Best Fresh Cat Food: 6 Options to Consider

One of the key responsibilities of pet parents is ensuring that their fuzzy friends have good food to eat. While kibble and canned food have been the main players in the cat food arena for quite some time, a new segment of the industry has been gaining speed over the past few years: fresh cat food. 

Many cat owners have come to swear by the fresh food options that are now readily available in grocery stores, pet stores, or via online subscription. These foods boast easy digestibility, enticing flavors, and health benefits not found in traditional cat food. But how true are these claims? And what exactly differentiates fresh cat food from the canned stuff?

For pet parents who prefer a non-processed cat food, most fresh cat food options are made this way or are very minimally processed. Refrigerated cat food is made to maintain and preserve its freshness and nutritional value. Here are our top six picks followed by answers to commonly asked questions about fresh cat food.

Our Picks:

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• Best Fresh Food for Cats Overall Winner: Smalls Human-Grade Fresh
• Best High-Protein Fresh Cat Food: JustCats Fish & Chicken
• Best Natural Fresh Cat Food: Darwin’s Natural Selections
• Best Grain-Free Fresh Cat Food: Freshpet Vital Cat Food
• Best Low-Carb Fresh Cat Food: Raised Right
• Best Raw Fresh Cat Food: Raw Paws Signature Blend for Dogs and Cats

6 Best Fresh Cat Food Delivery Services and Brands to Consider

If you’re interested in feeding your kitty fresh foods, here are our picks for the best fresh cat food brands to consider:

Best Fresh Food for Cats Overall Winner

Our Pick: Smalls Human-Grade Fresh

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Our overall fresh foods for cats pick is Smalls Human-Grade Fresh. This protein-rich food is available in three proteins (chicken, turkey, and beef) and two textures (smooth and ground), making it easy to find an option that works for even the pickiest cat. Splitting each packet of Smalls into two daily meals is easy, and ideal for most average-sized adult cats.

Their “Bird” recipe features chicken thigh, breast, liver and heart, their “Other Bird” recipe has skin-on turkey thigh and chicken liver, and their “Cow” recipe contains lean ground beef, cow liver and heart. These tasty proteins are complemented with veggies like green beans, peas, and kale or spinach. Because Small is human-grade cat food, this means it is made with human-grade ingredients.

Smalls Human-Grade Fresh cat food does not contain meat byproducts or artificial colors or flavors. It’s also free of preservatives. Smalls makes a point of only using USDA-certified, humanely harvested and sustainably sourced ingredients. We also like that Smalls is a service that delivers cat food straight to your door, so you always have some on hand when your kitty is hungry. 

Highlights

• This fresh food for cats is delivered right to your door
• No artificial colors or flavors
• Free of preservatives
• Made in the USA
• Formulated to meet nutritional levels established by AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages
• Each packet can be split into two daily meals (feed one 200kcal packet of Smalls fresh food daily for every 10 pounds of your cat’s body weight)

Things to Consider

• Food arrives frozen and should only be thawed 24 hours before you are ready to use it
• Open wet food must be kept in the fridge and only keeps for 5-7 days 
• Only available through a subscription service

Best High-Protein Fresh Cat Food

Our Pick: JustCats Fish & Chicken

JustCats Fish & Chicken fresh food is a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet formulated for adult cats of all breeds. It contains yuca root, which absorbs and retains moisture, which helps ensure your cat is fully hydrated. It also includes chicken liver, which is rich in essential nutrients. Made with wild-caught Alaskan Pacific cod to tempt even the most finicky cats, this fresh cat food is ideal for adult cats of all breeds.

Further, JustCats Fish & Chicken has no preservatives, grain, or gluten. JustCats is also touted as being good for cats with allergies or sensitive GI tracts, which pet parents appreciate. Each packet can be split into two meals, fed separately in the morning and evening, if preferred.

This is a refrigerated cat food that contains fish. It is good for3 to 4 days once thawed and refrigerated unopened, and 2 to 3 days once thawed and refrigerated opened. Frozen unopened packages are good for 1 year.

Highlights

• High-protein formula
• Moisture-rich formula is great for cats who don’t drink a lot of water
• Contains no growth hormones
• Yucca root helps ensure your cat stays hydrated
• Grain- and gluten-free

Things to Consider

• Available in one flavor and one size
• Tapioca starch is the only carbohydrate source
• Not formulated for growing kittens
• Bag is not resealable, so you will need a separate storage container
• Will need to be kept in the refrigerator once opened

Best Natural Fresh Cat Food

Our Pick: Darwin’s Natural Selections

Darwin’s Natural Selections offers complete and balanced nutrition for cats. Comprising free-range, cage-free, or pasture-raised meats and organic vegetables, this raw food is minimally processed to maintain vital nutrients and is crafted using human-quality ingredients. Further, it contains no grains, fillers, hormones, or chemical preservatives. It is available in three proteins—chicken, turkey, and lamb—for cats that crave a little variety. This is real cat food with real ingredients you can see.

