Our cats are our babies, our companions, and they help us decompress at the end of a long day. Providing them with a high-quality organic diet is one way we can help ensure their long-term health and longevity, while also lowering our pet’s environmental impact.
Plan to carefully read labels and look for important certifications when deciding which brand is right for your cat. There are a number of factors to consider when selecting an organic cat food
– Best OverallCastor & Pollux Organix Castor & Pollux Organix Wet Cat Food
To earn the top spot, organic cat food must be reasonably affordable, widely available, nutritionally balanced, and have a proven track record with cats and their pet parents. Castor & Pollux have been making organic pet food since 2003. Since 2017, the entire Organix line of pet foods (both wet and dry) has been USDA Certified Organic.
The main ingredients are organic free-range chicken or turkey and the other organic ingredients are produced without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, artificial preservatives, added growth hormones, or antibiotics. Ten of their recipes are Non-GMO Project Verified. They are even cooked in the United States in an organically-certified kitchen. The Shredded Chicken and Chicken Liver recipe have a minimum of 8% crude protein and 5% crude fat. The line is also certified by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.
Many recipes include “superfoods” like organic flaxseed, organic coconut flour, organic dried egg, and organic cranberries. The company also adjusts the fiber to help with hairballs. The foods are nutritionally balanced for all life stages, and a line of kitten foods is also available.
– Best Wet Food + Best BudgetPurina Beyond Organic Natural Wet Cat Food
Canned wet diets are higher in moisture than dry foods, making wet foods closer in composition to what a cat’s wild carnivorous diet might resemble. Veterinarians recommend wet food over dry for cats who struggle with diabetes, urinary or kidney disease, to control calorie intake and weight, and for picky eaters.
Purina Beyond Organic Natural Wet cat food comes in two recipes: organic chicken and carrot pate, and organic chicken and sweet potato pate. Organic free-range chicken is the first ingredient in both recipes, and raised sustainably in the United States without antibiotics or growth hormones, and is free of artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
The food only contains other simple organic ingredients, vitamins, and minerals. Unlike some of the other brands, Beyond Organic also notes that it contains no poultry meal byproduct, which tends to be of lower quality. Both recipes are Non-GMO Project Verified and meet AFFCO standards for adult cats. Its organic status is also certified by Bioagricert S.R.L. They guarantee a minimum of 7% protein and 5% fat, which is not quite as high as some of the other brands.
Because Purina is a widely available brand, you are more likely to find it in pet and grocery stores than many other organic brands. You might also find it at more affordable prices.
– Best Dry FoodTender & True Organic Dry Cat Food
Although wet food is closer to a cat’s natural diet evolutionarily, dry food has a number of advantages. Dry food is convenient, more affordable, and can be left out longer than canned food. But the diet’s specific nutrient and calorie content is more important than the form in which it comes.
Tender & True Organic and Antibiotic-Free Dry Cat Food offers 95% USDA Certified Organic and grain-free chicken and turkey recipes paired with chicken liver. Its ingredients are simple and their U.S. Organic farm-raised chicken and turkey are certified by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP), which means animals were raised humanely. Made from 30% crude protein and 18% fat, this food has added Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Each recipe is hormone- and antibiotic-free, and is made with no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. Tender & True also uses mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) as its preservative.
Available in 3 pound and 7 pound bags, this food is AFFCO Certified for all life stages.
– Best Grain-FreeEvanger’s Organics Canned Cat Food
Cats did not evolve to eat the grains humans have tried to put in their food, and some cats can develop food allergies to these ingredients.1 That’s why many cat owners prefer to feed their kitties a grain-free diets.
Evanger’s Organics canned pet food has a long history of striving for a healthier diet for pets, and remains a family-owned and operated company. You can choose from three USDA Certified Organic recipes: organic beef, organic braised chicken, and organic turkey with butternut squash. Each is formulated in compliance with AAFCO standards for all life stages.
