14 Best-Tasting Cat Foods for Picky Cats in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Notorious for being picky eaters, cats can be put off their food due to anything from the smell or the texture. They’ll even turn their nose up at food that they’ve previously eaten without fuss!

Fortunately, there are many different cat foods available. Whether you want to give your cat wet food for the first time or stick with dry, the variety of flavors, textures, and nutritional benefits will keep your cat guessing and help them maintain a healthy, balanced diet.

These reviews will introduce you to healthy, nutritional, and tasty cat foods to help you find a new brand to entice your fussy feline to devour every morsel.

A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2024

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription	Protein-packed fresh food Amazing flavor for picky cats Chicken thigh, breast, and liver as primary ingredients	Click to Save 40% Use code: PetKeen24
Budget Buy		American Journey Duck Dry Cat Food	Contains deboned duck Grain-free 40% protein	Check Price
		Hill's Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin Cat Food	Vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids Recommended by veterinarians Gentle on sensitive stomachs	Check Price
		Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten Chicken Dry Cat Food	Formulated for kittens Real chicken Grain-free	Check Price
		Wellness CORE Poultry Variety Canned Cat Food	Grain-free Contains sunflower oil Supports urinary health	Check Price

The 14 Best-Tasting Cat Foods for Picky Cats

1. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription — Best Overall

Being high-quality and human-grade, this food is expensive and only available through a subscription on the Smalls website. These subscriptions are very convenient, however, since you can have your cat’s favorite food delivered right to your door.

Available in two bag sizes, the American Journey Duck Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food is the best value dry cat food for picky cats. The recipe uses real, deboned duck and contains several necessary vitamins to promote a healthy and balanced diet. Taurine keeps your feline’s heart and eyes in tip-top shape, antioxidants support their immune system, and omega fatty acids work to keep their coat and skin in top form.

Grain-free with no wheat, soy, or corn, this dry food is high in protein and makes a nice change from the popular chicken and beef flavors.

While this food uses natural ingredients and real duck, it’s unsuitable for kittens. Some cats, particularly seniors, may struggle to eat dry food.

Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken & Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food is another great pick. With a choice of three different size bags (3.5, 7, and 15.5 pounds), this recipe is gentle on sensitive stomachs and contains prebiotic fibers to help digestion. Along with supporting a healthy gut, this dry food also promotes healthy skin with its use of omega-6 and vitamin E.

Recommended by veterinarians, the chicken and rice formula is made with real ingredients, and there are no artificial flavors, preservatives, or flavorings.

But it’s important to note that Hill’s Science Diet dry cat food is pricey. It is also not hypoallergenic for cats that suffer from dust allergies.

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food is specially formulated to support your kitten’s growth. Along with containing real chicken for your meat-loving fussy eaters, this dry food has DHA and ARA fatty acids for healthy development, the same nutrients found in mother’s milk.

Grain-free with no corn, wheat, or soy, this high-protein kitten food is great for avoiding common kitty allergies. Included in the formula is a careful blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to promote a strong immune system. 

Only available in two small-size bags, the Blue Wilderness kitten food is one of the more expensive cat foods on this list.

Grain-free and containing real meat, the Wellness CORE Selects Poultry Variety Canned Cat Food another good wet cat food for picky cats. As a variety pack, this option has three flavors in one box of eight cans, giving your fussy feline a break from overused flavors. This selection includes chicken and chicken liver, chicken and turkey, and chicken and beef. All three choices are boneless and drenched in a savory sauce.

Sunflower oil supports your feline’s fur and skin health, while the high-protein and moisture content promotes urinary health.

Wet food is smellier than dry food, so if your picky eater does turn their nose up at this choice, you may find flies buzzing around their food bowl.

Inspired by cats that prefer smooth pâtés and gravy to meat chunks, the Fancy Feast Savory Centers Variety Pack Canned Cat Food combines both textures into a tasty meal for even the fussiest eaters. With four flavors ranging from chicken, salmon, tuna, and beef, this multipack has an equal amount of six cans each for a balanced variety.

Promoting a nutritional diet, these pâtés contain a gravy-filled center and essential vitamins and minerals to keep your favorite fussy feline healthy. Taurine and vitamin E supplements keep your cat’s eyes, skin, and fur in excellent condition.

