Updated: October 26, 2023 by CanCat Eat
Cats require a diet that will provide them with a high-protein diet. Protein is an important ingredient in the cat’s diet. It helps them build and maintain healthy and strong muscles.
Generally speaking, there are many cat foods that do not provide the basic nutrients required by a cat. We have made this review guide to help you choose the best high-protein cat food on the market.
We have recommended a cat food list below that provides high-quality protein. After the reviews, there is a buyer’s guide that will answer some important questions. It will also help you decide to choose healthy cat foods for your pet.
We have found Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dry Cat Food to be the most protein-rich food among dry cat foods on the market. For, Wet Cat Food, We recommend Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original along with watermelon. You will find more alternative options below.
You can choose to go to a suitable section of the article from below.
Contents
Best High Protein Cat Food Comparison
Best High Protein Cat Food Reviews
Our review is based on tests and hand-picked, high-protein cat food. Most of the food listed below contains around 33% to 45% protein. According to us, these are the best high-protein cat food brands.
Blue Buffalo High Protein Wilderness Dry Cat Food
Blue Buffalo is a popular brand of cat food. This is a high-protein cat food. They made this formula to fulfill the requirements of your kittie’s taste and nutritional needs. Blue Buffalo high-protein cat food is made with salmon and other healthy nutrients.
Along with high-protein ingredients, this food also supplies complex carbohydrates, essential nutrients, and fatty acids.
Blue buffalo provide a diet that is overall complete; this food also contains natural fiber. Fibers help with digestion for your kitten. It also ensures nutrient absorption.
We love this food because it features LifeSources Bits, which provide antioxidant benefits in cat food.
Blue Buffalo’s high-protein food is very popular and has earned a big name in the market. Because they maintain the quality of their food.
We have seen many positive reviews and good reviews about this food. If you have the budget, this is the best cat food that provides all the high-quality ingredients your cat requires.
Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Hight Protein Grain-Free Wet Cat Food
We have reviewed this food before. This is one of the best high-protein foods that contains a high protein percentage among dry kibbles. Instinct by nature’s variety, original grain-free wet cat food is made with chicken and turkey organ proteins. It has 11% protein in this food. Wet food is richer in protein than other foods.
Nature’s Variety cat food is made with 95% animal protein and 5% plant-based. So, your feline gets high-quality protein from it. This food also contains a good amount of fiber. Fiber helps with digestive health. The amount of fiber is adequate for wet food.
This food is a high-quality amino acid and also contains taurine. Another good thing about this food is that you will find no grains or artificial ingredients in it.
Your cat will love the taste of the delicious pate of this food. And omega-3 fatty acids also improve your cat’s skin and coat.
We love to see that this food contains pumpkins and cranberries. These are all natural sources of fiber. Fiber is good for smooth digestion, hairballs, and constipation.
CRAVE High Protein Dry Food
Craves high-protein kibble is more than just cat food. It is a very rich source of nutrients. Your kitten gets a balanced diet from 100% natural sources, like real meat.
This cat food features real chicken ingredients in the first ingredient. It contains over 40% protein, which is really good. So, your cat will love to eat this food. It has a taste that your feline friend definitely enjoys.
Overall, Craves provides a mix of ingredients that are recommended for your cat. Besides being high in protein, it also has quality ingredients to help with digestion and your cat’s immune system.
As it comes from a brand like Craves, you will find no chicken by-product, corn, wheat, or any artificial ingredients in this food.
This is one of our favorite high-protein foods because it provides all high-protein ingredients in this food.
Read Complete Review Of Craves High Protein Wet Cat Food
Instinct Ultimate High Protein Grain Free Natural Dry Cat Food
Instinct Ultimate Natural cat food is premium cat food. It provides a raw formula for every piece of kibble. They believe raw food is best for carnivorous cats. Every piece of the kibble has the taste of a raw diet.
You get raw meat ingredients in this food. As it is made raw, your cat will love the delicious taste of this food.
