The world loves cats! We love their angelic faces, playful nature, and distinctive personalities (or purrsonalities). Our fur babies mean everything to us, so we want to ensure they live their best lives. Giving your cat affection, exercise, and a healthy diet are all vital for your feline. But deciding what a healthy diet is can be confusing for any cat owner. Should you give your cat only dry or wet food? High protein? Latin-Asian fusion?
Some cat owners have discovered holistic food. Do you mean kale salads and green juices? Not quite. Holistic cat food will have whole ingredients and be free from any artificial or processed by-products and fillers. But which ones are suited for your cat? This article reviews the 10 best holistic cat foods for your favorite feline.
Our pick for overall best holistic cat food is Smalls Fresh Cat Food. Smalls is a subscription-based cat food service that provides wholesome, healthy meals. These monthly cat food deliveries are customized to your cat’s needs and preferences. It also gives cat parents the option to cancel subscriptions at any point with the bonus of being able to change what food you’re receiving.
Smalls food is delivered with freshness in mind so that you never have to worry about its quality. They do not add any filler ingredients to their recipes. It does not include any carbs, grains, or additional ingredients that aren’t necessary for a cat’s health and is ideal for those cats who have special diets. With added protein and nutrients, cats have positive results such as softer fur, less stinky bathroom trips, higher energy levels, and overall improvements in their health.
The Smalls brand delivers fresh, high-quality, and handmade recipes for cats to support healthier pets in every way. Ingredients are chopped up, then steamed to keep as many nutrients packed into the food as possible. It’s delivered to your door frozen for easy preparation. It is pricey, but the price may be well worth it for those looking for high-quality and nutritious cat food.
To conclude, we think this is the best holistic cat food you can get.
Pros
No fillers
Fresh ingredients
Customizable
Promotes overall health for cats of all life stages
Cons
A little pricey
2. Rachael Ray Nutrish SuperFood Dry Cat Food – Best Value
Feeding your favorite feline holistic cat food does not need to take a chunk out of your wallet. The Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium line offers your cat a healthy and nutritious diet. Many people are familiar with Rachael Ray’s cooking shows, so it should not be a surprise that she takes her culinary skills right to the furry friend’s bowl. One of the most popular choices from the Rachael Ray line is highlighted in this review: the chicken with lentils and salmon recipe. With high-quality chicken being the main ingredient, it is complemented with lentils, which adds fiber that indoor cats need to help maintain proper gut health. We consider the Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium line is the best choice for your money.
When it comes to your cat, you always want to give them the best. If you have more financial freedom, a holistic choice recommendation is Orijen Tundra Grain-Free dry cat food. Orijen’s WholePrey formula is well-known for using a wide variety of high-quality ingredients. This brand of dry cat food has meat and fish as the first five ingredients, along with pinto beans and chickpeas, ensuring that your feline gets a range of healthy proteins. Another thing that sets Orijen Tundra apart from other types of dry cat food is that chicken is not one of the ingredients. Instead, Orijen Tundra uses duck, venison, and a variety of fish. If you want to treat your cat to a holistic premium diet, this a good option.
Pros
A blend of fresh or raw ingredients
Grain-free and no by-products included
Cons
Higher in calories
Not suitable for cats with seafood allergies
4. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Dry Kitten Food – Best for Kittens
Deboned chicken, chicken and fish meal, pea protein, tapioca starch
Protein:
40% min
Fat:
20% min
Calorie Content:
457 kcal/cup
It should come as no surprise that we highly recommend Blue Buffalo Wilderness for your kitten. We consider Blue Buffalo Wilderness for adults an overall best choice, so their chicken grain-free recipe is the best meal choice for your kitten. Once your kitten is fully weaned, you want to make sure that they get the best nutrition that will help them grow into strong and healthy adult cats. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Recipe Grain-Free dry cat food has real chicken as the primary ingredient, ensuring that your tiny-but-mighty kitty gets what they need for strong cognitive and muscle development. Blue Buffalo Wilderness kitten recipe will help your pet become the king of the jungle – or at least king of the living room.
Pros
Grain-free (no corn, soy, or wheat)
Plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants essential for kittens
Includes beneficial fatty acids
Cons
Contains tapioca starch
5. Nutro Wholesome Essentials Senior Dry Cat Food – Best for Senior Cats
Chicken, chicken meal, pea and potato protein, brown rice
Protein:
36% min
Fat:
17% min
Calorie Content:
386 kcal/cup
As our favorite furry friends get older, we need to make sure they get the vitamins and nutrients they need as they enter their senior years. This is why you should give your senior kitty Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult & Senior Dry Cat Food. Nutro Wholesome Essentials are recommended because of the healthy blend of chicken for protein and brown rice for fiber. These beneficial foods are mixed together without any use of corn, soy, or wheat, allowing for easier digestion. No chicken by-products at all for your pet! This brand is our recommended choice for you to maintain healthy and happy senior cats.
Pros
Contains only non-GMO ingredients
Added essential nutrients for heart health
Cons
Not grain-free; contains brown rice
6. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Dry Cat Food
Deboned chicken/duck/salmon, pea protein and fiber, menhaden fish meal, sweet potato
Protein:
40%min
Fat:
18%min
Calorie Content:
443 kcal/cup
Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free dry cat food is the next best among holistic cat food buyers because of the balance of essential nutrients your cat needs. Meat is the main ingredient, coming in chicken, duck, or salmon. Each variety is grain-free, meaning your cat gets other healthy carbohydrates like sweet potatoes instead of corn. This variety of Blue Buffalo Wilderness contains LifeSource Bits, which is a well-balanced blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants needed for the overall health of your cat. We consider this recommendation to be a fantastic choice and a great way to introduce a new holistic diet for your cat.
