It could be very hard to pick out the best cat food out there. Stores’ shelves are full of different canned cat foods which are claimed to have all the good things pivotal for cat’s welfare and health. We are able to choose among a variety of dry and wet canned foods with different sauces, seasonings, and types of meat.
However, how well are we reading the labels and are we picky enough when it comes to the food we feed our pets? ‘’Best cat food for healthy skin and coat’’ list will do this for you! We have chosen some of the best cat foods that have received good reviews by a substantial number of customers that will please your pet both taste – wise and nutrient – wise.
| Product | Royal Canin® Feline Care Nutrition™ Hair & Skin Care Adult dry cat food | Hill's Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Dry Cat Food | Missing Link 1-Pound Well Blend Nutritional Supplement for Dogs and Cats | 9 Lives Daily Essentials Dry Cat Food | Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Rice Adult Cat Food | Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Dry Cat Food |
| Brand | Royal Canin | Hill | Missing Link | 9 Lives | Pro Plane | Nature |
| Size | 3.5 pounds | 7 pounds | 5 pounds | 12 pounds | 16 pounds | 5.1 pounds |
| Aimed Type | All Types | All Types | All Types | Indoor Cats | All Types | All Types |
| Contains minerals, vitamins, amino acids, no artificial colors | Correct | Correct | Correct | Has the color | Correct | Correct |
| No chicken by-product meal | Correct | Correct | Correct | Has chicken by- products | Correct | Correct |
| Rating | 37 customer reviews, 5/5 stars | 511 customer reviews, 4.5 stars | 157 customer reviews, 4.5 stars | 197 customer reviews, 4.5 stars | 154 customer reviews, 4.5 stars | 155 customer reviews, 4.5 stars |
Royal Canin® Feline Care Nutrition™ Hair & Skin Care Adult dry cat food
Royal Canin is a company that has been meeting all the needs of your cat as its task. They offer a wide range of products that will suit different preferences. By tending to pick only the ingredients with the best nutritional value, Royal Canin is the most secure option when it comes to your cat’s care.
Royal Canin Feline Care Nutrition Hair and Skin Care Adult dry cat food have an exclusive complex of nutrients such as vitamin B, omega-3, and omega-6 that are guaranteed to improve the quality of your cat’s skin and fur within 21 days. Constituents of the product are very well balanced and highly digestible which supports the easier distribution of amino acids throughout skin and hair, securing their glossy look. Not only will this product promote a healthy look of feline’s fur and skin but it will also strengthen their role as a barrier between your cat and bad outside influences.
Reviews by different customers confirm the effectiveness of this product. They claim the food helped reduce dandruff and feline spots. It didn’t really help with fur shedding though, but it still retains its high ranking among different cat foods because it guarantees healthiness and blinding shine of your pet’s fur.
Royal Canin Feline Care Nutrition Hair and Skin Care Adult dry cat food, like any other food, should not be given to your pets too suddenly. At first, mix this with regular food you’ve been giving to your cat until you switch to it completely. This process of transition should last from 7-10 days, depending on how your cat reacts to the food. Different cat sizes require different portions: cats weighing 3-4 kilograms should be given between 40-50 grams while cats weighing 5-6 kilograms should be given somewhere between 59 and 63 grams.
Pros:
- No artificial ingredients
- Tastes pleasantly
- Has a combination of everything your cat needs: fats, acids, proteins
Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Dry Cat Food
Hill is also one of the leading companies on the market that work towards your pets’ benefits. It tends to use only high-end products in the manufacturing process so as to elicit the best and most effective results from the food constituents that will give your pet a long lasting shine.
Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Dry Cat Food is additive-free food that is easily digestible. This will hasten the distribution of healthy acids, fats and proteins throughout the body which will eventually lead to healthy skin and fur of your cat. It has clinically proven antioxidant properties enhanced by vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids that will coat your cat’s fur with glistening beauty. It is suitable for cats of all ages and guarantees success. You can purchase this product in 3 different sizes: 3.5-pound, 7-pound, and 15.5-pound.
If you’re introducing your cat to this food for the first time it is the best to start with smaller amounts until you can give whole meals made of Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Dry Cat Food. This process can last around 7 days but remember to consult your vet prior to giving this food to your furry friend. The dosage should be the following: 1/3 to 3/8 cup per 5 pounds of body weight per day; 1/2 to 3/4 cup per 10 pounds of body weight per day; 3/4 to 1 cup per 15 pounds of body weight per day.
The benefits of this product don’t end just at the point of skin care. It is also claimed to fix digestive problems and reduce the inconveniences caused by fur balls. Therefore, we couldn’t find any bad sides to the product and we highly recommend it along with 511 customers that rated the food with the average grade of 4.5 stars.
