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6 Best Low Carb Cat Foods – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Ed Malaker

By Ed Malaker

white pluffy cat eating Cats are strict carnivores that don’t require carbs in their diet. Carbohydrates can lead to weight gain, and they can also throw off your cat’s sensitive gastrointestinal tract. Switching to a low-carb diet can help promote better health and reduce thefrequency of constipation and diarrhea, but with so many competing brands, it can be difficult to find the right one for your pet. We’ve chosen several low-carb brands to review for you so you can see the difference between them. We’ll tell you about the pros and cons we experienced with each one, and we” also tell you how our cats liked it to help you make an informed purchase.

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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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (2024)

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Feline Natural Chicken & Venison Wet Cat Food Feline Natural Chicken & Venison Wet Cat Food
  • Few ingredients
  • Free-range chicken
  • Omega fats
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Crave Turkey Pate Grain-Free Cat Food Crave Turkey Pate Grain-Free Cat Food
  • No artificial colors or preservatives
  • Provides a balanced meal
  • Added vitamins and minerals
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Wysong Epigen 90 Starch-Free Cat Food Wysong Epigen 90 Starch-Free Cat Food
  • High in protein
  • Probiotics
  • Omega fats
  • Best for Kittens
    Tiki Cat Chicken Canned Cat Food Tiki Cat Chicken Canned Cat Food
  • Omega fats
  • High in vitamins and minerals
  • High in protein
  • Purina Pro Plan Vet Diet Canned Cat Food Purina Pro Plan Vet Diet Canned Cat Food
  • Special formula for diabetic cats
  • High in antioxidants
  • The 6 Best Low Carb Cat Foods

    1. Feline Natural Chicken & Venison Canned Cat Food – Best Overall

    Feline Natural Chicken & Venison Feast (1)

    Check Price on Chewy
    First ingredient: Chicken
    Protein: 9%

    Feline Natural Chicken & Venison Feast Grain-Free Canned Cat Food is our pick as the best overall low-carb food for your cat. It features very few ingredients other than lean animal protein like chicken and venison and provides your cat with 9% protein per serving. The chicken is free-range, and the venison comes from New Zealand. It provides a balanced meal for cats of all ages and even has helpful omega fats. We liked Feline Natural Chicken & Venison, and we usually keep some in our home. The only problem we have with it is that two of our pickier cats won’t eat it.

    Pros
    • Few ingredients
    • Free-range chicken
    • Omega fats
    • Balanced meal

    Cons
    • Some cats don’t like it


    2. Crave Turkey Pate Grain-Free Cat Food Trays – Best Value

    Crave Turkey Pate Grain-Free Cat Food Trays

    First ingredient: Turkey
    Protein: 12%

    Crave Turkey Pate Grain-Free Cat Food Trays is our pick as the best low-carb cat food for the money. It has no artificial colors or preservatives and provides your cat with a balanced meal that contains added essential vitamins and minerals, like taurine and omega fats. We liked the ingredients in Crave Turkey Pate for the price, but like many low-carb foods, it can be challenging to get your cats used to it, especially if it’s coming off a dry food that was high in corn.

    Pros
    • No artificial colors or preservatives
    • Provides a balanced meal
    • Added vitamins and minerals

    Cons
    • Some cats don’t like it


    3. Wysong Epigen 90 Starch-Free Cat Food – Premium Choice

    First ingredient: Chicken meal
    Protein: 63%
    Wysong Epigen 90 Starch-Free Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog & Cat Food is our premium choice low-carb cat food, and it’s one of the few dry foods on this list. It’s extremely high in protein and will provide your cat with 63% per serving due to its patented extrusion process, which makes it possible. It’s also high in probiotics which help strengthen the cat’s good bacteria in the gut, omega fats to improve the coat and heart health, and antioxidants to boost the immune system. The downside to Wysong Epigen is that the kibble is large and odd-shaped and may not suit some older cats or kittens. We also didn’t like that its first ingredient is chicken meal instead of fresh meat like chicken, turkey, or salmon.
    Pros
    • High in protein
    • Probiotics
    • Omega fats
    • Contains antioxidants

    Cons
    • Large kibble
    • Chicken meal first ingredient


    4. Tiki Cat Puka Chicken Wet Cat Food – Best for Kittens

    First ingredient: Chicken
    Protein: 16%
    Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food is our pick s the best low carb cat food for kittens. It features chicken as its first ingredient to help deliver 16% protein to your growing kitten. It’s also high in omega fats and has added vitamins and minerals to provide your pet with a balanced diet. The biggest downside we experienced while reviewing Tiki Cat Puka Puka was that many of the cans contained chicken pieces that were a little too large for our kitten. Like many other brands, some of our kittens held back from eating until we offered them their usual food.
    Pros
    • Omega fats
    • High in vitamins and minerals
    • High in protein

