Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them CatBasket may earn a small commission, and the price you pay does not change. How we research this: we have not fed-trialled these foods. The page draws on PDSA and International Cat Care feeding advice, the WSAVA guidelines on choosing a pet food, UK Pet Food labelling rules, and manufacturer and UK retailer listings.
Best Cat Food UK: How to Pick a Brand and What It Costs
The best cat food is any food labelled "complete" that your cat eats well and that fits your budget. Supermarket brands such as Felix and Whiskas cost about 30p to 35p a pouch in bulk; premium Lily's Kitchen and Royal Canin cost about £1 to £1.30.
Prices checked 28 September 2026 at Zooplus and Lily's Kitchen.
What is the best cat food brand in the UK?
No single brand is best for every cat; pick a complete food from a maker that employs qualified nutritionists and tests its recipes, then choose on price and what your cat will eat.
PDSA advises buying from members of UK Pet Food, the trade body that sets labelling and nutrition standards, rather than making food at home. The WSAVA guidelines on selecting pet foods suggest asking a brand, among other things, whether it employs a nutritionist with a PhD in animal nutrition or specialist board certification, who formulates the recipe, and how it checks ingredients and finished food against FEDIAF or AAFCO nutrient profiles. Words like "premium" and "holistic" are not regulated and tell you nothing about nutrition.
| Brand and range | Complete or complementary | Price (Sept 2026) | Cost per pouch or kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiskas 1+ pouches | Complete | £38.79 for 120 x 85g at Zooplus | About 32p a pouch |
| Felix As Good As It Looks | Complete and balanced | £40.99 for 120 x 85g at Zooplus | About 34p a pouch |
| Royal Canin wet (adult ranges) | Complete | £12.99 to £13.79 for 12 x 85g at Zooplus | About £1.08 to £1.15 a pouch |
| Lily's Kitchen pâté | Complete and balanced, 65% chicken | £21.50 for 19 x 85g, £1.30 single | About £1.13 to £1.30 a tray |
| IAMS Advanced Nutrition dry | Complete | £37.29 for 10kg at Zooplus | About £3.70 a kg |
| Hill's Science Plan Adult dry | Complete | £61.49 for 10kg at Zooplus | About £6.15 a kg |
| Royal Canin dry (adult ranges) | Complete | £34.39 for 4kg at Zooplus | About £8.60 a kg |
| Applaws tins and pouches | Complementary | £10.79 for 12 x 70g at Zooplus | About 90p a pouch |
| Encore tins | Complementary | £13.19 for 16 x 70g at Zooplus | About 82p a tin |
Multipack prices change often and supermarkets run offers on the big brands, so compare the cost per pouch rather than the pack price.
1. Felix or Whiskas: best value complete wet food
The two biggest supermarket brands are complete foods made by large manufacturers with nutritionists on staff, and they are the cheapest way to feed wet food every day. Most cats eat them readily. If your cat is well, at a healthy weight and eating them, there is no nutritional reason to trade up.
2. Lily's Kitchen: best if you want a short ingredient list
The chicken pâté lists 65% chicken and not much else, which suits owners who like to read labels and cats that do well on fewer ingredients. It costs three to four times as much as supermarket pouches for the same job of complete nutrition.
3. Royal Canin or Hill's: best for a specific life stage
Both make separate kitten, adult, sterilised, indoor and senior recipes. Their prescription ranges (Royal Canin Veterinary Diet, Hill's Prescription Diet) are for cats a vet has diagnosed with kidney, urinary or weight problems, and should be fed on your vet's advice.
Check Royal Canin on Amazon · Check Hill's Science Plan on Amazon
4. IAMS Advanced Nutrition: best value dry food
If you feed some dry food alongside wet, a large bag of a complete kibble keeps the cost down. Measure it by weight against the pack guide; dry food is calorie-dense and easy to overfeed.
What is the difference between complete and complementary cat food?
A complete food contains every nutrient a cat needs and can be fed on its own; a complementary food does not and should only be an occasional extra.
UK labelling rules require every pack to say which it is. PDSA's advice is to "always choose food labelled 'complete'" and to give complementary foods only occasionally as a treat. This catches people out with premium-looking brands: most Applaws and Encore tins and pouches are sold as complementary, so a cat fed only on them is missing nutrients. They are fine as a topper on a complete food.
Is supermarket cat food bad for cats?
No, supermarket cat food is fine if the label says "complete"; price is not a measure of nutrition.
Felix and Whiskas are made by members of UK Pet Food, which formulate complete foods to the FEDIAF nutritional guidelines, the same standard pet-shop brands work to. Pricier foods usually differ in ingredients, texture and marketing. Where a cheap food can go wrong is when it is complementary, or when a cat is fed treats and scraps on top and puts on weight.
What is the healthiest cat food in the UK?
The healthiest food is a complete food for your cat's life stage, fed in the right amount, with fresh water always available.
Cats are obligate carnivores and need nutrients from animal tissue, which every complete cat food supplies. PDSA recommends kitten food up to a year old, adult food from one to ten, and senior food from about eleven. Wet food adds water to the diet, which helps cats that drink little; PDSA says cats can eat wet, dry or a mix unless a vet advises otherwise. Weight matters more than brand: PDSA's Weigh Up campaign exists because so many UK pets are overweight. Treats should be no more than 10 to 15% of daily calories.
What cat food do vets recommend?
UK vets generally recommend a complete food from a manufacturer that meets the WSAVA brand criteria, rather than one named brand.
Many practices stock Royal Canin or Hill's, partly because both make prescription diets, but a well cat does not need a vet-stocked brand. Ask your vet for a named food only if your cat has a diagnosed condition such as kidney disease, bladder problems or obesity.
Is raw food good for cats?
Commercial complete raw food can meet a cat's nutritional needs, but PDSA warns that raw diets raise the risk of disease for cats and of food poisoning for the people handling them.
If you want to feed raw, buy a commercial complete raw food rather than making it yourself, keep it frozen, and wash bowls and hands carefully. Homes with young children, elderly or immunocompromised people are better off with cooked food.
How do I change my cat's food?
Switch gradually, starting with about 75% old food and 25% new, and increase the new food over at least five to seven days.
International Cat Care says some cats accept a new diet in five to seven days while others take two to eight weeks. Offering the new food in a separate bowl alongside the old one lets the cat choose. A sudden switch often causes an upset stomach or a flat refusal. If your cat stops eating altogether, speak to your vet rather than waiting it out.
What should you never feed a cat?
Do not feed cow's milk, dog food, onions, garlic or chocolate.
PDSA notes that many cats are lactose intolerant, and "cat milk" is unnecessary on a complete diet. Dog food is not formulated for cats and lacks nutrients they need.