Pros:
- Natural ingredients
- Has vitamin B and omega-3
- No poultry by-products
- Has additional benefits (fixes the digestive system)
Missing Link 1-Pound Well Blend Nutritional Supplement for Dogs and Cats
This product has been given credit by 157 customers on Amazon and has an average grade of 4.5 stars. It on our list because it will alleviate all the skin issues your cat has and will repair the skin and fur quality.
A package of 1lb of this product will give you around 60 days’ supply of this super food. It has essential vitamins and omega-3 and omega-6 incorporated in it that will endow your pet with gleam it has never had before. Probiotics and dietary fibers found in the product will help your cat’s digestive system which means the end of hard stools and discomfort. Flaxseed oil, omega-3, and glucosamine are just some of the ingredients that will boost your cat’s overall health which will be reflected on its skin and fur.
Due to the high fiber content of this product, start giving it to your pet gradually until it completely adjusts to the full dosage after a maximum of 2 weeks. The dosage should be measured according to the weight of the dog. For example, a pet of no more than 5lbs should be given ¼ of a teaspoon of the product while the ones weighing up to 12lbs should eat ¾ of a teaspoon daily.
The content of Missing Link 1-Pound Well Blend Nutritional Supplement for Dogs and Cats is pretty much sand-like and this tells us that it should be given as a supplement, not as a whole meal. Different pet owners boast about the look of their cat’s skin and fur as well as the disappearance of some skin issues, redness, and itching. The only disadvantage that is reported in regard to this product is the bad breath it could sometimes cause.
Pros:
- Full of fibers, healthy fats, and vitamins
- Diminishes itching, redness, skin issues
- Repairs skin and coat
- Safe ingredients
Cons:
- Bad breath
9 Lives Daily Essentials Dry Cat Food
9Lives plays a major role in animal care in general. Not only do they strive to find solutions to better nutrition of your pets but they also fight for finding shelter for all animals. 9 Lives Daily Essentials Dry Cat Food is just one of the fruits of their hard work and it will amaze you with its versatile use and effectiveness.
This product is especially aimed at indoor cats. It has a perfect balance of nutrients that will keep your cat in shape. The omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins from the product will make your cat’s coat brim with healthiness. This food also has proteins that will help the muscle growth and taurine that will support its vision. This salmon/beef/chicken flavored product will also support your pet’s heart health which will save it from strokes and seizures.
The frequency and the amount of food you should give to your cat depend on its activity and age. Kittens under the age of 1 and weighing no more than 3lbs should have ¼ – ¾ cups per day moistened with water 3-4 times a day. Once the kitten passes the limit of 3lbs you should give it ¾ cups of the product a day and add a quarter of a cup for each lb over 3lbs. Adult cats that are aged 1 year or more should usually be given ½ – 1 cup per day if they weigh no more than 9lbs. Cats that have up to 14 lbs should take 1-1 ½ cup a day while pregnant and nursing cats should be fed on this 2-4 times the regular amount required for adult cats. Make sure you consult the veterinarian before you give the food to your pet and don’t forget to avoid making any abrupt changes to your cat’s diet as its sensitive digestive system could cause some unprecedented reactions.
The fault we found in the product is that it contains some ingredients which are not usually welcomed if you ask any vet. These are soy, additives, color and chicken by-products for example. So does this mean you shouldn’t give this to your cat? We advise you to give this food to your cat in order to fix the health problems it has, but in the meanwhile, try to find healthier options. When you do that you can add the 9 Lives product along with the healthier option so you can achieve perfect balance. In the end, this product still has much more good vitamins (B1, B2, A, E) as well as calcium and minerals which are valuable to your pet and take precedence over the unhealthy ingredients.
Pros:
- Keeps eyesight healthy
- Contributes to strong muscles
- Contributes to shiny fur and healthy skin
Cons:
- Contains elements such as color and chicken by-products for example which are usually nor desirable
Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Rice Adult Cat Food
One hundred and fifty-four customers said this product worked for their pets and gave it high marks. Some of their reports say you’ll see an improvement after 2 months in terms of fur and overall health. It is also said to deal efficiently with food allergies that cats are usually susceptible to.
The formula is made of easily digestible oat and rice. It is also high in proteins (40% of proteins). The number one ingredient of the product is real lamb. Other ingredients include chicken, beef and soy meal, zinc, vitamins E, C and B12, calcium, omega-3, omega-6 and many other minerals that contribute to the perfect nutritional balance which will give some gloss to your cat’s fur and help its digestion.
