11 Best Cat Foods in Canada in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

Did you know that around 50%-60% of Canadian pets are considered obese?¹ Obesity is a serious health concern for cats as it increases their risk of developing potentially life-threatening conditions like cancer and heart disease.² The good news is that obesity is 100% preventable.

To promote wellness in your kitty, you must feed them a healthy and balanced diet. We understand it can be challenging to choose the best food for your kitty, especially considering all the options available, which is why we’ve collected a list of the 10 best cat foods available in Canada to help take the guesswork out of the equation for you.

Keep reading to find our reviews of the 10 best cat foods you should consider feeding your cat.

A Quick Look at Our Top Picks (2023)

The 11 Best Cat Food in Canada

1. Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon Cat Food – Best Overall

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Our pick for the overall best cat food in Canada is Open Farm’s Wild-Caught Salmon dry cat food. This kibble is packed full of protein and nutrients from premium ingredients that are sustainably sourced and completely traceable. Cats love the flavor of the wild-caught Pacific salmon, and the digestion-supporting prebiotics and UTI health-supporting cranberries and dandelion greens provide excellent nutrition. Plus, you won’t find any potatoes, poultry, or meat meals in this quality recipe.

This high-end dry cat food can be a little expensive. However, if you’re looking for excellent food that is good for your cat and the world, Open Farm is a great option. If your cat isn’t a fan of salmon or kibble, Open Farm also produces other recipes and types of food, including freeze-dried raw, wet, and bone broth.

2. Purina Friskies Chicken & Seafood Canned Cat Food – Best Value

The best cat food in Canada for the money is Purina’s Friskies Chicken & Seafood Combo Canned Cat Food. This 12-can pack comes in flavors most cats love, such as chicken, salmon, ocean whitefish, and tuna. Each recipe provides 100% complete and balanced nutrition for adult kitties and is made with real meat and seafood.

The pate provides a smooth and tasty texture that most cats enjoy. Although the scent of the cans is quite strong for our human noses, the odor is irresistible to cats. So, if you have a picky kitty who is tentative about the texture and taste of wet food, Friskies may pique his interest long enough to encourage him to try it.

3. Hill’s Science Diet Urinary & Hairball Control Wet Cat Food – Premium Choice

This high-protein Hill’s Science Diet Adult Urinary & Hairball Control is a premium choice for cat owners who can spend a little extra on food for their cats. This recipe has a tasty chicken flavor and is made with real meat to entice your cat to eat it.

It features key nutrients your kitty needs to support his urinary health and natural fibers to reduce how often he gets hairballs. The inclusion of taurine helps boost your cat’s vision health as well as their heart function. The formula’s antioxidants and vitamins C and E help promote a healthy immune system.

4. IAMS PROACTIVE Healthy Kitten Dry Food – Best for Kittens

If you have a kitten at home, you must provide them with top-notch nutrition to help promote optimal growth. This formula from IAMS is designed specifically to meet the needs of growing kittens. With real chicken as its first ingredient, this nutrient-rich IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Healthy Kitten Dry Cat Food will help your kitty grow into a strong, lean adult cat.

The omega-3 fatty acids in this formula promote brain development. It also contains nutrients similar to those found in mother cats’ milk to help your young cat build a robust immune system. The natural fiber and prebiotics encourage the development of a healthy digestive system so your kitten can grow into a well-adjusted and well-rounded adult.

5. Royal Canin Indoor Dry Cat Food

Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Indoor Dry Cat Food is another good option. This dry food is designed to meet the needs of indoor adult cats. Cats who spend all their time indoors often don’t get enough exercise, which can result in undesirable behaviors such as overeating and overgrooming.

This recipe provides your kitty with a controlled-calorie diet to make up for their more sedentary lifestyle. Indoor cats spend more time per day grooming, which can cause additional shedding and more hairballs. This recipe provides your kitty with fiber from peas and dried beet pulp to help move that excess hair through your indoor cats’ digestive system, reducing the number of hairballs they have.

6. Dr. Elsey’s Cleanprotein Salmon Dry Cat Food

Dr. Elsey’s Cleanprotien Salmon Formula Dry Cat Food is made with the highest quality protein possible. High protein diets can help your kitty maintain a lean body mass and support a healthier immune system. Protein is great for indoor cats as it can satiate their appetite and keep them fuller. This is excellent news if you have an indoor cat who doesn’t get enough exercise.

This recipe has real salmon as its first ingredient and many vitamins and minerals to promote a healthier and more active lifestyle for your adult cat. Dr. Elsey’s is grain-free as well as gluten-free.

7. Fussie Cat Market Fresh Salmon & Chicken Dry Cat Food

Fussie Cat’s Market Fresh Salmon & Chicken Formula Dry Cat Food is designed to meet the needs of your obligate carnivore kitty. This formula starts with real meat as the main ingredient and is low in carbs. It contains a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals your kitty needs to thrive.

Healthy fats are included to promote a healthy body and shiny fur, and healthy fibers boost digestive health. Every recipe that Fussie Cats creates is crafted in an FDA-registered kitchen, so you can relax knowing your cat’s food is created in a safe environment.

8. First Mate Grain Free Formula for Cats

The First Mate Grain Free Chicken Meal with Blueberries Formula for Cats is a grain and gluten-free option for owners and cats who prefer a simpler, limited-ingredient diet. This formula includes blueberries for an antioxidant boost as well as a natural source of fiber. It contains ingredients to help promote a healthier immune system and boost vision health.

