Last updated May 19, 2024
The best kitten food is packed with calories, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids to support your kitten’s healthy growth and development. It’s easy to find kitten food throughout the UK, but how do you know which brands are worth buying?
We’ve assembled a list of some of the best kitten foods in the UK and have provided detailed reviews of some of their products to help you make your choice.
At a Glance: Best Kitten Food To Buy in the UK
Want a quick look at the best cat foods reviewed in this article? In the comparison table below, we’ve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. You’ll find more detailed information about each product later in the article.
Katkin Fresh Cat Food Delivery Service
- Made with three animal ingredients plus supplements
- Delivered right to your door with a subscription
- Meals tailored to your kitten’s daily calorie requirements
HiLife It’s Only Natural Wet Cat Food Pouches
- Affordably priced, save 5% with a subscription
- Very low carbohydrate content
- Made primarily with animal ingredients
Bella & Duke Raw Cat Food Delivery
- All ingredients but one are animal-based
- Packed with protein from chicken, salmon, and organ meats
- Frozen to retain nutritional integrity of the raw ingredients
Farmina Dry Cat Food
- Packed with protein from chicken, eggs, and herring
- Primarily relies on animal sources of fat
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Untamed Canned Cat Food
- Primarily animal-based with plenty of protein
- Rich in hydrating moisture
- Limited list of highly digestible ingredients
Nutriment Raw Frozen Cat Food
- Made with a simple list of just two ingredients
- Frozen when fresh and raw to preserve nutrition
- Packed with animal protein from fresh beef
Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse
- Dry matter protein content is over 50%
- Rich in moisture to support hydration in cats and kittens
- Appears to be low in carbohydrates
Why Should You Trust Us?
Having reviewed over 230 of the world’s most popular cat food brands and hundreds of formulas. We spent hours researching, contacting pet food companies, and analyzing labels. With the help of our cats, we’ve also accumulated hours upon hours of hands-on experience with different cat foods.
Based on that research, we’re bringing you an updated list of the best kitten food brands and products available in the UK. We’ve researched the brands themselves and evaluated individual recipes to bring you our top picks.
5 Qualities We Look For in Kitten Food
Balanced nutrition with adequate protein and calorie content is the key to giving your kitten a healthy start in life. Kittens grow up quickly, so they need a lot of food to fuel their development.
When it comes to buying kitten food in the UK, here are the qualities we look for:
1. High Protein and Fat Content
The European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) recommends a diet for growing kittens that contains at least 28g crude protein per 100g dry matter and at least 9g fat. Translated into a percentage, that’s a minimum of 28% protein and 9% fat (compare this to AAFCO’s guidelines which recommended a minimum of 30% protein and 9% fat). These are bare minimums, however.
We recommend a kitten food that contains at least 50g crude protein and 20g crude fat per 100g, or about 50% crude protein and 20% crude fat on a dry matter basis. Fat is a concentrated source of calories that helps fuel your kitten’s rapid growth and protein provides the building blocks for healthy muscle and supports the development of the nervous system and immune system.
2. Emphasis on Animal-Based Ingredients
Because cats are obligate carnivores, they are biologically adapted to consume other animals. Cats can derive nutrition from whole grains and nutrient-rich vegetables, but animal-based ingredients are easier to digest and more species-appropriate for cats.
A named source of high-quality animal protein should be the first ingredient in your kitten’s food; ideally, the first two ingredients. The more animal ingredients that appear on the list before the first plant ingredient, the better.
3. Rich in Moisture To Support Hydration
On top of meeting your kitten’s needs for protein and fat, the best kitten food also provides moisture for hydration. Hydration is essential for cats of all ages, but cats tend not to drink a lot of water on their own. A wet or raw food diet that is rich in moisture helps keep your kitten hydrated to prevent urinary tract issues and other health problems.
4. It Contains Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Healthy fats don’t just provide your kitten with calories for energy – certain fats also provide essential fatty acids that play a role in brain and eye development. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid commonly found in fatty, cold-water fish like salmon and tuna. It boosts cognitive development in kittens and supports healthy brain and eye development. Later in life, omega-3 fatty acids help bolster the immune system, reduce inflammation, and improve skin and coat health.
5. Free From Potentially Harmful Ingredients
The best kitten food is full of the nutrients your kitten needs and nothing he doesn’t. We recommend avoiding kitten foods that contain low-quality grains like corn, wheat, and soy as well as starchy, difficult-to-digest ingredients like legumes and pulses. Look for a kitten food that doesn’t contain vaguely named animal by-products or artificial additives like colors, flavors, and preservatives.
