As a cat owner, you want your kitty to have the best food possible. You need food that suits your cat’s needs, and you want to ensure they’ll be happy eating it. After all, if your cat is turning his nose up at his food, no matter how good it is for him, it’s not doing any good sitting in his dish.
That is why we’ve created this list of reviews for the best Bengal cat food around. We tested the brands below using our own Bengals, and you can keep reading to find out our top 6 picks.
Our pick for the best food for Bengals is the Smalls Fresh Cow recipe, which is available in smooth and ground textures. Smalls is a U.S.-based small business initially started by two friends cooking cat food in their kitchen. Their simple, tasty recipes rely on meat and vegetable ingredients sustainably sourced from the United States and Canada. All Smalls recipes contain peas: a legume under investigation for potentially causing heart issues.
All Smalls recipes are made in the USA and include a vitamin and mineral blend. The food is gently cooked, packaged without preservatives, and shipped directly to your home every 2–8 weeks as needed. Unfortunately, Smalls does not ship internationally or to Alaska and Hawaii. Smalls Fresh Cow is a fantastic option for Bengal owners who like the idea of home-cooked food for their cats but want to ensure they’re feeding a nutritionally-balanced diet. Customers reported that their cats love the taste of Smalls’ food, and they noticed the kitties seem to have improved energy levels, less smelly litter boxes, and shinier coats when eating Smalls.
Pros
Sustainably sourced ingredients
Made in the USA
Shipped directly to your home
Made of fresh meats and vegetables
Cons
Contains peas
Does not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or internationally
2. Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken Canned Cat Food – Best Value
We all love our Bengals, and we want to give them something tasty to eat. But when you’re on a budget, you’re looking for the best cat food for Bengals for the money. We have done our research and suggest Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken Canned Cat Food. This nutritious cat food is ready to help your cat get the nutrition it needs without emptying your bank account.
Tiki cat food is made with shredded chicken as its first ingredient, which is cooked in chicken broth. It is full of moisture and helps your cat stay hydrated, supporting urinary and digestive health. It’s full of essential omegas, taurine, minerals, and vitamins and provides the diet your pet needs without carbs, flour, starches, gluten, or grains.
Royal Canin Bengal Adult Dry Cat Food is another excellent choice. It is specially made for Bengals and is formulated with the best ratio of fat and high-level protein for building and maintaining your Bengal’s lean muscle.
We also love that this Bengal cat food contains omega fatty acids, essential amino acids, and vitamins to keep your cat’s gorgeous striped coat smooth and silky. Finally, the formula includes prebiotics and highly-digestible protein to support the digestive system.
Pros
Specifically made for Bengals
Includes vitamins and other ingredients for a healthy, beautiful coat
Y-shape kibble is unique
Good for digestive tract
Texture encourages cats to chew for good oral hygiene
We all love our Bengals and have heard a lot about feeding them raw diets and how good they are for your cat. The big disadvantage of the raw diet is that it takes a lot of time and effort. That is why we love Instinct Ultimate Protein Grain-Free Dry Cat Food. This food was created to closely mirror the many benefits of feeding your cat a raw diet.
The high protein levels in Instinct don’t come from an animal meal; they come from real meat. Your cat will be able to absorb all of the nutrition and enjoy the benefits of natural omegas, natural live probiotics, and antioxidants.
Of course, when you want to give your cat the best, you’re going to pay for it. This is excellent cat food, but it’s a bit pricey and not made specifically for Bengals. That’s why we couldn’t put it at the top for the best food for Bengal cats.
Pros
95% of the protein comes from actual chicken
Contains no animal meal
Easy to digest and absorb
Supports healthy digestion, skin and coat, and immune system
We love that its top ingredients are chicken and turkey meal. The crunchy texture helps with our cats’ oral hygiene, and the pieces are full of things like apples, blueberries, cranberries, and spinach. Our cat also adored the flavor, and we love it because it doesn’t contain anything artificial.
For those of us looking for food perfect for kitties with sensitive stomachs, Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Dry Cat Food was the answer. We love that it only has a limited number of ingredients, so it’s easy to read the label and know whether or not it’s right for our cats.
Instinct Limited Ingredient contains a single animal protein and a single vegetable, and it gives our cats the simple nutrition they need without upsetting their stomachs. When you are looking for something simple with easy-to-read ingredients, Instinct is ideal.
