Do you feed your cat wet or dry cat food or a mixture of both? Whether your cat is an indoor or outdoor cat, you'll want to find the best cat food for them. With all kinds of wet cat food available, from meaty meals in gravy to fish feasts in jelly, there is something for even the fussiest cats. Whether you're looking for cat food in sachets, pouches or tins, it's not always the case that better food comes with flashy branding or higher prices. When selecting the best wet cat food, pay close attention to the ingredients, especially the protein content - your cat needs lots of protein.
As well as being soft and easy to chew, one of the main benefits of wet cat food is its high water content. Cats don't typically drink that much water and so cat food filled with moisture - whether naturally wet or in the form of gravy or jelly - will help to keep them hydrated.
Best wet cat food at a glance:
• Best multipack selection: Iams Delights Adult Land & Sea Collection in Gravy Multipack - View on Pets at Home
• Best for high meat content: KatKin Subscription - View on KatKin
• Best for rotational feeding: Meowing Heads Wet Cat Food - View on Amazon UK
The goal is to find what your cat thrives on - what gives them energy, makes their fur shine and keeps their digestive system healthy. Every cat is different and will have its own preferences. We've found the best wet cat food brands according to real reviews, and where you can buy them.
The best wet cat food 2023
Best multipack selection
www.petsathome.com
IAMS Adult Land and Sea Collection is a complete pet food. This balanced and delicious cat food in gravy has 100 per cent of the nutrition your cat needs to be healthy. The land and sea collection include a variety of flavours: savoury chicken & turkey, lamb & red pepper, wild tuna & peas, and steamed salmon & cod.
Customer review: "My cat absolutely loves all the flavours in the pack, especially the salmon. They aren’t smelly like some cat food and the food comes out of the pouch easily without the need to break it up with a fork. Good value for the better quality it represents."
Pros
- Premium quality
- No artificial fillers, colours or GMOs
Cons
- Portion size per pouch could be bigger
| Ingredients | Lamb and red pepper: meat and animal derivatives, vegetables, derivatives of vegetable origin, minerals.<br>Savoury chicken and turkey: meat and animal derivatives, derivatives of vegetable origin, minerals.<br>Steamed salmon and cod: meat and animal derivatives, fish and fish derivatives, derivatives of vegetable origin, minerals.<br>Wild tuna and peas: meat and animal derivatives, fish and fish derivatives, vegetables, derivatives of vegetable origin, minerals. |
Best wet cat food with high-meat content
join.katkin.com
Made from fresh ingredients, the KatKin cat food pouches are naturally high in moisture so you don't need to worry about unhealthy additives or alike. A KatKin subscription creates a personalised meal plan for your kitty made with 100 per cent human-quality meat, gently cooked and then frozen to stay fresh. Available for delivery monthly, it's great for ensuring your cat stays full and hydrated with perfectly sized portions. Not to mention, there are seven different meats available.
Customer review: "I have a 17 year old diabetic rescue cat whose feeding habits were less than stellar and costing us a fortune with her fussy constant changing picky behaviour. Since finding and putting her onto Katkin she is much happier and her coat is back to a healthier appearance. She enjoys the variety of the foods and I am happy with the convenience (food needs to be taken before I inject twice daily) and knowing what she is eating is good for her. I rate the interaction and honesty and integrity of this company very highly. Both thumbs up from me :)"
Pros
- Delivered monthly so no risk of running out
- Quality food
- Completely personalised to your cat
Cons
- Only available as a subscription - not one-off - but there is a trial period
| Ingredients | Mooo: Fresh beef (trim, heart, liver), minerals, sunflower oil, fish oil<br>Cluck: Fresh chicken (thigh, liver, heart), minerals<br>Gobble: Fresh Turkey (Thigh, Liver, Gizzards), Minerals, Chicken<br>Baaa: Fresh lamb (heart, trim, liver), minerals, beef, fish oil<br>Splash: Fresh fish (whitefish, salmon), fresh turkey liver, minerals, sunflower oil<br>Quack: Fresh duck (meat, gizzards, liver), chicken (heart, thigh), minerals, fish oil<br>Oink: Fresh pork (shoulder, trim, liver) minerals, fish oil |
Best fish selection
www.wilko.com
We all know the real boss of the house walks on four legs, not two, that's why Sheba specialises in food and snacks that will satisfy every four-legged queen and king. The fine slices from Sheba Fresh Choice are covered in a tender gravy sauce that will have cats licking their whiskers for more! One food portion comes in a practical pouch and is served with ease.