This food is the perfect food for cats of all ages. This high-protein cat food has three times more protein. So, your cat gets a diet that will keep them healthy and energized.
As it is a form of brand like Instich, there is no doubt about by-products, meals, or any filler ingredients.
Overall, it is an easy-to-digest cat food as it is made with a highly digestible real chicken protein source. So, it becomes easy to absorb the protein for cats of all ages.
We highly recommend you go for this food if you have the budget. Or, try this food once.
Iams Proactive Health Kitten Dry
High protein is an important requirement for a kitten to grow faster and stronger. Iams Proactive Kitten Food is just the right food to turn your kitten into an energetic adult cat in the future.
This kitten food is the best replacement for its mother’s milk. This food contains high protein from real chicken. It has natural sources of vitamins and minerals.
We recommend this food because it contains taurine. It provides benefits like improved vision from taurine and healthy skin and coat from omega-3 fatty acids.
You can introduce this food to your kitten slowly. Kittens often eat a small amount every day. A small portion will ensure that the kitten can pick it up easily and does not fast to avoid choking.
Sheba Perfect PORTIONS Cuts in Gravy Entrée High Protein Wet Cat Food
Next up, we have Sheba Perfect Portion cut in gravy wet cat food. This food is made with natural, premium ingredients. What does it mean to have a premium ingredient? Premium ingredients mean it provides a high-quality ingredient that benefits your cat’s overall health and lifestyle.
This soft cat food is made with natural meat ingredients as the main ingredient. It contains all the essential amino acids for cats. This is a variety pack, so you will get chicken, turkey, and salmon recipes with delicious tastes and flavors.
Soft, wet food should be kept fresh; you should not keep it open for a long time.
As it is a premium food, you will find no filler ingredients, artificial colors, or preservatives in this food.
You will be glad to know about the packaging of this food. It comes in a twin-pack tray. So, it gets easy to serve your cat and, at the same time, easy to preserve the food.
The broth-based soft cat food is suitable for cats of any age and with respect to their dietary needs.
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Wet Food
Hill’s Science Wet Cat Food contains a high protein content with a high amount of moisture to keep your cat healthy throughout the day.
If your cat does not drink much water, wet cat food is the best solution for you. This food will fulfill the hydration needs of your cat, along with high-protein ingredients.
This food provides an adequate amount of nutrients that your cat requires in their diet.
It contains tuna, so your cat will enjoy the taste of this food. The delicious gravy will keep her hydrated for the rest of the day.
We love this food because it contains all the important nutrients and supplies high-quality ingredients that are easy to digest and required to keep your kitten healthy and strong.
Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain Free Dry Chicken Recipe
Merrick before grain cat food is a newly added formula. It contains 36% of the protein from deboned chicken as the first ingredient. You will find this ingredient on the label. There is an option to choose the recipe as a protein source.
This food has quality protein from meat, vegetables, and fruits. and fat and salmon oil. Overall, it is a good-quality meal. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids to improve healthy skin and coats.
A totally grain-free diet will keep your cat away from allergies and sensitivity.
You can feed this food to your adult cat without any worry. It contains highly digestible proteins. This is a newly registered food in the United States. They are very strict about maintaining their quality standards.
We have heard many happy and successful stories from cat owners who brought this food. It promises a high protein content and also provides vitamins and minerals from natural fruits and vegetables.
Some cat owners mentioned that this food had a strong smell when they opened the bag for the first time. But, in time, it fades away.
Another thing is that we did not find any artificial ingredients in this food.
Best High Protein Cat Food Buyer’s Guide
Growing cats and kittens require a high-protein diet to keep them active, healthy, and strong. There are many high-protein foods available on the market. But choosing the right high-protein cat food and finalizing the option takes time.
Sometimes, it becomes a challenge for us to choose the best food for our cats. So, if you don’t which is the right food for your cat?
You came to the right place. Below, we have mentioned some important factors that help you choose high-protein food for your cat.
