If you’ve had your cat for a while, you’ve likely learned how to read the labels on pet food to look for nutrient-dense foods that support overall health. Unfortunately, cat food from the pet store may be made from low-quality ingredients, and it definitely isn’t convenient to have to run by on your way home from work to pick up some cat food. Cat food delivery services are popping up left and right, so it’s important to know what types of products they offer and how those products might benefit your cat. These reviews cover the top companies for delivering fresh, healthy cat food right to your front door.
A Quick Comparison of the Winners in 2023
Image | Product | Details | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall ![]() | ![]() | Smalls Fresh Cat Food | Click to Save 40% Use code: Excitedcats2023 | |
Best Value ![]() | ![]() | 'Just Food for Cats' Fresh Cat Food | CHECK PRICE | |
![]() | ![]() | Cat Person Cat Food Delivery Service | CHECK PRICE | |
Best for Kittens | ![]() | Chewy | CHECK PRICE | |
![]() | Open Farm Cat Food Delivery | CHECK PRICE |
The 7 Best Fresh Cat Food Meal Delivery Services
1. Smalls Fresh Cat Food Delivery Service – Best Overall
Protein options: | Chicken, beef, turkey, duck |
Price range: | $$–$$$ |
Membership: | Yes |
Smalls is the best overall cat food delivery service for fresh food. This company offers high-quality fresh wet food diets. This membership-based service ships right to your door. Smalls typically costs $3–5 per cat per day. Smalls is committed to creating healthy cat food that meets AAFCO guidelines. All of their shipping materials are either biodegradable or recyclable, and all ingredients are humanely and sustainably sourced. The food is grain free and high in protein, although it may not be suitable for kittens, pregnant or nursing queens, or cats with certain medical conditions, like kidney disease.
- Offers recipes with four different protein bases
- May cost as little as $1 per cat per day
- Meets AAFCO guidelines
- Shipping materials are biodegradable or recyclable
- Ingredients are sustainable and humane
- Grain-free and high in protein
- Membership only
- Averages $3–5 per cat per day
- May not be suitable for kittens, nursing or pregnant cats, or cats with certain medical conditions
2. Just Food for Dogs Cat Food Delivery Service – Best Value
Protein options: | Fish and chicken |
Price range: | $–$$$ |
Membership: | No |
The best cat food delivery service for fresh food for the money is Just Food for Dogs. Don’t let the name fool you, although they specialize in dogs, this company also offers a cat food recipe. Although they only offer one recipe, it features chicken and fish, including cod and sardines. For the price of a single package of wet food, this product is less expensive than most other fresh food delivery options, although you’re still likely to average $4–5 per cat per day. This food is formulated to meet the AAFCO guidelines and is low in carbohydrates but high in protein, which makes it a good option for some diabetic cats. You can purchase food from this company as a one-time purchase or autoship, and they offer an in-store pickup option for people who live near a store. This food is also available through Petco and Pet Food Express stores in California.
- Cat food recipe features proteins from multiple sources
- Costs less than many other fresh foods per ounce
- Meets AAFCO guidelines
- Low carb and high in protein
- May be a good option for diabetic cats
- No membership required
- Food is also sold in retail pet stores
- Specializes in dog food
- One recipe available
- Averages $4–5 per cat per day
3. Cat Person Cat Food Delivery Service
Protein options: | Chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, mackerel, bream, duck, beef |
Price range: | $$–$$$ |
Membership: | Yes |
Cat Person carries pate, shreds in broth, and kibble, all of which are made to meet AAFCO guidelines for cat food. They also carry supplements, cat beds, bowls, and toys. Depending on the size of your cat, you should be prepared to spend $3–7 per cat per day. They offer so many flavor combinations that it can be overwhelming to pick products. However, they also offer a meal planning option on their website to help you make informed decisions about their food. Their foods are grain free, high in protein, and low carb, which may make them a good option for many diabetic cats. Avoid feeding these foods to cats with kidney disease due to the high level of protein in the food. This food can only be purchased through a membership
- Three types of food available
- Meets AAFCO guidelines
- Supplements, beds, bowls, and toys are also available
- Meal planning option on the website simplifies some things
- Food is grain free, high in protein, and low in carbs
- May be a good food option for diabetic cats
- $3–7 per cat per day
- May be overwhelming to try to pick products due to the number of items available
- Membership only
- May not be suitable for cats with kidney disease and certain other medical conditions
4. Chewy Online Subscription Service – Best for Kittens
Protein options: | Any |
Price range: | $–$$$ |
Membership: | No |
When it comes to getting fresh food for kittens, Chewy is the best pick. Chewy is an online retailer that carries dozens of brands, so no matter what type of food you’re looking for for your kitten, Chewy has something for you. They offer an autoship option but do not require an auto-renewing membership. This company carries foods that feature just about any protein, including quail, rabbit, and venison. They have multiple types of foods, including kibble, frozen raw, freeze-dried, and wet. They offer free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount and most people receive their order within 2–5 days.
Since this is a big retailer, it’s not unusual for items to go out of stock, especially during a sale, which can make ordering food difficult. It can also be difficult to look through their food options due to the sheer number of products they carry.
