Applaws Limited Ingredient Wet Cat Food Review 2025: How I Supplemented My Cats Diet

Any dedicated cat owner likely knows that their house cat does not drink enough water. Whether they were told by their vet, noticed the market explosion of cat water fountains, or simply observed that their cat’s water dish rarely needs filling, most cat guardians understand the importance of adding moisture into their kitty’s diet. This is where the cat food brand Applaws comes in. They offer wet food toppers in addition to their complete wet and dry cat foods, which can quench the thirst of beloved cats everywhere through their limited-ingredient wet foods. My cat Luna loved the Applaws Fish Selection variety pack we received and seemed to be a big fan of both the flavor and texture of this supplemental wet food.

At a Glance: What We Received

	Image	Product	Details
		Applaws Natural Cat Food Tuna Fillet	Only 3 ingredients Chunks of real tuna Great for cats with food allergies	CHECK PRICE
		Applaws Natural Cat Food Tuna Fillet & Shrimp	Whole shrimp Great source of B12 High moisture content	CHECK PRICE
		Applaws Natural Cat Food Tuna Fillet & Seaweed	Provides extra fiber Great source of iodine Provides extra vitamins & minerals	CHECK PRICE

About Applaws

Who Makes Applaws and Where is it Produced?

Applaws was founded in 2006 in the United Kingdom under a parent company known as MPM (Making Pet Food Matters), which was a collaboration between co-founders Roger Wood, Roger Coleman, and Jon Kinsey. Their mission was to enrich the lives of pets and their owners through visibly better pet food, and they set out to do this by avoiding fillers and additives. After early popularity in the UK and Australia, Applaws eventually expanded to the United States starting in 2014. Today their product line includes nutritionally complete wet and dry cat foods, as well as some wet foods the brand describes as “complementary,” more commonly known in the pet food market as toppers. Ingredients are globally and ethically sourced, and production takes place in human-grade facilities, with wet food options manufactured specifically in Thailand. Applaws is a certified B-Corporation for their positive social and environmental impact, and all factories are GFSI-accredited for food safety. The brand’s goal is to surpass global standards of food production, sustainability, and nutrition.

Which Types of Pets Are Applaws Complementary Foods Best Suited For?

Because the limited ingredient wet foods from Applaws are labeled as “complementary,” they should not be used as the only food source. However, they are a great addition to a balanced diet for cats and kittens over 12 weeks of age. These canned food options are recommended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only, so aside from providing extra moisture, Applaws complementary wet foods make a great topper or treat. This limited-ingredient food is also a great supplement for cats with food allergies or sensitive stomachs, and those that might benefit from extra calories or nutrition. Any cat should appreciate some Applaws wet food added to their bowl.

Key Features

Applaws limited ingredient, complementary wet food for cats is a healthy yet decadent treat for the special kitty in your household. It’s a supplementary wet food with only the good stuff—no additives or harmful fillers—and a great way to keep your cat hydrated and their appetite satiated.

Ingredients

The limited ingredient wet foods from Applaws all adhere to a meat-first recipe. This means that real meat is the number one ingredient, generally chicken or tuna, which is species appropriate for the carnivorous cat. There are also no questionable meat by-products added. Each recipe generally only includes one or two plant ingredients, which may be potato starch, rice, or guar gum, for example. A notable benefit of keeping the ingredient list small is that it makes it easier to avoid those ingredients your individual cat may be sensitive to.

Package Options

The limited ingredient wet foods from Applaws come in a variety of packaging types and sizes. Cans come in either 2.47 oz or 5.5 oz. Plastic cups with a peel-off top come in 2.12 oz. And pouches come in either 2.47 oz or 5.3 oz. There are also variety packs of the cans and cups, so there are plenty of options to fit every pet parent’s needs and budget.

Flavors

Applaws offers a variety of fish- or chicken-based recipes that are high in protein and highly appealing to a cat’s taste buds. Some of their plant-based ingredient options include seaweed, pumpkin, and green beans, which enhance the recipe flavors and add fiber. For a really decadent flavor profile, there are even some recipes with cheese added.

Macronutrient Breakdown

These limited-ingredient wet foods are higher in protein than your average premium wet food with the crude protein percentage of the fish varieties we tried coming in at a whopping 12-14% (other brands I researched hover around 8-10%). Applaws also appears to be lower in fat and higher in moisture than much of the competition. These supplemental foods are a bit higher in fiber than the other brands I checked, with our Applaws samples labeled with 2% crude fiber, and other brands typically containing 1-1.5%.

Where to Buy

Applaws cat food can be purchased at many popular retail chain stores, like Petco and PetSmart, but are also available online via Chewy, Amazon, and Instacart. Other purchase options are listed on the Applaws website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Applaws refer to this food as complementary?

The limited ingredient wet food from Applaws is considered complementary because it should only be fed in addition to an already balanced diet. Although it utilizes only healthy ingredients, it is not considered nutritionally complete and should be offered in moderation, particularly as overfeeding this food could lead to weight gain.

How much should I feed my cat?

The feeding recommendation for Applaws complementary wet food, depending on the recipe, is 1-2 cans daily. Be aware though, if this is the first time supplementing your cat’s normal diet, you will likely need to decrease the amount of other foods you are feeding to avoid an overweight cat. A general rule of thumb is that indoor cats can have around 200 calories per day, so be mindful of this when deciding how much of this food you feed in a day compared to the rest of your cat’s diet.

