Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
In this article, we’ll explore the subject of grain-free diets to learn what they are and whether they’re good for your cat. You’ll also see our recommendations for the top grain-free cat foods, wet and dry.
When walking through the cat food aisle at your local grocery store, it may seem like one cat food is the same as any other. There are differences in packaging from one brand to another. But, if you were to open up any two bags, the product inside would look pretty similar.
If you take a closer look at the product names, however, you’ll start to notice keywords like “natural,” “holistic,” and “grain-free.”
Claims like these are common on pet food labels but they can be a little misleading for pet owners.
When you see a product labeled “natural,” for example, you might wonder whether other brands are somehow not natural. When you see “grain-free” on the label, you may wonder whether a product that contains grains is somehow worse.
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not a simple “yes” or “no.”
The Truth About Grain-Free Cat Food (Explained by a Vet)
The popularity of grain-free diets for pets has skyrocketed in recent years. However, there’s a great deal of misinformation out there about what “grain-free” really means and whether grain-free diets are any better or worse for your cat. You may also be aware of FDA reports linking grain-free diets to an increased risk of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a form of heart disease, in dogs.
Why Trust Cats.com
Before selecting products to test, I spent a great deal of time researching grain-free diets and their potential nutritional impact on feline health. I delved deep into the FDA’s investigation of grain-free pet foods and consulted veterinarian Dr. Sarah Wooten, DVM, to learn what to look for when shopping for grain-free cat foods.
Guided by my research and veterinary advice, I selected the products below for at-home testing. In testing these products, I performed an in-depth analysis of their nutritional makeup and made observations about the food’s appearance, texture, consistency, and packaging. My two cats, Wessie and Forest, provided their opinions on flavor and general appeal.
Best Grain-Free Wet Cat Foods To Buy
Best Grain-Free Dry Cat Foods To Buy
Is Grain-Free Cat Food A Good Choice?
Before getting into the details of whether grain-free cat food is a good choice for cats, let’s take a moment to explore what grain-free diets are.
As the name suggests, a grain-free diet is one that doesn’t include any grains. That means no wheat, barley, rye, rice, corn, or oatmeal. The thing you need to realize about grain-free diets is that they are not necessarily carbohydrate-free.
In fact, some grain-free diets are higher in carbohydrates than similar products.
When a pet food manufacturer removes grains from a product, they often replace it with another carbohydrate like potato, lentils, peas, or tapioca. In many cases, grain-free products are loaded with high-glycemic carbs that can cause your cat’s blood sugar to spike. This can be particularly problematic in cats with feline diabetes.
Regardless of what kind of carbohydrates the recipe contains, remember that cats are obligate carnivores and have no biological requirement for carbohydrates in their diet.
Your cat is an obligate carnivore, which means he’s evolved to follow a primarily meat-based diet. The majority of his nutrition needs must come from animal sources, not plants. Whether you’re considering a grain-free or grain-inclusive diet, it’s important to determine the total carbohydrate content.
Unfortunately, this can be a little tricky because pet food manufacturers don’t list the carb content of their foods. You can, however, estimate the carb content of a cat food recipe using the information provided in the Guaranteed Analysis that’s on the cat food label.
To estimate the carb content of a cat food recipe, add up the values for Crude Protein, Crude Fat, Crude Fiber, and Moisture. You’ll also need to add the Ash content, if listed. If it isn’t listed, you can estimate about 7% for dry food and 3% for wet food. Add up these five percentages and subtract from 100% – that will give you the estimated carb content of the recipe.
Ideally, you want the carb content to be close to zero, but we’re generally happy with commercial diets that contain less than 10% estimated carbohydrate.
So, as long as a grain-free cat food is primarily meat-based and provides for your cat’s nutritional needs, there’s no reason not to choose it. You should always be checking the list of ingredients for red flags and do a quick calculation on estimated carbs to determine whether a product is worth considering.
Controversy And Misconceptions Surrounding Grain-Free Cat Food
Though there’s theoretically nothing wrong with grain-free cat food as long as it provides for your cat’s nutritional needs, there’s still a great deal of controversy and misinformation surrounding the issue.
Until recently, grain-free diets were primarily found in veterinary offices and marketed as specialty diets for cats with food allergies and certain health problems. During the early 2000s, low-carb and gluten-free diet fads became popular and, along with them, a rise in the popularity of grain-free diets for pets.
The million-dollar question is this: do cats need grain-free food? No.
It may be true that you won’t find a lion munching on grains in the wild, but grains can be used as a natural source of vitamins, minerals, and energy in a nutritionally-balanced commercial cat food recipe. As long as the recipe meets your cat’s needs for protein and doesn’t go overboard on carbohydrates, there’s nothing terribly wrong with it.
What About Cats With Food Allergies?
If your cat is allergic to grains, a grain-free diet is certainly a better choice than the alternative. That being said, food allergies are rarer in pets than the general public seems to believe. Also, grain allergies are less common than allergies to animal proteins like chicken, beef, and fish.
Common symptoms of food allergies in cats include itchy skin, hair loss, and digestive issues. If your cat is exhibiting these symptoms, talk to your veterinarian and consider an elimination diet using a limited ingredient or single-source novel protein recipe.
