10 Best Cat Foods for British Shorthairs – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

British Shorthair Cats are popular pets. They’re sweet-natured, mellow, laid back, and generally love being around people. Most have round faces, full cheeks, stocky bodies, and relatively short legs. If you have one of these amazing cats at home, consider yourself lucky.

Of course, it makes sense that you’re interested in ensuring your pet gets the best possible food to keep them happy and healthy. Below are our reviews of the 10 best cat foods for British Shorthairs. These products are only suggestions, and you can speak with your veterinarian if you have concerns about your cat’s diet or health. They can provide guidance specifically tailored to your pet’s health needs.

Note: The information about these diets has been fact-checked by one of our licensed veterinarians, but the purpose of this post is not to make specific recommendations, diagnose illness, or prescribe treatment. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the veterinarian. We recommend contacting your pet’s veterinarian before changing your cat’s diet.

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The 10 Best Cat Foods for British Shorthairs

Hill’s Science Diet Adult Tender Ocean Fish Canned Food is our choice for the best overall cat food for British Shorthairs. Cats go wild for this affordable option featuring soft chunks and tasty gravy. After water, the first three ingredients are whole proteins such as fish, chicken, and pork liver. Like most wet foods, it’s loaded with moisture, which increases your pet’s hydration. It’s specifically formulated to meet the needs of healthy cats between the ages of 1 and 6 and is available in several flavors, including salmon, turkey, and chicken. You can choose between 2.8-ounce pouches and 5.5-ounce cans.

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Diamond Naturals Active Chicken Meal and Rice Formula is a dry food that’s full of tasty ingredients such as chicken, rice, spinach, and papaya. It’s the best overall cat food for British Shorthairs for the money. It features cage-free chicken, and every serving has feline-specific probiotic cultures.

Ingredients such as kale, pumpkin, and blueberries round out the product’s ingredient list providing antioxidants to support immune system function. The kibble doesn’t contain wheat or corn, but it has rice, so it’s not technically a grain-free option. It’s available in 6 or 18-pound bags.

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It’s hard to go wrong with Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food, thanks to its high protein levels from chicken. The company makes similar formulations in several flavors, including rabbit, duck, and salmon, giving your cat a bit of variety.

It’s a solid option if you’re looking for a grain-free choice packed with vitamins and minerals critical for feline health, such as omega fatty acids. If you suspect a food allergy, speak with your veterinarian before switching your pet to a grain-free diet since most feline food allergies are related to proteins such as chicken or fish, not grains. Some studies suggest a link between grain-free cat foods and the development of serious heart conditions.

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Chicken Soup for the Soul Kitten Chicken and Turkey Recipe Pate provides kittens with nutrients such as DHA and taurine to support their developing brains, ears, and eyes. The pate’s first four ingredients are whole chicken, chicken livers, salmon, and turkey.

It’s wheat, soy and corn-free, but grains such as brown rice and barley round out the recipe. There’s a companion dry food product for kittens, but wet and dry kitten formulations only come in one flavor. All meat included in Chicken Soup for the Soul’s pet foods is free of antibiotics and hormones.

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ACANA Bountiful Catch High-Protein Adult Dry Cat Food is packed with healthy protein from fish such as salmon and herring. It features omega-3 and 6 fatty acids to keep your cat’s skin and coat nice and healthy and also has probiotics to boost your pet’s gut health and provide a bit of all-important immune system support.

While Acana doesn’t contain corn, wheat, or soy, it provides healthy grains such as oatmeal. It’s chicken-free and a good option if your pet is sensitive to or dislikes the taste of poultry.

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Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Thin Slices in Canned Gravy is a wet food specifically formulated to meet the needs of spayed and neutered pets by helping prevent weight gain. Its proprietary blend of fats, proteins, and select carbohydrates naturally reduces hunger. It provides vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption and muscle function. It also features plenty of B vitamins to encourage optimal metabolic and immune function.

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This Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials selection is loaded with salmon and healthy brown rice. The formulation includes omega-6 fatty acids to keep your cat’s skin supple and their coat nice and shiny. It also has antioxidants to boost your cat’s cells against environmental toxins and taurine to support your buddy’s immune and heart health.

Purina Pro Plan has a range of Complete Essentials choices, including kibble, giving you many options to tempt your pet. Both 3-ounce and 5.5-ounce cans are available.

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Made by Nacho’s Sustainably Caught Salmon and Sole Recipe features minced bits of fish in a nutrient-packed bone broth. The sole and salmon included in Made by Nacho’s products are always wild-caught or certified by the Marine Stewardship Council Certified (MSC). It’s free of wheat, soy, corn, and legumes like peas.

Superfoods such as dried kale and cranberries provide antioxidants to limit free-radical-related cellular damage and fiber to keep your kitty regular. Made by Nacho produces similar wet food formulas in different flavors, including chicken and beef. Pate versions of the food are also available.

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Farmina N&D Prime Chicken and Pomegranate Recipe Adult Cat Dry Food delivers a ton of protein, and more than 98% of which comes from animal sources. Blueberries, spinach, and pomegranates provide fiber to support your cat’s digestive health. You can also treat your cat to similar options such as boar and apple or lamb and blueberry. Farmina is grain-free and a good choice for cats with true grain allergies. However, it’s best to call your veterinarian before switching your pet to a grain-free diet.

