Are you looking for soft, dry cat food reviews for your kitten or older cat? We’ve got them for you, below! Cats, especially kittens and older cats with missing (or no) teeth, are often better off eating soft, dry cat food. Kittens have a problem chewing and digesting hard, dry kibble and have softer teeth, so soft and dry cat food is best for them. Finding a brand your cat loves, young or older, shouldn’t be difficult. We have reviews of the best brands to make your decision easier and help your precious kitty stay healthy and happy.
A Quick Comparison of Our Winners in 2024
| Image | Product | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
|
|
IAMS ProActive Health High Protein |
|
Check Price |
Best Value
|
|
Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food |
|
Check Price |
Premium Choice
|
|
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Indoor Cat Food |
|
Check Price |
| Best for Kittens |
|
Purina Kitten Chow Nurture Kitten Dry Cat Food |
|
Check Price |
|
Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend |
|
Check Price |
The 10 Best Soft Dry Cat Foods
1. IAMS ProActive Health High Protein Cat Food – Best Overall
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken by-product meal, corn grits, ground whole grain corn, salmon, chicken meal |
| Protein content: | 38% |
| Fat content: | 18% |
| Calories: | 439 kcal/cup |
IAMS ProActive Health High Protein Cat Food cat food is considered the best overall by many veterinarians and cat experts and is suitable for cats of all ages. One reason is that it uses real chicken and salmon as its first and fifth ingredients. Both protein sources are excellent, with salmon providing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as an extra benefit. This food also uses no dyes, soy, or artificial flavors, although some may not like that the third ingredient is corn grits. Iams ProActive Health High Protein Chicken & Salmon Recipe is suitable for adults, kittens, and senior cats.
2. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food – Best Value
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, whole grain wheat, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, brewers rice |
| Protein content: | 38% |
| Fat content: | 17% |
| Calories: | 394 kcal/cup |
Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food is an excellent option for older cats, especially those with no or little teeth. The reason is that it’s very soft, tender cat food that’s easy to chew. Many of the ingredients in Hill’s food are specifically for aging cats to help their heart, eyes, joints, and kidneys. There are no preservatives, and the recipe supports the cat’s digestive health and is easy to digest. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food is still one of the most affordable products on pet store shelves, and it is the best cat food for the money in our book.
3. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Indoor Cat Food – Premium Choice
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken meal, pea protein, peas |
| Protein content: | 38% |
| Fat content: | 16% |
| Calories: | 328 kcal/cup |
One of the best soft, dry cat foods on the market, Blue Buffalo Wilderness Indoor Chicken Recipe, is high in protein, thanks to real chicken as its first ingredient. It’s grain-free cat food that will help your cat’s gut stay healthy while improving its immune system and ability to fight disease. Peas add to the protein to help your cat’s muscles and bones stay strong, lean, and supple. It’s an excellent choice for cats with no teeth or dental problems that impede their chewing and biting. The packaging says that the formula is inspired by the diet a cat would typically have in the wild (although it’s doubtful wild or feral cats would be eating peas).
4. Purina Kitten Chow Nurture Kitten Dry Food – Best for Kittens
| Main ingredients: | Chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, rice, soy flour, beef fat |
| Protein content: | 40% |
| Fat content: | 13.5% |
| Calories: | 414 kcal/cup |
100% balanced nutrition is the key to Purina Kitten Chow Nurture. The addition of 25 vitamins and minerals is also excellent, and real chicken is the primary protein. Chicken by-product meal is, however, the first ingredient. This Purina recipe has plenty of protein to help your kitten grow strong and a lot of calories to keep their energy level high.
5. Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, rice flour, corn meal gluten, chicken by-product meal |
| Protein content: | 34% |
| Fat content: | 15% |
| Calories: | 366 kcal/cup |
Purina ONE Tender Selects provides a high protein content with 12% maximum moisture. The resulting kibble is both crunchy and tender and easy to chew. The protein comes from real chicken, making it very palatable to cats. White rice is used as a filler, which is healthier than the artificial ingredients typically used as fillers. Purina ONE does not contain artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors.
6. IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control
| Main ingredients: | Salmon, chicken-by-product meal, corn grits, ground whole grain corn, chicken meal |
| Protein content: | 30% |
| Fat content: | 13% |
| Calories: | 329 kcal/cup |
Real salmon is the first ingredient in this IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control formulated for older felines. With 10% less fat than other IAMS products, it’s also a good choice for obesity control. The high-quality protein it provides from salmon is excellent for an older cat’s energy levels. Also, the beet pulp fiber blend will help your cat reduce their hairballs. This brand is a perfect choice if you have a cat 11 years or older.
