Which is better Whiskas or felix

Cat food: should you spend more on posh brands?

Something of a revolution is under way in terms of what we eat, with growing numbers of people opting to go vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian. But what about the food we give to our pets? Whats in it, and is it worth spending more on premium brands?

My two cats are generally not fussy eaters, but last year, after one became ill, I started to look into the ingredients in their food.

Oscar and Dennis are two-year-old moggies and, apart from killing sprees of the local wildlife in our London neighbourhood, they dont tend to cause many problems.

Our vet recommended changing their diet, as he claimed that feeding them Whiskas every day was akin to me eating McDonalds for every meal. However, the replacement from Hills was about three times the price. After two weeks, Oscar was back to full health. Since then, Ive been trialling brands to find a diet thats healthy but not too expensive.

The options are endless, from grain-free to raw meat, but how much does what Im giving them affect their health?

One in 20 of us buy the cheapest on offer, and 64% of cat owners have no idea what they should be looking for in the ingredients, according to a study from premium pet food brand Lilys Kitchen.

South London vet Dr Rory Cowlam told me that as cats are carnivores, it is important they get high meat content, and this should be the first thing I look for. He says dry food is generally cheaper, easier to keep and better for cats teeth.

It is a common misconception that cats need a mix of dry and wet. There are some out there that will need wet food, but if your cat is healthy, there is no need, he adds.

Some dry food can work out at around 40p a portion less than the premium brands and while it can cost slightly more than budget options, the meat quantity is often higher.

Clare Hamilton, a vet in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, says that when it comes to supermarket brands, there are far too many own-brands of varying quality and price.

She adds: The most important thing is to look at its contents and go for the highest quality you can afford, whether that is organic, supermarket or a scientific brand.

Henrietta Morrison, founder of Lilys Kitchen, reckons most foods are made with fillers such as grains, bone meal, sugars and flavourings, so there is little actual meat. This is why she started the brand, and says customers report their cats behaving better on it, along with having better digestion and overall health.

The Lilys range contains 65% meat, whereas many leading brands would appear to be a lot lower though it can be hard to tell, as labelling is sometimes far from clear.

For example, on the ingredients panel of a standard sachet of Whiskas chicken in gravy, the first thing listed is meat and animal derivatives (38%, of which 94% natural, including 4% chicken). Then its cereals, minerals (0.5%) and various sugars. A typical sachet of Felix chicken in jelly says the ingredients are meat and animal derivatives (of which chicken 4%), fish and fish derivatives, minerals, various sugars.

Four per cent seems to be a common figure when it comes to the meat or fish stated on the packet.

However, if you want to ensure your cat is only getting the good stuff, as Morrison puts it, you can expect to pay quite a bit more.

With Whiskas or Felix wet food, for example, you might be looking at around 25p for 100g sachet in a box of 12, while a standard 85g individual serving from Lilys Kitchen might set you back around 84p in a multipack.

When it comes to raw food, the science is arguably dubious. In fact, Cats Protection (formerly the Cats Protection League) says there are no clinical studies to argue it is better than cooked. Shop-bought raw food is not the same as a freshly killed rodent or bird, particularly as it is likely to have been refrigerated or frozen, it says. Cats in the wild eat the entire animal, so just feeding chicken breasts or similar will not meet all its nutritional needs.

There is also an increased risk of infections such as E coli, salmonella and campylobacter, which can cause disease in cats and serious illness in humans and the potential link between raw food and TB is a further concern.

Cowlam told me a bad diet can lead to many problems including obesity, heart, liver or kidney disease, cystitis, or poor growth and development. The number one reason for cat owners claiming on insurer Direct Lines policies last year was gastro-related illnesses.

When my cats recently turned their noses up at Whiskas, I mentioned it on Twitter, and the company replied that this may be linked to the fact that it had made some changes to its recipe.

It says: Weve made the gravy and jelly much thicker and enhanced the appearance, making each recipe more distinctive across the different varieties. We have also ensured that the balance of minerals support a healthy urinary tract.

In a statement, it said cats naturally seek variety in their foods, which is why we regularly change our recipes.

While Oscar and Dennis are undeniably spoilt, Im not ready to pay almost 1 per meal. But to avoid more vet bills, they are going to have to settle for a dry food with a higher percentage of meat or fish and less additional ingredients and, of course, the occasional treat.

Best and worst cat food brands

Choosing the best food for your cat can make a big difference to their health and wellbeing.

We surveyed 3,240 cat owners to uncover the brands preferred by pets and their owners, from how much the cat enjoys the food to whether it's considered good value for money.

Plus, we've got tips from pet nutrition experts to help you pick the healthiest diet for your cat.

