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7 Best Cat Foods in Australia – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Oliver Jones

By Oliver Jones

A tabby cat eating cat food out of a bowl

Pet food in Australia is largely self-regulated with voluntary industry standards applied through the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA).1 Several key stakeholders worked to develop the Australian Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food after several pet food product safety incidents.

With a lack of regulation and concerns over safety, it can be difficult to find pet food that’s high quality and safety, especially for cats. This list of the seven best cat foods in Australia was compiled based on the brand reputation, species-appropriate ingredients and formulas, and reviews from pet owners.

hepper-cat-paw-dividerA Quick Comparison of Our Favorite Picks in 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Purina One Adult Salmon and Tuna Dry Cat Food Purina One Adult Salmon and Tuna Dry Cat Food
  • Formulated for cats
  • High protein
  • Multiple formulas available
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Friskies Seafood Sensations Friskies Seafood Sensations
  • High protein
  • Well-rounded nutrition
  • Meets AAFCO standards
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Optimum Furball 1+ Years with Chicken Dry Cat Food Optimum Furball 1+ Years with Chicken Dry Cat Food
  • Formulated with yucca extract and beet pulp fibre
  • Real meat as the first ingredient
  • No artificial colours or flavours
  • Best for Kittens
    Purina One Kitten Dry Cat Food Purina One Kitten Dry Cat Food
  • Balanced nutrition
  • Formulated for kittens
  • Meat as the first ingredient
  • Dine Desire Succulent Chicken Breast Wet Cat Food Dine Desire Succulent Chicken Breast Wet Cat Food
  • High-quality
  • No preservatives
  • Multiple formulas
  • The 7 Best Cat Foods in Australia

    1. Purina One Adult Salmon and Tuna Dry Cat Food – Best Overall

    Purina One Adult Salmon and Tuna Dry Cat FoodPurina One Adult Salmon and Tuna Dry Cat Food

    Size: 1.5 kg, 3 kg
    Lifestage: Adult
    Food formula: Dry

    Purina One Adult Salmon and Tuna Dry Cat Food is the overall best cat food in Australia. Formulated for the unique nutritional needs of cats, this dry food has salmon for lean body mass and healthy organs and omega fatty acids and vitamin E for skin and coat health. The formula is highly digestible for optimal energy absorption.

    The food is available in small and medium bag sizes and a variety of additional formulas, including hairball, healthy weight, urinary tract health, indoor, and kitten. Some reviewers said that their fussy cats wouldn’t eat the food or that it caused stinky bowel movements, however.

    Pros
    • Formulated for cats
    • High protein
    • Multiple formulas available
    Cons
    • May cause smelly stool for some cats

    2. Friskies Seafood Sensations Cat Food – Best Value

    Friskies Seafood Sensations

    Size: 1 kg
    Lifestage: Adult
    Food formula: Dry

    Friskies Seafood Sensations is the best cat food in Australia for the money. The well-balanced formula contains plenty of protein to maintain lean muscles, essential fatty acids for a healthy coat and skin, and vitamin A and taurine to support strong vision.

    Even fussy cats will like Friskies Seafood Sensations for its strong fish, shrimp, crab, and seaweed smell and taste. This food is formulated to meet AAFCO standards, the US association that regulates pet food in the country. Reviewers were happy with the food overall, but some received bags that were long expired.

    Pros
    • High protein
    • Well-rounded nutrition
    • Meets AAFCO standards
    Cons
    • Some bags people purchased were expired

    3. Optimum Furball 1+ Years with Chicken Dry Cat Food – Premium Choice

    Optimum Furball 1+ Years with Chicken Dry Cat Food

    Size: 800-gram bags (pack of 6)
    Lifestage: Adult 1+
    Food formula: Dry

    Optimum Furball 1+ Years with Chicken Dry Cat Food is a premium food option with the nutrients cats need, including taurine, arginine, and vitamin E to support organ health. This food also has yucca extract to reduce odors and promote urinary health, as well as beet pulp fibre to reduce hairballs.

    Formulated with real meat as the first ingredient, Optimum food is manufactured in Australia without artificial colours or flavours. This food is used and recommended by Dr. Chris Brown, an Australian veterinarian, and star of the television show Bondi Vet. Cats generally liked the food, but it is expensive compared to other brands and formulas.

    Pros
    • Formulated with yucca extract and beet pulp fibre
    • Real meat as the first ingredient
    • No artificial colours or flavours
    Cons
    • May be too pricey for people with multiple cats

    4. Purina One Kitten Dry Cat Food – Best for Kittens

    Purina One Kitten Dry Cat Food

    Size: 1.4 kg
    Lifestage: Kitten
    Food formula: Dry

    Purina One Kitten Dry Cat Food is a balanced kitten food with a special blend of nutrients and minerals to support healthy growth and development. The food has all a growing kitten needs, including calcium and phosphorous for bone health and taurine, fatty acids, vitamin A, and choline for brain and vision health.