7. American Journey Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
| Main ingredients: | Turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal, tapioca starch, dried egg, pea protein |
| Protein content: | 40% |
| Fat content: | 15% |
| Calories: | 342 kcal/cup |
Real, deboned turkey is the first ingredient in this soft, dry cat food, with turkey meal and chicken meal rounding out the top three ingredients. That gives American Journey Turkey and Chicken Recipe one of the highest amounts of protein on today’s list. It’s also filled with antioxidants, fatty acids, and taurine from blueberries, spinach, pumpkin, and carrots. You won’t find any grains in this grain-free cat kibble, nor wheat, corn, or soy.
8. Blue Buffalo Healthy Aging Cat Food
| Main ingredients: | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, and Oatmeal |
| Protein content: | 30% |
| Fat content: | 14% |
| Calories: | 363 kcal/cup |
Real chicken is the primary protein in this high-quality soft, dry cat food. Blue Buffalo Healthy Aging Chicken and Brown Rice provide an excellent protein source for aging cats, and the soft bite makes it easier for them to chew. The recipe doesn’t contain chicken by-products, corn, soy, or wheat. It’s also devoid of artificial preservatives and flavors. For aging cats, it’s one of the best kibble choices on the market and is specially designed to help your cat age gracefully.
9. Meow Mix Tender Centers Dry Cat Food
| Main ingredients: | Whole ground corn, chicken by-meal product, corn gluten meal, soybean meal |
| Protein content: | 31% |
| Fat content: | 11% |
| Calories: | 327 kcal/cup |
Although chicken by-meal product is the protein source, and whole ground corn is the first ingredient, Meow Mix Tender Centers Dry Cat Food for kittens and younger, healthy cats. It’s soft on the inside but crispy outside: a combination that kittens love. Of course, it would also be a good choice for mature, healthy cats, but some kittens and adult cats may reject the abundance of corn and grains.
10. Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium Dry Cat Food
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken meal, corn gluten, brown rice, brewer rice |
| Protein content: | 14% |
| Fat content: | 14% |
| Calories: | 386 kcal/cup |
The first ingredient in this celebrity-sponsored Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium Dry Cat Food is chicken, although it has a relatively low protein content of 14%. Lentils supply fiber and can help control your cat’s weight. Natural prebiotics are also included (from pumpkin) and are excellent for your cat’s digestive health. Rachel Ray Nutrish comes in several flavors and is suitable for cats of all ages.
Â
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Soft Dry Cat Food
Important things to consider when buying soft, dry cat food.
Since dry, soft cat food is typically made for younger or older cats, look for a brand with meat or seafood as the primary protein. That will ensure your cat gets the protein, fat, and calories they need. Also, cat food with fewer by-products and no artificial ingredients is always a good choice.
What makes a quality soft, dry cat food?
Recipes with chicken, turkey, or fish as the first ingredient (or close) is the key to quality cat food. The brand should have a higher water content to make it easier to chew and a high amount of protein to help your cat stay strong and healthy.
What Options Do Buyers Have?
The best way to find a quality cat food that’s good for cats with tooth problems is to check the nutrition label, ask your vet for advice, and always look for a recipe that’s free of artificial ingredients.
How Have Soft, Dry Cat foods Evolved
Today, you’ll find the best cat food manufacturers using natural protein as their first ingredient, plus fruits and vegetables for their vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutritional benefits.
- NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...
- WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...
- CHEW-SAFE MATERIALS - Kittens and cats love chewing on silicone and soft rubber - but it's a choking...
Whether you are an avid kibble supporter, favor wet food, or dabble between the two, opting for the right cat bowl to serve it in is key! The Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is equipped with features like shallow dishes for whisker relief, slight elevation to promote good posture and digestion, and removable stainless steel bowls for easy cleaning. Its modern design is spill-proof and has a wide tray on the base meant to catch anything that falls from your kitty's mouth or out of the bowl. Click here to find out if the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is right for you.
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!
Â
Â
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our dry, soft cat food reviews. The best overall brand was Iams ProActive Health High Protein Chicken & Salmon Recipe. We picked Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food as the best value for the money. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Indoor Chicken Recipe was picked as our premium choice cat food. With high protein and chicken as the first ingredient, it’s an excellent choice. Purina Kitten Chow Nurture Kitten Dry Cat Food was our choice as best for kittens and will likely be your kitty’s fave. Our final Top 5 pick was Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend with Real Chicken since it’s a brand that veterinarians prefer and offers premium quality ingredients.
Featured Image Credit: Skrypnykov Dmytro, Shutterstock