All of Darwin’s meals are complete and balanced and meet the guidelines of AAFCO. Because of this, the company states supplements are not necessary. Darwin’s has been in business for over 15 years and have served over 25 million, fresh, raw food for cats and dogs across the United States. Darwin’s prides themselves on preparing their pet foods at a company-owned facility in the Washington area. Each formula is designed to be species appropriate. Available in chicken, turkey, or beef, Natural Selections are minimally processed so that your cat enjoys all the nutrients they need.

Highlights

• Made with ethical ingredients such as free-range meats and bioavailable nutrients
• Created with human quality ingredients
• Access to in-house consultants to help tailor meals for your cat
• High protein selections in beef, chicken, and turkey
• Contains no fillers, grains, hormones, or chemical preservatives
• Vegetables in every recipe
• Easy ordering process with shipments direct to your residence

Things to Consider

• Kittens should not eat raw food
• This is a refrigerated cat food

Best Grain-Free Fresh Cat Food

Our Pick: Freshpet Vital Cat Food

Freshpet Vital Cat Food is 100 percent natural, forgoing grains and meat meals. This chicken and beef paté comes in 1-pound rolls, allowing you to slice off a precise portion for your cat. Freshpet foods are found in a refrigerator, at Petco, PetSmart and other specialty locations, and must remain refrigerated and used within seven days of opening.

Each recipe for cats is made with 100 percent antibiotic-free/organic U.S-raised chickens. Because it contains a higher amount of moisture, this will help your cat stay hydrated in addition to drinking water. Made for all life stages, the beef, chicken, and egg combination helps tempt the palates of more finicky cats. Avoid freezing Freshpet for cats to ensure your kitty gets the best taste.

Highlights

• Non-GMO verified
• Developed by veterinary nutritionists
• No nitrates or fillers
• Can be served as slices or cubed
• Meats are gently cooked
• Can be fed to kittens at larger amounts per content packaging
• Meets AAFCO Cat Nutrient Profiles for all life stages

Things to Consider

• Must be refrigerated at all times
• Food must be portioned by the pet parent
• Available in one pound rolls
• Food can be frozen, but the consistency may vary after thawing

Best Low-Carb Fresh Cat Food

Our Pick: Raised Right

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Raised Right has two human-grade cat food recipes, one made with turkey and one made with chicken. The food is lightly cooked in a USDA-inspected facility with ingredients that pass the standards necessary for human consumption. Raised Right’s food was developed with the assistance of a veterinarian and pet food formulation expert. The recipes are low in carbohydrates and do not contain any high-carb fillers like potato, rice, oats, corn, or wheat. Raised Right will also help you create a nutritional plan for your pet based on his or her activity level.

If you live in one of the 48 contiguous states in the USA, Raised Right will deliver their fresh cat food direct to your address. Because there is no signature required on arrival, you won’t have to worry about missing your cat’s delivery. Each bag arrives with a ‘best before’ date on which contains the freezer shelf life. After defrosting your cat’s Raised Right food, it remains fresh when refrigerated for six days.

Highlights

• Low-carb meals
• Raised Right developed a proprietary algorithm to determine how many calories your cat should be consuming per day based on their age, weight, and activity level.
• Food contains fruits and vegetables for a balanced diet
• Food developed in partnership with a veterinarian and pet food formulation expert
• Food meets AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles

Things to Consider

• Only available online through a subscription service
• Food arrives frozen and must be defrosted prior to use
• Once defrosted, food must be used within six days

Best Raw Fresh Cat Food

Our Pick: Raw Paws Signature Blend for Dogs and Cats

Raw Paws is, as the name states, a raw food available in many different flavors for both dogs and cats. Both species, dogs and cats, can eat the same food. Raw Paws cat and dog roll chicken blend is sourced from Midwest family farms using ethically raised chickens. The chicken rolls arrive as one-pound ‘chubs,’ and are made solely using frozen raw chicken which is broken down as chicken breast, chicken leg quarters, chicken heart, chicken backs, chicken liver, and chicken gizzard.

Of note, the suggested daily serving for cats: Kitten: 0.8 oz for every one pound of your kitten’s weight, Adult: 2 oz for every five pounds of your cat’s weight, Senior: 1.8 oz for every 5 pounds of your cat’s weight.

