8 Best Cat Foods for Picky Cats in the UK in 2026: Reviews & Top Picks

Cats generally know what they do and don't want, and not much can change their minds. This can pertain to where they want to sleep, who they want to cuddle with, and what they want to do during their day. However, sometimes their preferences can be detrimental to their health, especially when it comes to food. Many cats choose to rather go hungry instead of eating the food they dislike. It's our job as pet owners to transition our cats onto new textures and flavors to determine what kind of food our picky eaters will enjoy and lap up.

Buying cat food after cat food that your fussy cat continues to avoid and leave untouched can be expensive and time-consuming. We've done the research and compiled a few reviews of the best cat foods for picky eaters in the UK. However, they are just recommendations, and any health-related questions and concerns should be taken to your vet.

A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2026

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Felix As Good As It Looks Doubly Delicious	Good variety Tasty jelly Cooked gently for tender meat	Check Price
Best Value		IAMS Delights Wet Food Land	Affordable Good variety Nutritious	Check Price
Premium Choice		Royal Canin Sensory Smell	Specifically formulated for picky eaters The smell activates your cat’s senses Sustainably caught fish	Check Price
Best for Kittens		Encore Natural Wet Kitten Food	High in protein Natural source of hydration Sustainable and recyclable packaging	Check Price
		Sheba Select Slices in Gravy	Nutritionally complete High-quality ingredients Good variety	Check Price

The 8 Best Cat Foods for Picky Cats in the UK

1. Felix As Good As It Looks Doubly Delicious Wet Cat Food – Best Overall

Picky cats tend to need tastier food than the rest, and our best overall cat food for picky eaters has this proof in its name. Felix As Good As It Looks Doubly Delicious Wet Cat Food is a selection of flavors mixed in appetizing jelly. The different flavors are beef and poultry mix, chicken and kidney mix, lamb and chicken mix, and turkey and liver mix. With so many options, your cat is unlikely to get tired of their food.

These recipes have been cooked gently to ensure that the animal protein is tender and not overcooked. The ingredients are of high quality and are balanced nutritionally. However, if not handled with care, the sachets will break and leak out, which is what many customers experience upon delivery.

2. IAMS Delights Wet Food Land and Sea Collection – Best Value

Everyone can appreciate affordable, nutritious cat food that most picky eaters won't turn away. IAMS Delights Wet Food Land and Sea Collection is our choice for the best cat food for picky eaters for the money, and it’s loved by many. There are 24 pouches in this box with a variety of flavors, such as savory chicken and turkey, lamb and red pepper, steamed salmon and cod, and wild tuna and peas. Your cat gets the benefit of both fish and meat.

These high-quality animal proteins provide your cat with taurine, which is essential in a cat's diet because it benefits their whole body, especially their heart health and vision. It's packed with minerals and vitamins for immune health, and the fatty acids improve skin and coat health. As great as the variety is, many cats refuse to eat the lamb and red pepper option, which isn't surprising as it's an uncommon ingredient to add to a cat's diet.

3. Royal Canin Sensory Smell – Premium Choice

Although fairly expensive, Royal Canin Sensory Smell cat food has been specifically formulated for picky eaters as it stimulates your cat's senses. This recipe flavor is fish and seafood, which have been sustainably caught. Your cat will be surprised by the greasy, nutty, and fruity smells coming from this recipe. As much as they may not sound appealing to us, it's likely to hold your cat's attention.

This semi-moist cat food is made up of chunks with gravy for an appealing texture in your cat's mouth. It's nutritious and works to maintain urinary system health. You can feed this wet food to your cat on its own or mix it in with kibble for a variety of textures. This method will also use up the contents of the product more slowly, so you won't have to buy a new box as frequently, thus saving you money.

4. Encore Natural Wet Kitten Food

The Encore Natural Wet Kitten Food comes in a multipack with a premium selection of chicken breast and tuna fillet pouches to provide a tasty and nutritious variety for fussy kittens. It fulfills the dietary and natural hydration needs of growing kittens with limited, high-quality ingredients and no unnecessary fillers and artificial additives.

