Lucky for cat owners looking for the best natural cat food, there are so many top-quality cat food brands available today that are made of 100% natural ingredients and free of chemicals and artificial ingredients.
In this guide, we will discuss 5 of the best natural cat food brands, both dry and wet so that cat parents can make an informed choice.
Just in case you are in a hurry, click on our short summary below to view our Top 5 reviewed products for the best high calorie cat food for weight gain:
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness Natural Cat Food
- Purina Beyond Grain Free Natural Wet Cat Food
- Rachael Ray Nutrish SuperFood Premium Dry Cat Food
- Purina Fancy Feast Natural Wet Cat Food
- Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Cat Food
Best Natural Cat Food – 2022 Top 5 Picks
1. Our Editor’s Pick: Blue Buffalo Cat Food, Natural Chicken Recipe, Wilderness High Protein, Adult Dry Cat Food, 12 lb bag
Blue Buffalo Wilderness premium cat food is made using natural, high-quality, pasture-fed chicken, antioxidant-rich berries, and also complex carbohydrates.
It contains 30% protein and it is 100% grain-free.
Additionally, It is packed with Omega 3 essential fatty acids to support a healthy weight, maintain joint and eye health, and also give your pet a glossy coat.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness premium cat food contains exclusive Lifesource Bits® which include essential vitamins, minerals, and other anti-oxidant rich nutrients.
These support healthy muscles, skin, coat and also boost the immune system.
It also includes taurine to support feline heart and eye health.
What we love about it
- Fresh vegetables and fruits along with real meat as the first ingredient
- Grain-free
- Supports immune system and maintains eye and heart health
- Enhances coat condition
- Supports weight loss in obese cats
- Most cats love the flavour and scent of the food
What we don’t like about it
- The hard pellets may be difficult to chew for cats with dental issues. You may have to soften the food using some liquid.
- REAL CHICKEN IS THE FIRST INGREDIENT: BLUE Wilderness dry cat food is made to unleash your cat’s wild side with high quality deboned chicken to satisfy their carnivorous cravings and maintain lean muscle
- GRAIN FREE FOR SENSITIVE STOMACHS: Treat your cat to the finest natural ingredients with a dry cat food made without chicken or poultry by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy or preservatives
- THE PERFECT BALANCE OF FLAVOR AND NUTRITION: Omega-3 & 6 fatty acids help promote a shiny coat and healthy skin, while carefully balanced calories from proteins and fat help maintain healthy body weight
- CONTAINS IMMUNITY-BOOSTING LIFESOURCE BITS: LifeSource Bits contain a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to support immune system health, life stage needs and a healthy oxidative balance
- NOURISHMENT IN EVERY BAG: Contains one 12-lb. bag of BLUE Wilderness High Protein Natural Dry Cat Food, Chicken Recipe
2. Purina Beyond Grain Free, (12) 3 oz. Cans, Natural Gravy Wet Cat Food, Grain Free Chicken, Beef & Carrot Recipe
Purina best natural wet cat food is devoid of chemicals, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, poultry by-product meals, corn, wheat, or soy.
It is also made with natural chicken,beef, and fresh natural carrots.
Purina is always known to combine nutrition and taste, that is why cats and their humans love this grain-free cat food.
This recipe is also free from gluten making it suitable for sensitive cats.
In addition, vets and nutritionists select each and every ingredient in this gravy style cat food is carefully and can trace back to trusted sources.
What we love about it
- Fresh ingredients
- Excellent flavor and taste
- Great food for sensitive cats
What we don’t like about it
- Small portion sizes.
- Some cans contained dry to semi-moist chunks of gravy. You may have to add some liquid to make it wet.
- High protein cat food with natural prebiotic fiber.
- Purina Beyond cat food in gravy crafted with cage-free chicken raised without steroids or hormones along with real beef (Federal regulations prohibit the use of steroids or hormones in poultry)
- High protein wet cat food gravy with no corn, soy, poultry-by-product meal, or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
- Natural wet cat food in gravy with added vitamins, minerals and nutrients along with accents of carrots
- Good for your pet, good for the planet. Beyond high protein canned cat food crafted in U.S. facilities, where we’re working on improvements in water use efficiency and waste reduction
3. Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete Premium Natural Dry Cat Food, Chicken with Lentils & Salmon Recipe, 14 Pounds (Packaging May Vary)
Rachel Ray has worked with top veterinary experts and cat nutritionists to formulate this natural dry cat food using farm-raised chicken as the number one ingredient.
This delicious cat food also contains vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy taurine.
You won’t find any corn, soy, or wheat in this best natural dry cat food.
