Disclaimer: As a Chewy and Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not impact our reviews and comparisons.
Score: 6.5/10
Bottom Line
Not the tastiest choice, and a bit high in carbs for our liking.
PROS
CONS
We’ve done this Hills Science Diet cat food review with the help of cat taste testers.
Hill’s Science Diet is popular with vets. They offer a wide range of choices for different needs.
I’ve tested a range of cat foods from Hill’s with our cat team:
Review summary:
The good?
Fresh looking.
The food has a nice light chunky meat appearance and fresh smell. Attractive stuff.
The bad?
Mixed taste.
Our cat Oscar left some of his Hill’s wet cat food in the bowl and wasn’t overly excited.
Not only that, but the products are pricey even buying in bulk.
The ugly?
High carb.
Hill’s Science Diet wet food is high in carbohydrate. How high?
Pretty dang high. Not great for diabetic cats.
In short:
A mid-tier option.
Hill’s is a reliable and trusted choice with consumers. However, our cats had mixed feelings, and we don’t approve of the high carb levels here.
Best as an occasional wet cat food for adult cats.
Best for:
- Variety
- Occasional feeding
- Adults (1-7 years) & kittens
>> Check out Hill’s Science Diet cat food here
Want more info on Hill’s Science Diet cat foods?
In this Hill’s Science Diet cat food review, I’ll take a closer look at:
- Nutrition
- Ingredients
- Taste
- Value for Money
This includes results from testing cat food from Hill’s.
I’ll take a look at the background of this company. Finally, I’ll answer frequently asked questions.
More below!
I am not a veterinarian and I recommend seeking the advice of a vet for any further questions. This article is not intended as a replacement for medical advice.
About Hills Science Diet
Hill’s Pet Nutrition is one of the largest players in the pet food market.
The following companies own 25-30% of the global market:
- Mars Incorporated
- Purina
- The J.M. Smucker Company
- Hill’s Pet Nutrition
- Affinity Petcare SA
Hill’s began in the 1940’s, offering prescription kidney formula for dogs.
The Science Diet range started in the 1960’s.
Colgate-Palmolive Co bought Hill’s Pet Nutrition in 1976. Since then, the brand has released a wide array of condition-specific cat and dog foods.
Recalls?
Yes.
In 2019, there was a large recall of over 20 million dog food products worldwide. This was due to a toxic amount of Vitamin D in the foods due to processing error.
There was a melamine (plastic contamination) issue in 2007 that also affected Hill’s Science Diet foods.
Hill’s Science Diet are transparent about their products including info on:
- Nutrition (dry matter basis)
- Statement of nutritional adequacy
- Feeding guides
- Product reviews
Hill’s also have a satisfaction guarantee from authorized sellers. You can return their products if they don’t meet your satisfaction.
Hill’s Science Diet Cat Food Review
Nutrition
Just ok.
We took a look at Hill’s Science Diet Healthy Cuisine.
This cat food exceed AAFCO’s protein guideline of 30% (dry matter). It only scrapes in though, which isn’t convincing.
Hill’s also use wheat gluten, a poor source of protein. Cats need high protein diets to support muscle strength.
Moving on to carbs, which comes in at a hefty 33% (dry matter). This is high.
High carb diets (over 20g/day) interfere with digestion and may lead to diarrhea.
It can also make cats stop eating due to the ‘carb ceiling’ effect. This can lead to nutrient shortfalls in protein (which is already low).
On the bright side, the calcium to phosphate ratio is positive (1.4:1). Good for kidney health.
This cat food meets the needs for maintenance, per AAFCO’s nutrient profiles. That means it’s best suited for adult cats (1-7 years).
In short:
- Bit low on protein
- High in carbs
- Suited to adult cats (1-7 years)
Nutrition (Dry Matter Basis)
- Protein: 37%
- Carbs: 33%
- Fat: 20%
- Ash: 7%
- Fiber: 3%
- Calcium to Phosphate Ratio: 1.4:1
- Energy: 837 kcal/kg
Nutrition: 5.5/10
Ingredients
Average.
We took a look at Hill’s Science Diet Adult Tender Chicken.
Only two of the first five ingredients are meat based (not including water).
Hill’s use the dinner descriptor on this label. That means 25-94.9% of the named ingredient is in the food.
Criticisms?
Yes.
As carnivores, cats eat meat, organs to get all their nutrients. The lack of meaty content is a concern.
The grains (e.g. wheat flour) raise the carb content, a nutrient cat’s don’t need.
Ingredients are listed by weight. Higher on the list = higher weight.
