Purina Cat Food Brands
Purina is a giant of the pet food world and has one of the widest ranges of cat food products of any brand. This includes several sub-brands, each with its own unique selling point or traits.
But with so many brands to choose from and literally hundreds of potential recipes of dry cat food, wet cat food, and other varieties, it can be hard to make a confident choice.
Below is the list of current Purina brands that sell either dry cat food or wet cat food.
- Purina Pro Plan
- Purina Beyond
- Purina One
- Friskies
- Fancy Feast
- Kit & Kaboodle
- Purina Cat Chow
The variety within the list is huge, with premium brands like Purina Pro Plan selling highly specialized recipes for specific health issues and age groups.
In contrast, other brands like Purina Cat Chow or Friskies compete by selling their products at an extremely competitive price.
Regardless of which Purina brand you choose to go with, you can rest assured that all of the Purina brands and recipes have undergone significant testing and formulation as part of Purina’s huge research and development arm.
Moreover, all of Purina’s cat food recipes are produced at dedicated Purina facilities and are not outsourced to third-party manufacturers like many other brands are.
Best Purina Cat Food
Purina Pro Plan
It should not come as a shock that Purina Pro Plan lands first place in our look at Purina cat food brands.
Purina Pro Plan is well-known throughout the industry as one of the leading brands, thanks to the thousands of hours of research and development that goes into their products.
Their product range is the largest of any Purina brand and includes general-purpose cat food, including dry food and wet food, but also many specialized recipes for different age ranges of cats as well as complex medical and dietary issues.
Their recipes for cats with Urinary Tract issues or Hairballs are some of their most popular specialized recipes and are used by thousands of cat owners every day.
While most Purina brands are generally found at small and larger pet food stores, Purina Pro Plan is unique in that it also be found at many veterinary practices and prescribed by those vets, which gives you even more potential sources for their food.
However, Purina Pro Plan is considered the “premium” Purina brand, and for that reason, it is more expensive than some of the other Purina cat food brands we are going to discuss.
If you’d like more detailed information about Purina Pro Plan, including a deeper dive into their ingredients, nutrition, and recall history, be sure to check out our Purina Pro Plan Brand Review.
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Adult Chicken & Egg Formula Review
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The above Complete Essentials Chicken & Egg recipe could be a great all-around pick for most cats and is one of Purina Pro Plan’s best dry cat food recipes.
This formula utilizes a generous portion of Chicken & Chicken Meal as its core meat ingredients, which ensures that this recipe contains a satisfactory proportion of animal-based protein and fat.
Outside of this Chicken, this formula includes several plant-based ingredients, including Pea Protein, Cassava Root Flour, Pea Starch, and Potato Protein.
While not all of these ingredients are looked upon favorably by the entire industry, Purina Pro Plan supports their use, and they provide the recipe with a mix of carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and fiber.
However, if you are looking for an even more premium dry cat food option from Purina Pro Plan, you may want to consider their LiveClear range, which often includes even more impressive nutrition and unique formulas to help reduce allergens in cat’s hair and dander.
Purina Pro Plan Adult Indoor Hairball Management Salmon & Rice Formula Review
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As we mentioned previously, Purina Pro Plan’s specialized recipes for health issues and dietary restrictions are some of their most popular, including the above Indoor Hairball recipe.
This recipe is custom-built and packed with natural fiber, which Purina Pro Plan believes can help many cats reduce their hairballs.
Even without this feature, the recipe is impressive, thanks to its nutrition and ingredient selection. Salmon is the recipe’s primary ingredient and is present in a large portion.
Salmon is one of the best animal-based ingredients for cats and is packed with high-quality protein and fat, including the beneficial Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
Like most other Purina Pro Plan recipes, this one then uses smaller portions of several grain ingredients like Corn Gluten Meal and Rice to provide a moderate proportion of carbohydrates.
Savor Adult Salmon & Wild Rice Entree Classic Review
Lastly, if your cat prefers wet cat food over dry food or you are looking to provide a mix of the two, the above Salmon & Wild Rice recipe may be a good choice.
Similar to the Hairball recipe, this recipe has Salmon as its first listed ingredient, which shows that there is a substantial portion of Salmon present.
To supplement the portion of Salmon, the recipe from Purina Pro Plan includes smaller portions of Liver, By-Products, and Chicken which, when combined, sum to an impressive minimum of 10% protein and 5% fat.
Despite making the recipe’s name, the portion of Wild Rice present is actually very small, so it only provides a tiny portion of carbohydrates and fiber. This lack of plant material strongly aligns with a cat’s natural obligate carnivore diet.
Purina Beyond
Our second choice from the Purina cat food brands may be one you are either not familiar with at all or far less familiar with.
Purina Beyond is a relatively new Purina brand and has only been available to cat owners for the last few years. However, its lack of history should not cause it to be dismissed, and they offer some impressive recipes at competitive prices.
Purina Beyond is also unique in that it offers organic cat food, which is a relatively new concept. While the organic range from Purina Beyond is small, it will be interesting to see if it grows in the coming years.
To learn more about organic cat food and Purina Beyond’s venture into this space, check out our Best Organic Cat Food article.
Thankfully, Purina Beyond is widely available for purchase throughout the United States and can be found at some large grocery stores like Walmart as well as some larger pet food stores like PetSmart.
Learn more about Purina Beyond, including a more detailed look at its full product range and some of the unique ingredients they use in our Purina Beyond Brand Review.
Grain Free Ocean Whitefish & Egg Review
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The above Whitefish & Egg recipe from Purina Beyond is a great example of how impressive their recipes are, given their price point.
The recipe’s primary ingredients are Hake and Chicken Meal, which are both high-quality sources of protein and fat and well-suited to a cat’s diet.
Thanks to the portion sized used, this recipe includes a minimum of 35% protein and 14% fat which is in line with much more premium recipes.
Outside of these animal-based ingredients, the recipe utilizes a mix of Peas, Tapioca, and other minor plant-based ingredients. These provide cats with a modest portion of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, and fiber.
Grain Free Duck & Sweet Potato Review
For those cats who prefer wet cat food, the above Duck-based recipe from Purina Beyond is sure to appeal to them.
The recipe uses a mix of Duck, Liver, and Fish as its primary animal-based ingredients. This mix of meat and fish ingredients makes up the bulk of the recipe and provides a very satisfactory proportion of protein and fat, coming in at a minimum of 10% protein and 5% fat.
Outside of these ingredients, there is a small portion of Sweet Potatoes and Carrots. Thanks to the small portion size used, these ingredients provide a modest proportion of carbohydrates and fiber and do not overwhelm the recipe with plant-based ingredients.
Purina One
In contrast to Purina Beyond, Purina One is a much more longstanding brand from Purina and has been available to pet owners since the last 1980s.
Purina One is a staple of many of the large pet food stores like PetSmart but is also regularly found on the shelves of several large grocery chains, including Walmart.
While they don’t offer as broad a range of Purina Pro Plan, Purina One still offers some specialized recipes for cats, including recipes for sensitive skin & stomach, indoor cats, and kittens.
Purina One is targeted at a lower price point than both Purina Pro Plan and Purina Beyond, and for that reason, its nutrition and ingredient selection may not be quite as impressive.
However, that doesn’t mean it should be dismissed, and for those cat owners on more of a tighter budget, Purina One is a big step up from many of the low-quality brands available.
If you are interested in learning more about Purina One, we recommend you read our dedicated Purina One Brand Review.
Purina One True Instinct High Protein Whitefish Recipe Review
Purina One’s True Instinct range is their high-protein offering, and given its competitive pricing, it’s a great option for those on a budget to still offer their cats a dry cat food high in animal-based nutrition.
This particular recipe from the True Instinct range utilizes a mix of Ocean Whitefish and Chicken Meal as its primary ingredients, which are both reliable sources.
Whitefish is often given to pets with easily upset stomachs or digestive issues and is seen as more calming than other choices.
On the plant-based side of things, Purina One True Instinct uses several ingredients, including Pea Starch, Tapioca Flour, and Soybeans, to provide the recipe with a mix of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, and fiber.
Purina One Chicken Recipe Premium Review
While Purina One’s dry cat food recipes are generally their most popular products, they do have some impressive wet cat food as well, including the above Chicken Recipe Premium.
While most of Purina One’s competitors would include various grains or other plant-based ingredients in their wet cat food recipes, this recipe only includes animal-based ingredients.
Examples of these animal-based include Chicken, Liver, Pork Lungs, and Trout. While this combination is quite unusual, the nutrition it offers is not, and the combination helps to provide a minimum of 11% protein and 5% fat.
Other Purina Cat Food Brands
You may be wondering why we are cutting our list short at just three Purina cat food brands. Examples of Purina cat food brands we have chosen not to highlight include Purina Cat Chow, Friskies, and Fancy Feast.
While these Purina brands do benefit from the mountain of research and development that the Purina organization executes, the quality of their recipes is poor.
While it is not the case for all recipes from these brands, many contain poor nutrition, high in plant-based protein and carbohydrates, or use questionable ingredients, like unnamed meats and grain by-products.
We highlighted this in detail within our The 8 Worst Cat Foods article, along with several other non-Purina brands.
While the decision ultimately lies with you, we would not recommend you feed your cat these brands unless there are very few other options available.