There’s no shortage of kitten foods that meet these requirements available in the UK, but we’ve assembled a list of some of our top picks to help you narrow them down.
The Best Kitten Food in the UK: Our Top Picks
#1 Overall Best: Katkin Fresh Cat Food Delivery Service
KatKin is a UK-based brand that offers fresh cat food delivered right to your door. Their products are made with human-grade ingredients and personalized to your cat’s calorie requirements. Because you can customize your cat’s meal plan, KatKin is a great choice for kittens. You can simply update your kitten’s weight as he grows to recalculate his caloric requirements.
Featured Recipe: Cluck! Chicken Recipe Fresh Cat Food
Made with just three simple ingredients and supplemental nutrients, this fresh cat food is a nutritious option for growing kittens. This particular recipe is chicken-based, though KatKin also offers formulas made with turkey, fish, lamb, duck, pork and beef.
All of KatKin’s fresh cat foods are made with high-quality animal protein as the focus and they’re balanced for kittens, adult cats, and senior cats in accordance with FEDIAF nutritional guidelines.
Calculated on a dry matter basis, this fresh kitten food contains over 67% crude protein and nearly 23% crude fat. This makes it a concentrated source of both protein and calories, both of which your kitten needs for healthy growth.
Ingredients
Fresh Chicken (Thigh, Liver, Heart), Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Zinc, Iron Chelate, Manganese Chelate, Copper Sulphate, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Thigh, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with three animal ingredients plus supplements
- Concentrated source of protein, fat, and calories
- Free from added carbohydrates and artificial additives
- Delivered right to your door with a subscription
- Meals tailored to your kitten’s daily calorie requirements
What We Didn’t Like
- Fairly expensive
- Foods are very low in fiber
#2 Budget Pick: Hilife It’s Only Natural Wet Cat Food Pouches
Owned by Town & Country Petfoods, HiLife is a family-run business based in Melton Mowbray, a small town located in rural Leicestershire, UK. The brand was launched over 35 years ago and its products are still sold throughout Britain, including all major UK supermarkets.
Featured Recipe: HiLife It’s Only Tasty Tuna Kitten Recipe
HiLife offers a variety of wet cat food pouches for kittens, adult cats, and senior cats. This kitten-specific recipe has higher protein and fat levels than the equivalent adult recipe, The Tuna One (Tuna Flakes). It contains over 68% crude protein and 21% crude fat on a dry matter basis.
Not only is this kitten food packed with protein but, because it is tuna-based, it also contains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids including DHA. The food contains 91 calories per 100g (about 3.5 oz.).
While this kitten food is largely animal-based, it does contain a few plant extracts and a gum thickener. Still, the total carbohydrate content remains very low, and the food is affordably priced for budget-conscious cat owners.
Ingredients
Dolphin-Safe Tuna (50%), Sunflower Oil, Yeast Extract, Cassava Extract, Minerals, Chicory Extract (50 mg/kg), Yucca Extract (50 mg/kg).
Ingredients We Liked: Tuna
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Affordably priced, save 5% with a subscription
- Very low carbohydrate content
- Made primarily with animal ingredients
- Rich in protein, healthy fat, and moisture
What We Didn’t Like
- Gums may trigger digestive upset in some cats
#3 Premium Pick: Bella & Duke Raw Cat Food Delivery
Founded in 2017, Bella and Duke is a raw pet food company based in Perthshire, Scotland. The company was started by Mark Scott and Tony Ottley after they lost their own dogs to cancer. Bella and Duke aims to provide high-quality raw nutrition for cats and dogs with the convenience of a recurring subscription. Their products are developed by animal nutritionists and approved by veterinarians.
Featured Recipe: Bella and Duke Chicken & Salmon Raw Cat Food
This raw frozen kitten food is made with six animal-based ingredients and one plant ingredient: virgin olive oil. Most of the protein comes from chicken hearts, fresh chicken, and salmon. The fresh chicken also includes raw bone as a natural source of key nutrients, negating the need for synthetic supplements. Beef offal is also a nutrient-rich ingredient as well as a supplemental source of protein.
At 147.8 calories per 100g, this chicken and salmon recipe is very calorie dense. It contains over 50% crude protein and 32% crude fat on a dry matter basis with no added carbohydrate.
All Bella and Duke frozen meals are made with fresh ingredients and frozen within 30 minutes of preparation. The freezing process alone is enough to keep the food fresh, so they don’t need to use any preservatives. Their foods are also free from added colors and artificial flavors.
While Bella and Duke raw cat food is inarguably high in quality, it’s also pretty pricey. They do provide recommendations for how much to feed your kitten based on his age and weight, but portioning will be up to you. You can order the food in 4kg, 8kg, 12kg, 16kg, or 20kg boxes.
Ingredients
Chicken Hearts (35%), Chicken with Bone (30%), Salmon (20%), Beef Offal (9%), Beef Broth (5%), Herring Oil, Virgin Olive Oil.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Hearts, Chicken with Bone, Salmon, Beef Offal
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- All ingredients but one are animal-based
- Packed with protein from chicken, salmon, and organ meats
- Frozen to retain nutritional integrity of the raw ingredients
- Delivered right to your door by subscription
What We Didn’t Like
- Fairly expensive
- Fiber content is not listed
#4 Best Dry Food: Farmina Dry Cat Food
Farmina is an Italian-English collaboration owned by the Italy-based Russo Mangimi Company. The company was founded in 1965 and joined forces with Farmina, an English food research and nutrition company, to create pet food. Their tagline is “nature and science in perfect harmony.”
Featured Recipe: Farmina N&D Chicken and Pomegranate Grain-Free Dry Kitten Food
Featuring both fresh and dried chicken as the main ingredients, this Farmina kitten food is rich in animal protein. The chicken is supplemented with additional protein from dried eggs, fresh herring, and dehydrated herring. Chicken fat is the primary source of added fat, supplemented by herring oil.
Given its high protein and fat content, this recipe is an appropriate choice for developing kittens if you prefer to feed dry food. While this food still contains around 20% carbohydrate on a dry matter basis, it’s lower in carbs than the average cat food. You’ll still need to provide your kitten with plenty of fresh water since this food is low in moisture.
This kitten food is expensive, but it’s higher in quality than many dry food brands on the market. We couldn’t find any significant difference between the kitten and adult version of the chicken & pomegranate formula, so it could simply be that the same product is packaged in two ways.
Ingredients
Boneless Chicken, Dehydrated Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, Chicken Fat, Dried Whole Eggs, Herring, Dehydrated Herring, Herring Oil, Pea Fiber, Dried Carrot, Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal, Inulin, Fructooligosaccharide, Yeast Extract, Dried Pomegranate, Dried Apple, Dried Spinach, Psyllium Seed Husk, Dried Sweet Orange, Dried Blueberry, Salt, Brewers Dried Yeast, Turmeric, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Choline Chloride, Beta-Carotene, Zinc Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Manganese Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Ferrous Glycine, Copper Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Dl-Methionine, Taurine, Aloe Vera Gel Concentrate, Green Tea Extract, Rosemary Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (A Preservative).
Ingredients We Liked: Boneless Chicken, Dehydrated Chicken, Chicken Fat, Dried Whole Eggs, Herring, Dehydrated Herring, Herring Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Packed with protein from chicken, eggs, and herring
- Primarily relies on animal sources of fat
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
What We Didn’t Like
- Fairly expensive
- Contains about 20% carbohydrate
- No dry food contains the moisture kittens need
#5 Best Wet Food: Untamed Canned Cat Food
Untamed is a wet pet food company founded in 2019. The brand uses human-grade whole meats to create products that contain double the protein standard in the industry. Untamed sources their ingredients from Europe and Southeast Asia and their products are manufactured in Thailand. Like several of the brands on this list, Untamed is a subscription cat food service.
Featured Recipe: Untamed Chocka Chicken in Gravy Canned Cat Food
All of Untamed’s veterinarian-formulated recipes are nutrient-dense and made with whole meats. In this recipe, fresh chicken breast is the star, supplemented with chicken liver. With chicken broth as a top-three ingredient, this food is rich in hydrating moisture as well as protein.
While this recipe is largely animal-based, sunflower oil is the only source of added fat and there is some tapioca added to thicken the product. Tapioca isn’t generally considered a harmful ingredient, but it doesn’t provide much in the way of nutrition for kittens.
Untamed doesn’t specify on their website whether this recipe is formulated for all life stages but, given its dry matter composition of 75% crude protein and over 11% fat, we’re confident in saying it’s nutritionally appropriate for kittens. That being said, the fat content is a little on the low side, so we’d recommend rotating this recipe in with a higher-fat formula.
Ingredients
Chicken Breast 58%, Chicken Broth 33%, Chicken Liver 5%, Sunflower Oil, Tapioca 1%, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Taurine, Zinc Sulphate, Iron Sulphate, Copper Sulphate, Manganese Sulphate, Potassium Iodide, Tricalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Breast, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower oil, tapioca
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Primarily animal-based with plenty of protein
- Rich in hydrating moisture
- Limited list of highly digestible ingredients
What We Didn’t Like
- Fairly low in fat
- Foods only available by subscription
#6 Best Raw Food: Nutriment Raw Frozen Cat Food
If you want the best of the best for your growing kitten, a raw food diet might just be it. Nutriment is a raw frozen pet food company that was established in 2013 in the UK. This brand creates foods that align with the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) philosophy, formulating their products with British-sourced ingredients as much as possible. All foods are handmade in Overton, Hampshire.
