Best Grain Free Cat Food: Top 6 Products for a Healthy Feline Diet

Are you a holistic pet owner on the lookout for the best grain free cat food in the market? Confused after going through all the cat food choices and reading all the labels? Don’t hit the panic button just yet.

We know that finding the best cat food for your four-legged buddy is already an overwhelming task (especially if you failed to read our article on the 12 best cat foods).

Searching for the best grain free cat food, however, can actually be a stress-free and enjoyable experience.

Thanks to our reviews of the best grain free cat foods, finding the right cat food (may it be wet or dry) for your finicky, grain-intolerant cat is now possible.

If, however, you’re still left clueless after reading the top-rated products on our list, going through our unbiased buyer’s guide might just be what you need to have a better understanding of grain free cat food, its pros and cons, and much more.

Best Grain Free Cat Foods

Grain-free diet plans are a hit among humans. Its rise in popularity soon prompted pet food manufacturers to apply the same concept in cat food.

While the battle on whether this is indeed a healthy food option for our feline friends remains unsettled, we still made it a point to scour every nook and cranny of the web, and thoroughly go through thousands of user reviews to get the best of the best. We made sure, as well, to include a variety of options considering the hard-to-please nature of your fussy cats.

After reading the list of the best grain free wet and dry cat foods below (which all meet the nutritional level requirements of AAFCO), you will soon realize that each one has its set of benefits and pitfalls. This is where your vet’s advice will come in handy.

Talking to your veterinarian should always be on top of your to-do list. While our detailed buyer’s guide may somehow clear your mind and give answers to most of the questions you have been itching to ask, nothing beats the knowledge that comes from the experts themselves.

1. Purina Beyond Natural Simply Wild Caught Whitefish & Cage Free Egg Recipe

This is a high-protein cat food crafted to support your cat’s overall health with clean, purposeful nutrition.

Featuring real, wild-caught whitefish as the number one ingredient, this recipe delivers quality protein to help maintain lean muscle.

Made with simple, recognizable ingredients, it also includes natural probiotics to support digestive health and is completely free from grains, corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-product meal, and artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

Every bite is enriched with added vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients, making it a wholesome and nourishing choice for your feline companion.

Read also: Purina Beyond Cat Food Review

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2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Natures Evolutionary Diet Chicken

What we have here is a nutrient-rich formula designed to satisfy your cat’s natural cravings.

With approximately 40% protein, this high-protein cat food starts with real, high-quality chicken as the first ingredient to help support lean muscle development.

It’s made with only the finest natural ingredients and enhanced with essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients for complete and balanced nutrition.

It also includes Blue Buffalo’s exclusive LifeSource Bits—an antioxidant-rich blend of nutrients carefully selected to support immune health and life stage requirements.

Free from chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, corn, wheat, and soy, this grain-free recipe supports healthy digestion while promoting a shiny coat and healthy skin.

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3. ACANA Wild Atlantic

This kibble is a premium, protein-packed recipe inspired by the bounty of the sea.

Featuring Whole Mackerel, Whole Herring, Whole Hake and Acadian Redfish as its top ingredients, this recipe delivers an impressive 75% meat content to support lean muscle and optimal health.

The remaining 25% is thoughtfully composed of wholesome vegetables and fruits like whole cranberries, whole pumpkin, collard greens, carrots, apples and nutrient-rich dried kelp, offering a balanced and natural diet.

Formulated with fiber and a tailored blend of probiotics, it supports healthy digestion, while added Taurine, EPA, and DHA promote heart and eye health.

Rich in naturally occurring omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, this grain-free formula also helps maintain a glossy coat and healthy skin for your feline companion.

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4. Reveal Natural Variety of Fish in Broth

Here we have a a limited ingredient meal crafted with whole, natural ingredients you can see.

This 100% natural wet cat food offers a delicious way to nourish your feline with real, high-quality protein always listed as the first ingredient.

Each pack includes twelve 2.47-oz cans featuring a variety of savory, broth-soaked recipes in flavors cats love—tuna fillet, ocean fish and tuna fillet with seaweed.

Perfect as a meal topper or a stand-alone dish, Reveal adds wholesome variety and mouthwatering flavor to your cat’s routine, making every mealtime a satisfying experience.

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5. Instinct Original Real Rabbit Recipe

This is a high-protein, nutrient-rich meal made to support your cat’s health from the inside out.

