10 Best Budget Cat Foods – 2024 Reviews and Top Picks

We don’t always have tons of money to spend on our cat’s food. While many cat owners would love to purchase premium tuna and caviar for their furry friend, that just isn’t practical for most families.

Luckily, some budget cat foods are high-quality.

When you’re purchasing budget cat food, you will have to compromise somewhere. No top-shelf cat food is going to be cheap! The key is knowing where to compromise and still end up with quality food for your feline.

In this article, we’ll help you learn how to do just that. Our reviews cover some of the best budget cat foods on the market, while our buyer’s guide will help you pick the best option for your feline.

A Glance At Our Favorites in 2024

The 10 Best Budget Cat Foods

1. Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend with Real Chicken – Best Overall

When we consider the best overall budget cat food, Purina One Tender Selects Blend immediately came to mind. This cat food uses highly digestible ingredients and is affordable on many different budgets. All in all, it wins for both price and quality.

The one thing we didn’t like about this recipe is that it does contain a lot of ingredients that could upset sensitive cats, particularly if they have an allergy to chicken. However, it will work generally well for most healthy adults.

However, if your cat already has any problems with constipation, this probably isn’t the right recipe for them. It doesn’t contain a high amount of fiber. Overall though, we love the whole ingredients and affordability and it’s from a very reputable brand.

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2. Purina Cat Chow Naturals – Best Value

If you love Purina but want the brand’s most natural option, think about Purina Cat Chow Naturals. This is an indoor formula explicitly designed for cats that never touch the grass. So, if you have strictly indoor cats, we think this is the best budget cat food for the money.

This recipe is full of high-quality protein, valuable vitamins and minerals, and plentiful fatty acids. It is explicitly designed with natural ingredients that nourish your cat’s body. What we really love about this recipe is that it contains none of those unnecessary artificial dyes. You might notice many cat kibbles are colored primarily red, yellow, and green. These dyes can be very harmful to our kitties, so this is totally free of all the nasty stuff.

The target of this meal is to control unnecessary weight gain due to limited exercise. Sometimes, our indoor buddies don’t get that calorie burn they need—so Purina Naturals is here to help! However, it won’t be suitable for cats with a chicken allergy.

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3. Taste of the Wild Canyon River – Premium Choice

We love Taste of the Wild Canyon River if you are looking at the quality and don’t mind paying a little extra for cat food that is still affordable overall. It is a protein-dense diet that works so well for athletic cats—but not so much for sedentary cats, as it could cause weight gain.

This recipe has an incredible list of ingredients. It contains superfoods such as blueberries that are packed with valuable antioxidants.

The entire purpose of this recipe is to give cats a dry kibble option for a more species-specific meal. There are also a slew of natural prebiotics and probiotics that can improve overall gut health and make your cat very healthy.

All in all, we certainly think it’s worth the money. However, it likely won’t work with very limited budgets, so keep pricing in mind.

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4. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Chicken – Best for Kittens

Blue Buffalo is always making great products, even for younger kitties. This particular recipe, Blue Buffalo Wilderness, is designed for growing kittens to get them through their early months. Not only does this recipe contain delicious ingredients, but it also contains meaty bits your cat will drool over!

These small bits are softer portions that will enhance your cat’s appetite. Blue Buffalo always uses real meat as the number one ingredient. This recipe contains a great portion of protein, fruits, vegetables, and grains. It contains developmental ingredients like DHA, ARA, amino acids, and omega fatty acids. Plus, it contains a bounty of antioxidants.

So, if you’re looking for a wholesome recipe to get you through your cat’s first year of life, you should consider this formula—we think it’s pretty top-notch for the price. It is still a little pricey, but when you think about the fact that kittens aren’t going to eat as much as an adult cat, this food will go a long way for the price while still giving your kitten high-quality nutrition.

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5. Purina Cat Chow Sensitive Stomach Gentle Dry Cat Food

If your cat has a sensitive stomach and you’re on a budget, Purina Cat Chow Sensitive Stomach Gentle Dry Cat Food could be the answer to your problem. This recipe contains natural prebiotic fiber to support healthy digestion while also promoting healthy skin and coat.

The protein content in this food is exceptional, and this recipe contains plenty of vitamins and minerals for a well-balanced diet. The fiber content also helps the body with digestion and reduces vomiting and diarrhea in cats. However, although the main flavor is turkey, it does still contain some chicken, which won’t be good for cats with chicken allergies.

