Choosing the best cat food for your feline friend is a very important decision. I have compiled a list of the top 8 best wet food for cats that adhere to strict rules to ensure your cat is fit and healthy. Take a look to find out more!
When I first got a cat I had no idea there were so many things that you had to look for if you want your cat to be fit and healthy. To make matters worse I have a cat with quite a sensitive stomach (to say the least) so I didn’t have the options available to every cat owner. After months of research I have compiled this list of the very best wet food for cats to make it easy for you to choose. I have also recently finished listing and recommending the very best dry food for cats as well, so take a look here.
The VERY BEST Wet Food For Cats
Nature’s Variety Instinct Original 
Instinct Original tops this list and, for me, is the best wet food for cats. The Instinct line of products follow all of our ingredient guidelines and is made in the USA.
What I also like is that Instinct Original uses cage free chickens and has absolutely no carbohydrate fillers to pad out the calories.
Surprisingly, even my extremely fussy cat loves Instinct Original. He’s a healthier, happier cat with a soft shiny coat and plenty of energy. See full review here.
Why Instinct Original is the Best Wet Food For Cats
High in animal protein
Good for sensitive stomachs
Vitamins from fruit and veg
Made in the USA
Key Buying Guide Points
When searching for the best wet food for your cat, you’ll want to be sure that the ingredients are of the best quality. To help you, I’ve narrowed down the top foods on the market and included them in my list.
Every single cat food I’ve mentioned follows these guidelines:
| The first two ingredients must be meat. |
There’s no potato in the food. |
| The food is grain free. |
All of the food is packaged in tins. |
| No artificial colors |
No artificial preservatives |
| No poisonous ingredients such as garlic or onion |
Only named meat in the ingredients |
Top 5 Comparison Chart
The comparison chart below shows all of the pros and cons between the top 5 wet cat foods. I’ve also gone into more detail about the next top 7 wet cat foods underneath so you can make the best informed decision before buying your kitty’s next meal!
Instinct Original Nutrisca Ziwi Peak Crave Tiki Gourmet
Grain Free
Made in the U.S.A.
Thailand
New Zealand
Thailand
Mulitple Flavours
Food Type Pate Broth Chunky Loaf Pate Broth
Suitable For All Ages
Buy Now!
7 More Quality Wet Foods For Cats
Nutrisca Truly Flaked 
Most cats love tuna and salmon, and Nutrisca’s Truly Flaked range delivers on flavour and texture, having plenty of different fish options to choose from .
The savory broth and real chunks of seafood give your cat a tasty meal that they’ll demolish in no time. The added prebiotics will help your cat’s digestion and immune system.
Thankfully, Nutrisca Truly Flaked tins can be refrigerated for up to a week. However, the tins are an irregular shape – they won’t fit most can covers but the food will do just fine in a plastic container. See full review here.
| Key Information About Nutrisca Truly Flaked | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Added Prebiotics | | Stays Fresh for a Week |
| Chunky Seafood |  | Packaging is Irregular |
Ziwi Peak Cat Cuisine 
Ziwi Peak is a great ethical company, who really understand that quality ingredients make such a difference to your cat’s health. Their meat is free-range and grass-fed, their seafood is sustainably caught and it’s all 100% sourced from New Zealand.
Ziwi Peak’s canned cat food includes natural added vitamins from kelp and New Zealand Green Mussel, as well as being high in Omega 3 and 6, and having a lower fat content than many other brands.
It may be slightly more expensive than some other brands, but it really is in a class of it’s own when it comes to produce. See full review here.
Key Information About Ziwi Peak
High Moisture Content
Quality New Zealand Produce
High in Omega 3 and 6
Slightly More Expensive
Crave Wet Cat Food Trays 
With real chicken as the number one ingredient, Crave’s wet cat food trays offer a high percentage of protein which is key to keep your cat lean and healthy.
The soft pâté is moist and doesn’t smell too strong. When I feed my cats Crave I know that their box isn’t going to be too pungent!
Being in trays instead of regular cans, some of the juice may try to escape when you open the lid. I like that they are split into separate portions though so you don’t have to worry about storing food that’s already been opened.
Crave have added some really tasty broths to these trays so the cats go mad for it!
Key Information About Crave Wet Cat Food Trays
No Chicken By-product Meal
Very High Quality Protein
No Smelly Bowels
Difficult to Open
Tiki Cat Gourmet Whole Food
Although Tiki Cat Gourmet Whole Food is made in Thailand, it is very highly regarded across the world as being a leader for high protein, healthy and very good quality wet food for cats.
Tiki Cat comes in a consomme which means it is very moist which definetely helps with digestion and taste. I actually prefer this method to a broth as sometimes broths can be too watery.
Strangely one of the downsides is the chunks of meat can sometimes be very large. If you have a small cat then they might not like this however if you have a beast then Tiki Cat is the way forward! See full review here.
| Key Information About Tiki Cat Gourmet | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Comsomme Texture | | Cats Love The Taste! |
| Good Digestion | | Large Chunks of Meat |
WholeHearted All Life Stages
The WholeHearted range goes above and beyond my strict list of guidelines. All of the Flaked in Gravy flavours are super healthy and delicious.
I noticed this food has plenty of gravy, which went down really well with my cats. The flakes are soft and a good size, which is even more ideal for older cats or even kittens.