Rachel Ray Nutrish also contains superfoods like fiber-rich lentils, natural pumpkin, dandelion greens, and anti-oxidant rich berries.
It even has salmon to meet all the nutritional needs of indoor cats.
What we like about it
- Natural and fresh ingredients to support digestion
- Antioxidants help in immunity building
- Small kibble size is easy to chew and swallow
- Crispy crunchy kibble that cats love
- Great flavor and scent loved by most cats
What we don’t like about it
- Cats love it so much that it could result in weight gain!
- Contains one (1) 14-pound bag of Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete Natural Premium Dry Cat Food (Packaging May Vary)
- Small kibble is easy to chew and swallow, keeping the crisp, crunchy texture and big flavor and Real salmon, wholesome lentils, and unique Superfood Blend helps support dietary needs of indoor cats.
- Natural prebiotics from pumpkin for a healthy digestive tract and Natural food for adult cats includes added vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
- Real farm-raised chicken as the #1 ingredient and Antioxidant-rich berries help support a healthy immune system.
- No added poultry by-product meals or fillers, ground corn, wheat or soy ingredients, artificial flavors or preservatives.
4. Purina Fancy Feast Wet Cat Food Variety Pack Gourmet Naturals Seafood - (Pack of 30) 3 oz. Cans
Fancy Feast Gourmet Naturals best natural wet cat food is formulated without artificial ingredients, preservatives, colors, or flavors.
Each can in this assorted pack contains tender grilled cuts cooked in gravy with real salmon, shrimp, tuna, or trout.
This high-quality cat food also contains vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients.
Furthermore, you won’t find any soy, wheat, corn, or other fillers in this premium cat food.
What we love about it
- Natural, fresh ingredients without chemicals or artificial stuff
- Balanced cat food for optimal nutrition for adult cats
- Variety of textures and assorted flavors to please picky eaters
- Ideal portion sizes
What we don’t like about it
- Some cats refused to come near this food
- Tuna, wild Alaskan salmon and shrimp, trout and tuna pate and wild Alaskan salmon pate are featured in these mouthwatering adult cat food recipes with natural ingredients
- These cat food gravy or pate cat food recipes provide 100 percent complete and balanced nutrition for adult cats and includes added vitamins, minerals and nutrients
- Fancy Feast wet cat food is made without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and contains no corn or soy
- This recipe is a nutrient-rich source of protein to support muscle health and includes real fish for cats
- Soft canned cat food texture that’s easy for cats to eat, featuring a delectable taste cats love
5. Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Green Pea & Duck | Grain-Free Dry Adult Cat Food | 2-lb. Bag
Natural Balance natural cat food is perfect for cat parents who wish to keep things simple or have cats with food sensitivities.
By purposely limiting the number of ingredients in this food, pet owners can choose what to feed their cat.
Moreover, this best natural dry cat food from contains real duck protein and organically grown peas that provide fiber and enhance digestion.
The food is also fortified with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support overall feline health and well-being.
Moreover, there are no artificial fillers, corn, soy, potatoes, wheat, or other unnecessary ingredients.
What we like about it
- High-quality limited ingredients
- Excellent flavor and scent which most cats love
- Beneficial for cats with food sensitivities
What we don’t like about it
- Some picky cats refused to eat this food.
- Contains (1) 2 pound bag of dry cat food
- Grain-free, limited ingredient diet with a single animal protein source
- Helps minimize the number of ingredients cats are exposed to
- Duck is a high-quality protein that helps maintain strong muscles
- Supports healthy skin and a shiny coat
What Is Natural Cat Food?
Natural cat food uses only natural ingredients which are meats, vegetables, fruits that are grown without chemicals.
The meat in the food is obtained from farm-raised animals and the fish in it is wild-caught.
In addition, the poultry in the food is devoid of growth hormones or antibiotics.
Also, it is also free from any filler ingredients like corn, wheat, soy, and other allergens.
You also won’t find any chemicals, preservatives, colors, dyes, flavors, etc in these foods.
These ingredients are grown under strict guidelines without the environmental impacts associated with chemical pesticide, fertilizer production, and application.
It can come in different forms such as dry, wet, canned, moist, semi-moist, or even frozen.
It is also pack in 100% recyclable or biodegradable packaging.
Cat parents must note that just because a food says it is natural, does not necessarily mean that it can meet your cat’s nutritional needs.
So, one must always read the food labels and, if in doubt, must not hesitate to check with a vet if a particular brand of cat food is right for their pet.