Encore’s focus is on offering the whole, natural proteins and nutrients needed for healthy bones and muscle development as well as a shiny coat, while also ensuring palatable meals for picky eaters and kittens with sensitivities. It’s an excellent choice to feed alongside dry kitten food for a complete and balanced diet. The pouches come in small sizes and thus are more expensive for the amount of food you get.

5. Sheba Select Slices in Gravy

Sheba Select Slices in Gravy is a premium cat food that is nutritionally complete. Many picky eaters will walk away from foods with poor ingredients, but that won't be the case with Sheba, as all their ingredients are of high quality.

This box of cat food has 72 pouches with a variety of flavors such as duck, chicken, poultry, and duck and turkey. Each type of protein is mixed in a gravy sauce that feels and smells delicious to cats. These pouches don't have any preservatives or artificial colors.

Sheba has worked with scientists and vets to create this formula, which is gentle on the stomach. Unfortunately, there have been occasions where these pouches were delivered broken or with mold on the food.

6. Applaws 100% Natural Wet Cat Food in Broth

For a completely natural cat food, try out Applaws 100% Natural Wet Cat Food in Broth. This cat food has a high protein content of 14%, with most of its ingredients consisting of protein. The selection is tuna, chicken breast, ocean fish, and chicken breast and cheese, which comes in a broth.

This food comes in tins to ensure it stays fresh until opened to avoid mold and other contaminants. However, once opened, it must stay in a refrigerator and be eaten quickly. The tins are quite small, though, so you probably won't have much left over. However, for the small size, this food is pretty expensive.

These tins are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that support development, immune health, and skin and coat health.

7. Purina ONE Adult Dry Cat Food

A kibble option that might spark your cat's appetite is Purina ONE Adult Dry Cat Food. It's high in protein, making it a tasty meal. A few of the ingredients are chicken, dried poultry protein, whole grain wheat, and maize.

Chicken is a lean meat that is high in omega fatty acids, which support healthy skin, coats, and muscles. Wholegrain wheat provides your cat with energy, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This recipe aids in healthy digestion and has dried chicory root, which is a prebiotic fiber.

This kibble is crunchy and can remove the tartar from your cat's teeth as they chew into it. The packaging needs some work, though, as it doesn't seal well, and it splits open easily.

8. Purr & Miaow Salmon & Herring Complete Dry Sensitive Cat Food

For a grain-free dry option, Purr & Miaow Salmon & Herring Complete Dry Sensitive Cat Food is worth considering. Many picky eaters have sensitivities to certain ingredients, which is why they won't eat their food. This recipe is a great choice for cats with sensitivities such as grain and chicken because it's free of them.

A few ingredients are dried salmon, dried herring, yellow peas, and fresh salmon. These ingredients are natural, and there are no sugars added to this recipe. Because cats with sensitivities tend to frequently vomit or have diarrhea, this recipe contains prebiotics and probiotics to replenish your cat's gut with much-needed good bacteria.

This cat food is recommended by vets and can be eaten from as young as 8 weeks old. However, the packaging is poor quality, and the product is pricey.

Buyer's Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Foods for Picky Cats in the UK

As picky as your cat might be, there are often changes you can make that will reignite their interest and appetite for food. They might be put off eating their food due to the texture, flavor, smell, or even the effects the food has on their tummies and skin. Here are a few reasons why your furry friend may not be eating their food and what you can do about it.

Why Is My Cat a Picky Eater?

There may be several reasons your cat refuses to eat certain cat foods and treats. Sometimes, it's as simple as not being exposed to a variety of foods as a kitten. If your cat has always eaten canned food, kibble may seem too foreign to your cat, and they may refuse to eat it. New, strong smells and tastes may be too unfamiliar to your cat for them to have any interest in eating it.

Some cats may be picky eaters because they don't like the ingredients that are in the food they've been presented with. If your cat has had a negative reaction to dairy, certain proteins, grains, sugars, by-products, artificial flavors, or any other ingredient found in the food they've been offered, it's unsurprising that they won't want to eat it again.