First Mate also uses only cage-free chicken for this single-meat protein recipe. This formula is unique as it is designed for use in both kittens and adult cats.

9. Pro Plan LiveClear Dry Cat Food

 

 

This unique Purina Pro Plan LiveClear Allergen Reducing Dry Cat Food formula claims to be the first and only cat food on the market that can reduce cat allergens. If you live with cats but suffer from allergies because of them, this food could potentially help you live more harmoniously together.

This kibble can neutralize Fel D 1, the major allergen that’s found in a cat’s saliva, as well as reduce the allergen that’s found in cat hair and dander by almost half by the third week of feeding. LiveClear is made with real chicken to boost your kitty’s muscles and live probiotics to help maintain digestive and immune health.

10. Purina Pro Plan Prime Plus Wet Cat Food

When your kitty reaches his golden years, it may be time for you to start considering changing his diet to support his aging body. This Purina Pro Plan Prime Plus Senior Wet Cat Foods formula is made with a unique proprietary blend to help support your kitty’s immune system and encourage healthy skin.

It’s rich in protein to help promote muscle mass and a healthy weight. Prime Plus contains the essential nutrients your cat needs to maintain a balanced digestive system. The first ingredient in this protein-rich recipe is real salmon, providing your senior kitty with the fishy taste he craves.

11. Sheba Perfect Portions Wet Cat Food

Sheba’s Perfect Portions Wet Cat Food provides 48 single servings of their famous pates. It contains three flavors: Savory Chicken, Roasted Turkey, and Tender Beef. They come in very easy-to-use single-serve trays that you snap, peel back the foil, and serve to take the guesswork out of portion sizes.

The smooth pate has a light texture that most cats are instantly drawn to. Each flavor lists real meat as the first two ingredients, giving your cat a hefty dose of the protein they need to thrive.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Cat Food in Canada

Before settling on one of the cat foods we’ve just reviewed, you need to learn more about feline nutrition. Educating yourself about what your cat needs in their diet to thrive will help you make an informed buying decision.

Your Cats Basic Nutritional Needs

Cats are obligate carnivores and rely entirely on meat since the nutrients they need to thrive are found only in animal flesh. This is why you have probably seen us harping on how important protein is for your cat’s diet. Some vitamins and minerals your kitty needs, like taurine, are only found in meat sources.

Since ingredients are listed in decreasing order by weight, you’ll want to choose a food with a protein source as the first ingredient. The main protein should be something like “beef,” “chicken,” or “salmon.” While fats may have gotten a bad reputation over the years, they’re essential for your cat’s diet and are the most energy-rich nutrients. Fatty acids like omega-3s and omega-6s promote healthy skin and coat and can even reduce inflammation.

Carbohydrates have also received a bad reputation, but they are an important energy source for many animals. However, this tends to be less valid for cats as they have evolved to receive most of their energy from proteins and fats. While cats can digest small amounts of carbs and convert them to energy, they should play a relatively small part in their diet.

Like every other living thing on earth, cats require water to thrive. Your cat’s body is comprised of roughly 80% water, so it is absolutely essential that your kitty gets his hydration levels up.

If your cat isn’t drinking enough water, you might consider upping how much wet food you’re offering him. Canned food has a much higher water volume and can significantly boost your cat’s hydration levels.

Dry Food vs Wet Food

Ah, the age-old question: Should your kitty eat a dry or wet diet? Lucky for us pet parents, most commercial cat foods are formulated to provide the perfect balanced nutrition that your cat needs to thrive, regardless of whether it’s wet or dry food. However, there are some critical differences between the types of food that you should know.

Moisture

The biggest difference between wet and dry foods is the moisture content. Dry cat foods contain around 10% water and the other 90% contain dry matter like carbs, fats, and vitamins. Wet food, on the other hand, has around 70% moisture content.

This is important to consider when choosing a food, especially if your cat has a health condition that could benefit from a higher water intake.

Nutrition

Dry cat foods often contain more carbs and less protein than their canned counterparts. Low-quality dry food sometimes contains many filler ingredients to shape the food during manufacturing. Cats who only eat dry food may be more prone to obesity due to its higher carbohydrate levels.

Cats with certain health conditions may benefit more from a diet of canned food. The high moisture content will give kitties with urinary issues or kidney problems the water they need to help manage their conditions.

Convenience

Dry food is typically much easier to serve than wet food and is a great pick for cat owners who prefer to free-feed their pets. It’s also shelf-stable and has a much longer shelf life.

Wet food is a perishable good. You cannot free-feed with wet food as it needs to be picked up within a few hours of serving; otherwise, it can spoil and begin growing bacteria. Any leftover wet food from mealtime needs to be refrigerated.

So, which is better—wet or dry food? It depends entirely on your cat’s tastes, health conditions, and preferences.

You might even consider feeding your kitty a diet of both wet and dry food to give him the best of both worlds. Cats can quickly become bored with the same food day in and day out, so providing a mix of both could be what they need to keep their interest piqued at mealtime.

Final Verdict

The best overall cat food in Canada is Open Farm’s Wild-Caught Salmon dry cat food. This excellent cat food is made with sustainably sourced Pacific salmon and prebiotics to provide your cat with the best nutrition. Purina’s Friskies Chicken & Seafood Combo Canned Cat Food takes the prize for the best-value cat food thanks to its affordable price tag and flavors cats love.

Your cat deserves the most nutritious diet, and we think he’ll be happy with any of the options above. We hope our reviews have helped make the decision-making process a little easier.

Featured Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock