Some cats live indoors for various reasons and although they don’t get the same opportunities as outdoor cats, pet owners need to ensure they find the best indoor cat food to keep their moggy happy. Indoor cats are sometimes known for not being as active as their outdoor friends and tend to eat more as they have more access to cat food. In other words, they know exactly how to get what they want from their pet parents.
However, indoor cats are less likely to contract any diseases as they don't hunt and don't have access to potential poisons and infections. Some breeds of indoor cats, like British Shorthair and Ragdolls, are prone to having sensitive tummies, allergies or food intolerances that can develop over time from giving them the same foods and ingredients. Luckily, there are allergy-sensitive cat food for your moggy.
Best indoor cat food at a glance
• Best overall indoor cat food: PURINA ONE Adult Mini Fillets Selection - View at VioVet
• Best budget indoor cat food: Go Cat Adult Indoor Dry Cat Food Chicken and Veg - View on Amazon UK
• Best dry indoor cat food: Purina ONE Dry Adult Cat Food in Chicken - View at Pets at Home
• Best wet indoor cat food: Lily's Kitchen Shredded Fillets Multipack - View at Lily's Kitchen
As well as providing extra enrichment to your indoor cat to keep them entertained and access to a freshwater supply or a cat fountain, it is so important to provide your indoor cat with the best food that suits them and their needs. In this guide, we bring you a variety of indoor cat food on the market and answer all the questions you have about feeding your feline, from breed-specific pet food to food that is gentle on their insides. Not forgetting the ultimate question: wet or dry cat food - which is best?
Best cat food for indoor cats UK
Best overall indoor cat food
www.viovet.co.uk
If your indoor cat devours wet food, Purina ONE Adult Mini Fillets will offer them variety, as the huge pack offers four different flavours including Chicken and Ocean Fish. Purina food is created by vets and nutritionists and combines high-quality nutrition with great taste. Great for cats who gobble up all their dinner and wake you up in the early hours for more.
Customer review: "My both fussy cats really really love this wet food. Especially sachets with chicken have a lot of tasty gravy which my cats love so much. Fillets are soft and easy to digest and don't stink! Perfect for fussy cats."
Pros
- Great variety of protein
- Made by vets and nutritionists
- Good for fussy cats
Cons
- Some cats may prefer dry food
| Size: | 40 x 85 g pouches |
| Flavour: | Various - including beef and carrots, chicken and green beans, lamb and carrots, ocean fish and green beans |
| Ingredients: | Meat and animal derivatives, vegetable protein extracts, vegetables (5% from dried green beans), fish and fish derivatives (of which ocean fish 4%), derivatives of vegetable origin, minerals, oils and fats, various sugars. |
| Suitability: | Adult cats |
| Preparation: | Wet food |
Best food that is catered to indoor cats
www.petsathome.com
This Royal Canin Indoor 27 Dry Adult Cat Food has been created with your indoor cat in mind. As well as being tasty, this food helps to stimulate the clearance of ingested hair (indoor cats spend hours grooming themselves), stool odour reduction and the maintenance of a healthy weight. Can be used alongside Royal Canin wet food.
Customer review: "I have 4 indoor cats who have always had a good diet, but one of my females cats was overweight due to being very inactive ( lazy nature) so I needed to control her diet as she would eat any left overs from the other cats. All 4 cats are now on this food, my overweight cats weight has came down ..and all of the others enjoy this food as well and eat it all. Good value for money with the 10kg bag."
