My mother received free samples of Smalls Cat Food to test with her 4 cats. Here’s our joined Smalls Cat Food review.
Disclaimer: I earn a commission if you purchase through affiliate links below. No additional cost to you. My mother receives a free Smalls subscription each month in exchange for one social media post.
Get started on a Smalls trial to see what your cat likes the best. Use code CATICLES to get $5 off your first order.
Smalls wet cat food review
Smalls human-grade wet cat food includes the following proteins:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Beef
- Fish (just added)
The bird recipes come in 3 textures: smooth, ground, and pulled. Beef and fish both come in smooth only.
The smooth and ground texture are both similar to pate. And the pulled texture includes shreds and chunks of meat.
Pros of Smalls wet cat food:
- “Recipe” product name = 25-94.9% of the named ingredients
- Meat only in the product name
- Includes specifically-named ingredients: chicken breast, turkey thigh, beef hearts, turkey liver, etc.
- All proteins less than 5% carbs
- Pulled is closer to the natural diet (contains whole chunks of meat)
- Veterinary nutritionists on staff
- Suitable for all life stages (kittens, adults, seniors)
These products will have the most meat in them compared to other wet cat foods labeled “with chicken” or “beef flavor“.
Additionally, it’s great that the product names are “chicken recipe” and “turkey recipe” instead of “chicken and pea recipe” or “turkey and green beans recipe“.
Tip: Check out my cat food label guide if you have no idea what I’m talking about.
I like that Smalls clarifies which protein and cut of meat they use.
For example, “chicken thigh” rather than just “chicken“. “Beef hearts” and “turkey liver” rather than general “meat by-products“.
It’s important that your cat’s food is less than 10% carbs. The lower the better. Thankfully, Smalls actually provides this information.
Other cat food labels do not disclose carb amounts. So you’ll have to use a carb calculator for cat food to figure it out.
Smalls wet cat food is lightly cooked instead of cooked and pressurized like canned food.
It’s much closer to the fresh food that you and I eat.
Chewing on food is great for mental stimulation. So I’d suggest giving the pulled recipes a try.
Chewing on meat chunks is not the same as chewing on raw meaty bones. But chewing on something is better than nothing!
My mother’s cats liked the pulled bird the most. But ultimately, they like all of their wet food options.
Cons of Smalls wet cat food:
- Veggie ingredients
- Canola oil
- Long list of synthetic nutrients
The cons list ingredients would not be necessary if Smalls included more secreting organs, bones, and more protein variety.
However, you will see these cons (and many more) with every type of commercial cat food.
At least the synthetic supplements are also human-grade.
Do I recommend Smalls wet cat food?
I’d recommend Smalls wet cat food if you are currently feeding a mass-produced cheap wet cat food and would like to upgrade.
The pros absolutely outweigh the cons with Smalls wet cat food. Smalls cat food is fresh, human-grade, and lightly cooked with specifically-named meat ingredients.
Smalls wet food also made it on Susan Thixton’s 2023 list. That means they proved that their ingredients are human-grade.
Get started on a Smalls trial to see what your cat likes the best and use code CATICLES to get $5 off your first order.
Note: Smalls freeze-dried raw is not human-grade. Therefore, I would only recommend their fresh wet food.
How does the subscription work?
Tell Smalls about your cat, and they will set up a trial offer for you.
The trial offer will only include their fresh wet foods.
Your Smalls concierge will check in with you via email during week one. Tell Smalls concierge what you’d like to keep and what you don’t need for your full subscription.
Smalls will send you a summary email of your full subscription in week two.
Subscriptions are sent every 2-8 weeks depending on your needs. And they will reach out to you by email before it’s sent so you can make changes if necessary.
Read more on their subscription FAQ page.
What about shipping for Smalls cat food?
Smalls wet cat food is shipped frozen in a corn-based styrofoam cooler along with dry ice. The entire shipping package is 100% recyclable.
Final thoughts on Smalls cat food
Overall, Smalls wet cat food is better than most commercial wet cat foods on the market.
Their fresh wet food is indeed human-grade quality, including supplements.
Not many commercial cat foods can prove that!
I’d recommend Smalls wet cat food to upgrade your cat’s current wet food. Or to offer variety to your cat.
Need help switching foods? Check out my picky cat transition plans!