Some owners complained about the smell being stronger and more unpleasant than other wet food brands.

Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Grain-Free Dry Cat Food is a blend of protein from roasted venison and smoked salmon, combined with antioxidants from fruit and veg. High in protein and completely grain-free, there are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

The formula includes both prebiotics and probiotics to help your cat’s digestive system and ease sensitive stomachs. Omega fatty acids promote skin and fur health, and a carefully constructed mix of other vitamins and minerals ensures the full support of your feline’s immune system.

While this brand of dry food is a great option to choose for your cat, the price is a little high.

Designed to entice picky cats to eat, the American Journey Minced Chicken Recipe Cat Food uses real chicken and a grain-free formula to convince your cat to dig in. Including omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, this wet cat food also uses a variety of necessary vitamins and minerals for your cat’s health and well-being. This food has no wheat, soy, corn, or poultry by-products, so your cat’s diet will be balanced and free from artificial flavors, preservatives, and colors.

This cat food comes in 3.3-ounce or 5.5-ounce cans in 24-count packs but only has one flavor per box. Like most wet cat food, it is smellier than the dry alternatives. While the scent can entice cats to eat, it will also attract flies if left out for too long.

Pre-made into purr-fect serving sizes, the Sheba Perfect Portions Grain-Free Multipack uses real chicken, turkey, and beef in natural gravy. Each portion contains a mix of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, fish oils, and taurine for a balanced diet, healthy fur, and a strong immune system.

Suitable for adults, nursing cats, and kittens, this recipe can be used on its own or mixed with dry food, depending on your cat’s weight and dietary requirements. All three available flavors are grain and pea-free and contain no wheat, soy, or corn.

Although the plastic pots are designed to be easy to open, the packages are not recyclable.

Formulated with indoor cats in mind, Crave Chicken & Salmon Grain-Free Dry Cat Food provides all the necessary nutrients that your house cat needs to stay healthy. Made with real chicken, this dry food contains no meat by-products, wheat, soy, or corn, and is rich in protein.

With a focus on mimicking wildcat ancestral diets, this food provides a healthy dose of carbohydrates to help your cat maintain their energy levels and immune system.

Bought in 10-pound bags, it’s a long-lasting cat food, but there isn’t an option to buy a smaller or larger bag. This brand is also a little expensive.

This variety pack by Blue Buffalo Tastefuls boasts a range of flavors from salmon, ocean fish, and tuna to chicken to suit cats that have different tastes. Each of the four options comes in a tasty pâté. The recipe contains real meat and high moisture content while avoiding wheat, soy, and corn. Supporting flavors include brown rice and sweet potato for added nutritional benefits.

Cats that don’t enjoy chunks of meat and the runniness of gravy in other canned foods might appreciate the smooth, moist texture of these pâtés.

Like other wet food brands, this one has a distinct odor that some people—and cats—may find displeasing, and it may attract flies if left uneaten. 

Friskies Tasty Treasures Gravy Prime Filets Variety Pack Wet Cat Food packs protein, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids into this multipack to keep your cat in top shape. This 24-can pack has four flavors—chicken and tuna, chicken, ocean fish and tuna, and turkey—in either gravy or sauce to support urinary health.

With chunks of real meat in each can, your cat can enjoy the chewy and moist texture while maintaining a balanced diet. Taurine and other essential vitamins are also included to make sure your feline is healthy both inside and out.

Formulated for adult cats, kittens won’t receive the necessary nutrients to promote healthy growth and development.

Containing real salmon, tuna, and shrimp, Friskies Seafood Sensations Dry Cat Food comes in three different-sized bags (16, 22, and 30 pounds). The balanced mix of salmon, tuna, and shrimp is a favorite among seafood-loving cats.

Included in the formula is a range of fatty acids and antioxidants to make sure your cat’s immune and digestive systems stay strong and healthy. A small amount of seaweed is also included in the recipe to give your fussy feline another flavor to explore.

Unfortunately, this dry cat food isn’t grain-free and is unsuitable for cats with grain allergies. There are also no smaller-size bags to test with your picky cat.