Crafted with 95% real meat and 0% grains or gluten, this recipe features farm-raised rabbit as the first ingredient, along with pork liver for a savory, satisfying flavor.

The remaining 5% includes wholesome vegetables, fruits and other natural ingredients, all blended into a smooth, delicious pate texture your cat will love.

With natural sources of omega fatty acids, this recipe helps promote healthy skin and a shiny coat.

Proudly made in the USA, each can reflects Instinct’s belief in the power of raw nutrition—formulated to unlock your cat’s potential to thrive.

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6. Nulo FreeStyle Yellowfin Tuna & Crab Stew 

Last but not the least we have a product from Nulo. This is a flavorful, protein-rich meal that’s perfect for even the pickiest eaters.

Made with real yellowfin tuna and crab, this stew delivers rich, savory taste that appeals to finicky feasters.

Suitable for both cats and kittens, it offers the nutrition they need with a flavor they’ll crave.

Each single-serve portion comes in an easy-open container for quick, mess-free serving, making mealtime convenient for you and irresistible for your pet.

With its delicious taste and quality ingredients, this may just be the best pet food choice for your selective feline.

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About Grain Free

The hype for grain-free diet plans for humans continues.

Initially adopted by those who have been diagnosed with celiac disease – a disease characterized by difficulty in digesting food due to hypersensitivity to gluten- this diet plan, later on, became widespread and is now used as a means to improve ones health.

As for our pet food manufacturers, they cannot help but join the bandwagon.

If you are looking for grain-free cat foods, you are most probably someone who has tried this type of diet yourself. You might also be someone who firmly believes that your cat needs a high protein, low carb diet given that they are biological meat-eaters.

Or maybe, you are just one of the pet owners who just thinks this is a good choice for your hypersensitive cat. Regardless of your reasons, one thing is for sure.

We know for a fact that you, as a loving pet parent, value your cat’s health above all. However, as a pet parent who has great concern over his or feline’s well being, it is best that you understand what grain free cat food is all about.

What is Grain-Free Cat Food?

Grain free cat food, as the name suggests, is a special type of cat food that is devoid of grains.

Grains, which include wheat, corn, and oats, are a staple in most traditional diets (both in the human and cat food realm). While this serves as an excellent source of energy, it contains gluten that can cause intolerances or allergies. It also contains carbohydrates that, when taken in high levels, can lead to unhealthy weight gain.

Benefits of Grain Free Cat Food

Grain-free cat foods may not be a type of diet plan that will work for all kinds of cats. Nonetheless, a good number of pet parents and their four-legged pals would attest to its benefits.

Remember, however, that choosing what to feed your furry pals is crucial since it involves their health. Before deciding on what food or type of diet to give your cat, talking to your veterinarian is always recommended

1. High-Quality Ingredients

Regular cat food would often contain wheat, corn, and grain. Often used as fillers, these ingredients are relatively cheap and just increase the foods’ carbohydrate content.

Grain-free foods for felines (whether a wet or dry cat food), on the other hand, often incorporate wholesome ingredients into the mix like real meat and vegetables.

Vitamins and minerals are also added, with some brands adding Omega-3 fatty acids or Omega-6 fatty acids, to make sure that your cat’s diet is complete and balanced. Also, many are made without additives or artificial preservatives.

2. Made to Resemble the Natural Cat’s Diet

A cat’s diet, biologically, is made up of 55% protein. Generally, you will find that most grain-free cat foods try to offer that much protein content. Generous amounts of animal protein like chicken, beef, and fish are usually seen in both wet and dry cat food that are free of grains.

3. It is Good For Cats with Grain or Gluten Allergies

While the number of cats with this condition is significantly few, we cannot ignore the fact that this is the actual reason why this type of diet came about. Just keep in mind that grains and gluten are two different things.

Grain-Free vs Gluten-Free Cat Food

Gluten is a type of protein that can be found in specific kinds of grains like rye, wheat, and barley. Take note that not all grains contain gluten. To cut the story short, a grain-free diet will always be gluten-free while cat food with zero gluten may not be free of grains.

What to Look for in Grain Free Foods?

When looking for a grain free cat food for your pet, aside from making sure that it is devoid of grains, it is also best to keep an eye on these features.

Provides Complete and Balanced Nutrition

If you want your cat to enjoy a nutritious and balanced diet, then make sure that the cat food you are planning to buy meets the requirements of AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials).

