10 Best Dry Cat Foods In Australia in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Despite some ongoing concerns over the self-regulation of the Australian pet food industry, Aussie pet owners continue to spend enormous amounts of money feeding their dogs and cats. Like the global pet food industry, the Australian pet market is growing and shows no signs of slowing down. While most of the dry food production is dominated by dog products, there are still plenty of quality dry cat foods to choose from.

To help cat owners down under decide which diet to feed their felines, we’ve collected reviews of the best dry cat foods in Australia. Hopefully, these details will help make an informed decision and make for a happy, well-fed housecat!

A Glance at Our Winners in 2024

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Purina ProPlan Adult Dry Cat Food	High in protein Includes fatty acids and probiotics	Check Price
Best Value		Fancy Feast Beef Dry Cat Food	Good value Tasty flavor combinations	Check Price
Premium Choice		Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin Cat Food	Easy to digest Supports skin, coat, and gut health No preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors	Check Price
Best for Kittens		Purina One Healthy Kitten Dry Cat Food	High in protein Contains kitten-specific added nutrients Made in Australia	Check Price
		Blue Buffalo Indoor Health Dry Cat Food	Balanced calorie count for indoor cats No by-products,  preservatives, or artificial ingredients Uses whole food ingredients	Check Price

The 10 Best Dry Cat Foods in Australia

Our pick for the overall best dry cat food in Australia is Purina ProPlan Adult Chicken Dry Cat Food. Purina is a well-known and experienced producer of pet food and ProPlan is one of their higher quality product lines. This diet contains all essential nutrients and includes fatty acids and probiotics for an extra health boost. Purina ProPlan is high in protein, with real chicken as the top ingredient. However, it is not a good choice for cats who may be allergic or sensitive to this protein source.

Some users reported that their kitties with sensitive stomachs did not care for this food or seemed to have trouble digesting it.

Our choice of best cat food in Australia for the money is Fancy Feast Beef, Salmon, and Cheese Adult Dry Cat Food. Cat owners are likely familiar with Fancy Feast wet diets, but the company offers dry foods as well. Users report that their cats really seem to like the taste of this food and it’s no wonder when you look at the flavor combination it contains. Between beef, salmon, and cheese there’s sure to be something to appeal to almost every cat.

Fancy Feast is nutritionally-balanced and meets the same quality standards as other cat foods. However, it does contain artificial colors and meat by-products, which some cat owners prefer to avoid.

For Australian cats who are on the sensitive side, consider Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Dry Cat Food. This diet is prepared with no preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors. The ingredients are easy to digest and designed to be gentle on the stomach. They also contain prebiotics to help maintain the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut. This diet contains added fatty acids to nourish and support the coat and skin. Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin is available in multiple sizes.

Hill’s Diets are regularly recommended by veterinarians around the world and the company donates to help support animal shelters in Australia. This diet is higher-priced than some others on our list and should not be fed to kittens, pregnant, or nursing cats.

For the best kitten dry food in Australia, try Purina One Healthy Kitten Dry Cat Food. This diet is packed full of extra nutrients specially designed to support a growing kitten without a fully developed immune system. Fatty acids, antioxidants, calcium, and vitamin D are all included in Purina One Healthy Kitten. It also contains a high level of protein, perfect for helping the kitten’s fast-growing bones and muscles develop properly. As a bonus, this food is manufactured in Australia.

Users were generally satisfied with the value and quality of this diet. Some reported that their picky cats didn’t care for the food, while others felt the slightly cheaper ingredients gave their cats smelly poop.

Designed for cats who live exclusively indoors, Blue Buffalo Indoor Health Natural Dry Cat Food is made with real chicken and other whole food grains, vegetables, and fruits. A balanced calorie count of protein and fat helps keep less active indoor cats at a healthy weight. Blue Buffalo Indoor Health also contains fatty acids, antioxidants, and all necessary vitamins and minerals. This food will appeal to cat owners who prefer to avoid by-products, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. Blue Buffalo likes to tout the fact that its food is “natural” and “holistic” but keep in mind those terms are typically only for advertising and are not regulated to ensure they are accurate.

Overall, this food is well-reviewed with some owners reporting their cats didn’t like the taste or tolerate the diet. Others felt the quality and recipe showed some inconsistencies between bags.

If your cat gets a little overzealous with their grooming habits, you might want to feed Nutro Wholesome Essentials Hairball Control Natural Dry Cat Food. This high-protein food contains similar whole meat protein sources as other diets on our list and lacks preservatives and artificial ingredients. Where this food stands out is the inclusion of an added fiber blend to help decrease hairball formation. Hairballs—officially named trichobezoars—aren’t just an annoying cause of vomiting but can grow large enough to require surgery to remove. Whatever you can do to help keep them under control your cat will appreciate it!

One thing to note about this diet is it does contain pea protein, a legume. Some concerns have been raised about a link between legumes and heart disease in pets, which researchers are investigating.

Canidae Salmon Dry Cat Food is a grain-free diet that uses a single protein source and limited, easily recognizable ingredients. Besides the nutritious ingredients, this food also contains antioxidants, fatty acids, and probiotics for additional health support. The company also prioritizes working with farmers who use sustainable, regenerative agriculture practices. Eco-conscious cat owners may gravitate to this diet due to this. Canidae advertises itself as a “super-premium” diet, which looks good on a label but is not a legally regulated term, meaning there’s not a true measure of what makes something a super-premium food or not. While grain-free food is another trendy diet option, not all cats are actually sensitive to these ingredients.

Check with your vet to help you decide if a grain-free diet is appropriate for your cat. Some recent reviews of this diet speculate that there’s been a formula change, one that didn’t agree with their cats.

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Dry Cat Food is designed to be allergy-friendly for cats with food sensitivities. Utilizing a single protein source and a less common carbohydrate, this diet aims to make frustrating conditions like food allergies a little easier to manage. Featuring one of the lowest fat percentages of any diet on our list, Natural Balance is also useful for cats looking to lose some weight. Overall, this food earns positive reviews, with owners reporting it typically works as intended for their sensitive cats. Some users noted inconsistent quality between bags, however. One note about the peas in this food: legumes, like peas, are currently under investigation to determine whether they are linked to heart disease in pets. The same notes about grain-free food also apply to this diet as the Canidae food.

Formulated for cats over 12 years old, Royal Canin Senior Ageing Dry Cat Food is a specialized diet full of thoughtful touches for older kitties. The kibble is shaped for easy chewing, ideal for older cats with dental trouble. They’re also crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, making them more appealing to cats whose appetites fade as they age. Nutritionally, this diet is lower in fat to help keep less active senior cats slim. It also contains lower levels of phosphorus to be gentler on the kidneys. Senior cat owners give this food high marks for taste and appeal to their old kitties. Some did note that the food has a strong smell.

A solid diet option produced by an experienced, well-known company, Iams ProActive Health Healthy Adult Dry Cat Food offers good value and quality nutrition. Chicken offers plenty of protein to keep cats strong, while the added fatty acids benefit skin and coat health. This diet contains beet pulp and probiotics to keep things moving smoothly through your cat’s gut. Iams ProActive receives overwhelmingly positive reviews, with many owners reporting years of loyalty to this brand. People love their Iams food! This diet does contain by-products, a negative for some cat owners. A few users mentioned that their cats didn’t care for the taste of this diet.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Pick the Best Dry Cat Food in Australia

Now that you have some basic knowledge of the dry cat foods available in Australia, here are some other points to keep in mind as you shop around.

Learn to Read a Cat Food Label

As we mentioned in the introduction, the pet food industry is big business, and there are a lot of different manufacturers competing for your cash. Because of this, much of what you find printed on the food label is meant to grab your attention rather than give you true information about what’s actually in the diet

Many of the diets on our list come from U.S.-based companies and all pet food in America must meet minimum quality and nutrition standards. Many of the buzzwords you’ll see, like “grain-free” “all-natural” or “premium” don’t actually have data or science to back them up. Some of the words you hear in a negative sense, like “by-products” also don’t have much hard evidence to dismiss them.

The best thing you can do is educate yourself on what these terms do and don’t tell you, as well as what basic elements you should look for in any cat diet, no matter the cost.

How Old Is Your Cat?

At different life stages, your cat will have different nutritional needs. Try to meet them by purchasing the correct food for their age. On our list, we reviewed many adult foods, kitten food, and senior cat food. Most brands offer diets geared towards each life stage. If you like a certain brand, chances are your cat can keep eating it throughout their life.

Does Your Cat Have Food Sensitivities?

True food allergies can produce a variety of symptoms and be quite tricky to diagnose accurately. Many owners notice vomiting or itching in their cats and try changing their diet to cure them. This move can be problematic if it’s done as an alternative to seeking veterinary care, primarily because those symptoms are so broad they can have numerous causes. However, if your vet does suggest your cat eat a limited ingredient diet, you’ll find several over-the-counter options to choose from, including some on our list. Unfortunately, some cats with severe allergies or other conditions often end up having to eat even more specialized, prescription diets.

Summary

As our best overall dry cat food in Australia, Purina ProPlan Adult Chicken Dry Cat Food offers quality protein and excellent nutritional value in a tasty kibble. Our best dry cat food for the money, Fancy Feast Beef, Salmon, and Cheese Adult Dry Cat Food isn’t the choice for cats with allergies but offers appealing taste and cost efficiency nonetheless. Your cat’s diet is one of the most important choices you’ll make as you try to keep them healthy. We hope our reviews of these 10 dry cat foods in Australia were helpful to you in your decision-making process.

Featured Image Credit: Okssi, Shutterstock