    This food is suitable for kittens up to 12 months. At this milestone, your kitten can transition into the Purina One adult formula. Most reviewers liked the food, but some said their cats wouldn’t eat it, and others noted similar smelly bowel movements like the adult formula.

    Pros
    • Balanced nutrition
    • Formulated for kittens
    • Meat as the first ingredient
    Cons
    • Can cause smelly poop
    • May not be the best choice for very picky kittens

    5. Dine Desire Succulent Chicken Breast Wet Cat Food

    Dine Desire Succulent Chicken Breast Wet Cat Food

    Size: 85 g x 24 pack
    Lifestage: Adult
    Food formula: Wet

    Dine Desire Succulent Chicken Breast Wet Cat Food is a high-quality cat food with a recipe of succulent poultry in rich gravy. The food is conveniently portioned to the ideal serving size to prevent spoilage. This food has no preservatives.

    Along with this recipe, Dine Desire offers daily food formulas, fine flakes, melting soups, perfect portions, and creamy treats to suit your cat’s needs. The brand makes several different recipes as well, including tuna and white meat, seafood stew, and tuna filets with prawns. Note that Dine Desire is intended for occasional or supplemental feeding only, so it will need to be fed as a topper to a balanced dry food.

    Pros
    • High-quality
    • No preservatives
    • Multiple formulas
    Cons
    • Only intended for supplemental feeding

    6. Applaws Grain Free Ocean Fish & Salmon Dry Cat Food

    Applaws Grain Free Ocean Fish & Salmon Dry Cat Food

    Size: 800 g (pack of 6)
    Lifestage: Adult
    Food formula: Dry

    Applaws Grain Free Ocean Fish & Salmon Dry Cat Food is a high-quality cat food with human-grade meat as the number-one ingredient. This food has natural ingredients with no fillers, additives, or artificial colours, including dried pear, cranberry, tomato, alfalfa, spinach, and yucca.

    The bags are separated into 800-gram portions for freshness and convenience. Each pack comes with six bags with a long shelf life. Applaws food is made in Australia using real food ingredients. This food is complete and balanced, but you can supplement this dry food with several options of wet canned food from the same brand. Though many reviewers were satisfied with this food, some had delivery issues with missing portions.

    Pros
    • Human-grade meat as the first ingredient
    • No fillers or artificial colors
    • Pre-portioned bags
    Cons
    • Delivery issues

    7. Whiskas Chicken in Gravy Variety Adult Wet Cat Food

    Whiskas Chicken in Gravy Variety Adult Wet Cat Food

    Size: 85 g x 12
    Lifestage: Adult
    Food formula: Wet

    Whiskas Chicken in Gravy Variety Adult Wet Cat Food offers a nutritionally balanced diet for adult cats and a mix of tastes and textures that will entice the pickiest of eaters. This food is made with meat, gravy, and essential vitamins and minerals for whole-body health. There are no added preservatives.

    Each variety pack contains different flavors, including chicken meals, chicken and turkey meals, and chicken and duck meals to keep your cat from food boredom. You can switch up your cat’s proteins or try the variety pack and choose the one it likes best. This food is a little expensive, however.

    Pros
    • Variety pack
    • Real meat
    • Appetizing
    Cons
    • Expensive, not a good choice for people on a budget

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    Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Cat Food in Australia

    Because the Australian pet food market is largely self-regulated, it’s important to do your due diligence when choosing quality cat food. Brands with a good reputation are a great start, but pet foods can vary in quality when they’re merged or acquired by other brands. It’s also important to consider recent recalls.

    In general, look for cat food with:
    • Real meat ingredients
    • Sufficient protein and fat
    • Limited fillers or artificial flavours and preservatives
    • Good customer feedback
    • A strong brand reputation
    • AAFCO approval, if applicable

    Plenty of brands available in Australia are American brands, which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety, sanitary production, and truth in labeling. You could also look for foods approved by AAFCO, which monitors the ingredients and standards in the US pet food industry.

    hepper-cat-paw-divider

    Final Verdict:

    With the self-regulation of the pet food market in Australia, it can be difficult to find quality food for your cat. We’ve compiled this list of the best cat foods in Australia that offer quality ingredients and nutrients for your cat’s health and wellness.

    The best overall pick is Purina One Adult Salmon and Tuna Dry Cat Food for its well-balanced nutrition. For the best value, choose Friskies Seafood Sensations, which boasts a good balance of protein and fats. The premium choice is Optimum Furball 1+ Years with Chicken Dry Cat Food, which is made in Australia and approved by Dr. Chris Brown.

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