It helps to know as well that your cat should be enjoying at least 35 to 40% protein. If yous cat has dry, dull, itchy, and brittle skin and haircoat, cat food that contains sufficient amounts of fatty acids can help prevent this condition (often experienced by cats with allergies).

Appropriate for your Cat’s Life Stage

When it comes to protein, kittens evidently require 1.5 more protein than puppies do. Adults cats need two or three times more protein compared to adult dogs.

If we compare kittens to adult cats, kittens, in order to grow and develop normally, will need food that has greater nutritional value.

Make Sure to Get Quality Grain Free Cat Food with these Tips

Since the options for grain free cat food are plenty, and many (if not all) brands would advertise themselves as trustworthy, taking these steps would guarantee that you are actually getting what your cat really needs. So, read on.

1. Talk to Your Veterinarian

We know that we have mentioned this several times. It might sound redundant, but if you truly and sincerely value your cat’s health, then you would understand.

Out of your busy schedule, take the time to set an appointment with your vet and discuss your feline’s condition. It is best, as well, to listen to their recommendations.

2. Read the Labels and Check the Ingredients

A brand would often promote what is good about their products. But, have you ever seen a brand pointing out their flaws as well?

We all know the answer to that. So, aside from ensuring that the cat food that you are planning to buy is AAFCO- approved and offers complete and balanced nutrition as well as wholesome ingredients, read its labels and keep an eye on its ingredients. While it is grain free, some might in fact contain added ingredients that might be harmful to your cat.

3. Do Your Own Research

Ever encountered words or phrases on the labels that you do not really understand?

Once you scan the labels and ingredients, you will soon realize that there are lots that you do not completely comprehend. So, take your time to check online, or better yet, ask your vet.

Common Misconceptions on Grain-Free Cat Food Debunked

While this type of diet is popular nowadays, cats adopting it remains controversial. Many also choose this for the wrong reasons. So, allow us to enlighten you in one way or another by discussing the common misconceptions on grain-free cat food.

1. Grain-Free Cat Foods are Carb Free

Known as obligate carnivores, a cat’s diet, given their predatory nature, has to be somewhat similar to what their ancestors eat or a wild cat’s diet – that is a diet high in protein, low in carbohydrates. This is necessary in order for them to achieve optimal gut health.

This holds true. And you can expect holistic veterinarians, not to mention the increasing number of cat owners, to nod in approval.

Check the ingredients. Aside from containing high levels of protein and some amount of fatty acids, grain-free cat foods are often formulated with potatoes, sweet potatoes, tapioca, peas, and lentils – all of which contain carbohydrates.

2. Grain Free Diets Help Control Cat Weight

One of our solutions to weight loss is by entering into grain-free diet plans. Since it works for humans, we believe that the same type of diet will work with cats. While this principle might hold some truth, it’s somewhat different when it comes to cat food.

Grain-free cat foods may be devoid of grains, always high in protein, and may at times contain essential fatty acids, but it will often contain carbohydrates. Thus, we cannot help but reiterate the importance of checking the ingredients.

Also, weight gain in cats can be caused by a number of factors, You might be feeding your cats grain-free foods, but then decide to feed it freely – or give it whenever they please – then, you will, more often than not, end up with an overweight cat.

3. Grain Free Cat Foods Help Alleviate Food Allergies

By now, some of you might be shaking your heads in disapproval. But hear us out.

It is true that a few cats suffer from allergies caused by grains. However, this is rare. Articles like the one released by VCA Hospitals and PetMD confirm that when it comes to our feline friends, their itchy skin issues and gastrointestinal upsets are often related to allergic reactions to common proteins like poultry, beef, and fish.

We know we have mentioned this before, but, here is where your veterinarian’s advice will play a critical role. Your vet is your best bet when it comes to finding out what is causing your cat’s allergies. They are also capable of recommending the best diet to address it.

Takeaway

Fact – grain-free cat foods can indeed be beneficial as long as it is given to the cat for the right reasons. Like all other diet plans available in the market, it is not something that will work for each and every cat. Remember, that each cat is unique.

Like humans, their tastes, preferences, and personalities differ. The effect of one type of high protein, low carb grain free cat food on one cat may be positive. This, however, does not guarantee that it will work for all or for your cat specifically.

Whether your cat needs it or not would depend on your vet. Add to the equation being meticulous when it comes to checking what your cat is eating, your commitment and love, and you will end up with a happy, energetic and healthy cat.