Do Grain-Free Diets Cause Heart Disease?
In July of 2018, the FDA announced the launch of an investigation into reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in pets following grain-free diets. It’s worth noting, however, that the diets in question contained a high proportion of peas, lentils, legumes, and potatoes. As a group, these are referred to as ‘BEG’ diets: boutique, exotic, or grain-free.
DCM is uncommon in dogs overall, but large-breed dogs have an increased risk of developing the condition. DCM is fairly rare in cats.
The concern is that the FDA received a significant number of reports of DCM for dog breeds that weren’t previously known to possess a genetic predisposition for the disease. In response to customer complaints, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine collaborated with the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network to investigate the claims.
The FDA issued several updates over the course of the next two years, but no definitive link between grain-free diets and DCM in dogs could be identified.
In September 2020, the FDA issued another update regarding a study involving 150 dogs diagnosed with DCM in an attempt to identify potential causative factors. The results showed that DCM is a complex issue with multiple potential variables, including breed, age, weight, and more. Dietary changes were not judged responsible for dogs that experienced full or partial recovery.
In other words, the analysis revealed no definitive relationship between grain-free and legume-rich diets and the incidence of DCM.
What About Taurine Deficiency?
Taurine is an essential amino acid. Deficiency in this nutrient is a well-documented potential cause for DCM. In conducting their analysis, the FDA tested for taurine deficiency, but the majority of dogs diagnosed with DCM in relationship with grain-free diets were not found to be deficient.
Furthermore, taurine is derived from animal sources and not grains, so the concern that grain-free diets might contribute to taurine deficiency is unfounded.
Ultimately, when it comes to the subject of grain-free diets for cats, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
It’s important to remember that grain-free diets are primarily a marketing tool used by pet food manufacturers – the incidence of grain allergies in cats is actually fairly low. Though cats require animal-based sources for the majority of their nutrition, they have some ability to metabolize high-quality carbohydrates like whole grains and vegetables.
Remember as well that many grain-free diets are actually higher in carbohydrates than their grain-inclusive counterparts.
Would you give feedback on specific food? I am getting a kitten and want gluten-free food (I’m celiac). I’ve settled on Blue Buffalo Freedom Indoor Kitten Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food for now. What are your thoughts?
Hey Brittany, definitely!
I’ve taken a quick look at that particular recipe. Overall, it’s a decent grain-free dry food but not ideal. On the positive side, it’s primarily made from relatively high-quality animal ingredients, doesn’t contain any by-products or artificial additives, and it contains some added probiotics for digestive health. But at the same time, the food’s heavy on legumes and carbohydrate sources in general, meaning that it could increase your cat’s chances of developing diabetes over time. Additionally, dry foods may put cats of any age at an increased risk of chronic dehydration and urinary tract issues.
I’d recommend a high-moisture, low-carbohydrate food instead. For example, you might consider Blue Buffalo’s Healthy Gourmet Kitten Chicken Entree paté.
Why is Blue Buffalo your top pick when it only got a C rating but Purina Beyond scored higher with a B. Also, under the Blue you list a positive as having Sweet Potato but it’s not an ingredient. Under Beyond you list the one Con as having to do with Blue. Beyond does have a sweet potato variety but I don’t think Blue does.
Hello Luna, good observations! This is an older article and in need of some refreshing. We plan to update this article soon so that it reflects the We’re All About Cats Standard. If you’re interested in good grain-free foods, you might like our newer guide to the best cat food on the market.
Hi, under Purina ProPlan Canned you said what you like about it is that it has no gluten corn or by products then list the ingredients, the 1st four are, Chicken, Corn Gluten Meal, liver and meat by products.
Alot of ingredients listed in dry foods of products you promote as good have By-Products, meat Meal, Soybean Meal, Beef Fat Naturally Preserved With Mixed-Tocopherols, Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Soybean Hulls, Liver Flavor, Salt, Caramel Color. No cats should be fed with food containing any of those ingredients in dry or wet food and no carrageenan in wet foods.
The first 3 ingredients should always be meat not water, grains, gluten, flour, By-Products from any animal or animal meals.
Purina is in the top 10 worst food.
Hi there Misty! That doesn’t sound right at all. I’ve reviewed the article and it looks like it’s in need of an update as soon as possible. Thank you for pointing these issues out to us.
Best,
Mallory
Have 2 cats – male approx. 3 years old, and a 7 1/2 month old kitten female… Each have their own wet and dry foods (he’s on a prescription dry because of his teeth and jaw). I’m looking for the best dry, grain free kitten food for her and best grain free wet for both
You can email me directly as well
Thank you
Hello Kevin, here are my recommendations for your two cats:
Best Grain-Free Kitten Food
As for good grain-free wet foods, I’d recommend taking a look at our list of the best wet cat food on the market. All of them are grain-free and some are formulated for all life stages, meaning that they’ll be perfect for both of your kitties.
Purina Pro Plan (all Purina products) should be excluded from any quality pet food reviews, for these ingredients listed…
WHEAT GLUTEN, MEAT BY-PRODUCTS (slaughterhouse floor scrapings?), CORN STARCH, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, And what cat needs ADDED COLOR? Shame, shame Purina.