You May Read: Best Soft Cat Food
Important Ingredient to Check
We need to look for important ingredients in the ingredient list to find out if our cat is getting everything they need in their diet to keep them healthy and strong.
Cats love to eat food that is rich in protein and filled with animal-based meal sources. You can read the ingredient list to find out what ingredients are in the food. Ingredients are listed in the order.
We recommend looking at the first five ingredients; they are the most important ingredients in the food. You will find meat-based protein as the first ingredient. Then, it is good to go to food.
Maintain the nutritional requirement
Cat foods are made with different nutrition from meal and plant-based ingredients. The best way to know how much protein content is in the food is to check the guaranteed analysis section on the food label or on the manufacturer’s website.
The AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials ) recommends a high-protein diet for cats. If your cat is on dry food, it should be 25% protein. This is the amount of protein required to maintain good health. And, to improve healthy growth you will need a 30% protein minimum from the dry cat food.
So, for a high protein diet, we recommend you choose the minimum 30% to 45% for a good result. We recommend you check the label and guaranteed analysis to find out the protein percentage in the food.
Things To Avoid In The Food
These ingredients are less important, totally unnecessary in the cat’s diet. You should avoid choosing food that contains grains. Grains are not bad or harmful for cats until they are allergic or sensitive to them. So, you should know your cat well before choosing the right cat food.
While choosing high-protein foods, avoid by-products and meat meals. These ingredients are poor-quality meat.
We recommend choosing cat food that is high in protein and contains no by-products, meals, grains, or any artificial ingredients.
If your cat has a sensitivity problem, it is best to discuss it with the vet before choosing any food for your cat. Otherwise, you can pick a high-protein food for your cat.
Energy Content of the Food
Felines require energy-balanced food to fuel their daily needs. Mainly kittens and young cat requires lots of energy to boost their energy for playtime. Indoor cats do not require much high-energy food as they are less active. Indoor adult and older cats require their basic energy to keep them active.
Cost Of High Protein Food
High-protein food is more expensive than general cat food. Cats require food every week. We always get a lot of cans and dry food packages for your fur babies. You will always need cat food in order to keep your cat healthy and in good shape.
Healthy food will provide quality benefits for your cat. A little more is nothing compared to your cat’s health and happiness.
Low Carb High Protein Cat Food
You can also pick low carb high protein diet food for your cat. There are many benefits to feeding low-carb foods. It helps with maintaining a good weight and maintaining blood pressure and blood sugar in cats. So, low-carb foods are good for cats with diabetes. There are different food types made for cats with different requirements and health conditions.
If you are not sure, visiting the vet is the best solution to understand your cat’s health.
How Much High Protein Food Does A Cat Need?
People’s own multiple cats know what I am talking about. Kittens, adult cats, pregnant cats, and older cats have different needs. You can’t provide the same food to all of them. A kitten has a different dietary need than an older cat. And the older cat has a different need than the pregnant cat. So, what should we do in this situation?
You should visit a vet and get properly prescribed food according to your health. Otherwise, you can pick food according to their age and health condition. But you can only pick the best food for your cat when you know your cat better.
What Is The Right High Protein Cat Food?
There are much high high-protein cat foods available. But, it depends on your cat also. It depends on their age, calorie, and protein requirements in their body. To find out the answer you should take your cat to a vet and a check. Your vet will be able to tell you the answer after a check-up.
Every cat is different, as a cat owner of your cat, you are the right person to know better, what your cat likes to eat. For example, if your cat loves to eat chicken or salmon, then you can choose the right flavor for your cat. Instinct Ultimate High Protein Grain Free Cat Food fits best in this criteria.
If your cat loves to eat certain textures or prefers only wet food, then you can pick Nature’s Variety Original.
In case, you have a picky cat, then you can tell what he likes to eat. Otherwise, feed her any high-protein food. For example, you can try CRAVE grain-free dry cat food.