Benefits Of Feeding Natural Cat Food
If you go natural with your cat’s diet, your pet is likely to reap many health benefits:
A. Boosted immune system
Natural food contains nearly 50-80% more antioxidants compared to regular food.
Antioxidants include vitamins and minerals that fight free radicals, boost the immune system, and can even lower the rate of certain cancers in pets.
Thus, feeding a high-quality natural diet to a cat has the potential to decrease the risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease, allergies, osteoporosis, and even hyperactivity in cats.
Natural foods also contain qualitatively higher levels of essential minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and chromium that severely depletes in chemically-grown foods grown using pesticides and nitrate-fertilizer abused soils.
B. Improved overall health and well-being
Natural cat food does not contain chemical additives, flavor enhancers like MSG, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, etc, all of which are known to cause weight gain, heart disease, and also other health issues in cats.
Regular cat foods are filled with mercury and preservatives like sodium nitrate and sodium benzoate which are known to cause symptoms such as dizziness and loss of balance and coordination in cats.
Toxins in regular cat food are hard to digest and the kidneys and other excretory organs have to work overtime in order to remove them from the body.
With regular consumption of poor-quality cat food, your cat is more likely to develop health issues in time.
C. Better weight-management
Since natural cat food is a lot easier to digest as compared to non-natural food and since your pet is receiving all the vital nutrients it needs, it might have to eat less owing to fewer deficiencies in the body.
Thus, natural cat treats and cat food are a better choice if you want your pet to stay in shape.
Important Factors To Consider When Selecting High-Quality Natural Cat Food
Here are some factors to consider when selecting the best natural cat food:
A. Your cat’s weight and age
As your pet grows, its nutritional needs change.
While some cats tend to gain weight as they grow older, others start losing weight and becoming skinnier.
Both these factors can impact the choice of natural cat food.
Speak to your vet and select the right brand of natural food to overcome nutritional deficiencies and support weight management.
B. Your pet’s existing health
If your cat has underlying health conditions, they can impact the kind of food you need to feed.
This can include choosing between natural wet/dry food and also the ingredients.
For example, some cats may be sensitive to certain proteins like duck, chicken, etc.
In such a case, you may have to select fish, bison, venison, or other gentler protein.
Likewise, a cat with kidney disease may require special low phosphorus natural food.
A cat could also have loose or broken teeth which could make eating hard kibble painful.
For such cats, owners may have no choice but to select softer natural wet cat food only.
C. Your pet’s taste preferences
Cats can sometimes be rather picky eaters.
Some hate dry food and prefer gravy or pâté texture instead.
On the other hand, there are cats with a preference for crunchy and crispy kibble.
These preferences can also impact your decision about selecting the best natural dry cat food or the best natural wet cat food.
D. Your budget
Let’s face it.
High-quality cat food can be expensive and high-quality natural cat food even more expensive too.
Therefore, your spending plan can also impact your decision about the brand of cat food.
FAQs
A. What is the difference between natural and organic cat food?
Environmentally-sound methods is use to prepare organic cat foods.
They include farm-fresh fruits and vegetables along with locally-raised, farm-raised, free-ranging, or wild-caught meats.
Organic eggs, meats, and dairy products are devoid of hormones and antibiotics.
Natural foods are foods that do not contain artificial or synthetic ingredients, preservatives, chemicals, filler products, by-products, or additives.
B. Is feeding natural cat food better?
Natural cat food can give your pet a sense of satiety and fullness that unnatural or chemically made foods cannot.
High-quality cat food can provide your pet with the vital nutrients it needs for optimal health and well-being.
Feeding your cat the best natural wet or dry cat food prevents many feline diseases.
C. What are some of the harmful Ingredients in your cat’s food?
According to Anitra Frazier and Norma Eckroate, the authors of Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide, many regular cat foods tend to contain harmful ingredients like BHA, BHT, propyl gallate, nitrates, ethoxyquin, sodium benzoate, and mercury.
These are chemicals which, in sufficient amounts, can be toxic to cats.
In minute quantities, their damage builds up slowly and may be hard to measure.
Moreover, many of these chemicals are so dangerous that they are not permitted in human foods.
Conclusion
To sum up there is no doubt that feeding the best natural cat food to your cat is the best way to prevent diseases and keep your pet healthy for years to come.
We recommend the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Natural Cat Food as it is devoid of grains, chemicals, and preservatives.
In addition, it is rich in vital nutrients that support feline health.
You can also choose one of the best natural wet cat food brands recommended in the list above.
Are you interested to switch to the best raw cat food for your beloved cat?
If yes, we are recommending the best raw cat food along with all the tips you need to help your pet get started on the raw diet for cats.