Why should I feed Applaws complementary wet food?

This tasty wet food is a great way to get extra moisture into your cat, which is important for long-term health. It encourages calorie intake in underweight kitties and can also be used simply as a treat to show your cat how much you love them! And because each can only contain 3-5 ingredients, it’s a suitable option if your cat has a sensitive stomach or food allergies.

Does Applaws offer any nutritionally complete wet food?

Yes, the Vitality line of Applaws wet cat food is considered nutritionally complete.

Has this brand ever had any of their products recalled?

Applaws recalled its UK-manufactured dry food in 2021. This was a voluntary recall by the food’s producer, Fold Hill Foods, and included several other pet food brands as well. The recall occurred due to an outbreak of feline pancytopenia in the UK, a rare and potentially fatal condition. There has not been an Applaws recall since, and there has not been a recall of their wet food.

Our Reviews of the 3 Applaws Fish Recipes

1. Tuna Fillet

The Tuna Fillet in broth from Applaws is about as basic as it gets. With hefty chunks of real tuna, hydrating fish broth, and a small amount of rice to bulk up the meal, this is a supplemental food you can feel good about feeding. Whether your cat needs a little extra moisture in their diet, extra calories, or just likes a daily treat of wet food, this recipe should please both you and your cat.

My cat Luna sure liked it, and I liked how few ingredients it contained. Furthermore, I always worry about the extra stuff other brands put in their foods, like the potentially harmful thickening agent carrageenan, or the artificial colors I don’t like to see on my own plate. Applaws leaves these things out, as well as harmful preservatives and meat by-products from questionable sources. The only way Applaws could improve this recipe, in my opinion, is to swap the starchy rice grain for an easy-to-digest vegetable like carrots.

2. Tuna Fillet & Shrimp

The Tuna Fillet & Shrimp recipe from Applaws utilizes their basic tuna recipe with the addition of whole shrimp. The shrimp used are small though, perfect for our cats’ dainty mouths, and add a little extra excitement when it comes to mealtime. Shrimp is also high in protein, low in fat, and packed with vitamin B12, iron, Omega-3 fatty acids, taurine, and zinc. If your cat needs some extra nutrients, this is a great supplemental option. Once again though, it would be great if Applaws would omit the rice and instead use a low-starch vegetable to bulk up the meal. Luna loved this food and really loved those chunks of shrimp!

3. Tuna Fillet & Seaweed

The third and final recipe in our variety pack contained something unexpected – dried seaweed meal. After a little research, I learned seaweed can offer many beneficial nutrients for our cats, like iodine, magnesium, potassium, and calcium, as well as vitamins B12, A, C, and E. But several online evaluations I came across indicated it is not a natural part of a cat’s diet and should be fed in extreme moderation. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend this recipe as the only one you supplement your cat’s diet with, as it is probably safer when offered only once a week as a special treat. I also learned that while the prebiotics in seaweed may be beneficial to gut health, the extra fiber content (along with the starchy rice in this recipe) might actually have a negative impact on cats with digestive issues—another reason to feed this recipe in extreme moderation. Finally, seaweed is rich in antioxidants, which are important to immune function, so this food can also give our kitties a little boost in that department.

Our Experience With Applaws

What I liked

My cat Luna loves wet food, and I know she needs the extra hydration. But I also like our automatic feeder that dispenses a measured amount of kibble three times a day. That’s why Applaws limited-ingredient wet foods, designed to be fed as a supplement to a balanced diet, are perfect for our household.

We recently tested the Applaws limited-ingredient fish selection in broth—this included the tuna fillet recipe, tuna fillet & shrimp, and tuna fillet and seaweed. All three recipes were over 85% moisture with a crude protein content of 12-14%, and all three came in under 50 kcal per can. The can size was 2.47 oz, which is small, but due to the calorie content, I knew I could not offer too much of this food anyway without seriously adjusting Luna’s dry food allowance. So, she received half a can in the morning and half a can in the evening.

The thing I liked best about these recipes was the short ingredient lists. With 3-4 ingredients in each recipe we tried, there was no worry about what I was feeding Luna. And the fact that the tuna in each can is in chunk form is further assurance that this food provides only wholesome, natural ingredients with no junk added. That’s more than I can say for other wet foods we’ve tried!

Where There’s Room for Improvement

I liked this food for Luna very much (and she loved it), but there are a few things Applaws could do to make this a more well-rounded product. Rice is a grain and not biologically appropriate for our carnivorous kitties, so limiting or omitting this from their recipes would be a good start. Cats get all the energy they need from eating meat and are well-equipped to digest protein and fat.

The second is making the label a bit more clear and user-friendly. At first glance, this looks like a regular wet food. It is only when you study the fine print on the back of the can that you read “Intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.” This product is not meant to be a complete and balanced cat food. However, if you know what you’re getting, this is fine to feed your cat, either as a treat or as supplemental moisture.

Conclusion

The Applaws brand makes a variety of cat food products, including nutritionally complete dry and wet foods, as well as limited ingredient wet foods for supplemental feeding. These complementary foods are designed with simplicity in mind and contain only natural, healthy ingredients with no harmful by-products or chemicals added.

Whether you’re looking to add moisture to your cat’s diet or just want to offer them a special treat, this is a great option. And because it’s easy to see what ingredients are in this product, it can be a great choice for kitties with food sensitivities. Whatever your cat’s nutritional needs are, Applaws has a product for you.

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