You should always look after your cat after switching to the new cat food diet.
What Is The Benefit Of High Protein Diet
There are many different benefits to choosing the right kind of food for your cat.
- Protein provides your cat with every boost they require to stay active and healthy, according to their age.
- Cats can digest high-protein food. But they can’t digest the high levels of carbohydrates.
- Too much carbohydrate in cat food can lead to many discomforts. High-protein foods are designed to provide digestible protein and an optimal amount of nutrition to your cat.
- A cat’s body needs high protein levels to maintain the system and healthy muscle growth. Essential fatty acids in the food help to maintain their skin and coat.
- Foods that are rich in carbohydrates you should avoid them, a cat’s body can’t handle too many carbs, and it can lead to many digestive issues.
Which cat food has the most protein?
When it comes to cat food, it is important to choose a high-quality diet that meets your cat’s nutritional needs, including protein requirements. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they require a diet that is high in animal protein. Here are some cat foods that are known to have high protein content:
- Orijen Cat and Kitten Grain-Free Dry Cat Food: This cat food is made with fresh, regionally sourced meats, and contains 85% protein from a variety of animal sources.
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free, Natural Adult Dry Cat Food: This cat food is made with real chicken and other high-quality animal protein sources, and contains 40% protein.
- Wellness CORE Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey & Chicken Liver Formula Canned Cat Food: This wet cat food contains high-quality animal protein sources, including chicken, turkey, and chicken liver, and contains 12% protein.
- Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Cat Food: This cat food is made with cage-free chicken and other high-quality animal protein sources, and contains 47% protein.
It is important to note that the ideal amount of protein in your cat’s diet may vary depending on their age, weight, and activity level. It is always best to consult with your veterinarian to determine the appropriate diet and feeding plan for your cat.
FAQs
What Is The Percentage Of Cat Food Should Be Protein?
According to AAFCO, you should aim for a minimum of 26% protein in a normal diet. And a minimum of 30% for growing cats and active cats to fulfill their daily requirements. You should avoid getting food that is less than that. Most of the foods listed here are above 33% to 45% protein percentage for dry food and above 7% for soft or wet cat food.
Can I Feed My Cat Only High Protein Wet Cat Food Diet Regularly? Are Canned Food Higher in Protein?
You can feed your cat exclusively on wet cat food. Feeding high-protein wet cat food might cost you a lot and at the same time, it can become boring for your cat to eat the same type of food.
This is why normally pet owner recommends you feed a mix of wet and dry food to your cat. A combination of diets is good and healthy for your cat. Also, will save some of your money.
Is High Protein Animal Based Food Good For My Cat?
Cats are carnivorous animals. They survive by eating their prey animals. Generally, cat food contains protein from animal and plant sources. You need to ensure that your cat is getting protein mostly from meal sources.
Animal-based meat protein is easily digestible for cats. They contain essential amino acids, which are important in a cat’s body. So, you should keep it in mind while choosing natural, high-protein cat food.
What Is The Best Protein Sources For Cats?
There are many cat foods that provide high-quality protein in their formula. The best protein sources are real chicken, turkey, salmon, duck, fish, etc. Again, in the end, it totally depends on your cat and what flavor she loves to eat.
Conclusion
It is always good to check with the vet to know how much protein your cat is going to need to stay healthy and strong. Protein requirement changes in the cat’s body as they get older. Young cats or growing kittens need more protein than their senior counterparts.
You can speak to a vet for a recommendation. You can also try protein-rich cat food from our list. There are many high-protein cat foods on the market. We recommend Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dry Cat Food contains high protein at an affordable price.
By now, you have already a clear idea to choose high-protein food for your growing cat.
Kristen is a cat parent. Love to keep my cats happy always and playful. Also, It became my passion to help another cat owner with caring tips for their cats and kittens. Stay tuned with my personal blog to know more caring tips, review of cat food and feeding guides. I’d love to know about your cat. If you something to share with about your cat. I will be happy to read.