The 25 Best Low-Carb Cat Foods

Low-carb cat foods contain a smaller percentage of carbohydrates than some more traditional cat foods. As obligate carnivores, cats only require a very small amount of carbohydrates in their diet, and a very high percentage of protein. Perhaps your cat has been recommended a low-carb diet by your veterinarian, for instance of they have diabetes. You may also want to try feeding them a low-carb cat food in order to mimic their natural diet more closely.

We reviewed dozens of low-carb cat foods to identify the best of the best. We looked at features including the percentage of each ingredient, if there were any unnecessary fillers added, and what sort of rating the food received from Amazon users.

Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food

Made with fresh, baked meat and superfoods, this low-carb dried cat food is nutrient rich.

As our top pick, we selected the Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food. This is a real meat-based food uses baked meats and superfoods (like pumpkin and flaxseed) for optimal health. The combination of nutritious oils like salmon oil and lack of starch make it an excellent choice as a low-carb option for your cat.

In This Article

The 5 Top-Rated Low-Carb Cat Foods

Editor's Picks	Brand	Rating
Best Overall	Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food	4.0
Runner Up	Tiki Cat Aloha Friends Low-Carb Wet Cat Food	3.8
Best Budget Buy	Dr. Tim's Premium All Natural Dry Cat Food	4.8
Best Low-Carb Wet Cat Food	Crave High Protein Wet Cat Food	4.0
Best Low-Carb Dry Cat Food	Ketogenic Pet Foods Low-Carb Natural Cat Food	4.8

*Ratings are from Amazon at time of publication and can change

Our Top Pick: Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food

Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food

Made with fresh, baked meat, this low-carb dried cat food is nutrient rich.

Our choice for the best low-carb cat food overall is the Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food. Typically, dry cat foods can contain a higher percentage of carbohydrate than is ideal, but that’s not the case with this brand. A blend of high protein and low carbs is achieved through the use of baked meats and superfoods including pumpkin and flaxseed. It never contains potatoes, corn, rice, or wheat.

Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food comes in several flavors, including Chicken, Chicken & Fish Luau, Fish Luau, Chicken & Egg Luau, and Turkey & Peas Luau. There’s also a formulation designed for kittens, as well as a low-calorie option if your veterinarian has recommended that your cat follow a calorie-restricted diet. This dry cat food is baked, not extruded. This means it’s possible to lock in flavor, while preserving the nutrient content of the ingredients used.

Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food Key Features:

Meets AAFCO nutritional guidelines
No by-products or fillers
Available in 4 flavors

Our Runner Up Pick: Tiki Cat Aloha Friends Low-Carb Wet Cat Food

Tiki Cat Aloha Friends Low-Carb Wet Cat Food

This low-carb cat food contains a blend of tuna and pumpkin to provide a low-carb, high-protein meal

Our Runner Up Pick is the Tiki Cat Aloha Friends Low-Carb Wet Cat Food. This nutrient rich cat food has a high moisture content, as well as real tuna as the first ingredient. Available in either cans or pouches, the complete and balanced nutrition profile of this food means you can feed this food with confidence.

The pumpkin within this wet cat food offers a gentle source of fiber, while still keeping the carbohydrate level low. Reviewers on Amazon loved that the high moisture content of this feed helps keep their cats well hydrated. Cats also seem to love the flavor of this food!

Tiki Cat Aloha Friends Low-Carb Wet Cat Food Key Features:

Ideal for all life stages
Available in 6 flavors
AAFCO certified

Best Budget Pick: Dr. Tim’s Premium All Natural Dry Cat Food

Dr Tim's Premium All Natural Dry Cat Food

This high protein, low-carb dry cat food contains fish oils for healthy heart and brain function.

As our Budget Pick, we selected Dr Tim’s Premium All Natural Dry Cat Food. This high protein, low-carb mix has meat as the first ingredient, and also contains fish oils to help with heart health and brain function. With low ash meat proteins, low magnesium levels, and methionine, it also helps your feline friend maintain acidic urine to promote urinary health. It also has a unique fiber combination which can help to boost immunity and aid in preventing hairballs.

Reviewers on Amazon commented that their cats loved this dry food, and the fact that it doesn’t contain many fillers means that their cats seem to stay fuller, for longer.

Dr. Tim’s Premium All Natural Dry Cat Food Key Features:

Suitable for all life stages
Contains no artificial colors or preservatives
DHA and EPA from ocean fish oil for heart and brain function

Best Low-Carb Wet Cat Food: Crave High Protein Chicken Pate Wet Cat Food

Crave High Protein Chicken Pate Wet Cat Food

This high protein wet cat food has real chicken as the first ingredient.

As our choice for the best low-carb wet cat food, we selected the Crave High Protein Chicken Pate Wet Cat Food. This choice contains no corn, wheat, or soy. Each tray in this multi-pack of 12 is split into 2 servings, meaning you can easily keep the other serving fresh until it’s needed.

Reviewers on Amazon comment that their cats love the taste of this wet cat food, with the added bonus that it seems to satisfy them more than some of the other options out there. This wet cat food also contains a blend of vitamins and minerals, designed to keep your cat in the best of health.

Crave High Protein Chicken Pate Wet Cat Food Key Features:

No by-products
Available in 5 flavors
Handy, two serving tray design

Best Low-Carb Dry Cat Food: Ketogenic Pet Foods Low-Carb Natural Cat Food

Ketogenic Pet Foods Low-Carb Natural Cat Food

This low-carb, high-protein cat food is based around the natural diet of your cat.