We would like to stress the fact that you should accustom your cat to the new food naturally. By each day give it less of its regular food and more of the Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Rice Adult Cat Food. Within the course of 7 days, ou can mix the 2 foods and finally rely on a new one when you are assured that your cat likes it and shows no unwanted side-effects instigated by the new food. The amount of food you’ll give to the pet depends on its size: cats weighing 5-9 pounds should be given 31-62 grams of the product.
Some customers find the ingredients of the product low-quality because they do not see such a big improvement in their cat’s overall health. However, this remark should be taken with caution as this food (like any food out there) has different effects on different cat varieties.
Pros:
- Made of easily digestible food
- Will improve the quality of hair
- Will help easy intestinal tract
Cons:
- Low quality ingredients (the remark is questionable though!)
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
This food is created to mirror the way cats would eat in nature and how they did it in ancient days. It is made of grain-free kibble plus freezes dried raw pieces together. This will give your cat energy and vitality which are all parts of resilience and high stamina that will show through the skin and fur.
The product is grain-free because cat’s diet should naturally be composed of animal proteins such as meat and poultry. Vegetables and fruits in it also have nutrients worthy of eating because they’ll give your cat special vitamins and minerals that will boost your cat’s immune and cognitive system. It is also important that this food is raw because, in natural habitat, our cat’s diet would consist of bones, meat, organs, and fat. Basically, raw food will give your pet vitamins minerals, enzymes, proteins and acids that provide optimal health for your pet on a holistic level. The ingredients from this food that helps cat’s skin and fur the most are the omega-3 and omega-6 acids. Instinct Raw Boost also has probiotics that promote smooth digestion and antioxidants that are responsible for the strength of the immune system.
The way you should feed this food to your cat varies with its age, size, and activity. The following would be some general advice, but be sure to consult your vet first. Adult Maintenance: 5lbs – ½ cup, 10 lbs – ¾ cup, 15lbs – 1 ¼ cups, 16+lbs – 1 ¼ + cups; weight Loss: 5 lbs – ¼ cup, 10 lbs – ½ cup, 15 lbs – ¾ cup, 16+ lbs – ¾+ cup. Kittens should be fed twice the amount that would be given to adults while nursing/pregnant cat should take 3 times the amount.
Vets always stress that you introduce new foods to your pets gradually over the period of 5-7 days which is exactly what you should do with this product. Any abrupt change in their diet could lead to unexpected reactions.
The single flaw some customers found in the product is the inconsistency of a number of raw bites they get with each bag. Sometimes it is just 10 – 20% of a whole bag and sometimes it is 95 per cent. This means that your cat won’t have the same amount of meat each time you buy this. Still, on a general note, this product is great because of the variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as proteins and healthy fatty acids that will please your cat which is why we highly suggest buying it.
Pros:
- Makes skin healthy
- Makes the fur glow
- Helps digestive system
- Boosts immune system
Cons:
- Inconsistency with the amount of raw meats
Buyer’s guide
We have several tips for our buyers when it comes to searching for cat food. The first thing you should do is to confirm that the product is approved by a relevant association. Cat’s diet requirements differ with age. This is why you should read the ‘’life stage’’ column and see which life phase the food is intended for. You should also consider whether you need food for specific medical conditions or food that’ll just keep your cat’s health at an optimal level.
There are some foods aimed at weight loss, diabetes, urinary problems and improving skin and fur condition. The ingredients of the food are crucial. Therefore, you should pick out foods that have animal derived ingredients. It should also contain arachidonic acid, arginine, linoleic acid, retinyl palmitate or acetate and taurine. There are 3 types of cat foods among which you can choose: dry, canned and semi-moist.
Dry food usually comes in plastic jugs. The good side of dry food is that it doesn’t need to be in the refrigerator. Also, you can put the food in the pot for the cat and it can choose to eat it whenever it wants. Unfortunately, dry foods could sometimes cause digestion problems which mean we should think twice about which food we give to our cats, especially the ones with super sensitive tummies.
Canned food is wet. It needs refrigeration and set times of meals. Semi-moist food comes packaged in pouches and doesn’t need refrigeration. However, it does dry out pretty quickly if you open it and it is left uneaten. It is also vital that you choose the food that your cat likes. Try to see how your cat reacts to different flavors but be careful not to give it too much of it because it could cause the cat to be overweight.
Sometimes cats enjoy only dry food and sometimes they like dry and wet food being mixed, which means you are free to do little experiments with your vet’s guidance until you find the type of food your cat likes and benefits from the most.
