What is the Best Cat Food? If you love your cat or kitten as much as I do, you will want to research which brand is best to feed your special friend. Some people even go so far as to make their own Homemade Cat Food. But which is better nutritionally for your cat? Homemade cat food could be better based on the ingredients you use. But, bear in mind that the big cat food companies spend millions on research, so it might be a good idea to read up on cat nutrition studies before you decide to rely on your own cat food for all your cat’s nutritional needs.

There are Cat Food Brands that label their pet foods Organic or Natural, but what do these actually do for the health and well-being of your cat?

Our animals depend solely on us to make the right judgments to keep them healthy. This is a big responsibility on our shoulders, and I don’t take this lightly because it means our pets could live longer or shorter lives depending on our cat’s food choices. So, what cat food manufacturer do you trust your cat’s life with?

Who Makes Pet Food Standards?

Organic- This means that the ingredients are certified by a USDA-certified testing agency and are guaranteed not to have any toxins, contaminants, antibiotics, growth hormones, herbicides, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, GMOs, or meat by-products, etc.

Natural and Holistic are relative terms have never heard of any Natural or Holistic testing agency for animal food. These two terms mean that the natural and holistic may only share some things in common with Organic.

The manufacturer will define their food title and the testing agency used, or if any artificial coloring, flavoring, preservatives, fillers, etc., are added. So, we must make sure we read labels and know what ingredients are inside our cats.

The AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) sets certain standards for pet food but doesn’t have any regulatory or enforcement power like the FDA. However, the FDA is the one who has the claws in recalling pet foods you will see if you visit their site under their “Animal and Veterinary” page.

It’s not necessarily the best cat food just because a manufacturer labels Organic, Natural, or Holistic on their pet foods. Furthermore, this in itself will not guarantee quality. How many pet food recalls the pet food manufacturer has had in the past?

Human Grade chicken is USDA-inspected, which you can find in your supermarket. The USDA inspection stamp is a standard you can trust for human-grade, wholesome food.

What’s All the Talk about Grain?

There is also much talk that grain could be healthier to feed your pet. For example, some pet foods don’t have wheat, corn, or soy, yet they have brown rice, oatmeal, and barley.

These are not any better for a cat; if you are unsure about it, it’s best to make your cat food. Corn and wheat can cause allergic reactions in some pets. Did you know that potatoes are grain too?

You can go for “Grain Free” dry pet food, but maybe some added fruit, vegetables, and some forms of grain, like brown rice, could benefit your pet because of the fiber.

The package may also say “Gluten Free.”

This is supposed to mean that wheat products are not used in it.

I have tried a few organic brands, including the natural ones, and my cats put their noses up at a few.

This is even after they have been gradually introduced to the new food after a few weeks.

My animals would look older, and their coats became dull and dry, so I changed back to my previous pet food, which unfortunately had sorghum and corn meal. This was unacceptable, so I continued my search for superior cat food.

That grain thing has been nagging me lately, so I researched more. But, unfortunately, I can’t visualize my cats in the wild eating corn, whole grain wheat, or consuming soy products.

In the wild, they hunt prey like lizards, small rodents, bugs, birds, etc. This is meat and, therefore, should be the largest natural ingredient in their food.

What to Look for in the Best Cat Food

• My pet food buying advice is put my focus on the ingredients instead of the brand name in the best cat food

• The best cat food in my mind would be that brand which had meat as its prime ingredient

• For example, deboned chicken and chicken meal should be number one and two in the best cat food

• I would also avoid wheat, corn, or soy, as they are known to cause certain health-related ailments and conditions in some of us humans and animals

• Find substitute grains like brown rice, oats, barley, whole potatoes, and sweet potatoes, including fruits and vegetables as additional ingredients

• Go online and read the ingredients of the various brands at a pet shop

• I don’t want to recommend the brand of cat food I use, only cat food guidelines you can use to shop because the cat food I feed my cats may not be right for your cat