9 Best Grocery Store Cat Foods – 2024 Reviews and Top Picks

High-priced cat foods you buy online or at the pet store might be nutritionally friendly—and the only option for kitties with specialized diets. But if you have a perfectly healthy cat and want to pick up their food when you’re doing your family shopping at the supermarket, what are some good options?

We have rounded up 10 of the best grocery store cat foods and given you honest reviews. Now, you can see what to expect nutritionally and otherwise for your feline pals.

Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.

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The 9 Best Grocery Store Cat Foods

1. Rachel Ray Nutrish Complete Dry Cat Food – Best Overall

Of all the grocery store selections, Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete cat food was our favorite overall. What we love about this is that Rachel Ray is a chef herself, first for humans and now for animals as well. She prides herself on creating nutrient-rich recipes for our beloved pets.

This recipe is made from USA farm-raised chicken, the first ingredient, providing excellent whole proteins. The cat food has a total of 34% crude protein, 12% crude fat, 8% crude fiber, and 9% moisture. There are 354 calories per cup.

It has a super blend of taurine, vitamins, and minerals to keep your kitty’s body healthy and strong. There are also plenty of amino acids and omegas for skin and bone structure. One unique ingredient is dandelion greens, which contain natural probiotics that help your cat’s digestive system run smoothly.

We think most perfectly healthy house cats could benefit from this recipe on the broadest scale. It’s available at virtually any grocery store nationwide.

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2. 9 Lives Daily Essentials Dry Cat Food – Best Value

If you want to save as much as possible but still give your cat the nutrition they deserve, check out Nine Lives Daily Essentials. This recipe works for most house cats and it’s the best grocery store cat food for the money.

This recipe contains complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages, so you can feed it for kittens and seniors alike. In total, there are 306 calories per serving. This bag contains 30% crude protein, 9% crude fat, 3% crude fiber, and 12% moisture.

It contains necessary omega fatty acids, high-protein, and taurine to keep your cat’s body healthy and strong. Cats seem to really love the flavor, and one bag contains chicken, beef, and salmon flavors. However, this recipe might contain certain additives that don’t agree with every cat’s stomach.

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3. Blue Buffalo Health Dry Cat Food – Premium Choice

If you want the highest value your grocery store has to offer, you could always check out Blue Buffalo Indoor Health cat food. It might be a little pricier than others on the list, but the ingredients speak for themselves.

First of all, Blue Buffalo has what is called LifeSource bits. These tiny bite-size portions are a combination of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that give your cat an extra kick of nutrition for overall wellness. The first ingredient of this cat food is real deboned chicken, so you know your cat is getting top-notch protein.

This recipe is specifically crafted for indoor cats giving them a proper balance of calories to promote a healthy weight. In one serving, there are 402 calories. The guaranteed analysis of this cat food is as follows: 32% crude protein, 15% crude fat, 6% crude fiber, and 9% moisture.

It also has tons of omegas to take care of their skin and coat. There are no by-products, corn, soy, wheat, or any other artificial flavors or preservatives. It’s a healthy recipe by a trusted brand that serves our pets efficiently.

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4. Purina Nurture Kitten Chow Cat Food – Best for Kittens

If you’re looking for a well-balanced recipe for your kitten to make sure they grow healthy and strong, Purina Kitten Chow Nurture is the best we could find at your local grocery store. This cat food has DHA and other vital nutrient points to help your cat grow healthy and strong.

This recipe contains 100% balanced nutrition so they can get the high-quality diet they deserve. Purina uses real farm-raised chicken for a high-protein kick that develops muscles efficiently. The texture is perfect for their developing teeth as well.

So, your kitten stays in top-notch shape and there are no untraceable ingredients, artificial colors, or flavors. There are 414 calories per serving. The guaranteed analysis on this cat food has 48% crude protein, 13.5% croissant, 2.5% crude fiber, and 12% moisture.

As far as kitten chow goes, it is the best one we could find that provides all of the right ingredients.

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5. Kit n’ Kaboodle Dry Cat Food

Kit n’ Kaboodle Dry Cat Food is a crunchy, flavorful recipe blend combining chicken, liver, turkey, and ocean fish. Cats really seem to approve of this delicious taste, and it’s a branch of Purina, which has a sterling reputation in the cat food world.

Each recipe is crafted in the USA with traceable ingredients. This recipe contains 404 calories per cup, 28% crude protein, 10% crude fat, 3% crude fiber, and 12% moisture.

The entire recipe is balanced, so your cat gets all of the necessary vitamins and minerals they need. One downfall to this cat food is that it does contain a lot of artificial ingredients. Some cats might be sensitive to these ingredients.

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6. Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Wet Cat Food

We love Purina Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers because it contains all of the powerpack nutrition and delicious flavor your cats adore. Each can is perfect for one solo cat, so this might be the best option if you run a single-cat household.