Pros
High level of protein
Excellent choice for cats of all ages
LifeSource Bits offer many nutritional benefits
Cons
Some cats are picky about the pea protein ingredient
Sometimes, your favorite cat deserves something different from the standard dry fare, or you just want to add wet food to the daily serving of dry food. But you want to avoid overly processed wet food with by-products and fillers. Earthborn Holistic Monterey Medley Grain-Free Natural Canned Cat & Kitten Food is the best choice for canned food. Earthborn Holistic Monterey Medley is a tasty mix of shredded tuna and mackerel in a rich but nutritious gravy. This choice is lower in fat and carbohydrates when compared to other canned foods that use fillers to bulk up the content. This meaty meal is suitable for both adult cats and kittens and will not put a dent in your wallet.
Pros
Great for both adult cats and kittens
Easily digestible
Grain and gluten-free
Cons
Not suitable for cats with seafood allergies
Contain sunflower oil
8. Instinct Raw Boost Protein Freeze Dried Cat Food
Many pet owners have made the switch to raw cat food for their pets. Why? Raw food is one of the more natural diets for cats as they never cooked their food in the wild. Our recommendation is the Instinct Raw Boost Grain Free Dry Cat Food, High Protein Kibble Freeze Dried Raw Cat Food. Instinct uses only select ingredients to create a high protein, low carbohydrate diet for your cat. What makes Instinct Raw Boost an exceptional choice is because the chicken used is cage-free, and each serving has high levels of omegas needed for a healthy coat and skin. If you want to get your feline started on the raw food diet, Instinct Raw Boost is the best choice for a healthy balance of proteins and taste.
Whitefish, salmon, dried egg product, oatmeal, dried peas, soy protein
Protein:
32% min
Fat:
16% min
Calorie Content:
414 kcal/cup
If your cat has a sensitive stomach, you want to ensure that their meals are carefully prepared with ingredients that will be gentle on their digestion. Halo Holistic Seafood Medley is the best choice for your feline’s sensitive stomach because it contains zero artificial ingredients or rendered meat. Halo uses only whole meat, fiber-rich grains such as oatmeal and barley, and non-GMO vegetables in this recipe, ensuring that your cat gets a well-balanced and healthy meal that will be more easily digestible for them. Your stomach-sensitive cat will get the nutrients and protein it needs to thrive and live an active lifestyle.
10. Blue Buffalo Hairball Control Chicken Dry Cat Food
Deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, pea protein, chicken fat
Protein:
32% min
Fat:
15% min
Calorie Content:
389 kcal/cup
While listening to your cat hack up a hairball is nothing short of pleasant, it is more annoying for the cat! Since shaving your cat bald is not an option, most owners make changes to the diet to help reduce hairballs. Blue Buffalo Indoor Hairball Control is one of the best choices out there for minimizing hairballs. This specially crafted formula helps control hairballs as well as providing your cat high-quality meats for protein and Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits for the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants needed for a healthy life. The added omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids promote a healthy and shiny coat, making Blue Buffalo our top choice for hairball control cat food.
Pros
Provides cats with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids
Quality blend of meat, vegetables, and fruits.
Contains LifeSource Bits for additional nutrition
Cons
Contains grains, such as rice and barley
11. Solid Gold Alaskan Pollock Weight Control Dry Cat Food
Pollock, Turkey Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Chickpeas, Pea Fiber, Ocean Fish Meal
Protein:
31%min
Fat:
9%min
Calorie Content:
360 kcal/cup
Is your cat a bit on the heavy side? No judgment! While there might be more of them to love, an overweight cat could have health problems in the future, such as joint trouble. Daily exercise is a must for getting your cat down to the ideal weight recommended by your vet. But diet is just as important. Solid Gold Fit as a Fiddle is the best choice for weight management for your plump furry friend. This blend of dry food has a lower level of fat per serving by using pollock and turkey as the main ingredients while including other natural lower-calorie foods. Solid Gold is our best choice for weight management cat food because of its holistic ingredients.
Pros
Grain and gluten-free
Low in fat, high in lean protein
Free of by-products and fillers.
Cons
Comes only in one flavor.
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Holistic Cat Foods
If you have never bought holistic cat food before, here are some tips to help get you knowledgeable about what you are planning on feeding your cat.
Know what ‘holistic’ means: Holistic cat food is centered around your cat’s health. This means that the ingredients are whole and natural, containing no by-products or anything artificial.
Holistic recipes vary: After reviewing our top choices, you will see that some choices are grain-free, gluten-free, or contain vegetable fats. There is no one recipe to use when making holistic cat food. It all boils down to the kind and quality of ingredients used.
Holistic cat food does not need to be expensive: Yes, there are some premium choices out there that might make your bank account weep a little bit. However, there are plenty of holistic options for your cat to try that are budget to mid-range for your cat to try.
Holistic cat food is not hard to find: While many pet-owners order the food online, chain grocery stores are offering more holistic pet food options. This makes getting your cat’s dinner quick and convenient.
Giving your pet the highest quality nutrition is a top priority, so why not give them a food and water dish to match? The Hepper Nom Nom Bowl is our product, but it’s too good not to share.
Made from food-safe stainless steel, you can ensure that your pet is consuming the best nutrition out of the finest bowls on the market. Click here to get yours.
Final Thoughts on Holistic Cat Food
You always want what is best for your cat. After all, they are part of the family! Choosing the best cat food for your cat can be overwhelming with the choices out there. Narrowing it down to what your cat’s needs can involve looking at the ingredients, nutrients added, caloric content, and other special considerations. Giving your cat a holistic meal ensures that your pet gets quality meats, fiber-rich grains, essential vitamins, and nutrients without having to worry about dyes, by-products, and other unneeded fillers.