If your cat is a particularly fussy eater, the Fancy Feast Broths Variety Pack Cat Food is a light, nutritious broth created to convince picky cats to eat their meals. Using real ingredients, the packets are pre-made into serving size and appeal to all seafood-loving cats.

Each 12-pack contains a variety of tuna, whitefish, and shrimp; tuna, anchovies, and whitefish; and wild salmon and vegetables.

Formulated to enhance your cat’s existing diet of wet food, the Fancy Feast broths aren’t meals on their own and are intended as toppings. While they add a new flare to familiar cat food, you’ll need to buy the wet food itself separately.

Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best-Tasting Cat Foods for Picky Cats

Picking the best tasting cat food can be daunting, particularly when human noses don’t think much of any type of pet food. If your cat has never turned their nose up at food before, knowing the possible reasons will help you figure out where to start in your search for food that they’ll eat.

Boredom

If you’ve ever made a hearty meal where the leftovers last for several meals, you’ve probably gotten a little tired of eating them after a few days. Cats are no different. If the only food that they have is a chicken-flavored pâté—which may or may not be real meat—and nothing else for a week, they’ll get bored.

It can be an easy trap to fall into, especially when you know that your cat is a fussy eater. When you finally land on something that they like to eat, it’s tempting to feed them the same thing over and over. The problem is, the new food that your cat eats will quickly turn into the bane of your feline’s life.

This is why variety packs are so popular. While some big boxes of canned food offer only one flavor, multipacks give you the ability to switch between flavors and keep your cat guessing. It’s still a good idea to buy different flavored variety packs every so often, though, just to make sure your fussy feline doesn’t get bored.

Wrong Texture

Cat food isn’t much different from human food. Along with a mixture of flavors, there are different textures too, from crunchy to smooth and from shredded to chunky. You can have dry food or a meal drenched in gravy.

Your cat has preferences just like we do, and sometimes, those preferences change depending on their mood or how often they eat the same type of food. Every so often, they just want to sink their teeth into something chewy rather than crunch through a pile of kibble.

Wrong Temperature

Temperature also plays a part in your cat’s desire to eat. If it’s a hot day, eating something warm is unpleasant at best. Likewise, cold days don’t lead to wanting a meal straight from the fridge. Above all else, cats enjoy comfort and aren’t shy about turning away from anything that gets in the way of their ability to relax.

Stress

Stress is enough to put anyone off their food, even cats. Our feline friends like routine as much as we do, and if their day is interrupted by a house move or a trip to the vet, they may just sulk their way through dinner.

Similarly, if you change their food too suddenly, you could worry them unnecessarily. Different brands use different recipes, and as a result, the smells associated with the food change.

All cat food packets have instructions for easing your cat into a new brand for a reason. If you suspect a sudden change in your feline’s diet is why they’ve stopped eating, try blending the new food with the old and slowly get them used to the new taste that way.

Not Hungry

Even with all the will in the world, if your cat isn’t hungry, there’s no way that you’ll convince them to eat. They’d much rather take a nap and eat later. It can be worrying, but if you have an indoor cat, remember that they’re not as active as their outdoor trekking counterparts. They don’t need as much energy to keep them out of trouble. Not eating their dinner may be their way of saying that they’d rather continue napping and are just not hungry.

Or, if your cat is one of the outdoorsy types, consider checking in with your neighbors. You may find that your cheeky feline has been coaxing food out of other sources.

Health Problems

There is a chance that your cat is suffering from an illness that’s putting them off their food. If you’ve ruled out every other possibility on this list, consider taking your fussy friend to the vet. A veterinarian will be able to tell you if there’s an underlying health issue bothering your feline.

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Final Thoughts

Cats can be picky about many things, including the food that they eat. Fortunately for us, there’s a wide selection of meals for you to experiment with.

To recap a few of your options, our overall best cat food for picky cats is the Smalls Fresh Ground Bird Recipe, which combines a variety of flavors with plenty of vitamins for a balanced diet. The American Journey Duck Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food, our best value cat food, contains real deboned duck and is rich in protein.

That’s the end of this article. We truly hope that you find a food that your cat will love after reading these reviews.