When it comes to nourishing your feline friend, selecting the right wet food is crucial for their health and happiness. With an array of brands available on the market, each offering its unique blend of ingredients and flavors, finding the best one for your cat can be a daunting task. Whether you are looking for something grain-free, rich in protein, or packed with essential nutrients, understanding which brands are most trusted can help simplify your decision. Below, we explore some of the best brands that have been highly recommended by pet nutritionists and cat owners alike.
Illustration of cat wet food
Best brands of cat wet food in 2025
Royal Canin
Royal Canin is a leading producer of high-quality cat wet food, known for its nutritional excellence and tailored formulas. As part of Mars Petcare, Royal Canin benefits from significant investments in research and development, ensuring their products meet the specific needs of cats. In 2023, Royal Canin launched its own app in Indonesia to enhance consumer access, reflecting its strong presence in emerging markets where wet cat food is gaining popularity, especially in Asia and Latin America. Royal Canin's products account for a significant portion of the wet pet food market, with Mars and Nestle together covering 54% of this market segment. The brand's commitment to innovation and customer convenience has contributed to its growth and market share.
Hill's Science Diet
Hill's Science Diet is a renowned brand in the pet food industry, particularly acclaimed for its high-quality wet cat food. With an average protein content of 37% and a mean fat level of 21.4%, their products meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO for all life stages of cats. The brand offers a wide range of recipes, including those tailored for health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and sensitive stomachs, and has a strong average rating of 4.5 stars across its product line. Despite past recalls, Hill's continues to innovate, having recently opened a new manufacturing plant in Tonganoxie, Kansas, to enhance production capacity. The brand's commitment to science-driven formulations and extensive global distribution in over 80 countries solidifies its position as a leader in the pet food market.
Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo, acquired by General Mills in 2018, is a prominent producer of high-quality cat food, including wet food options, known for its natural and high-protein ingredients. The brand has seen a resurgence in volume sales growth for its Life Protection Formula in early 2024, after a mid-single-digit decline in late 2023. Blue Buffalo holds a 6% market share in the U.S. pet food market as of 2022. The brand's products, such as BLUE Life Protection Formula, are favored for their superior ingredients and health benefits. With a $200 million expansion planned for its Indiana operations, Blue Buffalo continues to strengthen its position in the pet food industry. For more detailed information, visit their official website.
Purina Pro Plan
Purina Pro Plan is a leading brand in the cat food market, particularly renowned for its innovative and advanced nutrition formulas. The Pro Plan LiveClear cat food, for instance, reduces the major allergen in cat hair and dander by an average of 47% starting in the third week of daily feeding. This brand achieved billion-dollar status in 2022, with sales of nearly $3 billion USD, and continues to drive growth for Nestle Purina PetCare. Pro Plan cat food formulas are available in various forms, including dry and wet options, and are fortified with guaranteed live probiotics to support digestive and immune health. With a strong presence in the global pet care market, Purina Pro Plan remains a top choice for cat owners seeking high-quality nutrition. For more detailed information about Purina Pro Plan's offerings, visit their official website.
Instinct by Nature's Variety
Instinct by Nature's Variety is a highly regarded brand for cat wet food, known for its high protein content, moderate fat levels, and low carbohydrate content, with recipes featuring 95% real meat and organs. The brand offers a wide variety of products, including grain-free options, and has received positive reviews from customers despite some recent complaints about recipe changes. Each 3-ounce can of their wet food contains 131 calories, and the carbohydrate content is approximately 4.10% on a dry matter basis. The brand scores well on species-appropriateness and customer experience, with an overall rating of 7.3/10 according to Cats.com. Instinct cat food is priced between $0.47 to $0.69 per ounce for wet food, making it a premium but affordable option. For more information about their Original Variety Pack Wet Cat Food, you can visit their website.
Wellness CORE
Wellness CORE is a prominent brand in the cat food market, particularly known for its high-quality wet cat food products. The brand's nutritional philosophy, which emphasizes a diet mainly comprised of meat to align with cats' primal ancestry, resonates well with pet owners. As of 2020-21, the trend towards wet cat food has seen significant growth, with 59% of cat owners using wet food, up from 49% in 2006-07. Wellness CORE+ products, such as the Digestive Health Chicken & Rice recipe, are crafted by pet nutritionists and veterinarians to ensure cats receive the essential daily vitamins and minerals they need. This focus on premium and nutritious ingredients contributes to the brand's popularity and the overall growth of the wet cat food segment.
Fancy Feast
Fancy Feast, a renowned brand under Purina, is a leading producer of high-quality cat wet food, offering over 100 recipes including pates, broths, and morsels in gravy. Since its inception in 1982, Fancy Feast has been positioned as a gourmet cat food, providing delicious and sensory experiences for cats. The brand has seen significant growth, with a 69% year-over-year revenue increase and a 63% increase in sales as of recent reports. Fancy Feast's popularity is further underscored by its market share, making it one of the top cat food brands on Amazon. This brand's commitment to quality and variety has made it a favorite among cat owners.
Merrick
Merrick Pet Care is renowned as one of the top producers of high-quality cat wet food, offering a diverse range of recipes crafted with high-quality protein to support feline nutrition. Their products, such as the Purrfect Bistro and Backcountry lines, are popular among pet owners, with many recipes being grain-free, potato-free, and tailored to specific life stages and dietary needs. The brand's commitment to nutrition is reflected in its wide array of flavors and formats, including pate, morsels, and bone broth. As part of the broader pet food market, Merrick's products contribute to the sector's projected growth, with the global pet food market expected to reach USD 150,987.97 million by 2032 at a CAGR of 4.70%. Merrick's offerings are particularly favored in regions like North America, where cat ownership is high, with approximately 38% of households in the United States owning cats.
Nutro
Nutro is a prominent brand in the cat food market, particularly known for its high-quality wet cat food products. In 2022, the wet food segment, which Nutro contributes to, dominated the market with a revenue share of 50.7% due to its high moisture content and proper nutrition, essential for cats' health. Nutro's wet cat food recipes, such as the Chicken Recipe Pate, are made with non-GMO ingredients, feature chicken as the #1 ingredient, and are free from grain, chicken by-product meal, and artificial preservatives. These products align with the growing trend of pet humanization and the increasing awareness of pet nutrition worldwide. Nutro's commitment to sourcing high-quality ingredients and its 'FEED CLEAN' philosophy make it a trusted choice among pet owners.
Tiki Cat
Tiki Cat, owned by Whitebridge Pet Brands LLC, is a leading producer of high-quality cat wet food, renowned for its commitment to natural and wholesome ingredients. The brand offers over 40 different flavors and textures, ensuring a varied and nutritious diet for cats. Tiki Cat wet foods contain up to 95% protein and high moisture content, aligning perfectly with the nutritional needs of obligate carnivores. The brand has experienced significant growth, with a 50% sales increase in the United States from 2019 to 2022, and is part of the premium cat food market that is expected to reach $6 billion by 2028, growing at a 7% CAGR.
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