The 7 Best Wet Foods for Your Kitten in 2023

Best Overall

Purina ONE Healthy Kitten Wet Food

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Purina is a well-researched, trusted brand, and its ONE line of food offers nutritious options for kittens. The Healthy Kitten paté wet food is about $1 per can and is readily available at most retailers that sell pet food both in-store and online. The formulation meets the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines for kittens, so you know you’re giving your growing cat what it needs. Plus, it is meat-based, grain-free, and easy for small kittens to chew. Pet owners state their kittens clean their plates when they are fed this paté, so you also don’t need to worry that your baby cat won't consume what they need.

Price at time of publish: $28.32, case of 24, 3oz. cans

_{Ingredients: Chicken, liver, chicken broth, pork lungs, salmon, natural flavors, minerals, taurine, and more | Calories: 105 kcal/can | Protein: 11% min.}

Best Budget

Fancy Feast Gourmet Naturals Kitten Canned Food

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Wet food is more expensive than dry kibble, so it’s understandable that you may need a low-cost yet healthy option for your kitten if you opt to feed them wet food. Fancy Feast Gourmet Naturals Grain-Free paté is therefore a great option. These 3-ounce cans cost less than a dollar each and contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They are also grain-free for those kittens that need to avoid grains. While Fancy Feast is often considered a lower-cost option, it is still made by Purina, so it has been formulated by veterinary nutritionists according to AAFCO standards for kittens. It is also a smooth paté, which is easy for kittens of all ages to eat.

Price at time of publish: $12.98, case of 12, 3oz. cans

_{Key Ingredients: Chicken, turkey, liver, poultry broth, fish, milk, natural flavor, minerals, and more | Calories: 102 kcal/can | Protein: 11% min.}

Best for Weaning Kittens

Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Canned Wet Cat Food

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Kittens who are weaning are new to the experience of chewing their food, so you’ll want to offer something that doesn’t take much effort. Royal Canin’s Mother & Babycat formula is a mousse that is super soft and designed specifically for weaning kittens. Royal Canin has a long history of making high-quality pet foods, and this wet food is also well-accepted by tiny kittens. Since the only other experience they have with food is sucking milk from their mother or a bottle, kittens can be messy eaters when they start eating something else.

Because of this, Dr. Blackburn recommends feeding weaning kittens in a large, easily cleaned area and offering the canned food on a very large, shallow plate/flat surface. "They tend to be messy eaters and explore foods by walking in them and grooming said food off their paws, etc,” she says.

Price at time of publish: $47.56, case of 24, 3oz. cans

_{Ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, chicken, chicken liver, pork by-products, wheat gluten, powdered cellulose, modified corn starch, and more | Calories: 78 kcal/can | Protein: 9% min.}

Best for Sensitive Stomachs

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Kitten Ultra Soft Mousse in Sauce Canned Cat Food

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Some kittens are especially sensitive to food and while each may have a different reason for that sensitivity, there are some ingredients that can help. Fiber, prebiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, beta-glucans, marigold extract, and other ingredients in Royal Canin’s Gastrointestinal Veterinary Diet for kittens can be beneficial for kittens with tummies that are prone to problems. This ultra soft mousse is easy for weaning kittens to chew, and while you’ll need veterinary approval to purchase these cans, it’s especially nice to know that it was formulated by veterinary nutritionists. This formula is also very high in calories, which means one can will last your kitten longer since they don’t need to eat as much of it.

Price at time of publish: $71.76, case of 24, 5.1oz. cans

_{Ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, chicken liver, chicken, chicken by-products, pork by-products, natural flavors, powdered cellulose, wheat gluten, and more | Calories: 137 kcal/can | Protein: 10% min.}

Best Grain-Free

Purina Pro Plan True Nature Grain-Free Kitten Formula Canned Cat Food

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Most wet foods are grain-free or at least low in grains, but this formula is also free of chicken. This is a good thing for cat owners that need to avoid both grains and chicken due to their specific kitten’s sensitivities or allergies. Fish makes up the bulk of this wet food and provides not only the flavor but also beneficial omega-3s that help with eye and brain development. This wet food is also high in protein and contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Plus, Purina products are formulated by veterinary nutritionists, so you know you’ll be giving your growing kitten exactly what they need.

Price at time of publish: $36.96, case of 24, 3oz. cans

_{Ingredients: Ocean whitefish, salmon, liver, meat by-products, water sufficient for processing, natural flavors, guar gum, minerals, and more | Calories: 106 kcal/can | Protein: 12% min.}

Best Splurge

Blue Buffalo Baby Blue Healthy Growth Formula Kitten Wet Food

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Blue Buffalo Baby Blue Grain-Free wet kitten food is priced a bit higher per can than other wet foods on the market, but if your little kitty likes it and you are willing to spend the money, then we think it's a great choice. It's high in protein with the first ingredient being chicken, and it is never made with any animal by-product meals. It's grain-free, which is common among wet cat foods, but it is fortified with fatty acids found in a cat mother's milk, DHA and ARA, to help support cognitive development and retinal health. It's highly rated by customers who boast the food's flavor appeal among their young finicky felines, but it doesn't have a universal palette appeal so try a smaller case of cans to introduce it to your kitten.

Price at time of publish: $43.80 case of 24, 3oz. cans

_{Ingredients: Chicken, chicken liver, chicken broth, dried egg product, fish oil, natural flavor, flaxseed, brown rice, and more | Calories: 118 kcal/can | Protein: 10.5% min.}