Choosing quality dry cat food for your feline friend is important for her overall health and well-being. We know it’s difficult to distinguish the great from the subpar options. This guide contains all the basics you need to know to pick the best dry cat food.
Our favorite option is Blue Buffalo Wilderness High-Protein Grain-Free Dry Cat Food . This high-quality dry cat food is designed to meet the nutritional needs of cats as obligate carnivores. What to know before you buy a dry cat food Cats are carnivores, which means their diets should consist exclusively or predominantly of meat.
While this is rare in commercial cat food, it’s best to pick one with a high protein content as possible. The absolute minimum protein content a dry cat food should contain is 26%, but ideally, choose one with 30% protein or more. Some options have more than 40% protein.
It can be difficult to quantify the ingredient quality of cat food simply by looking at the package, but there are some signs to watch for. Quality foods generally contain named whole meats or meat meals as well as fruits, vegetables, and some carbohydrate sources. Poor-quality foods contain animal byproducts, and unnamed meats, meat meals, or other animal products (for instance “animal fat”).
They may also contain too many grains or other starchy fillers. Cats 1 year and older should eat adult dry cat food , with cats younger than one year sticking to kitten food. As your cat ages, it may benefit from senior cat food, .