Customer review: "I bought a packet of this from a local shop and the fussy little swine eats it every time. The consistency of this food is more like big chunks and flakes of meat with less sauce as a filler. I've noticed that it isn't as wet as other cat foods out there, which might help when your cat believes he is a food critic. It seems strange that he is so very picky, considering I have seen him eat roadkill that has been much less fresh than any cat food! Portion size seemed small at first glance, especially because my cat is incredibly greedy. It soon became clear that the presence of more meat and less sauce seemed to fill him up just as well."
Pros
- No artificial colours or preservatives
- Quality
- Good portion sizes
Cons
- Fish flavour only
| Ingredients | Salmon meat and animal derivatives, Fish and fish derivatives, cereals, minerals, various sugars.<br>Tuna meat and animal derivatives, fish and fish derivatives, cereals, minerals, various sugars.<br>Cod meat and animal derivatives, fish and fish derivatives, cereals, minerals, various sugars. |
Best for rotational feeding
Give your kitty more variety at dinner time with Meowing Heads new variety packs. Each pack contains a mix of pouches of grain-free, chicken, turkey, salmon and surf-n-turf recipes making this pack perfect for rotational feeding and keeping even the fussiest of eaters interested in their food!
Customer review: "I have been buying all possible kinds of food for my cat, most of the time she gets excited for two seconds and then she doesn't care about the food anymore. I was really surprised that she actually loves these pouches so much. She eats very happily and she cleans her plate, something she has rarely done in her life. I am really happy and she is happy too. I highly recommend this."
Pros
- Grain-free
- Variety of flavours
- Over 90 per cent meat content
Cons
- Have to assume your cat will like all flavours
| Ingredients | Paw Lickin Chicken Flavour: 93 per cent chicken and beef, sunflower oil, salmon oil, minerals.<br>So-Fish-Ticated Salmon Flavour: 93 per cent salmon, chicken and beef, sunflower oil, salmon oil, minerals.<br>Surf and Turf Flavour: 93 per cent fish, chicken and beef, includes fresh sardines and tuna, sunflower oil, salmon oil, minerals.<br>Top Cat Turkey Flavour: 93 per cent turkey, beef and chicken, sunflower oil, salmon oil, minerals. |
Best wet cat food paté
www.lilyskitchen.co.uk
These smooth paté recipes have a soft, smooth texture that makes them extra-lickable. They're packed full of proper meat and fish that cats can't help but devour. With no added sugars, these grain-free recipes are nutritionally complete - so they're not only delicious, they're the full package.
Customer review: "This is, by far, my cat's favourite food and has been for a couple of years now (trust me - that's high praise indeed)."
Pros
- Very smooth
- Wide variety of flavours
- Quality organic ingredients
Cons
- Small trays
| Ingredients | 65 per cent freshly prepared chicken, minerals, salmon oil, algae. |
Best wet cat food with vegetables
This pack of 40 contains 10 mini fillets in gravy with lamb and carrots, 10 mini fillets in gravy with chicken and carrots, 10 mini fillets in gravy with ocean fish and green beans, and 10 mini fillets in gravy with beef and carrots. Purina wet meals are made with high-quality ingredients, specially formulated by vets and nutritionists.
Customer review: "Since changing to Purina both my cats follow me around near dinner time and run straight to the food bowls when it's dished out! They both love it! One of them is long-haired and I've noticed she has fewer hairballs now since changing their food - dry and wet - to Purina."
