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Smalls Cat Food Review 2024: Vet-Approved Pros, Cons, & Verdict

Ashley Bates

By Ashley Bates

Smalls-Cat-Food-Review-SAPR-FT-IMG

Vet approved

Dr. Paola Cuevas Photo

Reviewed & Fact-Checked By

Dr. Paola Cuevas

MVZ (Veterinarian)

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Learn more »

Our Final Verdict

We give Smalls cat food a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. 

Every day, the pet food world changes. Right now, we’re heading from an era of cat food products with loads of unnecessary and harmful ingredients, towards a more natural approach. Companies race to create nutritionally sound recipes that truly support your cat—and Smalls is here for it.

Smalls is a subscription-based fresh food company that tailors meals for your cat. They send them to you in a chilled box on a timed schedule—directly to your door! So, if you want to know more about pricing, quality, and the company, we have you covered. We can’t wait to tell you about Smalls and all its fabulous nutritional offerings.

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At a Glance: What We Reviewed

Rating Image Product Details
Our Favorite
Winner
Smalls Fresh Smooth Fish Smalls Fresh Smooth Fish
  • Great for skin and coat
  • Full of omega fatty acids
  • Aromatic for cats
  • Second place
    Smalls Smooth Cow Smalls Smooth Cow
  • Great for high-energy cats
  • Builds lean muscle
  • Smooth texture for all dental health
  • Third place
    Smalls Bird Broth Smalls Bird Broth
  • Adds hydration
  • Simple ingredients
  • Softens dry food
  • Smalls Cat Food Reviewed

    Let’s take you through the information we have gathered. First, we will tell you a bit about the company and how your cat can benefit. But then, you get to learn all the exciting stuff—like what exactly goes into a typical Smalls recipe. We think you’ll like what you find.

    smalls freeze-dried raw and human-grade fresh cat food with tabby cat

    Who Makes Smalls and Where Is It Produced?

    Smalls cat food has facilities across the United States. Each facility is responsible for crafting a specific Smalls recipe. Fresh food recipes are made in Chicago, Illinois; freeze-dried recipes are made in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and dry kibble is made in Brainerd, Minnesota.

    Smalls fills their kitchens with employees who take cat nutrition as seriously as they do. All recipes undergo rigorous quality checks before being sent out to feed hungry cats across the States.

    Which Types of Cat Is Smalls Best Suited For?

    The great thing about Smalls is that the recipes suit any cat! Kitten to adult to senior; thin to average to obese—all cats can benefit from these incredibly nutritious recipes. Each one is perfectly balanced to meet the nutritional requirements of every feline, and even exceed them.

    The thing we love the most about Smalls is its versatility. Smalls works exceptionally well for a multi-cat household because each package of food meets the needs of all of your house cats.

    Smalls is truly a one-stop shop, and you don’t even have to do any of the work. You simply get the cat food, offer it to your pride of little lions, and call it a day. The most you have to do is warm it up a bit to take off the chill. (Or thaw the meals before you feed.)

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    Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

    a tabby cat sniffing smalls fresh smooth bird recipe on a bowl

    When you’re shopping for a new cat food that will maintain your best friend’s health, you definitely want to make sure that the product is quality. Smalls prides themselves on crafting exceptionally healthy recipes for our feline friends that are fit for our own dinner tables.

    While Smalls has their own smorgasbord of different food options, the one we are focusing on today is Smalls Smooth Fish. This recipe is crafted with care using as few ingredients as possible while giving the maximum nutrition. Let’s talk about each ingredient one by one.

    Calories: 200
    Protein: 14.5%
    Fat: 7.0%
    Fiber: 1.5%
    Moisture: 74.0%

    Cod is an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, targeting specific areas of health like immunity, kidney function, and brain development.

    Salmon is a common addition to many cat food meals because it is protein and omega-3 fatty acid rich, like cod. Cats really seem to love the unique, rich, flavor.

