Best rated cat food
We should be upfront: we don't currently collect customer ratings or reviews, so we can't honestly point you to a "best rated" list here. What we can do is explain what actually separates a good cat food from a mediocre one, based on what's printed on the packaging, so you can judge for yourself rather than relying on a star rating that may not reflect your cat's needs anyway.
Why a star rating isn't the whole answer regardless
Even where ratings exist, they reflect what worked for other people's cats, not necessarily yours. A food that suits one cat's stomach, taste preference and life stage might not suit another's, so a rating is a rough popularity signal at best rather than a guarantee of quality or suitability for your specific cat.
What matters more is reading the food itself — the named protein sources, the life stage it's formulated for, and whether it's complete or complementary — and matching that to your cat rather than chasing a ranking.
What to actually look for on the label
Check that the food is labelled "complete", meaning it's formulated to meet all of a cat's nutritional needs on its own, rather than "complementary", which is meant to be fed alongside something else. A named meat as the first ingredient — chicken, salmon, tuna — generally indicates a more meat-forward recipe than one listing "meat and animal derivatives" without specifying which animal.
The guaranteed analysis panel shows protein, fat, fibre and ash content, which lets you compare recipes on a like-for-like basis. Cats are obligate carnivores, so a reasonably high protein content from named animal sources is generally a good sign, though the right balance also depends on your cat's age, weight and any health conditions.
Wet, dry, or both
Wet food generally has a higher moisture content, which suits cats who don't drink much on their own, while dry food is easier to portion and leave out for grazing. Neither is inherently "better rated" than the other — many owners feed a mix, and the right balance depends on your cat's preferences and any specific health needs, such as urinary health, where moisture intake can matter more.
Life stage matters as much as the general quality of the food. A kitten, an adult and a senior cat have different nutritional needs, and a food that's excellent for one stage isn't necessarily right for another.
What we'd suggest instead of chasing a ranking
Rather than searching for a single "best rated" answer, pick two or three complete foods that suit your cat's life stage and any known sensitivities, and see which one your cat actually does well on — good coat, steady weight, normal stools and a healthy appetite are the real signs of a food that works, better than any star rating.
Give a new food a proper trial of a couple of weeks once your cat has transitioned onto it fully, rather than judging from the first bowl. Cats can be genuinely fussy about a new food to start with, which isn't the same as the food itself being unsuitable, so patience during the changeover tells you more than the first reaction does.
Our picks, and why
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Whiskas 1+ Salmon Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete salmon dry food for adult cats in a practical 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Whiskas 1+ Lamb Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete lamb dry food for adult cats in a practical 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Whiskas 1 Tuna Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete tuna dry food for adult cats, offered in several bag sizes
From£3.19
Whiskas Kitten Chicken Dry Cat Food
Complete chicken dry food for kittens, available in several bag sizes
From£3.19
Whiskas 1 Chicken Adult Dry Cat Food
A complete dry food for cats 1+, with chicken present only in the brown kibbles
From£3.19
Whiskas 7+ Senior Cat Complete Dry with Chicken
Complete chicken dry food for senior cats aged 7+ in a 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Whiskas 7+ Chicken Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete chicken dry food for senior cats aged 7+ in an 800G bag
£6.09
Whiskas 2-12 Months Kitten Complete Dry Food Chicken
Complete chicken dry food for kittens aged 2-12 months in a 7KG bag
£30.15
Whiskas 1+ Adult Cat Complete Dry Food Tuna
Complete tuna dry cat food for adults in a 7KG bag with 30% protein
£30.15
Whiskas 1+ Adult Cat Complete Dry with Chicken
Complete chicken dry cat food for adults in a 7KG bag with 30% protein
£30.15
Burns Adult/Senior Cat Sensitive Grain Free Duck & Potato
Grain-free duck and potato food for cats with digestive or food sensitivities
£16.49
James Wellbeloved Light Adult Dry Cat Food Fish
A lower-calorie fish dry food for adult cats managing their weight, with joint-support ingredients
£24.65
Common questions
- Why doesn't Giddy Pets show star ratings on cat food?
- We don't currently collect customer reviews on our products, so we'd rather be upfront about that than display a rating that isn't real. We're focused on giving you the information to judge a food yourself instead.
- Is more expensive cat food always better?
- Not automatically. Price often reflects ingredient sourcing and marketing rather than a fixed measure of quality, so it's worth reading the label — named proteins, life stage and complete versus complementary — rather than judging by price alone.
- How do I know if a cat food suits my cat?
- Watch for a good coat, steady weight, normal stools and a consistent appetite over a few weeks on the food. If your cat is regularly sick, has ongoing loose stools, or is losing weight, speak to your vet rather than switching foods repeatedly on your own.
- Is wet or dry food rated better for cats?
- Neither is universally better — it depends on your cat. Wet food adds moisture to the diet, which some cats benefit from, while dry food is convenient and supports some dental wear through chewing.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.