Short run down (first 10 ingredients):
| Ingredient | Rating | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Water | A | Improves kidney health |
| Chicken | A | High in protein for strength and energy production |
| Pork liver | A | High in Vitamin A for eyesight and healthy skin |
| Wheat flour | D | High carb ingredient that raises blood sugar & potential allergen |
| Wheat gluten | C | Low quality protein |
| Dextrose | D | High carb ingredient made from starch – cats don’t need this |
| Modified rice starch | D | High carb ingredient with no other nutritional benefit |
| Oat fiber | B | Can help improve digestive health for constipation relief |
| Egg whites | A | High quality protein for strength and energy |
| Chicken liver flavor | B | Improves taste, but doesn’t offer any nutritional benefit |
Ingredient Score: 6.5/10
Taste
I’ve tested 4 products from Hill’s Science Diet.
We tested 3 with our cat Oscar, and 1 with Karl.
Oscar had mixed feelings about the foods, not finishing his full meal. However, he did enjoy most of it.
Karl had no troubles with his food, licking his plate clean.
Reviews online are mostly positive.
Here are the results of our taste testing:
- Food Test 1: Hill’s Science Diet tender chicken dinner adult
- Amount eaten: 95%
- Time to finish eating: 8 minutes and 10 seconds
- Food appearance: Gravy texture with authentic meaty chunks
- Smell: No strong smell
Here is a short video of Oscar trying Hill’s Science Diet tender chicken dinner adult:
Here is what Hill’s Science Diet tender chicken dinner adult looks like up close:
- Food Test 2: Hill’s Science Diet tender chicken dinner kitten
- Amount eaten: 80%
- Time to finish eating: 7 minutes and 30 seconds
- Food appearance: Gravy texture with authentic meaty chunks
- Smell: No strong smell
Here is a short video of Oscar trying Hill’s Science Diet tender chicken dinner kitten:
Here is what Hill’s Science Diet tender chicken dinner kitten looks like up close:
Food Test 3: Hill’s Science Diet with beef adult
Amount eaten: 60%
Time to finish eating: 4 minutes and 20 seconds
Food appearance: Gravy corn starch texture with meaty chunks
Smell: Bland smell
Food Test 4: Hill’s Healthy Cuisine Chicken & Rice
Amount eaten: 100%
Time to finish eating: ~3-4 minutes
Food appearance: Mushy, not as much liquid but thicker. Vegetables were soft.
Smell: Lighter smell, more fragrant
Taste Score: 8/10
Value For Money
A touch pricey.
Compared to the average cat food, Hill’s Science Diet wet cat foods are on the mid-high end for price.
Worth it?
Debatable.
Whilst Hill’s are a reliable brand for many and offer great variety, the ingredient quality leaves a little to be desired.
Similarly priced alternatives:
- Tiki Cat After Dark (see review)
- Wellness Core (see review)
- Made By Nacho
Value for Money: 7/10
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hill’s Science Diet Have a Strong Odor?
No.
We tested three wet cat food products from Hill’s Science Diet. All have a neutral odor that isn’t offensive.
Is This Food Good for Picky Eaters?
We got mixed results.
Our cat tester Oscar left some of his food with one choice.
This could be due to the taste, texture, flavor, or carbohydrate content.
Learn More:
Does Hill’s Science Diet Wet Cat Food Contain Real Meat?
Yes.
There’s real meat ingredients in Hill’s Science Diet wet cat food. The food appears as chunks in a gravy, which look appetizing.
Does Science Diet Cat Food Have Fillers?
Yes.
Added filler ingredients in Science Diet wet cat food include:
- Guar gum
- Soybean oil
- Wheat flour
- Wheat gluten
- Dextrose
- Modified rice starch
Filler is a vague term, but I’ll define it as anything cats don’t need.
For example:
Cats don’t need soybean oil. It has omega 6 fatty acids (essential fat), but cats cannot convert it to arachidonic acid (used for inflammatory responses).
Meaning it offers no benefit to cats – and a filler.
An ingredient with a possible benefit isn’t a filler. For example, Hill’s use guar gum, which may help with constipation.
Learn More:
Conclusion
Whilst they boast an impressive variety of products, Hill’s Science Diet is an average cat food.
Their food looks great, with a real meaty chunk texture and a pleasant smell. Our cats enjoyed most products, but had mixed feelings about some.
Our main gripe is the high carb content in the cat foods, which makes it not suited for diabetic cats.
Best for:
- Variety
- Occasional feeding
- Adults (1-7 years) & kittens
Where to find Hill’s Science Diet?
- Amazon
- Chewy
- Pet Circle (Australia)
