Worst cat foods are created by companies that put profits before the health and welfare of cats. Most cat foods contain chemical preservatives, additives, and artificial ingredients that cats do not need or can’t properly digest.
These fake cat foods are marketed to cats as healthy and nutritious when they are just filling cheap junk with chemicals.
Knowing the best cat food for your pet is important because you need to find healthy food that isn’t full of chemicals and will give him the nutrition he needs.
The following list of Worst cat foods should be a good starting point for identifying exactly what you should avoid getting.
This article will help you learn about the Worst cat foods on the market and how to choose the healthiest possible food for your pet.
The list of Worst cat foods below is dominated by commercial brands marketed toward cats but sold to dogs and people.
These foods have been chosen based on their lack of nutritional content and poor quality. It is not recommended to buy any of these brands, which should be avoided where possible.
Table of Contents
The 10 worst cat foods to Avoid
According to research, the following ten Worst cat foods are among the absolute worst.
Avoid feeding your pet these cat foods, and keep your eyes open for any other brands with suspicious or questionable ingredients.
Not all of the Worst cat foods listed here will contain every problem ingredient. Some of these Worst cat foods may only have one or two low-quality ingredients, which is why it’s important to read labels before purchase.
1. Iams:
Iams is a cat food brand described as “mediocre” by veterinarians. Iams contains far too much corn, wheat, and soy–all ingredients that cause allergies and digestive problems. Many ingredients in Iams are chemically treated to increase shelf life and minimize flavor, which isn’t a problem for cats.
The only problem with Iams is that it contains artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives and is often made from over 80% protein by volume. Cats do not usually require high amounts of protein, and the protein in Iams is not entirely high-quality.
2. Purina:
Purina is easily the worst cat food you can buy. Purina has earned a reputation for containing low-quality ingredients and questionable fillers, though it denies any wrongdoing. Purine is extremely high in corn and wheat, both common allergens.
Purina also contains genetically modified corn, which is not digestible by cats.
3. 9 Lives:
9 Lives is marketed as a “premium cat food,” but it’s still mostly garbage. It contains soy, grains, and corn (amongst other low-quality ingredients), which many cats are allergic to.
Many users have reported that 9Lives makes their cats sick.
4. Fancy Feast:
If your cat is a picky eater, Fancy Feast may be appealing, but this is a cat food that should never be fed to your pet. Fancy Feast is full of processed and artificial ingredients of very low quality, which is not good for your cat.
5. Meow Mix:
Meow Mix is worse than most other cat foods. It contains corn, wheat, soy, and other ingredients your cat doesn’t need or want. The meat content by volume is extremely low in Meow Mix, which means it’s mostly made of cheap filler.
6. Whiskas:
Whiskas is a close second to Purina on the list of Worst cat foods. It contains corn, wheat, and soy and is often made with a byproduct of human food. Unsurprisingly, Whiskas have a reputation for causing digestive issues in cats.
7. Kibbles ‘n Bits:
Kibbles ‘n Bits is an extremely low-quality cat food brand that isn’t even fit for dogs. It’s full of artificial preservatives, chemicals, and fillers that are unnecessary for cats.
Kibbles ‘n Bits does not contain many nutrients cats need, including taurine and fatty acids.
8. Fancy Feast Appetizers:
Fancy Feast Appetizers are over-processed cat foods that aren’t made with your pet in mind. Appetizers are made from low-quality ingredients and contain artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
9. Blue Buffalo:
Blue Buffalo is a commercial brand with many low-quality filler ingredients, such as corn, soy, and wheat. These ingredients are unhealthy for cats and can trigger allergies and other health problems.
10. Friskies:
Friskies is popular cat food in the UK, but it’s still pretty terrible. Friskies contain several artificial preservatives and other chemicals. Many ingredients are processed, which is not good for your cat.
How to Choose the Best Food for Your Cat?
Now that you know the worst cat foods, you can focus on finding the best cat food. The following list of the best cat foods is compiled from information that veterinary professionals and cat nutrition experts have found to be the healthiest.
The best cat food will contain plenty of high-quality ingredients and give your pet the necessary nutrients.
Only good quality ingredients high in protein, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals should be used in the Best cat food for your pet.
Several of these brands are available on Amazon, so that you can find them easily.
1. Weruva:
Weruva specializes in making cat food from real, high-quality ingredients. They use only holistic methods and meat from USDA-approved farms to maximize the nutritional content of their food.
2. Blue Wilderness:
Blue Wilderness is a brand of natural cat food that uses only high-quality ingredients and no artificial preservatives or chemicals.
3. Halo:
Halo specializes in high-quality holistic foods for animals. Their foods contain only high-quality ingredients and are often made from human-grade foods.
4. Instinct:
Instinct is a brand of holistic cat food made from animal products without harmful ingredients or preservatives.
5. Merrick:
Merrick is a natural pet food brand that only uses healthy, moisturized ingredients. Their food contains no chemicals or other additives that may harm your cat.
6. Evo:
Evo cat food brand is made from whole, real ingredients. It contains no artificial preservatives or flavors and is free of grains, soy, corn, and wheat.
7. Thrive:
Thrive is a cat food brand that uses only natural ingredients, such as high-quality, human-grade food. Thrive has several vegan and vegetarian options in addition to regular cat food.
8. Natural Balance:
Natural Balance cat food is made from high-quality ingredients and has no artificial preservatives. They also only use ingredients made in the USA (as well as New Zealand).
9. Orijen:
Orijen is a pet food brand that uses only gluten-free grains, such as rice and oatmeal. Orijen is made in the USA and contains no artificial ingredients or preservatives.
10. Scout:
Scout is a holistic cat food brand specifically made for cats with allergies. They help cats with food allergies by using high-quality ingredients, such as fresh meat and fish, and no artificial preservatives.
Why do cats not finish their food?
If your cat seems to be rejecting their food, it could have something to do with its age. Younger cats have smaller stomachs, so they need more frequent feeding times. Older cats’ metabolism slows down, and they may need to eat less food to get the nutrition they need.
You should also check the quality of your cat’s food. If you are feeding your kitty processed food, it may be unable to digest it and may vomit or regurgitate it.
If your cat refuses to eat their food, you may need to try a different flavor. Cats are very picky, especially when it comes to food.
You should also pay attention to the texture and smell of your cat’s food. If the texture is too hard, it may make your cat uncomfortable or gassy. If the food smells bad, your cat may not want to eat it.
Conclusion
As you saw, many popular commercial cat food brands are extremely inferior to homemade foods. You can make your cat food with just a little effort and a few simple ingredients.
When your kitty eats high-quality homemade cat food, it will have all the nutrients and vitamins needed to stay healthy.
These days, you can easily find gourmet cat foods made from high-quality ingredients on Amazon.
I hope this guide to the worst cat foods helped you learn which brands and ingredients your cat should avoid.
If you have any questions or comments, please share them with us in the comment section below!