Pros
Limited number of ingredients
Easy-to-read labels
Grain-free
Good for cats with sensitive stomachs
Easy to digest
Cons
Not specifically for Bengals
One vegetable included
One animal protein
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Food for Bengal Cats
With several options for cat food for your Bengal, how do you choose the one that is right for your cat? We’ll examine what to look for in food for your Bengal and what to avoid.
What to Look for in Food for Your Bengal
Even though Bengals are special breeds, they’re just like other cats regarding their diet. They prefer food that is high in protein with few or no fillers. Of course, you can treat your Bengal once in a while. You shouldn’t be afraid to give them other treats or delicious cat food on special occasions.
But when you are shopping for their staple food, look for the following items.
Named Meat – Bengals need a high-protein diet and should be fed a brand with a meat listed first.
No Fillers – You should avoid recipes that are loaded with fillers. However, some fillers are fine if they’re of high quality. If you have a Bengal without digestive issues, choose one with grains rather than one with many additives, which might cause your cat health problems.
No Artificial Flavors, Colors or Preservatives – Just like the previous advice, if you want to choose the best food, don’t choose food that contains artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Fortified Using Minerals and Vitamins – To give your Bengal a nutritionally complete and balanced meal, look for one that contains minerals and vitamins.
Fiber – Bengals need fiber to help with their digestion. Veggies, fruits, and whole grains are all good to have in the cat food you give your Bengal. However, processed grains should be avoided if you have a cat with digestive problems.
It doesn’t matter if you have a Bengal or another breed because all cats need plenty of protein, healthy fats, and limited carbs. You don’t want to completely avoid carbs since fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, and minerals that can help your cat stay healthy.
Things You Should Never Feed Your Bengal
As a cat owner, you know the look your cat gives you when you are eating something that they deem tasty. They meow, purr, and demand that you give them a piece. It's okay to do once in a while, but there are some foods that you should never give your cat.
Below are five of the most common things you should never feed a Bengal and why:
Chocolate – Chocolate contains theobromine. This alkaloid can lead to problems with your cat’s digestion, heart issues, muscle tremors, seizures, and possibly death. Never give your cat chocolate.
Alcohol – Most cat and dog owners know alcohol is dangerous, but it bears repeating. Alcohol can cause brain and liver damage in your cat.
Raw fish, eggs or meat – These may contain salmonella or E-coli and can interfere with your cat’s ability to absorb biotin.
Garlic and onions – Any form of garlic or onion can cause blood problems and anemia in your cat.
Avocado – Avocados contain persin. This can lead to digestive issues, respiratory issues, heart problems, vomiting, and possibly death.
These are just five substances to avoid giving to your cat. If you want your cat to be happy, healthy, and live a long life, it’s best to stick with one of the cat foods we have listed here. They have everything in them that your cat needs to be healthy.Â
3 Tips for Your Cat’s Bowl
Image Credit: Alexander_Evgenyevich, Shutterstock
Finally, now that we have looked at the food you should buy your cat, what should you serve the food in? Below are some tips when choosing your cat’s dish.
1. Don’t Use Plastic
Oil and bacteria will build up in the scratches in the bowl and may cause acne. It will look like black dots on their chin. Choose a bowl made of stainless steel or ceramic.
2. Consider the Bowl’s Depth
A cat will prefer bowls and dishes that are wide and relatively shallow. It might be uncomfortable when your cat sticks its face into a deep bowl too far. This may be because they don’t like the feel of it around their whiskers, or they can’t see their environment.
Choosing the right food and water bowls for our feline companions can pose certain challenges for pet owners. The Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl provides a chic and innovative solution that supports cat specific needs, such as shallow bowls and a subtle elevation that fosters whisker relief, posture comfort, and improves digestion. It features an elegant contemporary design with a wide wrap-around tray aimed at minimizing any messes from ending up on your floor! Furthermore, this bowl is entirely dishwasher safe, so pet owners are able to spend more time with their cats instead of cleaning up after them. Discover why the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is right for both you and your kitty by clicking here.
At Excited Cats, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
We hope we have helped you find the right food for your Bengal with our reviews. In our opinion, the best Bengal cat food overall is Smalls Fresh Cow Recipe. If you are looking for the best value cat food for Bengals, then Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken Canned Cat Food is a great choice.
Christian is the Editor-in-Chief of Excited Cats and one of its original and primary contributors. A lifelong cat lover, now based in South East Asia, Christian and his wife are the proud parents of an 11-year-old son and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.