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6. Fancy Feast Classic Seafood Variety Canned Cat Food

Fancy Feast is a well-known budget cat food brand out there. They provide great value for the price, which is why the Fancy Feast Classic Seafood Feast Variety Pack Canned Cat Food ended up so high on our list.

The first ingredient of the cod recipe is cod – like you would expect. The other recipes included have similar ingredients. For instance, the salmon recipe features salmon as the first ingredient.

The following few ingredients are meat but slightly lower quality. Fish is included second. While this does boost the protein and fat content, we don’t exactly know what kind of fish it is. The listing is a bit vague, which could mean that the ingredient is lower-quality. Liver is also included. Organ meats are typically quite nutritious. But, again, we don’t exactly know what kind of liver is included.

Meat by-products are listed as the fourth ingredient. This additive is mystery meat. We don’t know what animal it came from or exactly what the ingredient contains since by-products can be several things.

Still, this cheap cat food is nutritionally complete and includes whole meat as the first ingredient, which is better than most budget cat foods.

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7. Iams ProActive Health Adult Hairball Care Dry Cat Food

Surprisingly, Iams is pretty high-quality cat food for those on a budget. Their Iams ProActive Health Adult Hairball Care Dry Cat Food formula includes chicken as the first ingredient. This is a solid option for many cats and is also quite inexpensive, which is why you find it in many budget cat foods.

Chicken by-product meal is included as the second ingredient. This ingredient isn’t as high-quality as other options. There is simply no way to tell what by-products are included. They may be anything from high-quality organ meats to feathers – which don’t have any nutritional content.

While the description of this food lists salmon, this doesn’t appear until much further down on the list. It does bring up the omega fatty acid content, though.

This formula is higher in fiber than most. This feature is essential for overweight felines, as it helps them stay full and therefore eat less. It is also a good idea for nearly any cat, especially considering that most felines are overweight.

All Iams formulas are made in the USA.

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8. SPORTMiX Wholesomes Chicken & Rice Adult Dry Cat Food

While it may not be as popular as other cat food brands, SPORTMiX Wholesomes Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Adult Dry Cat Food is a high-quality, budget option.

It includes chicken meal as the first ingredient. This ingredient is crafted by cooking down a whole chicken and removing much of the moisture content. Therefore, it is more nutrient-dense per ounce than a whole chicken.

This ingredient is listed first means that this formula likely includes a lot of animal-based protein.

This formula is entirely corn, wheat, and soy-free. It also doesn’t contain any peas, which is uncommon for budget cat foods. High-moisture meats also aren’t used.

Omega-3s and omega-6 fatty acids are included to protect your cat’s skin and coat. They are advertised to reduce shedding, though the scientific evidence on this isn’t clear.

The main negative of this food is its slightly increased price. However, if you can afford something on the upper end of the budget range, we highly recommend this brand.

It does include some less-than-stellar ingredients, like rice flour. But these are often included in dry foods to help all the ingredients stick together.

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9. Cat Chow Indoor Hairball & Healthy Weight Dry Cat Food

Cat Chow is extremely inexpensive. It is one of the cheapest brands on the market. However, their recipes aren’t the best – as you might expect. Their Cat Chow Indoor Hairball & Healthy Weight Dry Cat Food isn’t the best food out there, but it is a popular option for cat owners on a budget.

The first ingredient is chicken by-product meal. While it is nice to see a meat product as the first ingredient, this is a lower-quality ingredient. By-products could be anything. They could be nutrient-rich, or they could be filler. Some by-products are nutrient-rich organ meats and cartilage, while others are just feathers.

You have no idea what this ingredient is – except that it comes from a chicken.

The other ingredients aren’t high-quality, either. Soy four and corn gluten meal are not ingredients that most cats would choose to eat.

With that said, this is a nutritionally complete option for your feline. It includes all the necessary added vitamins and minerals. The protein content is so-so at 30%, but many felines can get away with that protein level.

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10. Friskies Ocean Favorites with Natural Salmon Dry Cat Food

We only recommend Friskies Ocean Favorites with Natural Salmon Dry Cat Food for those who need very inexpensive cat food. This recipe is nutritionally complete and can keep your cat alive. However, the ingredients are very low quality. That’s how they’re keeping the cost so low, after all.

Don’t let the name fool you – there is practically no salmon in this food. Instead, the main ingredients are corn and wheat. As you might imagine, these are not the best ingredients for our felines. They were designed to thrive on a diet full of meat, not grains.

The only meat source in the first five ingredients is poultry by-product meal, which is also low-quality. We don’t know precisely what by-products were used, nor do we know the exact type of poultry it comes from. This ingredient is very close to being mystery meat.

