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3 Best Dry Cat Foods in Australia

Disclaimer: As a Pet Circle & Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not impact our reviews and comparisons.

Cats are carnivores.

High protein and low carb is best, but that’s hard to find.

Our 3 best dry cat foods in Australia:

  1. Ziwi Peak | Best Overall
  2. Fussy Cat | Best for Picky Cats
  3. Wellness Core Indoor | Indoor Cats

We tested a range of dry cat foods with our cats to find what’s best.

Dry cat foods in Australia
A range of dry cat foods in Australia

I’ll be blunt here.

There’s not much great about dry cat food in Australia. Most are stacked with grains and carb rich foods.

Not easy on digestion or fussy cat friendly.

In this article I’ll go through a buying guide on what to find, and a full comparison of dry cat foods. Then I’ll look at frequently asked questions.

I am not a veterinarian and I recommend seeking the advice of a vet for any further questions. This article is not intended as medical advice.

Let’s go.

Buying Guide

Start by looking at the back label.

The front label is often misleading. Many terms like ‘natural’ and ‘meaty’ don’t mean much.

You know the saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”.

The back label reveals the truth.

Check the Nutrition Analysis

Cats need a high protein diet as carnivores.

Protein gives cats the energy they need for the day and keeps muscles strong.

For adult cats (1-7 years) you’ll want a cat food with greater than 26% protein dry matter basis.

Kittens and seniors need more.

Growing kittens need 30% protein and older cats (12+ years) benefit from intakes over 40%.

As a general rule of thumb for any cat, aim for 40% protein as this means you cat is getting enough regardless.

The nutrition analysis shows what you need, but you’ll need to use a calculator to work out the dry matter basis.

Other names for nutrition analysis:

  • Guaranteed analysis
  • Typical analysis
  • Nutrition

Learn more:

A nutrition analysis on a dry cat food bag
A nutrition analysis (called typical analysis on this cat food)

Check the Ingredients

Quality matters.

A wild cats diet includes prey like mice, insects, and birds.

Not only does meat taste great for cats, but it gives cats high quality protein. Meat is high in essential amino acids (a sign of quality).

On the other hand, grain based protein is lower quality.

Grain protein is:

  • Lower protein quality
  • Harder to digest
  • Less tasty

Some cat food brand load up on weaker protein sources, and then boost taste with meat flavors instead.

You want to avoid that, since it’s not going to offer your cat what they need (only what they think they need).

By law, ingredients are listed by weight from top to bottom. However, how they’re divvied up can vary.

As a general rule of thumb, check the first 5 ingredients. Ideally, all 5 are meat, but that’s rarely the case.

Anything less than 3 is red flag, especially if meat isn’t the first ingredient.

For more info, check out my guide below.

Read more:

An ingredient list for a dry cat food
An ingredient list. The first 3 ingredients are meat based (a good sign).

Look for a Statement of Nutrition Adequacy

You want complete cat food.

Complete cat food includes all the nutrients cats need, defined by AAFCO.

AAFCO are a non-profit organization that research and publish nutrient guidelines for cats and dogs.

The label will say if the cat food is for either:

  • Maintenance
  • Growth
  • All life stages
  • Supplemental feeding

Maintenance is suitable for adult cats (1-7 years). For kittens you’ll want either growth or all life stages.

There’s no recommendations for seniors, but I suggest choosing cat food suited to ‘all life stages’. This gives senior cats the added nutrients they need to support ageing.

A statement of nutritional adequacy on a cat food label
A statement of nutritional adequacy on a cat food label (this one is for maintenance).

3 Best Dry Cat Foods in Australia

Here are my recommendations for dry cat food.

1. Ziwi Peak

Best Dry Cat Food Overall

Ziwi Peak cat food

Pros and Cons

  • Senior friendly
  • Grain-free
  • Soy-free
  • Pricey
  • Limited flavors

Summary

If you’re after the best quality cat food, this is it.

This cat food is filler free and carb free. Chock full of dried grass-fed meats, suitable for all life stages.

The price is a bit offensive though, but this is as good as it gets.

Best for:

  • Senior health
  • Easy digestion
  • Fussy eaters

Where to find Ziwi Peak?

Learn more:

Ziwi Peak Air-Dried cat food dry matter nutrition analysis
Ziwi Peak Air-Dried cat food dry matter nutrition analysis
Ziwi Peak Air-Dried cat food review score
Ziwi Peak Air-Dried cat food review score

2. Fussy Cat

Best for Picky Cats

Fussy Cat cat food

Pros and Cons

  • Picky cat friendly
  • Grain-free
  • Soy-free
  • No bulk buy
  • Carbs a tad high

Summary

You’ll find Fussy Cat all around stores in Australia.

It’s high protein, which helps cats of all ages stay strong and energetic. Plus it’s got a great cat friendly taste.

Ingredient quality could be better, and the carbs are a bit high for my liking (26% dry matter basis).

Best for:

  • Fussy eaters
  • Budget buy
  • Small packs

Where to find Fussy Cat?

Learn more:

Fussy Cat cat food dry matter nutrition analysis
Fussy Cat cat food dry matter nutrition analysis
Fussy Cat cat food review score
Fussy Cat cat food review score

3. Wellness Core

Best for Indoor Cats

Wellness Core cat food

Pros and Cons

  • Meat rich
  • Bulk buy
  • Low calorie
  • Pricey
  • No small bags

Summary

Wellness Core is really the ‘best of the rest’.

It’s high in protein, and low calorie for weight control. Plus it’s a great tasting product.

Could be lower in carbs though, coming in at 29%. And it’s pricey.

Best for:

  • Bulk buy
  • Adult cats
  • Weight control

Where to find Wellness Core?

Learn more

Wellness Core cat food dry matter nutrition analysis
Wellness Core cat food dry matter nutrition analysis
Wellness Core cat food review score
Wellness Core cat food review score

Best Dry Cat Foods in Australia: Full List

Here are our top choices ranked.

We’ve scored based on:

  • Ingredient quality
  • Nutrition
  • Trust
  • Price
  • Taste

Here’s the list:

Cat FoodPriceLifestageProteinCarbsKcal/kgScoreMeat*Notes
Wellness Core Indoor$$$Adult43%29%3561703Good ingredient quality, but carbs high
Ziwi Peak Air Dried$$$All41%5%5,600705Best quality choice
Purina One Dry Cat Food$Adult42%31%3400682Budget choice popular with customers
Fussy Cat Dry Cat Food$Adult40%26%3700683Reasonable choice
Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain$All47%20%3745682Lower carb dry cat food
Hill’s Science Diet Adult$$Adult34%35%4,025662Popular but high carb
Fancy Feast Dry Cat Food$$Adult38%35%3,959632Ditto
Applaws Dry Cat Food$Adult35%34%4008623Affordable, but lacking protein and high carb
Optimum Dry Cat Food$$Adult38%34%4008622Average choice
Friskies Dry Cat Food$Adult34%42%3500612Average choice
Vetalogica Naturals Dry Cat Food$$$Adult36%38%3800571Average choice (surprisingly)
Whiskas Dry Cat Food$Adult29%48%3400451Lackluster choice
Best dry cat food in Australia comparison list *How many of the first 5 ingredients are meat based

Conclusion

Dry cat food offer convenience, but at the cost of quality.

Most dry cat foods load up on cheap grains, which cats don’t need. This can hamper digestion and lead to food rejection.

Check for at least 3/5 meaty ingredients in the bag and use a dry matter calculator, aiming for 40% protein. Look for a statement of nutritional adequacy.

Our best choice is Ziwi Peak which is chock full of meat, suited to all ages, and filler free.

>> Our best dry cat food choice Ziwi Peak

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