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Best Fresh Cat Food Brands 2025
Written by Emily Bayne
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 04/01/2024, edited: 01/21/2025
The Wag! team conducts independent research and consults pet experts to curate our recommendations. This content is supported by our affiliate pet partners and we may receive a commission on the links provided.
If you have a picky kitty, you've likely tried a gamut of wet and dry foods and maybe even gone as far as making homemade cat food. But have you ever given fresh cat food a try?
Fresh food has the flavor of homemade cat food without the nutritional guesswork or the time commitment.
Fresh pet food is a newer type of pet food that must be frozen or refrigerated since it is cooked at low temps and usually doesn't contain the additives that keep canned food shelf-stable.
There are many different fresh dog food brands, but there aren't nearly as many that cater to felines. We rounded up the most popular fresh food brands for kitties and looked into their products and manufacturing processes to give you the most thorough and unbiased fresh cat food review on the web. Let’s get started!
Overview
Raised Right
5
Best vet recommended human-grade fresh food
We are big fans of all Raised Right pet products since they are human-grade and offer custom nutrition plans based on your pet's individual needs and goals. They have even won awards for their innovative recipes and high standards.
Their products are formulated without low-quality fillers like potatoes, wheat, soy, and corn, and are available both online and in-store at select retailers. Let’s take a closer look at these recipes.
Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants, says, "Raised Right cat food offers a whole-food diet with real meat as the initial ingredient, ensuring a high-protein meal. Including organ meats for vital nutrients and antioxidants, their recipes often feature limited ingredients for simplicity and digestibility. Notably, they exclude grains, potatoes, and preservatives while prioritizing safety with batch testing and traceable ingredients."
Raised Right flavors & top 5 ingredients:
- Original Turkey Adult Cat Recipe - Turkey Thigh, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver, Carrots, Blueberries
- Original Chicken Adult Cat Recipe - Chicken Thigh, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Organic Spearmint
- Turkey & Pumpkin Paté for Adult Cats - Turkey Thigh, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver, Pumpkin, Organic Spearmint.
- Chicken & Pumpkin Paté for Adult Cats - Chicken Thigh, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Pumpkin, Organic Spearmint
Raised Right Cat Food
Why Wag! Loves It
- Winner of the 2019 Innovation Award for Nutrition
- Developed under the guidance of their in-house vet, Dr. Karen Becker.
- Low-carb recipes that focus on the high-quality proteins and fats cats need
- Each batch of their products is carefully tested for quality assurance
Considerations & Concerns
- Since it's a fresh food with no artificial preservatives, so it must be handled carefully to prevent spoilage. Follow the directions on the packaging for thawing and storage.
- Unfortunately, Raised Right does not offer a kitten recipe at this time.
What pet parents say about Raised Right
"I love Raised Right. Quality control, timely shipping, my picky cat loves the adult chicken food, and the price is fair. Thank you so much for being the best out there!"
Read more reviews on the Raised Right website.
Image sourced from the Raised Right website. Copyright Raised Right Pets LP.
Freshpet
4.5
Best vet recommended affordable fresh pet food
Freshpet was one of the first fresh commercial cat foods to hit pet stores. The company was founded in 2006 with the goal to "revolutionize the way pets are fed, shifting from shelf-stable kibble to recipes made from fresh, natural ingredients."
Nowadays, this food can be found inside special coolers in most US grocers and offers a variety of fresh cat and dog products.
One of the things we like most about this brand is its accessibility. Since fresh pet foods are of higher quality than most kibbles, they are going to be more expensive than budget brands. Still, Freshpet manages to provide great recipes at an affordable price point, a rarity in this industry.
Because of their affordability, quality ingredients, and manufacturing processes, we decided to award FreshPet with an extra half-star.
Freshpet flavors & top 5 ingredients:
- Select chicken & beef grain free gourmet paté - chicken, chicken broth, beef, chicken liver, natural flavors
- Select grain free gourmet paté with salmon - chicken, chicken broth, beef, chicken liver, salmon
- Moisture-rich tender bites tender chicken recipe with garden vegetables - chicken, chicken liver, natural flavors, eggs, carrots
- Moisture-rich tender bites chicken & beef recipe with garden vegetables - chicken, chicken liver, beef, natural flavors, carrots
- Vital grain free chicken recipe with antioxidant-rich vegetables & eggs - chicken, chicken liver, natural flavors, pea protein, eggs
- Vital grain free chicken and beef - chicken, chicken broth, beef, chicken liver, natural flavors
- Nature's Fresh grain free chicken recipe with anti-oxidant-rich vegetables -chicken, chicken liver, natural flavors, pea protein, carrots
Freshpet Cat Food
Why Wag! Loves It
- One of the most widely available fresh cat foods in US stores
- Only uses whole ingredients without artificial preservatives or meat by-products or meals
- Each batch of food undergoes numerous tests to ensure a consistent and safe product.
- Made in human-grade kitchens that are certified by both APHIS and the FDA
Considerations & Concerns
- Signs of possible ingredient splitting (particularly the vital recipe, which features two kinds of pea products
- While their cat food products have never been subject to recalls, there was a recall of select Freshpet dog food recipes in the summer of 2021 and 2022.
What pet parents say about Freshpet
"My cat is extremely picky, and he cannot eat dry food as it always irritates his stomach. I tried soo many different foods and made many donations to the local SPCA. Luckily, I found this one! My cat even wakes me in the morning to feed him this food. He loves it, and it doesn't irritate his stomach. I have it on autoship so I don't need to worry about running out. So grateful to have found something that works for us both."
Read more reviews on Chewy.
Image sourced from Chewy. Copyright freshpet.
Justfoodforcats
5
Most transparent pet food company
JustFoodForCats is a small cat food line with one fresh food recipe and a single cat treat recipe. Although the line is small, we hope it will expand its offerings because its high-quality products are a favorite of fresh-food lovers nationwide.
This brand prides itself on its human-grade recipes and encourages its customers to tour its open kitchens to have a look for themselves at the care they take in their manufacturing processes. (Their transparent processing practices are a breath of fresh air since the pet food industry hasn't always been the most forthright!)
JustFoodForCats flavors & top 5 ingredients:
- Fish & Chicken Cat Food Recipe - Cod, chicken, chicken heart, chicken liver, cassava root
JustFoodForCats Fresh Food
Why Wag! Loves It
- Vet-developed human-grade recipes
- Transparent processing practices
- Has undergone feeding trials to ensure they meet or exceed the nutritional requirements for the intended life stage
Considerations & Concerns
- Has a short expiration window once thawed (5 days unopened or 3 days opened in fridge)
- Unfortunately, this product isn't suitable for kittens or mother cats, but we're hoping they will expand the line!
- On the expensive side, this is to be expected with high-quality fresh food.
- Some pet parents complain that this food has an unpleasant smell.
- While this food has never been recalled, the parent company experienced a recall in 2018 for possible listeria contamination in three of their fresh dog food recipes.
What pet parents say about Justfoodforcats
"My cat loves this food. The ingredients and quality are great. It has a strong smell, which is more appealing to cats than humans, so if you are very sensitive to strong smells, consider this. However, the company provides very high-quality pet foods, which is more important to me than what I think of the smell."
Read more reviews on Chewy.
Image sourced from Petco. Copyright JustFoodForDogs.
Smalls
4
Best cat food subscription service
Dog food subscription services are all the rage right now with Farmer's Dog, Ollie, and Spot & Tango— but Smalls is the first subscription service we've found tailored specifically to cats — and we love them for it!
The brand offers 4 different meat-based recipes, with two different preparations—smooth and ground— in each flavor, except fish, which is currently only available in the smooth texture.
Smalls flavors & top 5 ingredients:
- Bird (available in smooth, ground, and pulled) - Chicken, chicken liver, green beans, water sufficient for processing, dried yeast
- Other bird (available in smooth, ground, and pulled) - Turkey, turkey liver, green beans, water sufficient for processing, dried yeast
- Cow (available in smooth and ground) - Beef, beef liver, green beans, spinach, water sufficient for processing
- Smooth fish - Salmon, cod, green beans, pumpkin, dried yeast
Smalls Cat Food
Why Wag! Loves It
- We calculated that each recipe contains at least 13 to 16.5 grams per 100 k/cal of protein, much higher than the AAFCO requirement of 6.5 grams per 100 kcal for adult cats.
- Uses whole ingredients like real meat and veggies and is fortified with vitamins, minerals, folic acid, and essential fatty acids.
- Don't like it? No worries! Smalls backs their products with a money-back guarantee
- They offer a sampler for your kitty to try 10 different products
- Smalls has one of the highest pet food ratings we've ever seen on Trustpilot
Considerations & Concerns
- We weren't a fan of how the website is set up, requiring you to make an account and answer several questions about your pets before being able to view the products or their ingredients list.
- The website has very little information about the company's history and manufacturing and sourcing practices. (We actually docked our rating for lack of transparency!)
- Smalls is a subscription service, which may be a turn-off for people who like to purchase pet food as needed.
- Smalls does not offer delivery to PO boxes
What pet parents say about Smalls
"My cat had been getting quite chunky and loosing his spark. Even worse, he was occasionally vomiting up his food. I had tried so many brands of food, but he would not touch them. I finally tried Smalls and he LOVED it from the first meal. He is now not vomiting, is back to bouncing off the walls, and is getting back to a slightly slimmer figure. I'm happy to know he is eating good quality food. With it being better quality, he doesn't act like he is starving all the time. It always arrives fresh and cold. Even with it being a bit pricier, it is totally worth it."
Read more unbiased reviews on TrustPilot.
Image sourced from the Smalls website. Copyright Smalls.
FAQ
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