10 Best Cat Foods in the UK in 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

When you’re shopping for cat food in the U.K., you don’t want to settle for middle-of-the-line cat food that your cat can barely squeak by on. You want a food that lets them thrive. We completely understand.

That’s why we took the time to track down and review 10 of the best cat foods in the U.K. With any of these foods, your cat can thrive for years. But just because the cat food made our list doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for your cat.

So, read the reviews and find exactly what your cat needs!

A Quick Comparison (updated in 2022)

The 10 Best Cat Foods in the UK

1. Harringtons Complete Adult Chicken Dry Cat Food – Best Overall

If you’re looking for a cat food that has everything that your cat needs and doesn’t cost a fortune, the best overall cat food in the U.K. has to be Harringtons Complete Adult Chicken Dry Cat Food.

There’s plenty to love with this cat food. For starters, it comes in four separate 2 kg bags to help maintain maximum freshness. Since each bag is completely recyclable, you don’t have to worry about the environmental impact.

Moreover, there are tons of high-quality, natural ingredients that are great for your cat. It’s a U.K.-based product, so you’re supporting local businesses and workers too!

But while there are tons to love about this Harrington cat food, it’s not perfect. Our chief complaint is that while it’s grain-free, the company sources its ingredients from areas that come into contact with wheat. For most people, that’s not a big deal, but if your cat has a severe wheat allergy, it can be a problem.

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2. Breederpack Complete Crunchy Dry Cat Food – Best Value

Whether you have a ton of cats or are just trying to save a few bucks, with Breederpack Complete Crunchy Dry Cat Food, you can get food that meets all your cat’s nutritional needs at a great price. That’s why it’s the best cat food in the U.K. for the money.

However, when you’re looking at budget cat food, the manufacturer has to cut corners somewhere. With Breederpack’s Complete Crunchy Dry Cat food, you have to buy in bulk. A 15-kg bag of cat food is far more than what most cat owners need.

Also, it’s not great for cats that have allergies. Whether it’s the undefined protein sources or the plethora of ingredients, if your cat has any allergy problems, this cat food is sure to bring them to light. But if you have a few cats and they don’t have allergy concerns, this enables you to feed them all at an affordable price.

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3. Applaws Natural Wet Cat Food – Premium Choice

Sure, Applaws Natural Wet Cat Food isn’t the lowest-priced cat food out there, but when you’re looking for the best of the best, the price is secondary to the quality. For such high-quality cat food, the price isn’t that unreasonable.

Applaws Natural Wet Cat Food only contains natural ingredients, and over 75% of the food in the tin is the protein! The tuna recipe is a natural source of omega-3s, which help develop a healthy and shiny coat. Since it’s mostly just fresh proteins, your cat’s sure to love the flavor and devour every bite.

But this is an expensive option, and it doesn’t last as long as some other cat foods. You’ll need to purchase this cat food about twice as often, which means you’ll be spending even more in the end.

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4. Purina ONE Kitten Dry Cat Food – Best for Kittens

Purina is a huge name in the cat food industry, and it’s an excellent choice for your kitten’s first dry food. Purina ONE Kitten Dry Cat Food has a smaller kibble that’s easier for your cat to devour, and the 41% crude protein content is more than enough to help your kitten grow and develop.

Purina ONE Kitten Dry Cat Food also helps provide oral care for both their gums and teeth. Since these areas are developing too, that’s a big deal.

More perks with this cat food are that it comes in four small bags to help maintain maximum freshness, and Purina offers adult cat food options that kittens can grow into. This means fewer changes in ingredients as they get older, and that makes for easier transitions.

The only real drawback to this kitten food is the price, but due to the higher protein content that kittens need in their food, it’s not all that surprising. Since kittens generally eat less due to their smaller size, it’s not too big of a deal!

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5. Lily’s Kitchen

Lily’s Kitchen is an outstanding choice if you’re shopping for a natural cat food. There are two different size options to choose from, and this cat food has everything that your cat needs to thrive and then some. The 30% crude protein content isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s more than enough for moderately active cats.

While this is a great natural cat food and its ingredients are ideal for cats suffering from various allergies, the price could be a problem. While Lily’s Kitchen cat food isn’t the most expensive option out there, it’s not the most affordable either.

It also doesn’t meet the needs of younger or older cats. While it’s fine for most adult cats, eventually, you’ll need to transition them to different cat food. So, while this could be an excellent choice now, in a few years, you’ll have to figure out what to feed your cat next.

Other brands have options for cats to grow into, and if you’re not experiencing problems, you might not even need to switch.

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6. Perfect Fit Cat Complete

If you have an extremely active cat, Perfect Fit Cat Complete is precisely what you need. With an impressive 41% crude protein, it has more than enough protein to keep your cat moving day after day, no matter how active they are.

But while enough protein is crucial for an active cat, if your cat is getting older or simply isn’t that active, this much protein can lead to weight gain. Still, this food is excellent for cats with sensitive stomachs, promotes great oral health, and has plenty of nutrients to keep them healthy.

Our only real complaint with this cat food (if you have a high-energy cat) is that the chicken recipe only comes in larger sizes. Chicken recipes are what many cats are used to, but since the smallest bag option is 7 kg, you need to dive right in and hope for the best.

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7. Purina ONE Adult Cat Food

The protein content in this Purina ONE formula isn’t quite as high as in the kitten formula, but at 34%, it’s enough to keep your cat healthy and moving.

With Purina ONE Adult Cat Food, your cat actually gets more energy, so they shouldn’t have any problem burning off the extra protein. This food is excellent for your cat’s coat and supports their immune system, making it a true win-win.

Just like the kitten formula has this one to grow into, Purina ONE Adult Cat Food has a senior version for when your cat does get up there in age.

However, this cat food isn’t the best for cats with allergies, partly because it simply has too many ingredients. If your cat has an allergy to just about anything in this cat food, you likely won’t even know what caused the reaction.

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8. Lifelong Complete

Lifelong Complete is the definition of an ultra-affordable wet cat food. While it’s not the best quality cat food out there, it will meet a cat’s nutritional needs for a great price.

There are different flavors to choose from, so you’re sure to find one that your cat likes, and there are plenty of healthy vitamins and amino acids to help your cat thrive. Add in the natural probiotics, and you have an affordable cat food that can help keep your cat healthy.

But if you’re looking for a food that gives your cat defined proteins and limited ingredients, this isn’t it. So, if your cat has allergies, steer clear.

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9. Arden Grange Adult Dry Cat Food

When you’re shopping for a grain-free, hypoallergenic cat food, you could do far worse than Arden Grange Adult Dry Cat Food. Arden Grange is a British-run company that pushes out high-quality food that your cat can thrive on.

There are prebiotics to keep your cat healthy, and the 31% crude protein is an ideal amount for most cats. There are three size options for you to choose from, starting at a tiny 400-gram bag to let your cat try out the food before you purchase a ton of it.

But keep in mind that this isn’t a high-energy formula, and it is slightly expensive.

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10. Burgess Dry Cat Food

Rounding out our list of the best cat foods in the U.K. is Burgess’ Dry Cat Food. This cat food uses duck as a primary protein, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Since duck is a novel protein, there’s a smaller chance that your cat will have an allergic reaction to it, and the food still has the prototypical chicken.

This food helps maintain healthy gums and teeth and a healthy urinary system, and it has plenty of amino acids, like taurine. There are options for every life stage and two size options for you to choose from. A 1.5 kg bag enables you to find out if your cat likes it, and the 10 kg bag lets you save by purchasing in bulk.

We do wish there was a middle-ground size option, but it’s not a dealbreaker. The bigger concern is the 29.5% crude protein content. While that can be enough for an adult cat, 30% is the minimum recommended amount for dry cat food.

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Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Food

If you’re still unsure about what you’re looking for in cat food after reading the reviews, you’re not alone. We created this comprehensive buyer’s guide to walk you through everything that you need to know to get the right cat food.

So, keep reading, and we’ll help you order the perfect cat food in no time.

How Much Protein Does Your Cat Need?

Cats need different protein amounts for each stage in development. Kittens should get at least 40% protein to help them grow, while adult cats can thrive off of anything from 25% to 35%.

Just keep in mind that 25% is enough for your cat to live, but if they’re growing, developing, or staying extremely active, they need a higher protein amount in their diet. That’s why we recommend a diet that consists of 30% to 35% protein for most adult cats.

Of course, if you have an extremely active adult cat, there’s nothing wrong with a little more protein in their diet!

The Grain-Free Debate

There’s a great deal of debate out there now about the need to transfer your cat to a grain-free diet to get them back to their natural roots. The truth is that for the most part, it’s a bunch of noise about nothing. Some cats need a grain-free diet due to allergies, but most cats can handle a diet with grains without any concerns.

The cat roaming your house is far different than the lions and tigers that roam the wild. In fact, your cat developed enzymes to break down wheat a millennia ago. So, there’s nothing wrong with having it in their diet!

Don’t buy into the grain-free hype. If your cat can’t handle grain, that’s one thing, but if your cat has a healthy digestive tract, there’s no reason to switch them to a grain-free diet.

Picking a Protein

There’s a great deal of debate around which protein source is best for your cat, but there’s no wrong answer here. Duck isn’t inherently any better or worse for your cat than chicken or tuna, though it does affect some of the other ingredients that the pet food company puts in the food.

For example, tuna is a natural carrier of omega-3s. These are good for your cat, so if you pick a protein source that’s not fish, they’ll likely find another way to get omega-3s in there.

The only real considerations that you need to make when selecting a protein are your cat’s allergies and digestive system. Some cats don’t respond well to certain proteins, and if your cat is like that, you should avoid the protein that they can’t handle.

Wet vs. Dry Foods

Some cat owners swear by the fact that wet cat food does more for their cat’s coat and gives them a healthier cat. The truth is that as long as you go with high-quality cat food, there’s no wrong choice between wet or dry cat food.

What matters is that you get something that your cat will eat. Some cats are simply picky eaters and won’t touch dry cat food. If your cat is like this, you’ll need to invest in wet cat food, but keep in mind that they’re typically more expensive and don’t last as long.

We recommend trying dry cat food first. If your cat’s a picky eater, we recommend skipping the wet food entirely. But if they’re not picky, there’s nothing wrong with mixing in wet food every once in a while as a treat!

Conclusion

If you’re still unsure about what cat food your cat needs after reading these reviews, why not give Harrington’s Complete Adult Chicken Dry Cat Food a try? It’s our top choice for best cat food in the UK for a reason, and thousands upon thousands of cats thrive off this outstanding food.

Of course, if you’re on a tight budget, you can give Breederpack Complete Crunchy Dry Cat Food a try. Just stay away if your cat has allergies.

What are you waiting for? Order a top-notch cat food today. Your cat deserves it.

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Featured Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock