The Best Freeze Dried Cat Food (Review) in 2021

What to Consider When Buying Freeze-Dried Cat Food

• Ingredients

The ingredients used in your pet’s food should always be considered. As well as any medical need for following a raw diet, it’s important to consider whether there are any nutritional needs that should be considered before purchasing your food. For example, some a that require you to stay away from poultry or beef, while others can be sensitive to specific fruit, vegetables or grains which can be used in all kinds of foodstuffs for cats.

Look out for where these ingredients come from, as well, as many lower-quality options are likely to get their meat and ingredients from poor quality sources. This leaves you with an overall poor diet for your cat, as it has been shown that the source of the ingredients can affect the overall taste, texture and nutritional value of all food – not just those for pets.

• Terms and type

Please don’t think that the terms “rehydrated” and “freeze dried” are interchangeable. As you shop around, you might discover a few brands will use one type over the other. However, freeze-dried has a very different meaning and we discuss this, in more depth, below.

• Diet

One of the biggest things to consider when choosing your freeze-dried cat food is whether you’ll be using your new purchase as a topper to their general diet, or looking to create a complete meal plan with the freeze-dried option.

Toppers are a fantastic way of getting the nutritional benefits of freeze-dried cat food into your pet’s diet, without completely overwhelming them. They can keep your cat engaged in their everyday kibble and the smell of this can help to entice new cats and kittens over, if they aren’t used to your home and their new routine, yet. For complete meal plans, you’ll need to consider further selections that provide for their personal lifestyle.

• Lifestyle

Toppers are ideal for almost any kind of cat, as they are simply used as a supplement to their usual diet. That said, since raw food has a much higher level of protein, you might find that your indoor cat can become a little skittish if they are given only freeze-dried options as a complete meal. However, for outdoor cats and cats who have high levels of activity, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Thus, for complete meals, you’ll need to be sure that the freeze-dried cat food you opt for has the ability to meet all of their nutritional needs. This means that the food should also consist of a high level of nutrients which can only be found in vegetables or from everyday fruit. The best options for freeze-dried cat food options are able to add in these, without losing any nutritive value or affecting the taste and smell.

Benefits of Feeding Your Kitty Freeze-Dried Cat Food

The biggest benefit, without a doubt, when it comes to feeding your pet freeze-dried cat food, is being able to give your cat all the added nutritional value of a raw food and meat diet. Time and again, we see how raw food diets work to provide everything the naturally carnivorous cat needs to function at to their best ability. By opting for freeze-dried food, you can give them the right meat and diet for their needs, without the worry of time.

As this meat has been frozen at the height of nutritional value, you’re given more than enough time to rehydrate the food at your own pace. This allows you to keep their food as a topper or as a complete meal, without worrying about the shelf-life of the product, in the same way you would with a traditional raw diet.

As well as this, you can be sure that all of the meat used in the ingredients aren’t packed with salts and water, in order to make them look fuller and more appealing – as you might find with traditional poultry, fish and beef on the shelf.

Freeze-Dried vs. Dehydrated Cat Food

Freeze-dried cat food is very different to dehydrated cat food in that it is thoroughly frozen at the best possible time, or order to maintain a level of freshness that holds all the nutrients for your cat, once rehydrated. Rehydrated cat food options, however, lose about 50% of their nutritional value, as the process requires heating the food, leaving them with a chewier texture and less taste.

Despite the name, freeze-drying actually removes up to 98% of the water present in food, while rehydrating only removes around 80%. This means that freeze-dried cat food will actually have a greater longevity and shelf-life, allowing you more time to get around to rehydrating the food, as well as giving you the opportunity to buy in bulk – safe in the knowledge that the food will last for a greater length of time.

Finally, freeze-dried foods will usually rehydrate at a much faster rate, with smaller chunks being hydrated almost instantaneously. This can help to cut down the time it takes to get your cats food ready for their next meal, and can be helpful if you’re in a hurry or only use the food on occasion.

Best Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food Brands

The best meat brands for cat foods center around those who use the best quality ingredients, from the best sources and are still able to provide these to you and your cats at the best price. It also depends on whether you’re looking for the best meat topper options for your cat foods, or if you’re looking for a complete meal.

Most of the best options are usually toppers for your cats everyday diet, since complete meals can have a much higher price range, although these do – naturally – come with the best results in your cats health and wellbeing.

Stella & Chewy repeatedly hit top marks in reviews due to meeting all of the criteria mentioned above, given their dedication to their free-range livestock and commitment to creating human-grade food for your pets. Similarly, Cat-Man-Doo has proven to be a popular choice, although some of their options can be a little pricey.

Of course, if you’re looking for premium products, you can move past the more affordable toppers and enjoy the very best the market has to offer – such as Steve’s Real Food Nuggets. Over time, you’re likely to see a big improvement in your cats, but this will of course come with a higher food bill over time.

You may be interested in other cat food buying guides, such as Wet Cat Food, Dry Cat Food, and Moist & Semi-Moist Cat Food.

Our Top Pick

We love this option because they have managed to create the best freeze-dried food on the market, by never compromising on quality ingredients. Each ingredient is cage-free, and caught in the wild where possible, while the natural and added antioxidants and probiotics help keep your cat in their best condition.

Source:

1. Raw Diets: A Healthy Choice or a Raw Deal?, Clinical Nutrition Service