With that said, this formula is free from artificial flavors and preservatives. It also includes antioxidants and omega fatty acids, though in small amounts.

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Budget & Cheap Cat Food

Buying a budget cat food is a big balancing act. On the one hand, you don’t want to purchase premium food that is way out of your budget. On the other hand, you don’t want to choose a food that lacks and doesn’t meet all your cat’s nutritional needs.

While providing our feline companions with high-quality food is paramount, selecting the right food and water bowl is equally important. The modern yet practical design of our Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl combines cat-catered features, like whisker-friendly shallow dishes and slight elevation, with a contemporary style aimed at protecting your floors from messy eating and drinking. The NomNom is entirely dishwasher safe and was thoughtfully created with your cat’s health and well-being in mind. 

In this portion of the article, we’ll help you choose where you can safely cut corners and save, as well as where it is best to stay firm.

Meat Ingredients

When you’re purchasing budget cat food, you’re going to run across brands with low-quality meat ingredients. Because our cats are designed to eat mostly meat, the type of meat included is vital.

There is little value in a premium, boutique meat like bison over chicken or another common ingredient. Therefore, feel free to save money by choosing a food containing chicken or beef instead of something “fancy.”

Meat meals are a great option as well. They’re more nutritionally dense than whole meat, as they have had the nutrient content removed.

You should avoid brands that don’t have meat as the first ingredient. This doesn’t necessarily have to be whole meat, but it should be some type of meat.

By-products aren’t always harmful and can’t always be avoided in budget cat foods. However, they should not be the primary source of protein, preferably. The main issue is that you don’t know what by-products are.

Avoid unknown meat ingredients where possible. If something says “meat by-product meal,” there is absolutely no way to know what that ingredient is. It could be anything!

The Brand

Who makes the food is essential. For instance, while Purina has been in the pet food business a very long time, they have very few serious recalls. Their foods are likely safer.

However, many small brands sell themselves as higher-quality but have far more recalls – like Blue Buffalo.

Don’t distrust a company just because it is bigger. Your first goal should be to choose safe food for your feline.

All of this leads to safer food for your feline.

AAFCO Nutritional Guidelines

Cat foods are not required to follow any particular guidelines. However, some of the words they use are monitored by the AAFCO, the Association of American Feed Control Officials. For instance, their foods can’t be marketed as a complete meal if it doesn’t meet the correct nutritional requirements.

Look for the AFFCO seal on cat food before you purchase it. Otherwise, there is no way to tell if it is nutritionally complete for your feline. Be careful with foods that look like complete meals but state they are “supplements” (sometimes in tiny letters).

Healthy Fats

Your cat was designed to be a carnivore, which means they thrive on a diet full of meat. Meat is mainly made up of two things: fat and protein.

We’ve already discussed protein sources, but fat sources are just as important.

Preferably, food should have animal fat or a very fatty whole meat, like salmon. Fat makes the food taste better and provides the extra fat that is often missing from meat alone. Cats should be getting much of their calorie needs from fat.

Look for high-quality fats, like omega fatty acids. Natural fat from animals is always better than fat derived from a vegetable source, like flaxseed.

Artificial Ingredients

Even though you’re purchasing a budget food, there is no reason to choose a formula with artificial ingredients.

Artificial colors are unnecessary. Our felines do not care what color their food is. If it’s added, it’s added to encourage people to buy it – not make our cats healthier.

Artificial preservatives are sometimes used, but some of these are linked with poor health consequences. For instance, ethoxyquin may be linked with liver issues. However, the FDA has ruled that it may be used in trace amounts.

Long-term exposure is not recommended, though.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Purina One Tender Selects Blend is a terrific recipe that will work for most healthy adults. It is a scrumptious dry kibble that hits all areas of health, using whole proteins and a myriad of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Purina Cat Chow Naturals is a dye-free recipe that caters to a cat’s natural health. It contains no funky ingredients that could upset their belly, and we think the price is pretty hard to beat. Does this sound like your best option?

Taste of the Wild Canyon River is a hearty, solid, species-specific recipe. It caters to the appetite of even the most picky cat—giving them all the nutrients to stay athletic. Plus, it really focuses on gut health, which we love!

So, which of these recipes did you find works best for your budget?

See Also:

• 8 Best Natural & Organic Cat Foods – Reviews & Top Picks
• Whole Earth Farms Cat Food Reviews

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Featured Photo Credit: AlexanderDubrovsky, Shutterstock