The cans are smaller than average but if you have a cat with a small appetite then they’re perfect for avoiding waste. My cats don’t need more than a can and are always full afterwards.
In saying that, these cans are also a lot cheaper than many other grain-free and high-quality wet cat foods so if your cat needed more then it won’t break the bank.
| Key Information About WholeHearted All Life Stages | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Bite-Sized Flakes | | Perfect For All Life Stages |
| Plenty of Gravy | | Smaller Than Average Cans |
Wellness CORE Classic Pâté 
Wellness Core comes in a dense pate type food that seems to really fill up my two cats bellies. On other types of food they sometimes finish it very quickly and kind of look at you like ‘is there more?’ Not with Wellness Core.
The top 6 ingredients are meat products which is fantastic. My guide looks for the top 2 ingredients to be meat products so that really puts this food into perspective.
Wellness Core also have a very nice side project called WellPet Foundation which uses some of their profits for charities etc. It’s a nice touch I think.
I did find that the food does not last long after opening it, it goes crusty after 12 or so hours unsealed. Lastly there are a lot of reviews about poor packaging, I did not have this issue but something to think about.
| Key Information About Wellness Core Classic Pate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 6 Ingredients are Meat Products | | Supports A Good Cause |
| Fills Cats Bellies | | Possible Delivery Issues |
Nutro Perfect Portions
This food literally does what it says on the tin – it really is the perfect portion. My cats are pretty average in size so if you do have a monster then there is a possibility the packs could be too small. If your cat does need more than one pack, it can work out to be quite expensive.
I personally love the size because it means that a whole portion is being eaten every meal time, so they always get fresh food.
This is another great example of a high-moisture wet food. My cats love the texture and it really does help with hydration, especially if you have a feline who doesn’t drink enough.
| Key Information About Nutro Perfect Portions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfect Portion Size | | Fresh Every Time |
| High Moisture Levels | | Can Be Expensive For Larger Cats |
Complete Buying Guide Information
When looking to buy the best cat food, your primary concern should be your cat’s health and well being. Of course, there are other factors to consider to – such as taste and texture preferences and your own budget.
The list I’ve put together includes very high-quality cat food brands, and they all offer a good, balanced meal for your pet. Whether you’re buying your kitten food or your senior cat food, you’ll want to make sure that it’s completely right for their needs!
Cheap cat food will often not include the best ingredients. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be spending hundreds of dollars each month on your feline friends – you just need to know what to look for and how to get the best value for money!
Another important note to remember is that it is probably best that you do actually buy it rather than making your own homemade cat food. It’s very difficult and time-consuming to include all of the right nutrients, and you wouldn’t want to make your own cat sick! A healthy cat food will incorporate everything you could add, and more, so it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
Why Wet Food Is Important For Your Cat
Cats are carnivores. In the wild, they exist on meat which is fresh and nutritious. As a pet, your cat should get the same quality of food – if not better! Wet food mimics the natural diet of cats, so it’s usually easier to find one that they enjoy.
Wet cat food comes in tins, packets or sachets. It’s often tastier than dry, as it’s full of moisture – think of all the gravies and broths that land in the bowl. Many cats don’t drink enough water, so wet food is a great way of hydrating your pet.
There are less carbohydrates in wet food, and there tends to be a higher percentage of fat and protein – great for bone and muscle growth!
What You Should Look For When You Next Buy Cat Food
The packaging on cat food can be confusing and misleading, so you should know what to look out for. Don’t be swayed by fancy writing and fluffy claims – you need to know the facts!
Here are my guidelines on choosing between the best cat food brands on the market:
The first two ingredients must be meat.
The healthiest cat food has a good proportion of meat in it. The earlier you see an ingredient, the higher the percentage of it so you know the product is good if meat is high up on the list!
Every product is grain free cat food.
Grains such as wheat, corn and rice often play havoc with your cat’s tummy, which results in a poorly cat and a sad owner who has to clean the litter box!
There’s no potato in the food.
Potato is often added as a carbohydrate filler in order to pad out the food and make you think you’re getting a good deal because your cat eats less of it. Remember, cats are carnivores!
Everything is canned cat food.
However well the company has masked the odour of wet cat food, leaving an empty packet in your bin will eventually start to smell. With a tin, you can easily rinse it out after use which will eliminate any whiff of stale food!
There are no artificial colours or preservatives added.
Preservatives are essential to keep any food product from spoiling, and it’s no different with pet food. However, these should all be natural, such as Vitamin E and C. Added colors may improve the rich meaty brown appearance of food but if the ingredients are good enough, there should be no need to add colors!
There are no poisonous ingredients such as garlic.
Harmless to humans but bad for your cat, garlic should never be found on the food that you buy. Garlic might cause anaemia and although not deadly, it’s not something you want to put your cat through.
There is only named meat in the ingredients.
When you see the word ‘meat’ in an ingredient list, stay clear. You should only see named meat that you recognise, for example chicken, turkey or duck. Otherwise, you don’t actually know what your cat is eating!
When picking between the best wet cat food brands, think carefully about what you’re feeding your kitty. Use my guidelines to get the best ingredients and remember not to fall for misleading advertising claims. Don’t spend money on a product with fun and fancy packaging if the first ingredient is rice! Lastly, test out different foods over a long period of time to find the one most suitable for your pet.