The Ketogenic Pet Foods Low-Carb Natural Cat Food has meat as its first ingredient, as well as a high proportion of nutritious oils, and macronutrients. The formulation exceeds the nutritional levels specified by the AAFCO. This cat food also contains a blend of vitamins designed to keep your cat in the best of health.

Reviewers on Amazon were very pleased with the meat content of this cat food, as well as the fact it contains no fillers. It can be used both as a topper on your cat’s normal feed, or fed on its own.

Ketogenic Pet Foods Low-Carb Natural Cat Food Key Features:

Available in beef, salmon, and chicken flavors
Made in the USA
Freeze dried formula

Who Should Buy Low-Carb Cat Food

There’s a wide range of reasons why you might decide that a low-carb diet might suit your cat better than their existing diet. Put simply, a low-carb diet simply suits cats natural requirements better – their digestive systems are designed to function on a very high percentage of protein, and a low percentage of carbohydrate.

If your cat has been diagnosed as having diabetes, a low-carb, low-fiber diet has been shown to help them revert to being non-insulin dependent. Your vet may well recommend a low-carb diet as a result.

Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food

Made with fresh, baked meat and superfoods, this low-carb dried cat food is nutrient rich.

Important Features to Consider

Low-Carb cat food should have a few important features. Here’s what to consider when selecting the best low-carb food for your kitty:

Ingredients. Make sure you check the list of ingredients before you make your choice. In order to provide a high level of protein, and low level of carbohydrates, meat should be listed as the first ingredient.
By-products and fillers. These ingredients have little to no nutritional value. Some manufacturers add them to cat food in order to bulk them out. Things to watch out for include ash, meat by-products, corn, and wheat.
Nutritional analysis. Before you buy a new brand of cat food, get into the habit of checking the label. A low-carb cat food should have a protein content of around 50 – 60%, and a carbohydrate content of up to 12%.
AAFCO Nutrient Profiles. This is the Association of American Feed Control Officials. This organization publishes recommended percentages of each nutrient. It’s a good idea to check any cat food you’re interested in against their recommendations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is low-carb cat food?

A low-carb cat food contains a very small percentage of carbohydrate. Some cat foods will mention this in their description, while with others you can simply take a look at the nutrient breakdown on the label. A low-carb cat food is considered to have a percentage of up to 12% carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates in cat food are usually found as grains, potatoes, and legumes. These are especially common in dry food, as starch is required to bind the kibble together. While cats can digest these carbohydrates, they don’t need them in order to stay healthy.

How do you calculate carbs in cat food?

Any cat food manufacturer will have already calculated the amount of carbs in their brand of cat food, Make sure you check the label, as this will give you all the information you need. Look for a carbohydrate percentage of somewhere below 12%. The lower the percentage, the lower the amount of carbohydrates!

Are carbs bad for cats?

Cats don’t need carbohydrates in their diet in order to remain healthy. If your cats food has a high percentage of carbohydrates, and they lead a sedentary lifestyle, they may be at risk of developing diabetes, or becoming obese. Given the choice, most cats will self-select a low-carb food.

Does my cat need low-carb cat food?

If you want to feed your cat a food which more closely mirrors the nutrient profile they would eat in the wild, then you may decide to switch your cat food to a brand which is lower in carbohydrates.

If you’re away from home a lot during the day, and want to make sure your cat is receiving their full ration in a few small meals throughout the day, you might want to read our review of the best automatic cat feeders.

If your cat has diabetes, or is obese, then your veterinarian may recommend a low-carb diet to help improve their symptoms.

Other Low-Carb Cat Foods We Reviewed

Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Low-Carb Dry Cat Food

Made with fresh, baked meat and superfoods, this low-carb dried cat food is nutrient rich.

We looked at 20 other low-carb cat foods. Even though they didn’t make our 5 best low-carb cat foods, they’re the best of the rest and each is still a great option for your cat. The information you’ll need to compare each one is included with the listing.

Low-Carb Wet Cat Foods
Low-Carb Dry Cat Foods
Low-Carb Cat Treats
Low-Carb Specialty Cat Foods

Low-Carb Wet Cat Foods

Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet Natural Adult Flaked Wet Cat Food

This food contains a high percentage of real, protein-rich meat.

Key Features:

Available in 3 flavors
Free from corn, soy, wheat, and artificial colors or flavors
Includes antioxidant rich fruit and vegetables

Cost: $22

Ketogenic Pet Foods Variety Pack

This multipack option of our Top Pick provides a variety of low-carb flavors for your cat to enjoy.

Key Features:

Exceeds nutritional levels set by AAFCO
Includes nutritious oils and micronutrients
3 flavors

Cost: $120

Lily’s Kitchen Proper Cat Food

This 6-pack of certified organic wet cat food contains 60% meat.

Key Features:

Grain-free
No colors, preservatives, or artificial ingredients
Turkey flavor

Cost: $28

Purebites Mixers Wild Skipjack Tuna Wet Cat Food

This contains 100% pure wild tuna in water.

Key Features:

Designed to be used as a mixer
Carbohydrate free
Ideal for diabetic cats

Cost: $12

Whole Earth Farms Turkey Recipe Wet Cat Food

This pate style wet cat food is cooked in the USA.

Key Features:

Protein as the first ingredient
Grain free
12 cans per pack

Cost: $36

Low-Carb Dry Cat Foods

Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Natural Adult Dry Cat Food

This high-protein dry cat food contains LifeSource bits – a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals developed by Blue Wilderness in order to support the immune system of your cat.

Key Features: