There are plenty of indoor dry cat food formulas out there for any type of kitty. And when you shop for dry food for your cat, it can be overwhelming. There are so many different brands, and each kind has its own benefits – how do you know which one is best? We have done the research for you, in this guide we review the best dry foods for your indoor cat.
Our Top Rated Indoor Cat Food
We’ve picked out our highest rated indoor cat food from the reviews in this guide. You can view a full breakdown of our reviews further down this guide.
Best Dry Cat Food for Indoor Cats: Purina One Indoor Dry Cat Food Turkey and Wholegrain 5/5
Close 2nd Best Cat Food for Indoor Cats: IAMS for Vitality Adult Dry Cat Food 5/5
What to Look For When Choosing the Perfect Dry Food For Your Cat
So many brands boast about the nutritional value of their food. Their food has so much more protein and amino acids than the competitors’, and they use only the best ingredients. But what does this all mean?
When you are looking at dry cat food, cut through the exaggerated marketing and look for these key elements.
- Protein – keeps your cat strong and is necessary to maintain their overall health.
- Vitamins & Minerals – there are lots of different vitamins and minerals in cat foods. These are good for your cat for a myriad of reasons. They help maintain a shiny coat and help prevent constipation.
- Oils and Named Fats – it is definitely important to always look for named fats and oil, like “chicken fat.” Named oils and fats let you know your cat is getting real food, not something that’s been overly processed.
- Taurine – is an amino acid that cats cannot produce naturally. A lack of Taurine can lead to heart disease and other health problems.
- Ingredient Ratios – while what’s in the food is most important, the order of the ingredients is as well. Manufacturers list ingredients in order from most-least amounts. As a good rule of thumb, you always want the protein to be listed first.
Ingredients to avoid in your dried cat food
When looking at the ingredients of dry cat foods, you may want to avoid some of the ingredients listed here. Consuming a little bit every now and then won’t cause major damage, but too much could result in digestive and other health problems:
- BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole)
- Cellulose
- Glucose
- Food colouring like Red 40, iron oxide, and caramel
- Meat and bone meal
- Garlic
Best Food for Indoor Cats
These are our favourite dry cat foods suitable for indoor cats. We have included major cat food brands in our reviews including Purina, IAMs and Royal Canin. Our dry cat food reviews are ordered by overall rating from highest to lowest.
1. Purina ONE Adult Indoor Formula Dry – Complete Cat Food
Summary
We love this cat food because of its unique anti-hairball formula. ONE Adult Indoor Formula helps to minimize hairball formation, leaving your cat with healthy skin and a glossy coating. The food’s rich protein base helps your cat stay healthy and lean despite being an indoor cat, while the natural dry chicory helps make cat litter almost odourless. The lactobacillus enzyme promotes gut microflora which helps the digestive system and the minerals included in the formula promote a healthy urinary tract.
Main Ingredients
- Turkey (17%)
- Whole grain wheat (17%)
- Dried poultry protein
- Soya meal
- Wheat gluten meal
- Maize gluten meal
- Natural dry chicory
- Digest with Lactobacillus enzyme
- Minerals
2. IAMS for Vitality Adult Dry Cat Food with Salmon
Summary
Like, Purina, IAMS is another popular cat food brand. IAMS Dry Cat Food contains 88% animal protein and has Vitamin E, which is its best feature. A lot of protein is good for your cat’s energy levels and overall health. IAMS also includes a mix of minerals specifically designed to keep your cat’s teeth healthy. Bags come in three different sizes, 3kg, 10kg, and 800g bags. You can purchase chicken flavour instead of salmon, as well.
Main Ingredients
- Dried chicken and turkey
- Maize
- Wheat
- Animal fat
- Rice
- Salmon
- Dried beet pulp
3. Royal Canin Indoor 27 Adult Dry – Balanced and Complete Cat Food
Summary
The stand-out element of Royal Canin is its odour reduction feature which is backed up by numerous customers seeing a significant improvement in their cat’s digestive system, noting that their cat litter is almost odourless. In addition to this, your cat will also have a dense and glossy coat. This food is protein-rich, with minimal carbs. The vegetable fibres help boost your cat’s digestive system, which is important, considering they are eating dry food.
Main Ingredients
- Dehydrated poultry meat
- Hydrolyzed animal protein
- Vegetable protein
- Vegetable fibres
- Carbohydrates (maize and rice)
- Soya oil
4. Purina ONE Dual Nature Adult Cat Food
Summary
Another Purina dry cat food – but this time, not specifically designed for indoor cats. This food comes in chicken or seafood flavours, with option of including or excluding whole grains. An added benefit of this food is that it is made with Spirulina. Spirulina is a nutrient-dense superfood and contains vitamins A, B, C, and E. Dual Nature comes in six different bag sizes, from 2.8g all the way to 200g bags.
Main Ingredients
- Chicken (17%)
- Dried Poultry Protein
- Wholegrain Wheat
- Maize
- Maize gluten meal
- Soya meal
5. Perfect Fit Indoor Cat – Complete Dry Food
Summary
Perfect Fit is unique because its formula was developed by nutritionists and veterinarians at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition. It is suitable for adult cats (ages 1+) and contains a high amount of protein, the major ingredient being chicken. This particular brand is a favourite among many cat lovers since it is very nutritious. In addition to its primary ingredients, it contains sunflower oil, which is a known healthy fat. It also has supplements such as taurine, vitamin E, vitamin C, biotin, zinc, and omega-six fatty acids.
Main Ingredients
- Chicken (20%)
- Dried poultry protein
- Soya protein
- Greaves protein
- Soya Meal
- Carbohydrates (maize, wheat, rice)
- Cellulose
- Sunflower oil
Is Dry Cat Food Better Than Wet Food?
Even though we are discussing dry food in this article, it is important to note that you should include wet food into your cat’s diet as well. Striking a balance between wet and dry foods can keep your cat hydrated at all times. This is because wet food helps your cat stay hydrated. Hydration goes a long way to prevent other health conditions.
Dry cat food is generally more convenient for cat owners, and can be easily used with automated cat feeders to ensure your cat is fed for a long period of time. Automatic cat feeders keep the food fresh, but you should consider buying a cat storage container to keep the remaining food fresher for longer.
But there are pros to using both foods. Wet food, for example, is good for all kittens, or cats who are prone to constipation, urinary tract disease, and are overweight. Dry food is a good way to bulk up thinner cats and is a good source of vitamins and minerals. So dry food is neither better nor worse than wet food; it is simply part of a balanced diet!
A Bit of Advice
Choosing the wrong indoor cat food can ultimately be detrimental to your cat’s overall health. It can lead to obesity if there is too much glucose, digestive issues if it contains different dyes or too many carbs, and it can even affect their hair or teeth if the dry food is not providing them with essential nutrients. There’s a lot riding on the choice you make, so always do your research before feeding anything to your cat that you’re unsure about.
That’s why we really made sure to find the best formulas out there. Any of our dry cat food suggestions are a fantastic choice to help maintain the health of your indoor cat. Don’t just rely on dry food, though. Remember that the best diet for your cat is a balanced one. Also, consider what wet food would pair best with your selection. Don’t forget to leave out a clean bowl of water or water fountain for your cat as well! And of course, always make time to play with your cat to keep them active.
If your cat rejects your dry food choice, mix in a bit of the kibble with its wet food. If you’ve been using the same dry cat food for years, they might just be bored. Don’t give up trying to find the best dry food for them. Their health is just as important as yours.