Purina is garbage crammed in a can or dried and bagged and sold 100X its actual cost.
Not mad at you, and maybe you got some kickback from them, so can’t blame you for making a bit of cash. You can let them know how much negative response you got. I worked with animal feed products. Wouldn’t take Purina products if they gave them to me free.
I just notified the purina company today. I’ve fed purina cat chow to my cats for years. But lately my indoor cats and outdoor ones, all have been throwing it up! Haven’t seen any recalls but I’m actively looking for a new dry food, not Purina! Thanks for your info.
Hello!
I live in another country, but I use this web for research about cat food, my cat is allergic to grains and chicken, she eat Pure Vita Grain Free, but I’m checking anothers brands and know I don’t know what is the best brand for dry food grain fre.
In my country, I can buy Orijen Six Fish, Taste of Wild Grain Free, Pure Vita Grain Free, Victor Grain Free, Nutrience Grain Free and Hill’s Prescription Diet Skin Sensitive food, from these all brands, wich is the best for my Cat?
Thanks for yours comments
Hello Zue, thanks for the comment. I would lean towards Orijen or Pure Vita as the two best options from that list, and I’m leaning towards Pure Vita out of those. As you may know, Pure Vita has put a lot of effort into creating truly allergy-safe foods, and they’re one of the brands I’d trust most for cats with allergies and sensitivities.
Hi Brittany. The Instinct brand has started making ,manufacturing their wet cat foods
in Thailand.
My cat was eating the Instinct Chicken
canned food, and the Instinct Limited
Ingredient Turkey for years., made in USA .
I noticed the smell and consistency had
changed , my cat stopped eating both,
and then I noticed Product of Thailand
on the label.
My cat absolutely won’t eat either Instinct
products now, sniffs and walks away.
I can tell the difference when I open
the can, and it’s not good.
People should be aware of this change,
which was fairly recent, in Oct 2022.,
and unannounced, as far as I know.
It seems to me the author of this article is not a pet food nutritionist, an expert, or even knowledgeable about the basic and numerous ingredients that have been pointed out to her by the readers of her article as being bad, even deadly to cats. She states that this is an older article in need of an update. REALLY?? That is her excuse for lacking even the basic knowledge of pet food ingredients. Research into many of the ingredients commonly used in cat food has been going on since the 1940s. And as many have done above, a simple and basic internet or library search will give you information on every ingredient these pet food companies are using.
The changes we are seeing in pet foods are mainly due to consumer demand. That is us, the pet owners demanding better quality ingredients for our pets.
This list above may not contain grains, but some do contain ingredients such as potato starch, legumes- such as peas and garbanzo beans (which are known to lead to cancer due to the lectin they contain), “natural flavoring”- which is not a regulated term so it could be anything; Guar Gum a plant-based binder, is known to cause diabetes, & inflammatory bowel disease in both cats and dogs with sensitive tummies; Agar Agar, red seaweed is also a filler and binding agent that also can lead to IBD, constipation and other sensitivity issues with the GI tract-tummy, and the list goes on. I can think of better foods that do not contain any of these ingredients that are not on this list. That leaves me wondering if they are sponsors of the website and that is why they made it to the list, hmmm.
Also, yes, as one commenter pointed out, cats are not omnivores, but in the wild, they consume prey that is omnivores, so they do eat plant materials via the prey they eat. Adding for example carrots to your cat food is more for the fiber and vitamins they contain that they would get from the prey they consume in the wild or the occasional grass nibbling all cats do to aid in their digestion.
Pet food is a huge money making industry, and some companies only see a profit and are willing to play word games when listing the actual ingredients their products contain such as the word Natural instead of Organic. One is not interchangeable with the other but not all consumers know that and many companies use that to their advantage.
Thankfully the consumer is becoming smarter, better self-educated, and is demanding they cleanup their products. Companies with strong ethical mission statements and priorities are the ones who will come out on top.
Hi, Darlene,
This is a wonderful and balanced, well-informed reply.
I feel exhausted from spending hours on doing my research, then realising that the recommended brands -such as the ones stated on this article- are still not good.
Can you please provide any suggestions?
All I want is high-protein, zero grain, tasty dry food for my cat.
She’s 3 years old and has been on Hill’s Digestive dry food, by recommendation of the vet, since she was a kitten (due to tummy sensitivity).
She weights 5 kilos and the Vet says she needs to lose 1, but still insists on Hill’s Digestive being the best.
My cat only likes dry food (but drinks plenty of water).
Any brand suggestions would be highly appreciated.
Thanks!
Carolina
Ok. I’m not wealthy (a fixed-income senior trying to survive the Fed’s insanity) and all I want is a dry cat food that I can afford as well as one that is AVAILABLE because it doesn’t help if I can’t buy it!… I supplement with wet food in small amounts. My VERY fuzzy Ragdoll needs hairball control food. Any suggestions?
Hi there! Considering that hairball control foods generally contain added fiber, you may find that any budget-friendly dry food will do as long as you add a good fiber supplement. Kirkland’s dry cat food can be a good option.