Pros
- Improves toilet habits
- Stays fresh when kept airtight
- Great for cats with allergies
Cons
- Only one flavour
| Size: | 10 kg |
| Flavour: | Chicken |
| Ingredients: | Dehydrated poultry protein, rice, wheat, maize, vegetable protein isolate*, animal fats, hydrolysed animal proteins, wheat flour, vegetable fibres, beet pulp, yeasts and parts thereof, soya oil, minerals, fructo-oligo-saccharides, fish oil, psyllium husks and seeds (0,5%). |
| Suitability: | Suitable for indoor adult cats from 1-7 years old |
| Preparation: | Dry |
Best breed-specific indoor cat food
www.petsathome.com
Some breeds of cats have different quirks and needs. This Royal Canin Feline Breed Maine Coon Dry Adult Cat Food is made and created with Maine Coons in mind and helps support good dental hygiene and maintain healthy cardiac function. As well as Maine Coons, Royal Canin has food specially formulated to breeds such as British Shorthair, Sphynx, Ragdoll and Norweigan Forest.
Customer review: "Both cats eat this, but one in particular, who seems to really like it."
Pros
- Catered with breeds in mind
- Helps to support good oral hygiene
- Easy to store in your home
Cons
- Only for a specific breed
| Size: | 2 kg |
| Flavour: | Poultry |
| Ingredients: | Dehydrated poultry protein, rice, maize, animal fats, maize gluten, vegetable protein isolate*, vegetable fibres, hydrolysed animal proteins, beet pulp, minerals, fish oil, soya oil, psyllium husks and seeds, yeasts and parts thereof, fructo- oligo-saccharides, hydrolysed yeast (source of manno-oligo- saccharides), borage oil, hydrolysed crustaceans (source of glucosamine), marigold extract (source of lutein), hydrolysed cartilage (source of chondroitin). |
| Suitability: | Suitable for adult Maine Coon cats over 15 months old |
| Preparation: | Dry |
Best budget indoor cat food
Go Cat Adult Indoor Dry Cat Food Chicken and Veg is specially formulated to meet the needs of your indoor moggy. This means that the food is made to help your cat maintain a healthy weight thanks to an adapted energy intake, help support a healthy digestion thanks to fibres from natural sources, reduce litter odour as it includes chicory and help to reduce the formation of hairballs, thanks to Beet Pulp.
Customer review: "Being specially designed for indoor cats I was expecting this food to be worse than it was. I had tried the food for neutered cats and did not like its effect on my cats, this one however is brilliant, my cats love it and it keeps the smells in the litter box minimised! I do wish the larger bags with Salmon were more available as they preferred that one but I have no complaints over this food and neither do my cats! Never a crumb left and keeps them looking amazing."
Pros
- Great to buy in bulk
- Different flavours available
- Fibres help support digestion
Cons
- Fussy eaters may turn their noses up
| Size: | 2 kg |
| Flavour: | Poultry and vegetables |
| Ingredients: | Cereals Meat and Animal Derivatives (10%*) Vegetable Protein Extracts Oils and Fats Derivatives of Vegetable Origin (0.2% Dried Parsley equivalent to 1% Parsley) Vegetables (2% Dried Chicory and 0.2% Dried Peas equivalent to 1% Peas) Minerals and Yeasts *Equivalent to 20% Rehydrated Meat and Animal Derivatives, with a minimum 4% Chicken Cereals |
| Suitability: | Adult cats |
| Preparation: | Dry |
Best dry indoor cat food
www.petsathome.com
Indoor cats and certain breeds are more susceptible to sensitive tummies so this Purina ONE Dry Adult Cat Food in Chicken is a great choice for simple but tasty cat food. The dry kibble is made with no added colours, no added artificial flavours and no added artificial preservatives so you won't need to worry about any hidden nasties. The chicken flavour of this food is also great for fussy eaters.
Customer review: "Excellent my cat will not eat any other biscuit."
