The 7 Best Cat Food for Outdoor Cats of 2023

Outdoor cats also need some care and proper feeding, not intense monitoring like indoor cats. They are active felines who like to roam outside, play, and do adventurous activities.

For that, your outdoor feline needs a rich quality diet that not only boosts her energy level but also helps in muscle development.

It can be a tricky job for you to select the best one as outdoor cats are too picky about their diet and keeping that in mind we have come up with a solution for you.

We have done some footwork for you and filtered out the best cat food for outdoor cats on the market, which can help you to purchase wisely for your outdoor feline pal.

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The 7 Best Cat Food for Outdoor Cats Reviews

The difference between indoor and outdoor cat food is just that they need more protein and other essential nutritional food because they are highly active as compared to indoor felines. As we know, multiple food products options are available on the market.

Choosing the appropriate one for your feline pal can be tricky, so we have summarized the review list for you, which contains detailed information related to the best cat food for outdoor cats on the market.

1. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food

The diet dry cat food by Hill’s Science is our overall best choice from the list of best cat food for outdoor cats in the market. The main purpose of this food is to regulate your cat’s digestion process and discharge healthy stool with the help of prebiotic fiber present in the ingredient.

The kibble texture is formulated in such a way that it can be easily eatable by your feline pal, and it’s a no grain food, so there will be fewer chances of facing digestive issues.

The important ingredient of this food is salmon, it is a protein supplier for your kitty’s body that supports the immune system to work efficiently and improve visual sight.

If your feline is on a diet then it is an ideal choice for her as this product is specifically designed to deal with the digestive issues of the cat’s body.

To conclude, we think this is the overall best cat food for outdoor cats.

Pros:

• All-natural ingredients are used to make this food product healthy for your outdoor kitty. Apart from proteins, essential vitamins, omega 3 & 6 fatty acids are also included, offering a healthy diet to your feline pal.
• The high-quality ingredients of this food are gentle on your kitty’s stomach and provide glowing skin.
• The kibble texture gives a tempting look, so there are high chances that your kitty will happily adopt this food taste.

Cons:

• No grains are present in the food, but it has potatoes starch, which might cause bloating.

2. Purina White Meat Chicken Dry Food for Outdoor Cats

Purina’s White Meat Chicken is our editor’s premium pick from the best cat food for outdoor cats available in the market. It offers gluten-free, rich nutrients that your active outdoor feline needs in her diet for better regulation of the body system.

This best dry food offers your feline pal a combination of white meat chicken and egg products, high in protein and essential nutrients, exactly what your feline pal needs to remain healthy.

Furthermore, it also includes taurine which supports the proper functioning of the heart muscle and gives strong eyesight.

Pros:

• No fillers like soy, corn, or wheat are added to this product which means your feline pal will not intake any empty calories which can lead to weight gain.
• This Purina outdoor cat food doesn’t include any artificial flavors or colors, so be rest assured and serve this healthy dish to your furry pal.
• You can trust this product as it adds all nutrients which your kitty’s diet needs, in addition, essential vitamins are also included in this product like zinc, biotin, etc.

Cons:

• The snag of this food for outdoor cats is that it contains starch, which might cause bloating issues in some breeds. So we recommend you experiment with a small proportion and then shift entirely.

3. Instinct Original Grain-Free With Real Chicken Cat Food

The real chicken natural dry cat food by Instinct Original is our best value choice for outdoor cats. It not only offers you a lower price but also provides high-quality ingredients such as chicken, and veggies to meet your outdoor cat’s diet needs.

Feed your active feline with food made of 81% real animal ingredients and natural oil that supply high protein to your kitty’s body and strengthen their muscles to boost their body, and they don’t feel lethargic the entire day.

In addition, it includes 19% veggies, fruits, and other essential nutrients which not only add delicious flavor to the dish but also aid in the proper function of the immunity system so that your kitty remains healthy and disease-free.