Ensure your cat receives high-quality cat food, and consider trying out some hypoallergenic options, as your cat may show more interest in diets with fewer ingredients that are usually easier for them to digest. High-quality cat foods are more expensive, but they're healthier and will benefit your cat overall.

Your cat may also refuse to eat because they have dental issues, and biting into their crunchy kibble is too painful for their teeth and gums. If your cat has suddenly stopped eating, it's always best to get them checked by the vet to ensure that the reason for their food disinterest isn't due to an underlying health issue.

Getting Your Picky Eater to Eat

If your cat has seemingly gone off their food and no longer wants to eat it, there are a couple of things you can do to encourage them to eat. You can try to place some of their food on their tongue so they can taste it. Sometimes, this will kickstart their appetite, and they'll be encouraged to eat the food in front of them once they taste it.

If their daily food consists of canned food, try to give them their food warmed up slightly. You can also try to offer your cat different flavors as they may have become tired of the taste of their usual food. Giving your cat new textures can also be a way to get them to start eating. Often a cat may turn their nose up at their kibble but happily eat up canned food or a pate.

However, if you swap your cat's food for something new and they refuse to eat it, placing both the new food and old food down next to each other may encourage eating. Once your cat has become used to the new food, you can remove the old food.

As much as your cat may have become picky over their food, they should always be drinking water. A cat that isn't receiving any liquids is at risk for dehydration, and you should take them to the vet because there is likely something wrong with their health.

How to Help Your Picky Eater

If you've got a picky eater, you're going to have to get more creative and disciplined around mealtimes to make eating enticing for your cat. Wet food on its own or mixed with kibble tends to be a tastier option for cats. Some cats don't enjoy the crunchiness of kibble and will avoid it altogether. Wet food tends to have more protein, and it provides your cat with extra moisture. If canned food alone isn't appetizing enough for your cat, add some shredded chicken, stock, or tuna water to enhance the smell and taste. You can even attempt this over their kibble to improve the smell and soften the pellets. Feeding times are far more important than they're given credit for. Cats thrive off habit and love predictability as it makes them feel secure and in control. When you feed your cat at specific times per day, their bodies will fall into sync, and they'll start to feel hungry around mealtimes, which will motivate them to eat. If you can't maintain a set feeding schedule because you work different shifts, you could consider buying an automatic cat feeder that releases their food at the times you've set it each day. You can even record a customizable voice message through the feeder to call your cat to their bowl when mealtimes arrive.

Our Cat Foods for Picky Cats in the UK Selection Process

Catster’s dedicated team of writers and editors collaborate with expert veterinarians, considering a wide range of factors when selecting the best foods for cats. These parameters include customer reviews, brand reputation, veterinary experience, and in some cases, hands-on testing. Of course, our cats have a say in the process, too! We strive to select and review the highest-quality products available, to help you choose the best possible product and make the most informed decision for your and your cat’s needs.

Why Trust Catster?

Catster has been a trusted online brand since 2001, so we know a thing or two about cat foods. We’re a team of cat-loving writers, editors, and veterinarians dedicated to helping you make the most informed decision for your feline. We deeply believe in providing the best information for cat owners to help their cats live their best life possible. We look at reviews from the most trusted sources available, and this, combined with our veterinary team’s experience and expertise, helps us gather the best options on the market. Our team is invested in the welfare and health of cats around the world, and we believe that expert knowledge is one of the best ways to achieve this.

Conclusion

There are many reasons you might be dealing with a picky eater. Your cat may not like the smell, taste, or texture of the food you’ve offered them, or they may not like the type of ingredients used. Felix As Good As It Looks Doubly Delicious Wet Cat Food is our best overall option. They’re a well-known brand that uses high-quality ingredients. IAMS Delights Wet Food Land and Sea Collection takes first place for affordability, and Royal Canin Sensory Smell has been designed to activate your picky eater’s senses.

Featured Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock