Looking for AAFCO approved cat food brands? Sorry, but they don’t exist.
The AAFCO does not approve, test, certify, or endorse pet food.
Instead, they set rules and guidelines for pet food companies to follow when making and labeling products.
Don’t worry. I’ve made it easy for you to choose the best cat food brands that meet AAFCO guidelines.
And these brands are actually healthy.
I’ve learned the hard way over and over again with cats in my life who all ate dry food only. They suffered from diabetes, stroke, liver disease, cancer, obesity, CKD, and the list goes on.
So now it’s my mission to help cat guardians switch to a fresh food diet so their cats can live longer, happier lives!
I’ve included the best brands below based on my experience. However, the best thing you can do is learn how to read cat food labels so you don’t have to rely on me or anyone else to tell you what to feed your cat.
4 best fresh cat food brands that meet AAFCO guidelines:
- Raised Right – Best Wet Cat Food
- Smalls – Best Subscription Wet Cat Food
- Quest Cat Food – Best Freeze-Dried Raw
- Viva Raw – Best Frozen Raw Cat Food
These cat foods are suitable for adults and kittens unless noted otherwise.
Disclaimer: There are affiliate links below. These brands do not sponsor me or pay me to talk about them. However, I do earn a commission on sales if you use my link and discount code. No additional cost to you.
1. Raised Right – Best Wet Cat Food
Raised Right is one of the best quality wet foods with minimal ingredients that you’ll find. This is the closest you’ll get to a home-cooked meal.

- Product name: Chicken Recipe = 25-94.9% chicken
- Meat ingredients: chicken thigh, chicken heart, chicken liver, cod liver oil
- Other ingredients: carrots, organic spearmint, blueberries, eggshell powder, organic dried kelp, flaxseed oil, and two synthetic supplements.
We have specific ingredients and minimal supplements. It would be nice if there were more secreting organs.
However, this product relies heavily on whole foods rather than a long list of synthetic supplements.
I agree that cats would not eat carrots and blueberries in nature. But the carb amount is very low at less than 4% on a dry matter basis. And Raised Right actually provides that information.
Raised Right also tests the food for nutritional analysis, mold, and bacteria. All results are posted on their website.
Buy Raised Right cat food from their website. Use code PETS20 for 20% off your first box.
Raised Right is suitable for adult cats only (no kittens).
2. Smalls – Best Subscription Wet Cat Food
Smalls lightly cooked fresh wet food is a great option for busy cat parents. My mom’s 4 cats enjoy a free subscription to Smalls every month.

- Product name: Chicken Recipe = 25-94.9% chicken (other protein options are comparable)
- Meat ingredients: chicken, chicken liver
- Other ingredients: green beans, water, dried yeast, kale, dandelion greens, kelp, cod liver oil, and a long list of synthetic supplements
Unfortunately, there are inappropriate ingredients and a long list of synthetic supplements.
But the quality of the ingredients is much better than most commercial cat foods since it’s human-grade quality (including the supplements).
And most commercial cat foods have inappropriate ingredients and synthetic supplements anyway. So might as well feed better quality.
There’s no escaping these cons until you feed homemade cat food!
Smalls also has freeze-dried puffs which can be helpful if your cat is eating dry food right now. You can use the puffs as treats and food toppers to help your cat get used to eating healthier ingredients slowly. This will help you switch to the wet food successfully!
Buy Smalls from their website and get $10 off your first trial purchase with my link.
3. Quest Cat Food – Best Freeze-Dried Raw
Quest freeze-dried raw cat food is a prey formulation that relies solely on whole foods to complete the diet.

- Product name: Beef Recipe = 25-94.9% beef
- Meat ingredients: ground beef, beef hearts, beef kidney, beef liver, ground beef bone
- Other ingredients: raw goat milk, flaxseed, inulin, dried kelp, chia seeds, organic coconut oil, ground eggshell
This is one of the best ingredient lists you will find when it comes to commercial cat food.
Additionally, the formulator Steve Brown has been formulating pet food for decades.
Freeze-dried raw is helpful when you’re transitioning to raw. It’s very easy to portion and serve.
If your cat only wants dry food you can try offering freeze-dried bits as is. Then slowly rehydrate gradually each day to help your cat get used to it.
Buy Quest Cat Food from their website. Use code JESSCATICLES for 20% off.
4. Viva Raw – Best Frozen Raw Cat Food
Viva Raw is the best choice for complete ground frozen raw. They have excellent protein variety and use whole food ingredients to complete the meal.

- Product name: Rabbit = 95%+ rabbit
- Meat ingredients: rabbit with ground bone, rabbit liver, rabbit kidney, rabbit lung, rabbit heart, chilean mussels, oyster meat
- Other ingredients: organic psyllium husk, organic egg yolk, fish oil, taurine, cod liver oil, organic Islandic kelp, nutritional yeast, vitamin E, manganese proteinate
They include the typical meat ingredients you will find in raw foods. Their rabbit and beef also include kidney which is an excellent addition to raw meals. Rabbit also includes lung.
Most of the other ingredients are whole foods. With a few additional supplements to make the diet complete.
Viva Raw has turkey, chicken, beef, rabbit, and duck. They also come out with seasonal proteins throughout the year to change things up.
Buy Viva Raw Complete from their website and use code JESSCATICLES to get 60% off your first 10-lb sampler or get 20% on your first non-sampler order.
Final thoughts on AAFCO approved cat food brands
Again, AAFCO does not approve cat food brands. It’s up to us as the cat parent to learn how to read labels properly so we know what to feed our cats.
This list includes the best and healthiest foods that meet AAFCO nutritional guidelines. I’m only including fresh food options because our cats need high moisture, high protein, and low carb food to survive and thrive.
Need help switching to your cat’s new food? Check out my switch your cat from kibble to raw next! You can still use this guide if you’re switching to a fresh wet food.
