10 Best Soft Dry Cat Foods in 2023 — Reviews & Guide
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall |
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Meow Mix Tender Centers Dry Cat Food |
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Best Value |
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Friskies Tender & Crunchy Combo Dry Cat Food |
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Premium Choice |
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Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend Dry Cat Food |
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Best for Kittens |
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Kitten Chow Nurture Dry Cat Food |
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Check Price |
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American Journey Turkey & Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food |
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10 Best Soft Dry Cat Foods
1. Meow Mix Tender Centers Dry Cat Food — Best Overall
Moisture content: | 12% max |
Crude Protein: | 31% |
Caloric Content: | 325 kcal/cup |
- Soft, chewy interior
- Great moisture content
- Real chicken and tuna
- Packed with essential vitamins and nutrients
- Contains filler ingredients
- Contains artificial ingredients
2. Friskies Tender & Crunchy Combo Dry Cat Food — Best Value
Moisture content: | 12% max |
Crude Protein: | 30% |
Caloric Content: | 389 kcal/cup |
- Inexpensive
- Crunchy and tender texture
- Loaded with antioxidants
- Added vitamin A and taurine for vision and heart health
- 100% balanced
- Contains artificial ingredients
- Contains grains and meat by-products
3. Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend Dry Cat Food — Premium Option
Moisture content: | 12% max |
Crude Protein: | 34% |
Caloric Content: | 366 kcal/cup |
- Chicken is the first listed ingredient
- Contains crunchy kibble and tender meaty morsels
- No artificial flavors or preservatives
- Free from fillers
- Added essential omega fatty acids
- Expensive
4. Kitten Chow Nurture Dry Cat Food — Best for Kittens
Moisture content: | 12% max |
Crude Protein: | 40% |
Caloric Content: | 414 kcal/cup |
- Ideal for kittens
- Contains farm-raised chicken
- High protein content
- Added DHA
- Soft texture and small, easy-to-chew kibble
- Free from artificial flavors or colors
- Contains corn, soy, and wheat
5. American Journey Turkey & Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
Moisture content: | 10% max |
Crude Protein: | 40% |
Caloric Content: | 395 kcal/cup |
- Contains real turkey and deboned chicken
- Packed with healthy fruits and vegetables
- Added essential omega fatty acids
- Natural antioxidants
- Free from grains, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
- Inconsistent kibble size
- Comparatively low in moisture
6. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
Moisture content: | 9% max |
Crude Protein: | 40% |
Caloric Content: | 443 kcal/cup |
- Contains real, deboned chicken as the first ingredient
- 100% grain-free
- Added essential omega fatty acids
- Contains LifeSource Bits
- Free from poultry by-products and artificial flavors or preservatives
- May cause nausea
- Expensive
- Low moisture content
7. Iams ProActive Health Healthy Senior Dry Cat Food
Moisture content: | 10% max |
Crude Protein: | 34% |
Caloric Content: | 399 kcal/cup |
- Contains chicken as the first ingredient
- Crafted for senior cats
- Added essential minerals, phosphorus and calcium
- Packed with healthy antioxidants
- Contains L-carnitine
- Made without artificial preservatives or colors
- Contains by-product meals and corn
- Only suitable for senior cats
Related Read: 10 Best Senior Cat Foods – Reviews & Top Picks
8. Hill’s Science Diet Adult 11+ Indoor Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
Moisture content: | 9% max |
Crude Protein: | 5% |
Caloric Content: | 398 kcal/cup |
- Contains real chicken as the first listed ingredient
- Highly digestible formula
- Clinically proven antioxidant blend
- Added taurine and L-carnitine
- High fiber content
- Free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
- Contains wheat, corn, and rice grains
- Low protein content
- Expensive
9. Blue Buffalo Healthy Aging Mature Dry Cat Food
Moisture content: | 9% max |
Crude Protein: | 32% |
Caloric Content: | 399 kcal/cup |
- Chicken is the first listed ingredient
- Enhanced with essential minerals
- Packed with natural sources of essential amino acids
- Contains LifeSource Bits
- Free from poultry by-product meals, grains, and artificial flavors and preservatives
- For mature cats only
- Expensive
- Small kibble size
10. Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Adult Dry Cat Food
Moisture content: | 9% max |
Crude Protein: | 32% |
Caloric Content: | 442 kcal/cup |
- Contains real, deboned chicken
- Added prebiotics
- High digestibility
- Free from wheat, corn, soy, and artificial flavors and preservatives
- May cause vomiting and diarrhea
- Low protein and moisture content
- High caloric content
Related Read: 6 Best Cat Foods for Older Cats with Bad Teeth – Reviews & Top Picks
Buyer’s Guide
While wet food is a great option for cats with dental issues or older felines, it can get expensive and is certainly not as convenient as dry food. Dry foods that are specially formulated to be softer, have a higher moisture content, and be easier to chew are ideal for aging felines. Of course, you could always soften a dry food yourself with warm water in the form of broth or stock, but this can soften it a bit too much for some cats, so a purpose-made soft dry food is the best option. But how do you find a good option of soft dry food for your feline? We are here to help! Here are a few things to look for when choosing a soft dry cat food for your feline.
Moisture content
Most dry cat kibble has a moisture content of around 10–12%, and even commercial “soft” dry cat foods have a similar moisture saturation. Looking at the moisture content and making sure it’s above 10% can help, but it will not ensure that the food is actually softer than usual. The best bet is to purchase kibble that has a soft center and hard exterior, giving your cat a crunchy texture than they love with a soft center that makes chewing easier. The problem with this type of kibble is the ingredients. In order to make kibble with this soft center, there are often questionable ingredients used — notably, grains — which are not always great for your cat’s health.
Ingredients
No matter what food you choose to feed your cat, looking at the ingredient list is vital. Cats are obligate carnivores, and as such, they need animal-based protein in their diet to stay healthy. An animal protein should always be the first ingredient, as this is what constitutes the majority of the food. Soft dry foods often contain many grains, which may be fine for some cats, but be cautious of soft dry food that has grains listed as the first ingredient. You want the protein to be at around 30–40% ideally, and this should come primarily from animal-based proteins. Soft dry foods often use meat by-products and meals too. This is to make the food more chewy and palatable, but since you don’t know exactly what a by-product or meat meal can contain — which could be anything from organ meats to bones, skin, and even hair — this is somewhat risky.
Essential nutrients
Besides protein, you also want to make sure your cat’s food contains all the other vital nutrients that they need. The food should be nutritionally balanced and age-appropriate for your feline. Check for essential nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, vitamins, taurine, and L-carnitine. Omega fatty acids should also be included for skin and coat health. Make sure the food does not have too much fat content or too many filler ingredients, like grains, and ideally, is free from any artificial ingredients, like flavors or colors.
Regardless of whether you feed your cat dry or wet food, you need a bowl that is sure to keep the mess contained—you can do just that with the Hepper Nom Nom Bowl.
Our product is designed with your cat’s comfort in mind. The whisker-friendly bowls are low and wide to prevent whisker fatigue, and the wide catch tray ensures that all food stays exactly where it should—inside the bowl.
Why not just give your cat wet food?
Wet food is a great option for cats that need softer food in their diet due to dental issues. It is easy to chew, has a high moisture content, and has a texture that most cats adore, making it a great option. That said, dry food has great benefits and many cats simply prefer it. Dry cat foods are easy to store and last a long time, while wet food needs to be used directly after opening. Dry foods can also help with dental health, as the dry texture of kibble can help remove plaque and tartar build-up. Lastly, dry food is super convenient, especially if you have more than one cat, and is generally more affordable than wet food.
Conclusion
All the above soft dry foods are great options, and while we highly recommend all of them, the Meow Mix Tender Centers dry cat food is our favorite overall. It has delicious kibble with a hard, crunchy outside and a soft, chewy, meaty inside and is loaded with essential vitamins and nutrients for a complete and balanced nutrition. If you’re looking for soft dry food that is slightly more budget-friendly, the Friskies Tender and Crunchy Combo is the best soft dry cat food for the money. This kibble is crunchy yet tender, is loaded with antioxidants and essential omega fatty acids, and is 100% balanced and complete. With chicken as the first-listed ingredient and no artificial flavors or preservatives, the Purina ONE Tender Selects dry cat food is an excellent premium option for your feline. The food contains both hard, crunchy kibble and tender meaty morsels that your cat will love, and it is packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Proper nutrition is vital to the health and well-being of your feline, and it can be stressful to find the right food for them, especially if they need soft, dry kibble. Hopefully, our in-depth reviews have helped you find the best soft dry cat food to suit your unique needs.
See also:
- 10 Best Soft Dry Cat Foods in Canada – Reviews & Top Picks
- 5 Best Cat Foods for Diabetes in Australia – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: Skrypnykov Dmytro, Shutterstock