    Pumpkin is often used in high-quality recipes in place of grain. Pumpkin is incredibly easy to digest and helps with vision and immunity.

    Nutritional yeast is an additive that provides a decent medley of much-needed vitamins and minerals. Nutritional yeast should not be confused with bread yeast, which is toxic to cats.

    Peas are full of protein and have tons of fantastic vitamins and minerals. Some of these include vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, copper, potassium, and iron. They are also a  source of dietary fiber that helps regulate the digestive tract.

    Green beans are a source of fiber, calcium, carotenes, and vitamin K, helping to produce a healthy and well-balanced recipe.

    Ordering, Delivery, and Presentation

    a tabby cat sniffing the smalls box

    Smalls is on its A-game! It was easy to browse the website for options and place the best order for our cats. The website is clean and easy to navigate, making the experience a breeze.

    Once we placed the order, it came in an exceptionally speedy fashion. The delivery arrived at our door with temperature protection to keep the cat food frozen. It was so easy to sift through the box, gathering up all the fresh foods and storing them appropriately.

    If you have any issues or additional questions during your order, Smalls offers a representative each step of the way to help you complete your purchase.

    Smalls Recipes

    When you receive your Smalls cat food shipment, it comes to your door in a refrigerated box. All of your cat food arrives frozen. So, you can immediately lay out what you need and put away the rest to keep it fresh.

    Smalls offers a variety of delicious fresh foods, treats, and other goodies. We loved watching our cats try all of these new products, purring with enthusiasm.

    Smalls cat food is fresh and soft. You don’t have to worry about any of your cats having a problem chewing it up. It works well for kittens and seniors with a few dental issues. This tasty, easy-to-eat dish provides all the comfort and nutrition your feline could possibly need.

    Fresh Cat Food

    Smalls offers a trio of textures for its meals: smooth, ground, and pulled. Your cat’s mouth will never be bored! These recipes are crafted with all-natural, human-grade ingredients that are all gently cooked, maintaining nutrients.

    These recipes include:

    • Ground Bird
    • Other Bird
    • Smooth Bird
    • Pulled Bird
    • Ground Other Bird
    • Smooth Other Bird
    • Pulled Other Bird
    • Smooth Cow
    • Smooth Fish

    smalls freeze-dried raw recipes with yawning tabby cat

    Freeze-Dried Cat Food

    Freeze-dried raw meals are Smalls kibble alternatives with mostly protein—without the irritating grain and artificial preservatives! These meals can be rehydrated for a mouth-watering taste experience, too. Also, these recipes pair very well with Smalls Bird Broth.

    • Bird
    • Ground Other Bird
    • Water Bird

    Treats & Supplements

    Smalls offers two other supplemental products—both yummy, both very different for a fresh flavor every time.

    • Giblet Niblets
    • Bird Broth

    A Little About Pricing

    two tabby cats sniffing smalls freeze-dried raw other bird packaging

    When you sign up to get your first trial subscription box from Smalls, they offer you a 25% discount. You can test out the medley of flavors and textures they offer to see which ones your cat likes best. Then, you can see how your cat reacts—and if it will fit the budget.

    The total monthly cost of this cat food is substantially higher than most recipes on the shelf. But what you are paying out, you are getting quality products that will nourish and potentially lengthen your cat’s lifespan.

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    A Quick Look at Smalls Cat Food

    Pros
    • Human-grade recipes
    • Plentiful tastes and textures
    • Chew-friendly meals
    • Subscription-based
    Cons
    • Can be expensive

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    Reviews of the Smalls Cat Food We Tried

    While we tried more and loved all of Small’s recipes—these are the top three favorites. We chose two fresh foods and a supplement so you can explore the variety.

