that your cat can eat from the bowl when they are hungry, and although you will need to dispose of uneaten food on a regular basis, there is less likely to be wastage than with wet cat food which needs to be eaten soon after opening.

3 - Value

Dry cat food will generally be less expensive and better value than wet cat food. This is partly because wet cat food is usually purchased in individual pouches, which makes it more expensive to produce.

4 - Choice and quality

Almost all major cat food manufacturers will produce a number of different options of dry cat food, which means that there is a huge choice of products available.

You can select from a wide range of different flavours, including chicken, duck, salmon, turkey and many more - so you should be able to find a food that your cat enjoys.

5 - Your cat may prefer it

It is always worth experimenting with both wet cat food and dry cat food to see what your cat prefers. As with humans, a cat’s taste may change over time so although she may prefer wet food when she is a kitten she may then prefer dry food when she is older. 

Alternatively, some cats prefer a meal of wet food in the morning and to have dry food available to snack on throughout the day. It is only through trying a number of different types of food you will find her favourite.

One reason that some cat owners prefer to use wet cat food over dry food is that it contains more moisture. Although this is true, as long as you provide a source of fresh water close to her food, such as a good quality water fountain, then your cat should receive the hydration she requires.

How much Dry Cat Food should I be feeding my cat?

Dry cat food usually comes in a large box that can be stored in the cupboard, but as it is not divided into individual portions then it can be difficult to know how much to put in your cat’s bowl.

It is important not to overfeed your cat for obvious reasons, but it is just as important to make sure they have enough food available.

The amount of food that you should feed your cat will vary according to their age, health and activity levels. However, as a general rule you should feed a 3kg adult cat around 50g, a 4kg cat around 70g and a 5kg cat around 90g. You can control how much dry food your cat eats by using an automatic cat feeder, most of which are easy to use with dry cat food. One great option for an automatic feeder for dry food is the Cat Mate c3000 which we have reviewed in a separate article.

There should always be fresh drinking water available (try one of our recommended cat water fountains) when feeding a cat dry food and you should place her feeding bowl in a quiet place where she can relax away from her litter tray.

Best Dry Cat Food

As already mentioned, there are so many choices when it comes to dry cat food that it is difficult to know which brand or variation to select. We have reviewed some of our favourites to help with your choice, and we have taken into account nutritional content, taste, overall quality and value for money.

Purina ONE Adult Cat Food Chicken and Wholegrain

This is a high quality dry cat food that is packed with everything an adult cat should need to support their natural defences and provide good health.

The food has been developed by Purina vets and scientists so that it makes a visible difference to your cat’s health in terms of a shinier coat, higher energy levels, healthy skin and brighter eyes.

It is available in a number of different flavours, including the 6kg chicken and wholegrain variety which receives great reviews.

Go-Cat Adult Dry Cat Food Chicken and Duck

Go-Cat Adult Dry Cat Food is one of our recommendations as it provides a balanced meal for your cat with no added artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives.

This dry cat food provides excellent value for money and we have suggested this pack of which provides even more savings.

As well as a great flavour, the biscuits provide fibre from natural sources to promote a good digestion. The food is also high in protein and supports healthy teeth and bones with essential minerals and vitamin D.

Whiskas Complete Chicken Dry Cat Food

Whiskas produce consistently high quality cat food, and this is the case with their Whiskas complete chicken dry cat food.

It is different from most other dry cat foods in that it comprises of tasty pocket filled ‘kibbles’ which are crunchy on the outside but with a soft and delicious centre.

This food provides a nutritionally complete and balanced meal for your cat, using delicious ingredients that are high in protein.

It also includes Omega 6 fatty acids and zinc to support a healthy skin and coat, as well as helping to clean teeth with a gentle abrasing effect.

This is just one of the quality dry cat food options available from Whiskas, and is also formulated to help support urinary tract health.

Applelaws Complete Natural Dry Cat Food

Applaws have a great range of dry cat food and this food will be a favourite with your cat as it is made using high quality natural ingredients with only the finest cuts of meat or fish. There are also no additives or preservatives.

This means that the food is high in protein, which is what cat’s require, and it is also low in carbohydrates so it provides a tasty and balanced meal.

Applelaws Dry Cat Food will probably work out slightly more expensive on a per kg basis, but you really do get what you pay for in this case.

Crave Dry Cat Food

This is another good quality dry cat food which uses natural ingredients to produce a healthy and nutritious offering.

The food is high in protein as it is 60% meat, and is also free from maize, wheat, soya and dairy so it is good for cats with sensitive stomachs and digestion.

Crave Dry Cat Food is available in either Turkey with Chicken or Salmon with Whitefish, with both options high in flavour and natural proteins and without artificial colours or preservatives. There is more detailed review on Crave Cat Food elsewhere on this website.

They are supplied in convenient 750g pouches and make a great option when you are looking for the best dry cat food.

Summary

These are just a few of the great options available when you are looking for the best dry cat food for your cat, with many brands (including Lily's Kitchen) offering food which is high in protein and good for their health.

There are also some dry cat foods which have a specific formula and are specifically designed for cats with diabetes. You can read more about these on our post concentrating on the best diabetic cat food. 

As every cat is different, tastes will vary so you may have to experiment with a few different options - however with so much choice available you should be able to find a food that will keep your cat happy and healthy.