Pros:

• If your outdoor feline is suffering from any stomach issues still you can feed her this dry food because no soy, corn, or by-products are added to this food ingredient or any artificial colors or preservatives, to give a delicious taste.
• Cage-free chicken is the main ingredient of this dry cat food, ensuring that a clean source of proteins is supplied to your kitty’s body to strengthen its bones, muscles, teeth, and other body parts.
• Each kibble pieces were freeze-dried to preserve its nutrients value.

Cons:

• The downside of this dry food for outdoor cats is that it contains peas, which might cause kidney stones issues to some feline breeds. So it is friendly advice to the pet owners to consult their kitty’s vet for the right guidance.

4. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Food

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness high protein grain-free chicken recipe is specially made to fulfill the craving level of your feline friend. It is loaded with high-quality chicken to feed your feline’s wilder side and help to maintain your kitty’s lean muscle.

The protein comes from real chicken and in addition, it is grain-free food that ensures your feline friend’s digestive system functions properly and maintains body weight also. You can add this food to her diet without worrying about her gaining weight issue.

Pros:

• This vet-recommended product includes amino acids, omega, and also supplies essential vitamins and minerals to your feline friend’s body that help to regulate the immune system.
• This dry food is rich in antioxidants that help in providing a healthy lifestyle to your furry friend.
• It is one of the most nutritious food on the market as it is made from all-natural ingredients and with no artificial flavors, colors added to change the taste of the food.
• During the preparation of this food, no ingredients have lost its nutrients value because this cat food is “Cold-Formed” so a limited amount of heat was used in its preparation.

Cons:

• It is a pricey one but if you use the right quantity to feed your outdoor kitty then it can fit into your budget as you don’t need to buy it frequently.

5. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Chicken for Outdoor Cats

Hill’s Science offers a balanced ingredient that is good for heart, kidney, and bladder health. The high-quality protein not only boosts energy level but also provides lean muscle growth to your outdoor cat to carry out her adventurous activity.

Apart from muscle growth, the food gives your feline friend healthy skin and fur by supplying vitamin E Plus, omega 3s, and 6s into her body.

Furthermore, the prebiotic fiber aids in managing and developing the immune system as well as gut-brain communication.

Pros:

• It comes in disc kibble size, which is easily eatable by your kitty and faces no digestion issues.
• In this dry food for outdoor cats, no artificial flavors or preservatives are added, it is ideal for your kitty’s consumption.
• The salmon is one of the main ingredients that supply protein to your kitty’s body, which helps in improving the vision sight of your furry friend.

Cons:

• Hill’s Science has changed its packaging, size, and a bit of kibble taste so if you are already serving this product to your kitty then she will take time to adapt to the new version of food taste.
• This dry food for outdoor cats is a bit pricey but worth buying it to give your kitty a healthy diet and extra shine to her skin.

6. Purina Beyond Grain-Free Whitefish Food for Outdoor Cats

This Purina Beyond Whitefish food for your outdoor cat is gluten-free and natural ingredients were included to make this food product so that you can feed your outdoor feline without worrying about her health.

The food includes a combo of rich chicken with whitefish and dried egg products, which gives your outdoor kitty an adequate supply of high protein to boost her body. Furthermore, it also includes essential vitamins and minerals that protect her immune system.

Pros:

• This dry food contains taurine that helps to boost your kitty’s brain cells and provide strong eyesight.
• No soy, corn, by-products, artificial flavors, or colors are added to this food ingredient, so you can add this to your kitty’s meal as there is no risk to her health.
• Its natural ingredients, probiotic, aids in the proper functioning of the digestive system.

Cons:

• The stumbling block of this food for outdoor cats is that it includes starch, which can lead to bloating issues in your kitty’s body. However, you can still serve this food, but in small proportion until her body adapts to this issue.

7. Wellness Complete Natural Grain Free Cat Food

If your outdoor feline friend loves seafood then this natural grain-free food by Wellness is a great choice, the food contains fresh fish flavors which is perfect for seafood lovers.