The caloric content in these dishes differs slightly. The turkey feast contains 67 calories, the chicken feast contains 67 calories, and the beef feast contains 66 calories per can. The guaranteed analysis of this food is 9% crude protein, 2% crude fat, 1.5% crude fiber, and 82% moisture.

Fancy feast works really well for older adults who might not have the best teeth, as it’s very easy to chew. All fancy feast foods are crafted in USA facilities, with entirely traceable ingredients. This recipe also contains adequate taurine and ash for digestion and muscle health.

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7. Iams Proactive Health Senior Cat Food — Best for Older Cats

If you have a senior kitty, they might benefit most from Iams Proactive Health Healthy Senior. Chicken is the number one ingredient, making sure that they get their full dose of protein. This recipe is specifically to keep their muscles strong and energy levels up.

This product is made in the USA with traceable ingredients. This product contains 399 cal per cup. The guaranteed analysis is 34% crude protein, 17% crude fat, 3% crude fiber, and 10% moisture.

This is a specially designed recipe to boost calcium and phosphorus in the diet, promoting healthy joint and bone maintenance. The L-carnitine helps your cat maintain a healthy weight as weight gain is much more likely as your cat ages and becomes less active.

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8. Meow Mix Hairball Control Dry Cat Food

If your kitty has stomach woes, Meow Mix Hairball Control dry cat food might be the thing to fix all of your issues. This flavor combo feature is chicken, turkey, salmon, and ocean fish for your kitty’s taste buds.

This entire recipe is designed to support a healthy digestive tract to reduce hairball formation in their system. It has an increased percentage of fiber to help things run along smoothly. In one serving, there are 305 calories. The guaranteed analysis is 31% crude protein, 11% crude fat, 9% crude fiber, and 12% moisture.

One thing that we don’t like about this cat food is the fact that it contains by-products, artificial flavors, and preservatives. However, it seems to win the vote of the cats—they gobble it up without issue.

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9. Sheba Perfect Portions Grain-Free Wet Cat Food

It wouldn’t be a complete list without mentioning Sheba Perfect Portions Grain-Free cat food. This delicious grain-free diet comes in 1.3 ounce single-serving containers that are easy to open—perfect for your gluten-sensitive feline.

It contains all of the necessary vitamins, minerals, and taurine needed for your cat to grow happy and healthy. And one serving of the chicken recipe contains 41 calories, and the turkey has 45 calories. The guaranteed analysis of this food is 9% crude protein, 5% crude fat, 1.5% current fiber, and 80% moisture.

This is a multi-pack of two different pate styles: chicken and turkey. Sheba cuts out grains, gluten, wheat, soy, and corn, which is terrific for pets with allergies or trouble digesting certain ingredients.

While we love this food, it is of no benefit to cats who have no grain allergy. However, if only one cat in your multicat household needs a diet change, this could be your answer.

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting The Best Grocery Store Cat Food

One of the main reasons you want to find out what grocery store cat foods are available is convenience. Obviously, it is much simpler to pick up your kitty’s daily diet along with your own when you’re already there. Luckily, unless you’re getting a super-specialized diet for a very sensitive kitty, you should be able to find something suitable for your cats.

Price

Price shouldn’t be one of the top deciding factors, but it is important to stay within your budget. Luckily, many cat foods you’ll find at grocery stores don’t exceed most financial limits.

Properly being able to identify quality ingredients is essential when you’re considering the price. If the cat food is far too cheap, it probably has additives that negatively impact your cat. So, be careful and look out for unrecognizable ingredients and different types of dies on the label.

Ingredients

Even if your cat doesn’t have dietary sensitivities, it is always a good idea to try to stay as far away from preservative-filled foods as possible.

These foods typically have no nutritional value that is worth the negative impact on your cat’s system long-term. Ultimately, it is best to steer clear of ingredients such as wheat, soy, corn, artificial dyes, and unrecognizable ingredients.

Quality

Quality is crucial when you are shopping through your grocery store selections. Many cheaper cat foods have so many artificial flavors and preservatives, and it can also be a considerable allergy trigger.

Be selective in choosing quality over savings. You can still find relatively cheap options that have solid ingredients.

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. 

Final Thoughts

We think most healthy adult cats will do great on Rachel Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete. It has excellent ingredients, a favorable price, and the kitties love it.

If you are trying to save a few dollars but keep nutritional quality, consider 9 Lives Daily Essentials. It’s for indoor cats at a low cost, and it is available in virtually any grocery store around.

Hopefully, next time you’re out shopping, our reviews show you what to look for.

• See also: 10 Best Cat Foods for Adult Cats – Reviews & Top Picks

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Featured Image Credit: Clari Massimiliano, Shutterstock