Pros
- Helps to keep skin and coat in glowing health
- Great mixed with wet food - for a variety
- A good source of protein and amino acids
Cons
- Not suitable for kittens
| Size: | 800g - 3kg |
| Flavour: | Chicken |
| Ingredients: | Chicken (including bone, meat, skin) (17%), dried poultry protein, wheat (16%), corn, soya meal, wheat gluten, animal fats, corn protein meal, dried chicory root (2%), corn grits, minerals, digest (with added heat treated Lactobacillus Delbrueckii and Fermentum powder 0.025%), yeast. |
| Suitability: | Suitable for Adult Cats aged 1 year and older |
| Preparation: | Dry |
Best wet indoor cat food
www.lilyskitchen.co.uk
These Lily's Kitchen Shredded Fillets Multipack recipes are made with natural ingredients, no added sugars, and of course, no grains. It’s also complete, which means this food has everything your cat needs - with flavours like Simply Chicken, Chicken with Mussel, Tuna with Salmon and Chicken with Ham. Plus, made with proper meat and fish, the Lily's Kitchen is a grain-free recipe.
Pros
- Made with natural ingredients
- Grain-free for sensitive tummies
- High-protein chicken and fish
Cons
- None we can think of!
| Size: | 32 x 70g Multipack |
| Flavour: | Chicken, chicken and ham, chicken and mussel, tuna and salmon |
| Ingredients: | Simply Chicken: Freshly Prepared Chicken (50%), Chicken Broth (45%), Sunflower Oil, Minerals, Tapioca, Tuna Oil; Chicken with Ham: Freshly Prepared Chicken (45%), Freshly Prepared Ham (3%), Chicken Broth (47%), Sunflower Oil, Minerals, Tapioca, Tuna Oil; Chicken with Mussel: Freshly Prepared Chicken (45%), Freshly Prepared Mussels 3%, Chicken Broth 47%, Sunflower Oil, Minerals, Tapioca, Tuna Oil; Tuna with Salmon: Freshly Prepared Tuna (47%), Freshly Prepared Salmon 4%, Tuna Broth (47%), Sunflower Oil, Minerals, Tapioca, Tuna Oil. |
| Suitability: | For adult cats over 1 year old |
| Preparation: | Wet, Shredded Fillets |
Best dry cat food for heavier indoor cats
Indoor cats are known for putting on weight as they choose not to be as active as cats who venture outdoors for days at a time. If your cat is a little on the chunkier side (we've all been there), then Meowing Heads Reduced-Calorie dry cat food is a fabulous option for cats who love their food but need less fat content. As part of the Barking Heads brand, this has clean, natural ingredients with no fillers.
Customer review: "My two cats love this. They were recommended this for a healthy higher meat percentage diet. They dive straight in as soon as they're put in the bowl. The only shame is, they don't sell at my local store, so I have to get it ordered in."
Pros
- Grain-free
- Calorie controlled
- High in protein
Cons
- Fussy eaters may turn their noses up
| Size: | 1.5 kg |
| Flavour: | Chicken and Fish |
| Ingredients: | 40% Chicken & Salmon (Includes 17% Dried Chicken, 16% Salmon, 2.5% Chicken Fat, 2.5% Chicken Stock, 2% Salmon Oil) Dried Fish, Sweet Potato, Pea Starch, Dried Egg, Vegetable Fibre, Dried Tomato, Seaweed, Dried Carrot, Dried Cranberries, Yucca, Hip & Joint Care Pack (Glucosamine 30mg/kg, MSM 30mg/kg, Chondroitin 20mg/kg) No added synthetic colourings, Flavourings or preservatives. |
| Suitability: | Adult cats |
| Preparation: | Dry |
Best for indoor cats with sensitive tummies
www.viovet.co.uk
If your cat is prone to a sensitive tummy or finds it hard to digest rich wet food, Arden Grange Sensitive Fish and Potato Grain Free Cat Food is a premium nibble that has been created for adult cats with particularly sensitive skin or stomachs. As well as being suitable for sensitive skin and digestion, this food is a great choice for cats with an intolerance to cereals and grains.
Customer review: "Tiny kibbles make for easy eating. Good value for money and both of my cats love it."