Pros
- Great value for money
- Rich in vitamins and minerals
- Within three weeks, it claims you could see a visibly healthier cat and notice the difference it has made to their wellbeing and appearance
Cons
- Some reviews have questioned the quality and the amount of meat content
| Ingredients | Meat and animal derivatives, vegetable protein extracts, vegetables, fish and fish derivatives, derivatives of vegetable origin, minerals, oils and fats, various sugars. |
Best wet cat food for kittens
www.petsathome.com
Wainwright's recipes are proudly developed in the UK, without any ingredients known to commonly cause allergies in kittens such as wheat or mixed meat proteins. Everything that goes into Wainwright's is nutritious, delicious, easily digested and hypo-allergenic. The result provides a delicious wholesome meal with all the vitamins and minerals your kitten needs.
Customer review: "My kitten absolutely loves Wainwright's kitten food both dry and wet. His coat is in an absolutely immaculate condition, so glossy and soft. Will never put him on anything else."
Pros
- Quality protein content
- All natural ingredients
- Hypoallergenic with no added wheat
Cons
- Not suitable for kittens under one-month-old
| Ingredients | Chicken, dried peas, dried carrots, minerals, fish oil, sunflower oil, cranberry extract, yucca extract. |
Best wet cat food for senior cats/cats with renal insufficiency
www.petsathome.com
Royal Canin Renal with Fish (in gravy) adult wet cat food is suitable for Azotaemic Chronic Kidney Disease (IRIS stage 2* to stage 4), Chronic Kidney Disease with proteinuria (IRIS stage 1 to 4), management of calcium oxalate urolith recurrence in cats with impaired renal function, and prevention of recurrence of urolithiasis requiring urine alkalinisation: urate and cystine uroliths. This product should only be fed based upon the specific recommendation of your vet.
Customer review: "Our 17-year-old cat was recently diagnosed with renal problems and also suffers from poor teeth. He was not coping with the change of diet given by the vet, so he suggested we try a different brand. With this one we had most immediate success, our cat now eats happily again."
Pros
- Nutritionally tailored to help support adult cats with Chronic Renal Insufficiency
- Phosphorus content to help support healthy kidney function and overall renal health
Cons
- Should only be fed if recommended by a vet
| Ingredients | Poultry by-products, pork by-products, wheat flour, salmon, powder cellulose, corn starch mixture, pork blood products, sunflower oil refined, minerals, fish oil, fructo-oligosaccharides, marigold extract (source of lutein). |
FAQs
What are the benefits of wet cat food?
• Appealing textures and flavours
• Easier for cats to chew
• Higher moisture content - so your cat is better hydrated and risk of urinary infections is reduced
• High in protein
• Cats eating wet food will generally put on less weight
Is wet cat food healthy for teeth?
Dental issues are more common in cats that dine solely on wet food, given that their teeth aren't being cleaned by crunchy kibble – although regular dental checks should tackle this problem.
Most vets recommend a mix of wet and dry cat food to combat this potential issue.
How much wet cat food should I feed my cat?
It will normally explain on the packaging how much to feed your cat with that particular brand. The recommendations on cat food packaging may include ranges, so you’ll need to determine where your cat fits within those ranges. Ask your vet if you're not sure if you're feeding too much or too little. Your cat leaving food is a telltale sign that they're eating till they're full.
General advice states that you shouldn't leave your cat's wet food out for more than an hour or two at room temperature. The reality is, it'll probably be left out longer than that. If your cat regularly leaves portions of wet food for long periods, try cutting down the amount of food you are feeding.
Remember you can always make adjustments to meet your cat’s needs.
Stephanie Anthony is the Deputy Digital Editor at Mother&Baby and Yours and auntie to four aged 7 to 2 months old. With a particular interest in health, she loves discovering products that make parent’s lives easier.