Highlights

• Ideal for picky eaters
• Each box contains 20 one-pound rolls
• Arrives frozen
• Made without any grains, additives, or preservatives
• Great for cats with sensitive stomachs or food sensitivities/allergies
• Made in the USA

Things to Consider

• Raw food is more expensive than other fresh foods on our list
• Pet parents must thaw and serve as needed or partially thaw in the fridge and cut into portions with a serrated knife.

What is Fresh Cat Food?

Let’s start with the basics. According to Dr. Emily Swiniarski, veterinarian and chief medical officer of PAWS Chicago, fresh cat foods “tend to use products that are less processed [than traditional cat foods], such as raw meat instead of meat meal.” These foods also typically use fewer preservatives and must be refrigerated or frozen to prevent bacterial growth and maintain freshness. 

However, it’s also worth noting that a cat food with “fresh” on the label won’t necessarily meet the above criteria. “The United States Food and Drug Administration does not specifically restrict foods from being labeled as ‘fresh,’ so there are no set standards,” Swiniarski explains.

The best fresh food for cats is the one that your cat enjoys and is best for her. Cats tend to be creatures of habit, so you’ll transition her slowly and ensure she is introduced to the taste, aroma, and texture of fresh cat food in a proper way. You may need to adjust the transition process according to your cat’s reaction and digestive reaction.

Pros and Cons of Fresh Cat Food

We all know that cats are picky creatures, so one of the biggest benefits of fresh cat food is that it might be more appealing to your kitty than the alternatives. “Some cats may prefer the texture and taste of fresh foods as opposed to canned foods,” Swiniarski says. “And, depending on the brand and contents, fresh food may be easier to digest.”

Swiniarski is sure to add, though, that fresh food has a shorter shelf life. “In addition, fresh food cannot be left out to be grazed on throughout the day—cats will need to eat their fresh food within approximately an hour.”

Fresh Cat Food: What to Look For

Regardless of what type of cat food you want to feed your fur baby—fresh or kibble, raw or canned—you want to make sure that the food meets the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards. “Whichever fresh food you feed your cat should be approved by AAFCO or a veterinary nutritionist. This ensures the diet is well balanced,” Swiniarski says. This information should appear somewhere on the food’s label. You’ll also want to consider:

Brand transparency: Is the company transparent about where its ingredients come from and how its recipes are prepared? Do they own and operate their own kitchen facilities? Is the food regularly tested by an independent laboratory for safety? See if this information is readily available. If you’re feeding fresh, raw cat food, find out what type of pathogen control methods the company uses and how those methods affect the nutritional benefits of the food.

Quality of ingredients: Look for recipes that feature whole food ingredients and that are free of preservatives, fillers, artificial colors and flavors, and “mystery meats.” You may notice the term “human-grade” on some fresh pet foods, which means it is made from ingredients that are fit for human consumption. According to AAFCO’s definition, human-grade cat food must ensure that “every ingredient and the resulting products are stored, handled, processed, and transported in a manner that is consistent and compliant with regulations…for human edible foods.” (1) Keep in mind that the term “human-grade” is only used for pet foods. Food for humans is simply considered “edible” by the US Department of Agriculture (1). 

Shelf life: If your fresh food is frozen, what is the freezer shelf life? This may range from six months to a year, depending on the brand. Most companies recommend thawing meals in the refrigerator overnight. Check the package to see how long the food will stay fresh in the fridge once defrosted (usually around 5-7 days). If your food arrives fresh, not frozen, find out if you are able to freeze any leftover food within a one-week window. Is the cat food fresh on arrival? Yes and then you will follow manufacturer instructions.

Satisfaction guarantee: If your cat is a picky eater, check to see whether the company will offer a full refund after a trial period of trying the new food—and how many days you have to let them know if you’re not satisfied.

Fresh Cat Food: Tips and Advice

If you’re thinking of changing your cat’s food to one of the delectable options above, there are a few things you should keep in mind. 

Most of the foods above are recommended for adult cats, not kittens. Kittens have different nutritional requirements. Furthermore, raw food is not suitable for kittens because kittens are more susceptible to food-borne illness than adult cats. If you’re switching your cat’s food, know that transitioning should be a gradual process, not a sudden switch. Most experts recommend spacing the transitions out over at least a week, first introducing a bit of the new food to their old food before gradually phasing the old food out (2). Changing food without a transitional period can give your kitty an upset stomach or other digestive issues.

Fresh Cat Food FAQs