Cat food subscription services cut out one of the worst parts of pet ownership: those frequent trips to the pet store for your fuzzy friend’s favorite foods. A food subscription offers a convenient alternative, and with a few clicks, you can get regular deliveries of healthy cat food.
Of course, that’s only one of the benefits. Many cat food subscription services offer formulas you won’t find on store shelves — from grain-free dry kibble to raw wet food, you’ll find an incredible selection of high-quality meals online. With that said, choosing a cat food subscription can be difficult, particularly if you’re a new cat owner, have never looked into different types of feline diets, or have an extremely picky eater.
Every year, we ask our readers to share their top recommended subscriptions of all types. Then we ask our experts to share what they know about each subscription to make it easy for you to know which subscription is right for you. Below, you’ll find our readers’ top choices for the purrfect cat food subscription options that your feline friend is bound to love.
Top Subscription Boxes Featured In This List:
SmallsBest Cat Food Subscription with a Trial Plan
Starting at $45.00Get Smalls
Cat PersonBest High-Protein Cat Food Subscription
Starting at $20.00Get Cat Person
Darwin's Natural Pet ProductsBest Cat Food Subscription with Prescription Food Option
Starting at $14.95Get Darwin's Natural SelectionsActive DealTry the premium raw food 10 lbs. for $14.95 (a $63.90 value)
The 7 Best Cat Food Subscription Boxes
Read on for our reader’s recommendations for the best cat food subscription boxes currently available. If we missed anything, drop us a comment. If you’ve tried one of these cat food subscription services, be sure to leave a quick review (even if you had a poor experience — your review can help other readers avoid subscription remorse).
1. Smalls
Best Cat Food Subscription Box With A Trial Plan Available
Image from our review.
To sign up for a subscription, you’ll answer a few questions about your cat (cat's age, dietary needs, foods your cat enjoys, etc.). Then, Smalls will ship a trial to your doorstep so your beloved feline friend can sample each flavor and texture. Once your cat has figured out which meals are his or her favorites, you can then update your full subscription and next box through the Account Portal and customize item quantities, shipping frequencies, and more.
You can choose a meal plan to meet your cat's health goals (for instance, they offer weight loss options). Smalls also offers toys, treats, and litter, and we really recommend their “Liquid Gold” (chicken broth) add-on, which helps to make the transition to a new food a little bit easier.
Type of Cat Food: Fresh cat food, freeze-dried raw cat food, and dry kibble options.
Pros
- High-protein food made using only USDA-certified, humanely-harvested, and sustainably-sourced ingredients
- Both fresh cat food and freeze-dried meals contain veggies to mimic what cats would naturally be eating in the wild
- First box trial plan lets you see if your cat will enjoy the food before committing to a larger purchase
Cons
- The selection of add-ons is limited
Ships to: The contiguous U.S. After your sampler order has been placed, depending on your box sizes, you may be charged a $10 shipping fee.
2. Primal Pet Foods
Best Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food Subscription
Image from Primal Pet Foods.
About This Cat Food Subscription Service:
Primal Pet Foods makes premium raw food that's sourced from meat organs farmed without antibiotics, hormones, or steroids. Ground bone is added for calcium supplementation, along with a species-appropriate amount of minerals, unrefined vitamins, and organic produce. You get all the benefits of a raw ancestral diet in a highly-palatable, freeze-dried form that’s fast and easy to serve.
They use a natural preservation technique to extend the shelf life of their products; they’re still “raw,” as far as your cat’s concerned, and you’ll simply add water or broth to rehydrate the meal.
Type of cat food: Freeze-dried raw food.
Pros
- Grain-free formulas available
- Convenience of dry food with benefits of a raw food natural diet
Cons
- Cannot purchase from the brand directly
- Cat foods tend to be high in phosphorous
Ships to: The contiguous U.S. Shipping is free on orders over $49 with Chewy Autoship.
3. Cat Person
Best High-Protein Cat Food Subscription Box
Image from Cat Person.
About This Cat Food Subscription Service:
Cat Person delivers easy-to-serve meals with simple ingredients. Their recipes are crafted with at least 50% more quality animal protein than the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards, and their site includes transparent descriptions of what’s in each container — you won’t find any fillers, empty carbohydrates, or artificial flavors.
Cat Person offers an array of options including paté, kibble, meat shreds in broth, and digestive support blends. We recommend experimenting with a few meal plans to find something that works for your furry friend; once you’ve found the perfect option, you can sign up for their cat food subscription to stay well-stocked.
Type of cat food: Dry and wet food options.
Pros
- Meal plan includes a combined wet and dry food option
- Cat Person offers a Starter Box to try out before committing to a larger food purchase
- Cat Person also has a store for a one-stop-shop
Cons
- Price may be cost-prohibitive to some
- Some cats may be picky and refuse to eat it
Ships to: The contiguous U.S. There's a shipping fee of $7.95 for For Meal Plan orders under $45 and a la carte orders under $50.
4. Darwin's Natural Selections Raw Cat Food
Best Fresh Cat Food Subscription Service with a Vet-Approved Prescription Food
Image from Darwin's.
About This Cat Food Subscription Service:
Darwin’s Natural Selections offers fresh food that's derived from 100% real meat (chicken, turkey, or lamb) and contains no animal by-products or fillers. This grain-free meal provides complete balanced nutrition and helps to keep your cat healthy and promote a long life.