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Merrick Purrfect Bistro Healthy Grains Real Salmon + Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food is packed with protein to keep your cat’s muscles strong and nourished, and the first three ingredients are healthy, whole proteins. It also features omega fatty acids to support your pet’s coat and skin health.

Merrick Purrfect is free from artificial preservatives and flavors, and it’s full of essential nutrients such as B vitamins and taurine to support your cat’s metabolism and vision. A chicken and brown rice option is available, and both products come in 4, 7, and 12-pound bags.

 

Buying Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Food for British Shorthairs

Below we’ll walk you through a few considerations to remember when evaluating cat food. Make sure to reach out and discuss any dietary changes you plan to make with your veterinarian to ensure you select the right product for your cat’s specific needs.

The Basics

Cats are obligate carnivores; although they can eat plant-based nutrients, their bodies are optimized to obtain vitamins and minerals from animal products. Feeding your pet a complete and balanced diet is the only way to ensure your cat gets all the nutrients they require in their diet.

The American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) establishes the guidelines most states use to regulate cat food, including which nutrients need to be provided and how much for a product to be identified as nutritionally complete and balanced. Look for selections that meet AAFCO nutritional guidelines and select choices with a healthy protein listed as the first ingredient.

Use the feeding guidelines provided on the packaging your pet’s food comes in to get an idea of how much your cat should be eating to meet their weight goals. But remember that some cats may need more or less food than suggested to meet their requirements.

Age

Kittens, adults, and senior cats all have different nutritional needs. Kittens require high levels of protein and fat to fuel their growing bodies. Baby cats, in particular, need to eat life-stage appropriate food, as adult food doesn’t provide the nutrients they need to thrive. Kitten food is often higher in calories than adult formulations.

Adult cats in good health often don’t have specific nutritional needs, but they can quickly gain weight if given kitten food. Senior cats often benefit from formulations that include glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health.

Health Conditions

British Shorthair Cats tend to be relatively healthy pets, thanks in large part to their farm and working cat heritage! But even the most pampered and well-cared-for cats can develop health conditions over time, some of which often respond well to dietary adjustments. Speak with your veterinarian if you have a concern about your pet’s health and follow their instructions, including any guidance regarding what to feed your cat.

Weight Control

British Shorthair Cats are often on the chubby side and gain weight relatively easily. Keeping an eye on their food intake is an absolute must to ensure they stay a healthy weight, especially if they are neutered or spayed. If your cat puts on a few extra pounds, a weight management choice may be appropriate. Weight management options typically have fewer calories per feeding and provide extra fiber to help your pet feel full.

Hairballs

Cats that regularly suffer from hairballs sometimes benefit from cat food created to minimize hairball formation. Hairballs can cause health problems such as gastrointestinal upset and constipation. If hairballs are becoming a serious problem, speak with your veterinarian before deciding to switch your pet to a hairball formulation.

Chronic Conditions

As cats age, some begin to suffer from chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis and other joint conditions that benefit from supplementation with products such as chondroitin and glucosamine. It’s relatively easy to find high-quality cat food that provides baked-in joint support. Pets that regularly develop urinary crystals and those with chronic conditions such as kidney disease often benefit from prescription diets.

If your pet develops food allergies, work with your veterinarian to choose the right food for your cat. Feline food allergies are often linked to proteins such as chicken, fish, and beef, not grain, and are best treated by avoiding the trigger. Novel protein and hydrolyzed protein diets are the current gold standards for treating food allergies.

High-quality cat food is an important part of fostering a long and healthy life for your cat but the right cat food and water dish will promote good posture, offer whisker relief, and aid in good digestion. The Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is our favorite bowl since it offers all of the above and is beautifully crafted to meet modern home stylings. The wide tray design catches any food and water spills and the entire setup is dishwasher safe. Learn more about the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl here.

At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!

Wet vs. Dry Food

While it’s possible to find high-quality wet and dry food, determining the right mix for your cat can take a bit of trial and error. Free feeding involves leaving food out for your cat to enjoy as they see fit. The practice can easily result in weight gain, particularly if cats are allowed completely unrestricted access to kibble, which is higher in calories than wet food.

But feeding your cat an exclusively wet food diet can quickly become prohibitively expensive, and as wet food really needs to be cleaned up quickly after cats eat, it also requires you to be around to rinse your pet’s bowl after they’re done dining. Many pet parents use a combination plan, offering cats a limited amount of dry food in the morning and topping that off with wet food at night.

Feeding pets with a combination of wet and dry food provides variety, and wet food can be a great way to increase hydration in case your cat needs it, since cats are notorious for not drinking much water.

Conclusion

According to our reviews, Hill’s Science Diet Adult Tender Ocean Fish Canned Food is the best overall cat food for British Shorthairs, and it even comes in a few flavors to give your feline a bit of variety. Diamond Naturals Active Chicken Meal and Rice Formula is an affordable, high-quality cat food, and it’s our best-value selection. Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein Recipes are tasty grain-free choices that come in several flavors, and Chicken Soup for the Soul’s wet food for kittens features nutrients such as DHA and taurine to support optimal feline development. Lastly,  ACANA Bountiful Catch High-Protein Adult Dry Cat Food is a fantastic chicken-free kibble.

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Featured Image Credit: Chendongshan, Shutterstock