Pros
- Grain-free recipe - no cereals or grains
- Small kibble for small mouths
- Includes prebiotics and joint supplements
Cons
- Strong smelling
| Size: | 400g, 2kg or 4kg |
| Flavour: | Fish and Potato |
| Ingredients: | Fresh white fish (26%), potato (26%), white fish meal (24%), chicken oil, egg powder, pea starch, chicken digest, krill, yeast extract, malt extract, pea fibre, minerals, prebiotic FOS, prebiotic MOS, cranberry extract, glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, nucleotides, rosemary extract. |
| Suitability; | Adult cats |
| Preparation: | Dry |
Best for cats prone to hairballs
www.petsathome.com
All cats produce hairballs but indoor cats spend a lot more time grooming themselves so are even more likely to produce them from time to time. Hill's Science Plan Dry Adult Hairball and Indoor Cat Food is formulated to avoid hairballs in adult cats living indoors. The Advanced Fibre Technology reduces hairballs, has low-fat content and is full of high-quality protein that supports lean muscles. Cats should produce no more than one hairball per week, no matter their coat length.
Pros
- Helps reduce hairballs
- Low fat and low calories
- Uses quality protein
Cons
- No customer reviews
| Size: | 3 kg |
| Flavour: | Chicken and turkey |
| Ingredients: | Chicken and turkey meal, maize, brewers' rice, maize gluten meal, cellulose, minerals, digest, vegetable oil, animal fat. |
| Suitability: | Suitable for adult cats 1-6 years |
| Preparation: | Dry |
Best subscription indoor cat food
www.bellaandduke.com
Cat food subscriptions have become popular in recent years as they allow owners the option to order personalised food direct to their door each month. This means no sudden rush to the supermarket to grab food as you've run out. Bella & Duke offers healthy meals that are pet and veterinarian-approved. Designed to support your pet’s health and happiness from the inside out and is 100 per cent natural. The food will help balance their energy levels, support their digestion and immune system and keep their skin and coat looking healthy and glossy. A great option for a fussy indoor cat who turns its nose up at run-of-the-mill regular cat food. Spoilt? Never.
Customer review: "My cat and I LOVE Bella & Duke. Michelin-starred quality food for cats and dogs. I know EXACTLY what my cat is consuming and he is healthier than he's ever been since starting Bella & Duke - and it was immediate too! I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about changing. Also super convenient to buy online and it's delivered to my door on a specified day - all I need to do is pop it in the freezer - couldn't be simpler."
Pros
- Better for the environment and less waste
- 100 per cent natural ingredients
- Sign up discounts
Cons
- A subscription service, so you will have to keep on top of things if you wish to cancel
| Size: | N/A |
| Flavour: | N/A |
| Ingredients: | N/A |
| Suitability: | N/A |
| Preparation: | N/A |
Indoor cat FAQs
What do indoor cats need to eat?
Cats love meat and fish, so it is important to have that as the main ingredient in their diet. It is also incredibly easy to dote on indoor cats more than your independent outdoor cat that you go hours or days without seeing, so even though their cute eyes want all the treats, it is important to not overfeed indoor cats as they are prone to weight issues. The best cat food brands should be high in protein.
Do indoor cats need more food than outside cats?
Although experts agree that indoor and outdoor cats have exactly the same nutritional requirements, indoor cats may need to get their nutrition in different ways because of lower activity levels than outdoor cats. Some breeds, including Sphynx and Persian, may also require a slightly different diet than your average tabby cat so it is best to get some advice from vets or breeders.
Should indoor cats eat wet food or dry?
There's no definite answer to this - as this all depends on your cat's needs and preferences. Your cat may prefer wet cat food over dry. Though dry food can help your cat's dental health, wet food will provide some of their daily water intake, says Purina.
Hannah Mellin is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Take A Break. She has been working in the Journalism industry for over a decade and has written for an array of brands. When she's not writing, researching or testing products, she's renovating her Victorian terrace and chilling in her jungle garden with her three cats and sausage dog Waffle.