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they need meat to survive, and Darwin’s Natural Selections uses pasture-raised, cage-free meats to cut out antibiotics, steroids, and artificial hormones.
Darwin’s also offers Intelligent Design™ Veterinary Formulas, which require a prescription from a veterinarian. These specialized meals are designed to provide extra support to cats with specific health issues (such as kidney disease) or food allergies.
While we’re covering plenty of natural pet foods on this list, Darwin’s Natural Selections focuses on providing raw cat food with ethically sourced ingredients. There’s minimal processing, and the brand claims that its products can help fight skin problems, allergies, and certain other health problems.
Type of Cat Food: Raw food.
Pros
- Ethically-sourced ingredients
- Regular and prescription formulas available
- Unique protein options like lamb are available
Cons
- Weekly subscription prices can get expensive depending on the protein choice
Ships to: The U.S. Shipping is free for orders that are 20 or more pounds (excludes Hawaii and Alaska). Orders under this amount are charged a $10.00 flat rate shipping fee.
5. Bobcat Raw Food
Best Cat Food Subscription With a Local Delivery Option
Image from Bobcat Raw Food.
About This Cat Food Subscription Service:
Made in Texas, Bobcat meals are complete, balanced, and packaged in 32 oz chubs. This is another raw food option, though Bobcat adds in essential vitamins and minerals to meet your cat’s dietary requirements. All formulations meet or exceed AAFCO standards. The company recommends feeding an adult cat two pouches per day.
All Bobcat Raw Food meals are handmade in small batches, and you can place an individual order to determine whether this is the right service for your kitty. You’ll save 2% with the subscription option.
Type of Cat Food: Raw food.
Pros
- Small-batch food using only human-grade ingredients
- Unique formulas like rabbit and elk are available
- Local hand delivery is available in Houston, Texas
Cons
- Food is not preportioned
- While food should arrive cold, it may not always arrive frozen
Ships to: The contiguous U.S. Shipping rates vary.
6. Savage Cat Food
Best Cat Food Subscription That Mimics Their Ancestral Diet
Image from Savage Cat Food.
About This Cat Food Subscription Service:
It’s right there in the name: Savage Cat Food is a raw cat food delivery service that attempts to match your kitty’s ancestral diet. Their meals contain real animal bone and marrow, which provide additional nutrients. Protein sources include chicken, duck, and rabbit (you’ll select one of these options when setting up your order).
Each individual packet allows for easy serving. All meals are shipped frozen with dry ice with 1-2 day delivery. Savage Cat Food also offers snacks, toys, and organic catnip, and all of their products are true to the brand — you can even order frozen quail to serve as a supplemental treat.
Don’t worry, it’s not as messy as it sounds.
Type of Cat Food: Raw food.
Pros
- Food is made with chunks of real meat for advanced oral health
- All protein is sustainably and humanely sourced
- The food is free of vegetables and traditional grains
Cons
- Only three protein options are available
Ships to: The contiguous U.S. Shipping rates vary.
7. Raised Right
Best Cat Food Subscription for Small-Batch Cat Food
Image from Raised Right.
About This Cat Food Subscription Service:
Raised Right is a family-owned human-grade pet food company that works with a veterinarian, Dr. Karen Becker to make “home-cooked style” whole-food recipes for dogs & cats. Raised Right offers limited-ingredient recipes that are low in carbs. Most of their recipes have less than 2% carbs because they don’t use any high-carb fillers like potato, rice, oats, yam, squash, or barley.
Raised Right can proudly make the human-grade pet food claim as every ingredient in their food has passed the same standards necessary for human consumption and all their food is lightly cooked in a USDA-inspected human-grade facility. Raised Right also lab safety tests every single batch they cook for pathogens like E.coli, listeria, and salmonella. For transparency, they post the results of every lab safety test on their website for everyone to see, along with a map tracing their ingredients to their source and a video showing how their food gets made.
Raised Right also offers sample boxes, so if you’re not sure whether this is the right option for you, that’s a great place to start. Meals should be kept in the refrigerator and served within six days; shipments arrive in temperature-controlled packaging and can remain frozen until you’re ready to serve.
Type of Cat Food: Fresh, cooked food.
Pros
- You can try a starter box before committing to a larger purchase
- Having every single batch lab-tested for safety is a unique feature compared to other raw food subscriptions
- Packages are sent with Carbonfree® shipping and are plastic-neutral certified
Cons
- This is one of the most expensive options on the list
- Only two flavor options available for cats
Ships to: The 48 contiguous states ($9.99 for a sample box, free for a full box).
Factors We Considered When Reviewing The Best Cat Food Subscriptions
This list features our fellow subscription fanatics’ top choices, and we can confidently recommend the subscriptions above since we’ve researched and reviewed them all. Factors we considered when reviewing these subscriptions include the cost of the cat food subscription, the types of proteins offered, the sourcing of their proteins (when brands shared that information), if trial options were available if prescription formulas were available, and whether the food was dry or wet. There is no one-size-fits-all food for all cats out there, so we wanted to round up the cat food subscriptions that encompass everything our furry friends might need.
Have you tried any of these or other cat food subscription services? Does your cat have a new favorite cat subscription box for wet food or dry food? Let us know in the comments!
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