    Cons
    • Large chicken pieces
    • Some cats don’t like it


    5. Purina Pro Plan Vet Diets Canned Cat Food

    Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic Management Formula Canned Cat Food

    First ingredient: Meat byproduct
    Protein: 12%
    Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic Management Formula Canned Cat Food features a special formula for diabetic cats that is extremely high in protein while remaining low in carbohydrates. Wed had no problem getting our cats to eat this food, and it provides them with a balanced meal high in antioxidants to help boost their immune system. The downside to Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets is that it is expensive and only available with a prescription. We also didn’t like that the number one ingredient is meat byproduct instead of named meat like chicken or turkey.
    Pros
    • Special formula for diabetic cats
    • High in antioxidants

    Cons
    • Requires prescription
    • Meat byproduct first ingredient


    6. Merrick Purrfect Bistro Chicken Pate Canned Cat Food

    Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Chicken Pate Canned Cat Food

    First ingredient: Deboned chicken
    Protein: 10%
    Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Chicken Pate Canned Cat Food is a high-quality cat food that features chicken as its first ingredient to provide your cat of any age with a balanced diet high in protein. Additional vitamins and minerals help your cat stay healthy and fight off disease, while omega fats help maintain a shiny coat and healthy skin. We liked the ingredients in Merrick Purrfect Bistro, and our cats liked it, but it had a bad odor, and it gave several of our cats bad gas with the same odor. The litter box smelled terrible, so we had to switch to another brand.
    Pros
    • Balanced diet
    • Omega fats
    • Added vitamins and minerals

    Cons
    • Smells bad
    • Can cause gas

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    Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Low Carb Cat Foods

    Wet Versus Dry Cat Food

    When choosing your low-carb cat food, you will first need to choose if you will feed your cat wet food or dry food. We almost always recommend serving your cat a dry kibble because the crunching helps to clean the cat’s teeth. Dry kibble is less expensive, easier to store, and less likely to give your cat diarrhea. However, kibble is naturally high in carbs. It’s essentially a cookie baked with ingredients your cat needs and then sprayed with nutrients, while wet food is often real pieces of meat baked right in the can. Choose a dry kibble if you notice your cat putting on weight and you want to switch brands to low-carb food before it gets out of control. Choose wet food if your cat has a medical condition and needs to limit carbohydrates immediately.

    homemade cat food with pork and potatoes cats eating
    Image By: rotbart94, Pixabay

    Dry Kibble

    The best way to choose a low-carb dry cat food is to choose a grain-free brand. Grain-free brands often eliminate the worst carbs like corn and soy that digest quickly, adding sugar to the blood. Grain-free foods are high in animal protein, and they often contain other healthy ingredients that can boost the cat’s immune system and help it stay healthy.

    Wet Food

    If you need to eliminate carbohydrates, wet food is the best option because it gets rid of the cookie and puts the real meat pieces in a gravy your cats are more likely to enjoy. The real meat pieces are high in protein and more closely resemble the cat’s natural diet. You can find low-carb cat food by looking for grain-free brands and looking at the ingredients list. Choose a brand with meat listed as the first ingredient with no corn, soy, or other grains that might raise blood sugar.

    Regardless of the type of food your feline companion prefers, finding a bowl that is sure to keep the mess contained can be tough. Our Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl features a wide tray designed to ensure that all food stays exactly where it should—inside the bowl and off the floor. The whisker-friendly bowls fit securely into the PP plastic base and are low and wide to prevent whisker fatigue. Its contemporary style will fit seamlessly into any home and it is completely dishwasher safe. 

    Hepper 360 Cat Feeder, Stainless Steel, Anti-Chew...
    • NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...
    • WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...

    Can I Cook Plain Chicken and Give It To My Cat?

    Cooking a plain chicken can make a great low-carb treat, but it won’t provide your cat with the balanced meal they require to stay healthy.

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    Conclusion

    When choosing your next low-carb cat food, we highly recommend our pick as the best overall. Feline Natural Chicken & Venison Feast Grain-Free Canned Cat Food was a hit with most of our cats, and it contains only a few high-quality ingredients to provide your pet with a balanced diet that includes omega fats. Another smart choice is our pick as the best value. Crave Turkey Pate Grain-Free Cat Food Trays provide your cat with a high protein, low carb diet without breaking the bank. We hope you have enjoyed reading over these reviews and found a few brands you would like to try out. If we have helped you provide a better diet for your pet, please share this guide to the best low-carb cat food on Facebook and Twitter.


    Featured Image Credit: vlad_bil, Shutterstock

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