- Dozens of brands
- Carries routine and novel proteins
- Everything from frozen raw to kibble available
- No membership required
- Free shipping on some orders
- Items regularly go out of stock
- May be difficult to find what you’re looking for due to the number of products they carry
5. Open Farm Pet Cat Food Delivery Service
*Offer valid November 24-27, 2023
Protein options: | Turkey, chicken, salmon, whitefish, lamb, beef |
Price range: | $$–$$$ |
Membership: | No |
Open Farm Pet is an excellent choice for fresh food delivery for your cat. This company offers wet food in five flavors and kibble in four flavors. They also sell bone broth for cats in three different flavors. Many people report these foods being a good fit for their cats with IBD and diabetes, but it may not be suitable for cats with diseases like kidney disease and urinary tract problems. The kibble is nutritionally appropriate for kittens. Wet food is likely to cost you around $5–6 per cat per day, but the dry food does cost less. Due to its nutrient density, a 4-pound bag of kibble should go a long way. You can buy this food directly from the manufacturer’s website without a membership, but you can also buy it from nationwide retailers, like Pet Supplies Plus and small local businesses.
- Five wet food recipes and four kibble recipes available
- May be a good fit for cats with IBD and diabetes
- Nutritionally appropriate for kittens
- Nutrient dense
- No membership required
- Sold through nationwide retailers
- Premium price
- Averages $5–6 per cat per day
- May not be suitable for cats with kidney disease and certain other medical conditions
6. Savage Cat Food Delivery Service
Protein options: | Chicken, rabbit, duck |
Price range: | $$–$$$ |
Membership: | No |
Savage Cat Food offers three frozen raw diet options for $4–8 per cat per day or more, depending on the weight and activity level of your cat. This is a membership optional program that also offers add-on treats like dehydrated rabbit ears and duck heads. Since these foods are raw, it’s extremely important to ensure they are stored and handled properly for safety of both you and your cat. Many cats who are used to commercial pet foods must be transitioned slowly to raw food, and still may reject the change. These foods are grain free and are sustainably and humanely sourced from American farms. All of their shipping materials are biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, and/or clean burning. The shipping insulation can be fully dissolved under running water and is safe to allow to drain down the sink.
- Three diet options
- Offers novel treats
- Grain free
- Ingredients are humanely and sustainably sourced
- Shipping materials are eco friendly
- Premium price
- $4–8+ per cat per day
- Raw foods are at higher risk for food borne illnesses than most foods
- Some cats will not transition to a raw diet very well
7. Raised Right
Protein options: | Turkey, chicken |
Price range: | $$$–$$$$ |
Membership: | Yes |
Raised Right offers two cat food recipes and has a user-friendly calculator on their website that shows you exactly how much you’ll need to feed your cat to meet its nutrition goals. You will spend an average of $4–7 per cat per day on this diet. In 2019, Raised Right was awarded the Innovation Award for Nutrition by the Innovative Veterinary Care Journal. This company doesn’t recommend their cat food for cats under the age of 1 year, which means it is also not nutritionally appropriate for pregnant and nursing cats. While the turkey recipe is high in protein, the chicken recipe is lower, coming in at 59% protein per dry matter content. This is still too high for most cats with kidney dysfunction. Both recipes contain blueberries, which are nutritious and full of antioxidants, but not necessary in the daily diet of a cat.
- Two recipes available
- Website offers a calculator to determine how much your cat needs to eat and the cost
- Received the 2019 Innovation Award for Nutrition
- Turkey recipe is high in protein
- Grain free
- Premium price
- $4–7 per cat per day
- Not recommended for kittens, pregnant cats, or nursing cats
- Chicken recipe is lower in protein than most fresh cat foods
- Blueberries are in each recipe but are unnecessary in the daily diet of a cat
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Fresh Cat Food Subscription
Choosing the Right Food Delivery Service for Your Cat
Obviously, there are lots of solid options out there when it comes to fresh cat food delivery. Choosing a company can be difficult, but the first step is to set your budget. No matter what, you are almost certainly going to spend more money on a fresh food delivery service than you are on commercial food at the pet store. Setting a realistic budget will help you find a starting point when choosing a company.
Once you’ve narrowed down the companies that are within your budget, start narrowing things down further by finding recipes that you think will appeal most to your cat. If your cat is a kibble snob that turns their nose up at wet food, then that’s a major thing to consider as many of these companies don’t carry kibble. If your cat has flavor preferences, then you’ll likely need to start with companies that appeal to those preferences.

Further Considerations
- When it comes down to it, you may just have to go with trial and error to choose the right delivery company for your cat’s food.
- Slowly transitioning your cat over to the new food and trialing the food for at least a few weeks, if your cat is eating, will give you a solid idea of if the company is working to meet your cat’s needs or not.
- If your cat has any medical concerns, always talk to your veterinarian before switching your cat’s food. They will be able to give you guidance on whether the new food is nutritionally appropriate for your cat or not.
Conclusion
Of the products in these reviews, the best overall pick is Smalls, thanks to their product selection and fair prices. For tighter budgets, Just Food for Dogs may be a good option for you, although they still are a pricey option compared to commercial cat food. If you’re feeding kittens, buying your food from Chewy will give you the biggest variety and you’ll be able to narrow down foods that are within your budget. Don’t hesitate to reach out to customer service representatives with these companies as they will be able to give you the best guidance on products within your budget.
Featured Image Credit: Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH, Shutterstock
- 1 A Quick Comparison of the Winners in 2023
- 2 The 7 Best Fresh Cat Food Meal Delivery Services
- 2.1 1. Smalls Fresh Cat Food Delivery Service – Best Overall
- 2.2 2. Just Food for Dogs Cat Food Delivery Service – Best Value
- 2.3 3. Cat Person Cat Food Delivery Service
- 2.4 4. Chewy Online Subscription Service – Best for Kittens
- 2.5 5. Open Farm Pet Cat Food Delivery Service
- 2.6 6. Savage Cat Food Delivery Service
- 2.7 7. Raised Right
- 3 Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Fresh Cat Food Subscription
- 4 Conclusion