    1. Smalls Fresh Smooth Fish Raw Cat Food

    Main Ingredients: Cod, salmon, nutritional yeast, peas, green beans
    Calories: 200
    Protein: 14.5%
    Fat: 7.0%
    Fiber: 1.5%

    Smalls Fresh Smooth Fish is such a delightful recipe that my cats absolutely went gaga over it. By far the favorite of the bunch, this healthy, aromatic fresh food is a huge hit in my home—both of my kitties meowed in anticipation and begged for seconds.

    Smalls fish recipe is an excellent quality meal, with a very aromatic scent that might be a little overwhelming for some. This seemed to make it more attractive for our cats, and they gobbled it up without question.

    So we’re sure that your kitties will enjoy it just as much. This recipe contains cod, salmon, and pumpkin, making it easily digestible and fabulous for the skin and coat. So if you have a kitty that could use some natural oils on its dry skin, this might be the recipe to opt for.

    Pros
    • Great for skin and coat
    • Full of omega-3 fatty acids
    • Aromatic for cats
    Cons
    • The strongest smelling of the Smalls recipes

    2. Smalls Smooth Cow Raw Cat Food

    Smalls Smooth Cow

    Main Ingredients: Beef, beef liver, green beans, water, spinach, peas
    Calories: 200
    Protein: 16.5%
    Fat: 12.0%
    Fiber: 1.5%

    Smalls Smooth Cow was definitely second in line for the favorite cat food package. The smooth cow recipe has extremely great texture, soft enough for a cat of any age to consume. Beef is a muscle-building protein, and the added beef liver boosts additional nutrients.

    This recipe contains green beans, spinach, and peas, a powerful green trio that each has an outstanding number of vitamins and minerals. This recipe contains 16.5% protein per meal, making it a top-notch selection for active felines.

    Consider this recipe like a healthy hamburger with a medley of added vitamins and minerals. This can be exactly what your cat needs to boost their energy or keep their calories up. Plus, it’s super tasty—the kitties have spoken.

    Pros
    • Great for high-energy cats
    • Builds lean muscle
    • Smooth texture for all dental health
    Cons
    • Higher in fat

    3. Smalls Bird Broth For Cats

    Main Ingredients: Chicken bone broth, salt
    Protein: 2.31%
    Fat: 0.10%
    Fiber: 0.20%

    Small’s bird broth is an awesome supplement that our cats really enjoyed. This simple additive boosts protein levels and adds enriching moisture to boost hydration. It contains only two ingredients: chicken broth and salt.

    We poured this particular mix over freeze-dried giblet niblets, providing a mouthwateringly satisfying snack. You can serve this as a lickable treat or add as a topper to traditional daily meals. This particular product is not intended to be used as a meal replacement.

    This bone broth is not a complete and balanced meal for a cat but rather a great way of enticing your kitty’s appetite while increasing its hydration intake. Your cat’s main diet and nutrition source need to be a complete and balanced food recipe. 

    Pros
    • Adds hydration
    • Simple ingredients
    • Softens dry food
    Cons
    • Supplemental only

    Our Experience with Smalls

    We were incredibly impressed with Smalls cat food. The ordering process was a cinch. Delivery was speedy and efficient. The food was top quality and super tasty—our cats told us so. It also quickly improved our cat’s skin and eliminated his dandruff!

    We couldn’t have asked for a better delivery service, and we can’t help but recommend it to our audience. It is so much more convenient to serve your cat pre-portioned meals that are human-grade and entirely nourishing for their system. Anything that helps your cat live longer gets a big thumbs up in our categories.

    multiple smalls fresh recipes with a tabby cat

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    Final Thoughts

    We need to stress just how much we enjoy Smalls cat food. We love the quality of all of Smalls products, as you can tell that nutrition is of utmost importance to this company. We also like the subscription-based service since it makes delivery such a breeze.

    While Smalls is pricey compared to competing cat foods, it’s worth what they’re asking. If you want to try out Smalls, you get a discount on your first order to test the waters. If there’s any trouble along the way, the Smalls team will be right there to assist you with any questions, concerns, or complaints.

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