Featured Recipe: Nutriment Leo & Wolf Beef Meatballs Frozen Raw Pet Food
This frozen raw food is formulated for both dogs and cats, shaped into meatballs for easy portioning. The food contains just two ingredients: beef and vegetable fiber. The package doesn’t specify where the vegetable fiber comes from, but some of the vegetable ingredients listed on the Nutriment website include carrots, squash, broccoli, and kale.
Nutriment uses human-grade ingredients, and all of their foods are frozen when they are fresh and raw. This ensures that the nutritional integrity of the raw ingredients isn’t compromised – the nutrients are passed directly on to your pet.
While Nutriment’s website doesn’t specify whether their products are appropriate for kittens or not, you can sort their products by life stage and this one shows up in the Kitten Food section. According to our calculations, the dry matter composition of this formula meets kitten requirements as well. The food contains over 50% crude protein and more than 40% crude fat on a dry matter basis.
Ingredients
Beef Meat (99%), Vegetable Fiber (1%).
Ingredients We Liked: Beef
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with a simple list of just two ingredients
- Frozen when fresh and raw to preserve nutrition
- Packed with animal protein from fresh beef
What We Didn’t Like
- Limited product choices
- Fairly expensive
#7 Best Vet-Recommended Diet: Royal Canin
Royal Canin is one of the most recognizable names in pet food. Having been founded in the 1960s in southern France by a veterinary surgeon named Jean Cathary, Royal Canin has spread internationally. The company was acquired by Mars, Inc. in 2001 but continues to maintain production and distribution facilities around the world.
Featured Recipe: Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse
The three main ingredients (excluding water) in this formula are all animal-based and the recipe likely gets some supplemental protein from the pork plasma and hydrolyzed yeast. This appears to be a chicken-based recipe made with fresh chicken and chicken liver, though pork by-products contribute significantly to the food’s dry matter protein content which is over 50%.
While it’s harder to judge the quality of by-products versus fresh meats, there’s no reason to assume the pork by-products are a problematic ingredient simply because the source is named (at least on US-based product pages). More concerning is the inclusion of wheat and corn ingredients. Fortunately, the dry matter carbohydrate content of this recipe still appears to be very low.
It’s the concentrated protein and fat content of this recipe which makes it an appropriate choice for both kittens and pregnant or lactating female cats. A high-moisture diet is recommended for weaning kittens as well and helps support the mother’s hydration.
Perhaps the biggest red flag ingredient in this food is the carrageenan used as a thickener. This ingredient has been linked to inflammation and cancer. Guar gum is thought to be less harmful but still has the potential to trigger digestive upset in some cats.
Ingredients
Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Pork By-Products, Wheat Gluten, Powdered Cellulose, Modified Corn Starch, Pork Plasma, Natural Flavors, Vegetable Oil, Brewers Rice Flour, Fish Oil, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Carrageenan, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Guar Gum, Potassium Phosphate, Taurine, Vitamins[Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source Of Vitamin E), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Niacin Supplement, Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement], Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Trace Minerals[Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Marigold Extract (Tagetes Erecta L.), Magnesium Oxide, Carotene.
Note: Royal Canin’s online UK shop mentions a new label design and improved formula, but the list of ingredients is largely generalized with inclusions like “meat and animal derivatives.” For the sake of being able to provide a detailed analysis, I’ve used the updated Guaranteed Analysis from Royal Canin’s website but the original list of ingredients since it is much more detailed.
Ingredients (from Royal Canin’s UK shop)
Meat and Animal Derivatives, Cereals, Oils and Fats, Derivatives of Vegetable Origin, Milk and Milk Derivatives, Minerals, Yeasts, Various Sugars.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Pork By-Products, Pork Plasma, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Wheat Gluten, Modified Corn Starch, Vegetable Oil, Carrageenan, Guar Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Dry matter protein content is over 50%
- Rich in moisture to support hydration in cats and kittens
- Appears to be low in carbohydrates
What We Didn’t Like
- Contains carrageenan and guar gum thickeners
- Made with corn and wheat ingredients
Your kitten deserves the best possible start in life you can give him and that means a species-appropriate, nutritionally balanced diet made with high quality ingredients.
Looking for more advice on what to feed your kitten? Check out our Complete Guide to Feline Nutrition.