This grain-free dry cat food includes vital ingredients, formulated to support your kitty’s welfare that include energy booster for playtime, adventurous activity, glowing skin, shiny coat, clean teeth and mouth, digestive function, etc.

The Wellness complete health natural dry cat food is a U.S-based product, that includes all the natural high-quality ingredients only to meet your outdoor kitty’s diet needs for the proper development of her body.

Pros:

• Salmon is the main ingredient of this dry food, it works as a protein supplier to your kitty’s body that gives her energy to play and carry out adventurous activities.
• Rosemary ingredient helps to antioxidant your cat’s body and improve the immunity system for better wellbeing.
• Minerals present in this food for outdoor cats regulate the urinary function of your kitty.
• Apart from health benefits, the ingredients of food like flaxseed give your kitty a shiny coat and glowing skin, which add an extra touch to her beauty.

Cons:

• The newly formulated kibbles may not be acceptable to most of cats as they might face digestive issues.

How to Choose the Perfect Cat Food for Outdoor Cats?

Outdoor cats require a rich quality diet to meet their needs as they are highly active in nature. So, high-protein and essential nutrients can only fulfill their demands.

Before buying a food product make sure you check ingredients and nutrient details from which you can get an idea about the exact ratio offered by the product.

Just for you, we have prepared a checklist related to labels, ingredients, and nutrients, which will give you a fair view image of the good quality product. Scroll down to learn more.

The Food Label

A food label is an important tool of communication that provides detailed information regarding the product to the consumer to make a wise selection. In cat foods products it is mentioned whether it can be used for kitty, adult cats, sensitive cats, etc.

So when you are searching for food for your outdoor kitty, make sure that the label ensures that it is made for active felines.

The label also states the net weight of the product which can give you an idea of how many bowls you can serve to your feline friend and from that, you can determine the quantity. It also helps you in terms of cost-effective options.

Make sure you opt for those that state boneless meat, and animal meat as their first ingredients because your outdoor kitty is highly active in nature, to sustain her energy she needs high-protein consumption.

Ingredients

Cats are obligate carnivores they can eat veggies, and fruits, but in their food, they need animal-based products as their main ingredient. Especially, if you are looking for outdoor cats food, then make sure that the product includes real meat-based stuff that gives high protein to outdoor cats.

Never go for cat chow food, it has a small proportion of meat in its ingredients.

The meat-based stuff includes chicken, lamb, salmon, eggs, organ meat, etc. Look for these when you are buying food for your outdoor kitty.

Essential Nutrients

Apart from high-protein consumption, your outdoor feline body also needs good fats, and carbohydrates to remain fit. Veggies and fruits can supply these supplements in their body, so look for food that includes carrots, apples, berries, zucchini, broccoli, etc.

Make sure these should be in fine paste form and chopped into smaller pieces so that your kitty can eat them easily.

By-Products

One of the harmful ingredients is a meat by-product, it is extracted from slaughtered animals that are not considered good for health. If you have a picky eater or are allergic to something, then it makes a worse situation for them as it Detroit their health.

Also, avoid preservatives food that includes artificial colors, flavors that also harm your kitty’s body.

FAQs About Cat Food for Outdoor Cats

Conclusion

Our overall best choice is Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food for outdoor felines. As it provides high protein and is designed specially to overcome the digestion issue faced frequently by outdoor cats.

In addition, this diet dry cat’s food helps to regulate the immune system and keep your kitty’s body disease-free.

Our next recommended choice is Instinct Original Real Chicken Dry Cat Food, which offers rich quality cat food in the lower range.

It is a combo meal that includes real animal ingredients plus veggies, which gives a delicious taste to your feline’s taste buds.

Confidently, we were able to bring the right choices to the table, our review guide on the best cat food for outdoor cats will help you to make a wise decision.

References

1. Food and water tips — Alley Cats
2. Types of cat food — Cats protection
3. Nutrition recommendations for cats — Aspen Grove Veterinary Care