Best Dry Food For Indoor Cats 2024: Reviews+Buyer’s Guide

Sometime it can be tricky to find the best dry food for indoor cats  -ff you have cats that you keep inside, you probably know they have nutritional needs that vary from their counterparts that do get to romp around outdoors. It’s important to understand those dietary needs and meet them accordingly.

Cats are carnivores….they need a meat-based diet. Some vegetables can serve as “roughage”…as cats do need this in their diet as well to improve digestion. Ever notice cats that go outdoors will nibble on grass periodically? That’s a natural instinct of trying to get some of that roughage in their system.

Indoor cats don’t have access to things like grass – unless, you have houseplants, which curious cats will try to nibble on (and that could prevent some hazards on their own) unless you offer them something tested for safety and nutrition. I like to feed my cats wheatgrass, which they enjoy that helps their digestion in between dry food.

Cats tend to “graze” throughout the day with regard to dry food. You’ve probably noticed that they will munch on it for a little bit and turn their attention away. Whereas, they’ll finish off wet food rather quickly.

A Highlight of Some of the Best Dry Indoor Cat Food

Here are the best contenders at a glance…if you’re just curious:

How I Chose the Best Dry Indoor Cat Foods

To evaluate different brands of dry cat food, I use my own experience with my cats as well as brands they’ve consumed over the years, then watching how they respond to it. One of the downsides of owning a cat is that when they eat something that doesn’t agree with them, the consequences are usually – well, uh…I’m sure you know what I’m getting at here. Overall, I don’t have picky cats. They do show a preference towards, (naturally) seafood. To the left is a brand they didn’t seem that crazy about compared to others….No worries. I gave the rest of it to my laying hens!

Two of my cats don’t go outside. Well, a few years ago I’d built an outdoor enclosure for them but that’s another story.

Because cats instinctively crave protein, I have always been willing to offer them tidbits from my own plate. I’ve given them pieces of chicken, turkey, and yes, I’ve let them sample some tuna from the can when making a salad. You try making tuna salad in peace with cats around…Of course, I’m a little generous, and don’t like to feel like I’m tantalizing them 🙂

#1 Nutro Wholesome Essentials

A highly trusted brand that appears to be family-owned, they have their own recipes which are made to be appealing to cats’ taste and nutritious. This one is made with a chicken and brown rice base, it is free of grains and unnecessary fillers so you can feed your cat with confidence knowing they are getting the best in their dietary needs met. And one of the ingredients is flaxseed – a superfood for us so you know it’s good for your cat.

It’s available in 3.5, 5 and 14 pound bags. Not a lot of cats having digestive issues (like vomiting) as a result , (maybe one report, but didn’t say anything about the cat’s age or special conditions.

Pros:

• Excellent ingredient profile
• Does not contain grains or preservatives
• High protein/fiber content

Cons: A few consumers thought the kibble size was a little bigger than expected (theirs preferred the smaller size)

#2 Iams Proactive Health

Iams is a highly recommended brand by vets. It’s always more expensive than the leading brands, when I see it but as they like to say, you get what you pay for. I remember when I had a foster cat for awhile and the original owner gave me a bag of Iams as a complementary gift…it’s bar none for sure. This variety is specially formulated for hairball and weight control – two major bugaboos that indoor cats and their owners grapple with.

This one has a good protein-rich base of chicken and turkey, and there’s also a salmon based option as well. ( My guys will do back flips for salmon. ) It’s a formula that would be good for overweight or diabetic cats as the calorie count is not that high, and the amount of fiber is excellent.

There’s different size bags available, including 3.5, 7, and 16. Many people did report fewer problems with diarrhea and vomiting, not a lot of mention of cats losing weight but they were not gaining any either, so there’s that. We got a 3.5 sized bag of this one to offer our cats to see what they thought of it compared to their favorite brand (Friskies Seafood Sensations) It comes in small dark pellets and I found that if I mixed the two together they would eat Iams. (Sometimes you may have to do this titration approach with new brands.)

That’s Friskies in the bowl with Iams. The picture on the bag is quite inaccurate.

 None of my cats had digestive issues afterward, though, so that’s good.

Pros: Very good ingredient base with lots of meat and vegetable in the mix

Cons: One ingredient is gluten meal, but it may be no big deal if your cat isn’t sensitive to gluten.

#3 Wellness Complete

The number one ingredient is deboned chicken. That will tell you everything – your little guys will be getting everything they need and nothing they don’t. Combined with a base of other ingredients like rosemary, flaxseed, potatoes, etc., as a source of healthy fiber. Comes in 2.2, 5.5 and 11 pound bags. Cranberries as a source of antioxidants for good urinary health.

There is also kitten and mature-aged cat variations too with slightly adjusted nutrient components. All of the ingredients I’ve seen make up a definite complete formula for healthy, active cats going forward. Also check out the salmon and Healthy Weight variations too. Indoor cats may be more prone to being overweight so something to think about.

Pros: Good ingredient base, free of grains

Cons: Nothing majorly to report

#4 Blue Buffalo Tastefuls Indoor Naturals

This highly-rated brand boasts a protein-packed recipe in the form of deboned chicken, brown rice and fibrous vegetable base that includes sweet potatoes, carrots and cranberries. So, a strictly meat and vegetable profile -all the ingredients checked out as excellent. No GMOs or grains to worry about.

Consumers and cat moms/dads had plenty of good things to report, cats enjoyed it, some improvement in the texture of their coats, less foul-smelling and smaller stools, little or no stomach upset. Just a tip: the proof is in the poop – with a more nutritious brand of cat food, they will produce smaller stools. Good sign that their systems are using more nutrients and less of it has to pass through.

Pros:

• Great nutritional profile with healthy ingredients
• Free of grains and fillers
• Reported improvements in cats’ systems and appearance

Cons: Can be a tad more expensive than similar brands

#5 Hills Science Diet Indoor Formula

This is a good choice if your cat is a young adult (up to age 6) but there is also a formula made for those kitties approaching the senior years.The Hills Science Diet has a variety of types for every feline life stage and special condition. This one is made with all-natural ingredients like chicken and fish as well as supplementation of fibrous vegetables like green peas. It’s in triangular shapes when dispensed.

It rates well for taste, ingredient profile, and subsequent health benefits (e.g., improved coat texture and appearance, fewer digestive ailments, etc.) So, quite a few happy cats…and owners.

Pros:

• • Good ingredients
  • Made up of small pellets
  • There is a formula for kittens as well as adult cats

Cons: One of the ingredients is corn gluten meal although the overall profile is excellent. May only be a problem for cats sensitive to gluten, however

Buyers Guide for Dry Indoor Cat Food

The thing about indoor cats is that while they can expect to have greater longevity and less chance of some tragedy like getting struck by a car or attacked by coyotes or people with bad intentions, it’s important to pay special attention to your cat’s diet. One argument against cats being kept inside is that they may be prone to boredom – and bored cats might tend to eat more.

And if they are not eating a diet of the best quality cat food, they may eat more often than they should due to lack of satiety from inadequate nutrition. It’s not that different from us when we fill up on junk food and get all those “empty calories”.

So, two things, you have the duty to choose a great brand of cat food with wholesome ingredients, and second, be sure you engage your cat or cats in lots of playful activity. so she will be less prone to overeating and boredom – two things that could lead to health problems like diabetes.

The Right Ingredients

Check labeling carefully. You’ll notice a variety of terms like “natural” “Organic” and “healthy” on the bag, but the ingredients is where the rubber meets the road!

Some of the major “baddies” present in pet food include:

• Sugar in the form of dextrose, corn syrup, etc.
• Artificial colors (labeled as “red#40 or blue #1”) which offer no value.
• Soy, corn or wheat fillers
• Meat by-products
• Grains

What to look for? A good dry food for indoor cats should contain:

• Real meat in the form of chicken, turkey, fish, poultry, etc.
• Vegetables/fruits like sweet potatoes, cranberries, etc.
• Brown rice is also acceptable.
• A high protein profile, fats, amino acids like Omega-3 and 6, Taurine,  DHA. are excellent.

Although real meat is bar none, a good vegetable and fruit base in the recipe is important too, to provide adequate dietary fiber. As I mentioned earlier, they do need a little roughage to supplement their diet. Sometimes the best cat food brands on the market may contain one of these “baddies” like corn meal – and if it does, don’t be quick to write it off unless your cat has a known sensitivity to the ingredient. It may be that you will have to read the ingredients label and make an informed decision yourself based on your cats; eating habits, age, activity level and possible health concerns.

Ingredients labels on cat food is always transparent, so you can see and read everything up close and find out exactly what’s present in it. You may also notice a lot of brands are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals like B5, B6, etc.

How to Read the Labels

Have you ever seen the “Guaranteed Analysis”  chart on a bag of cat food and wondered what it meant? All pet foods are required to have this label with nutritional data on it.  It shows values for four categories, fiber, protein, fat and moisture.  It’s pretty much a blueprint for criteria met, but it does not tell the total nutrition value. You still have to do your own homework.

You probably saw something like “AAFCO” at the bottom. This stands for Association for Animal Feed Control Officials – a private organization that sets the guidelines for nutritional content. However, they are not responsible for approval or regulation of the food itself.

Importance of Food Acclimation

Another important factor is you should acclimate your cat to a new brand of food. That means on the first day you may want to start with a small amount of the new brand mixed with their “usual” choice of food, then every day add a little bit more of the new one. Do this for about 5 days (maybe a little longer, up to a week is a good idea.)

This will help minimize fussy eating and any possible digestive issues cats may have when switching to a new food. Sometimes change is not always good for cats, unlike us, where we can change food types easily, they shouldn’t.

All cats are different, and how long it takes for them to get accustomed to a new brand of food can vary from cat to cat. Now my guys are usually not fussy eaters. They do like certain wet can types better than others (for example, they love Fancy Feast, and the pate style best) but with dry, they just want food, and lots of it. Lol. They do have a preference for seafood-flavor anything.

Keeping It Fresh

It’s hard to say for sure if dry cat food is perishable, but it’s a good idea to keep it in an airtight container if you aren’t already, so you don’t have stale kibble on your hands, or worse, ants or silverfish trying to sneak in. I’ve yet to see a “self sealing” bag of cat food. Since I get food in 14-pound bags which are one of the most common sizes, I also have a storage container for it, it’s see-through and when I refill the bowls I pull up the lid and use a scoop.

Also, I’ve had cats try to nibble on the bag, sometimes they tear it enough for the contents to spill out on the corners. no joke – The use of the bin prevents this.

Conclusion

Well that was a lot of territory to cover, But I think I’ve captured the finer points of what to look for when it comes to choosing wholesome and good quality dry food for your indoor cats, and empowered you to make well informed decisions. If you have any further thoughts on the list or anything else I’ve mentioned please drop a comment below.