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Best cat food brands

Cat food brands customer satisfaction survey ratings

Our top scorer earned a very impressive customer score of 75%.

At the other end of the table, eight brands scored less than 50% - including some with only one out of five stars for value for money and one brand with an overall poor customer score of 40%.

Which? members can log in now to unlock the full results. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access to this and thousands of other reviews and customer insights.

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How to choose the best cat food

We spoke to pet nutrition researchers to understand what really matters about choosing a cat food.

The most important part of choosing a food is actually monitoring your pet, says Dr Teresa Hollands, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Nutrition at the University of Surrey. If you are feeding your pet a particular brand of food, and they have plenty of energy and seem well in themselves, then you are on the right track.

Dr Nigel Kendall, Lecturer in Nutrition at the University of Nottingham, agrees. If your pet is on completely the wrong diet, then there will be physical signs.

Signs that your pet is eating a nutritious diet, and is being given the right food for their needs, include:

• Good overall health
• Plenty of energy
• Good sleeping habits
• Regularly passing firm stools
• Maintaining a healthy weight

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How to give your cat the best and healthiest diet

As well as choosing the right food, you can also maximise the nutritional value of your cats diet by feeding them in the right way.

Dr David Gardner, Professor of Physiology at the University of Nottingham, tells us it's important to:

Choose a complete cat food

Start by making sure you are feeding your pet a 'nutritionally complete' food.

These are designed to give your pet all the nutrients it needs, so you can feed it the same thing every day without causing a nutritional imbalance or deficit.

Weigh out cat food

You may not notice that you are overfeeding your pet. The safest way to avoid this is to weigh out the right amount of food for your cat at every meal.

Vary what you feed your cat

If you occasionally change the food you give your cat, then you are more likely to cover all the nutrients they need.

These changes could be as small as varying the flavour of the food. Remember, though, to make any dietary changes gradually. Give your cat no more than 25% new food for the first couple of days, increasing gradually over the course of a week.

Some cats can be fussy, though, and varying your pet food is not essential. So if your cat will not eat different food, then it is more important to ensure they are eating than having a varied diet.

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Is wet or dry food better for cats?

Both wet and dry food can be nutritionally complete, so there is no significant advantage to either food type.

Dr Gardner recommends feeding your pet a mixture of wet and dry food. This is because there can be slight differences in the nutrients they contain, so having the variety gives you the best of both.

Wet food tends to be more appealing, but is often more expensive and it can predispose pets to dental disease.

Dry food is beneficial to a cat's teeth and gums, and is usually cheaper and easier to use and store. If you opt for mostly dry food, make sure that your cat has access to plenty of fresh water, so they stay well hydrated.

Is a raw food diet good for cats?

Raw pet food has become more popular over the past few years, but experts don't generally recommend it due to the risk to human health when handling and having raw meat around the house.

Bacteria present in raw meat can include salmonella, listeria, campylobacter and e-coli. These cause severe illness in humans and animals, particularly young, old and immune-compromised individuals.

These can be spread around the house during food preparation and can also be spread if, for example, your pet kisses your face after eating.

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Is my cat overweight?

According to a 2022 survey by UK Pet Food, the leading trade body, 43% of cats (and 50% of dogs) are overweight or obese.

Being overweight can have a huge impact on your pets quality of life, including limiting their ability to exercise or sleep properly. It also predisposes them to illness including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

How to if tell your cat is overweight

Dr Teresa Hollands suggests a simple method for checking your pets weight:

Create a fist with your hand, and feel your knuckles with your fingers, she says. If your pets ribs feel like that, they are underweight. Then lay your hand flat, and feel your knuckles again. If their ribs feel like that, they are the perfect weight.

Finally, keep your hand flat, turn your hand over, and run your fingers over the pads on your palm at the base of your fingers. If their ribs feel like that, they are overweight.'

Physical signs that your cat is overweight

You can also monitor the weight of your cat using visual signs.

• Very thin - very little muscle, no body fat, jutting ribs, backbone and hip bones.
• Underweight - a little fat over hip bones, can see ribs and backbone, obvious tucked-in waist.
• Ideal - smooth, tucked-in waist, abdominal fat pad just visible, can feel ribs, backbone and hips but not prominent.
• Overweight - ribs, backbone and hip bones difficult to feel, no waist, enlarged abdominal fat pad.
• Obese- Round body, fat pad hanging under cat, cannot feel ribs, backbone or hip bones.

How we rated cat food brands

To find the best and worst cat food brands, in July 2023 we surveyed 3,240 Which? members who'd bought cat food recently and asked about their experiences with their chosen brand.

Which? customer scores are based on how satisfied customers are with the brand overall, and whether or not theyd recommend it.

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