The best cat food you can buy

Why you'll love it: Protein-rich and limited in carbohydrates, Acana dry cat food features lots of real meat ingredients in formulas designed to mimic the natural evolutionary diet of wild cats.

Some cat food brands offer a wide variety of products for every need, which can make it difficult to choose. The Acana brand of cat food offers just four dry cat food recipes, but all of them are made with fresh, regional ingredients and formulated to meet the nutritional needs of cats in all life stages. If you’re in the market for a premium dry cat food product that is loaded with real meat ingredients and limited in carbohydrates to mimic your cat’s natural diet, we recommend Acana.

The Acana brand creates what they call “biologically appropriate diets” for dogs and cats. These are protein-rich formulas made with high inclusions of fresh meat, including nutrient-rich organ meats, designed to nourish your cat’s body through the use of fresh, wholesome ingredients. Acana doesn’t rely on synthetic supplements as heavily as many cat food manufacturers, though every recipe contains probiotics to support your cat’s healthy digestion.

Named among their top 10 best dry cat food brands, The Cat Digest makes note of Acana’s use of high-quality ingredients which include premium animal proteins and digestible grain-free carbohydrates. This brand also topped the list of dry cat food brands as rated by Heavy — reviews mention the brand’s excellent reputation for quality as well as their focus on real meat ingredients. They also comment on the fact that the brand is made entirely in the US using regional ingredients. The brand also receives the approval of The Pet Health & Nutrition Center.

Choose from four dry cat food recipes in the Acana Regionals line of products — Meadowland, Wild Atlantic, Grasslands, and Appalachian Ranch. These recipes feature premium proteins like free-run chicken, nest-laid eggs, and wild-caught fish.

Pros: All recipes are protein-rich and carbohydrate-limited, ingredients are sourced regionally from trusted suppliers, all products made in company-owned kitchens in the United States, recipes designed to mimic the natural evolutionary diet of wild cats, all formulas supplemented with probiotics

Cons: Costs around $5 per pound, only four recipes to choose from, no kitten-specific formulas available, no canned food options for cats, some recipes contain common proteins that may trigger food allergies in some cats (like chicken and fish)

Buy the 12-pound bag of Acana Regionals Wild Atlantic Dry Cat Food at Petco for $56.99

Why you'll love it: Made with 95% meat ingredients, Nature’s Variety Instinct Grain-Free Wet Food offers the nutritional benefits of a raw food diet with the convenience of more traditional wet cat food.

Wet cat food is moisture-rich to keep your cat hydrated. It also tends to be lower in carbohydrates than dry food and richer in flavor. The texture may also be more appealing to finicky eaters. If you’re looking for a premium brand of wet cat food that uses only the highest quality ingredients, we recommend Nature’s Variety, specifically the Instinct line of products. A privately-held, natural pet food company, Nature’s Variety has mastered the art of crafting nutritious and delicious wet foods for cats.

The Instinct line of products from Nature’s Variety is designed to provide the nutritional benefits of raw food with the convenience of traditional cat food. This brand seeks to make each recipe as pure and simple as possible, using only real meats, digestible carbohydrates, and healthy supplements to ensure complete and balanced nutrition. Every recipe is also packed with natural flavor to satisfy your cat’s cravings for meat.

Nature’s Variety tops the list of recommended cat food brands offered by Purrfect Cat Diet and it is listed among the top ten wet food brands by The Cat Digest. Reviews for this brand speak to the simplicity of each recipe as well as the use of high-quality ingredients including real animal proteins, grain-free carbohydrates, and healthy supplements. A favorable review from Kitty Catter also notes that Nature’s Variety canned foods offer similar nutritional quality to a raw food diet but with the convenience of canned food.

When it comes to wet cat food, Nature’s Variety offers selections in three product lines — Instinct Originals, Instinct Ultimate Protein, and Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets. The Ultimate Protein line includes one formula made with 95% chicken and the Originals line features three 95% protein options — chicken, duck, and lamb. The Limited Ingredient Diets line includes three protein options as well and all of Nature’s Variety’s canned foods are grain-free.

Pros: Made with premium ingredients to mimic the quality of raw food, recipes made with 95% meat ingredients, recipes are complete and balanced for all life stages, all formulas are grain-free for digestibility, plenty of omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, high moisture levels

Cons: Limited number of protein options to choose from, some recipes contain common proteins that may trigger food allergies in some cats (like chicken and fish), expensive compared to other brands

Buy the 12-pack of Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken Formula Canned Food on Amazon for $25.19 Buy the 12-pack of Nature's Variety Instinct Chicken Formula Canned Food at Petco for $26.88

Why you'll love it: Naturally grain-free and packed with premium proteins, the Wellness CORE line of products is our top pick for grain-free cat food.

Though some cats can tolerate grains, the ideal diet for cats is one that is rich in animal proteins, limited in carbohydrates, and grain-free. Grain-free carbohydrates offer better digestibility for cats while still meeting their needs for energy and dietary fiber. If you are looking for a reputable cat food brand that offers a variety of grain-free options for both dry food and wet food, we recommend the CORE line of products produced by Wellness.

The Wellness brand is one of several made by WellPet, LLC, though all of its products are designed to follow a holistic and natural approach to pet nutrition. Wellness cat foods are formulated by animal nutritionists and veterinarians to provide the ideal balance of carefully selected, high-quality ingredients to nourish your cat’s body for health and longevity. The CORE line of products is specifically designed without the use of grains and every recipe is focused on premium proteins like chicken, turkey, duck, salmon, venison, and lamb.

Expert reviews for the Wellness brand from Heavy and Love to Know speak to the fact that this brand doesn’t use any artificial additives or by-products and every recipe is supplemented with probiotics for improved digestion and essential fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. Some pet owners note that even their most finicky eaters enjoy Wellness CORE grain-free foods. The Cat Digest names Wellness as one of the top 10 brands, as do many other pet food review sites.

The CORE line of grain-free cat foods by Wellness includes a large selection of dry food and wet food products. Choose from four dry food recipes for kittens, adults, and indoor cats as well as one original recipe formulated for all life stages. There are five product lines for wet food including patés, shredded entrees, chunky recipes, and dual-meat duos.

Pros: All recipes are naturally grain-free, formulas made with premium proteins including novel proteins like venison and duck, recipes are supplemented with probiotics for healthy digestion, decent selection of products to choose from, no artificial additives or by-products, rich in nutrition and natural flavor

Cons: Fairly expensive (dry food costs upwards of $3 per pound), some recipes contain common proteins that may trigger food allergies in some cats (like chicken and fish), some dry foods contain plant proteins (like pea protein)

Buy the 11-pound bag of the Wellness CORE Grain-Free Dry Food on Petco for $40.89 Buy the 24-pack of the Wellness CORE Grain-Free Wet Food on Amazon for $61.44

Why you'll love it: For premium-quality, organic dry and wet food for cats, you can't beat Castor & Pollux's handcrafted recipes.

Even some of the top pet food brands on the market don’t use organic ingredients, but if you want to feed your cat the best of the best, an organic cat food brand may be the way to go. Our top pick for organic cat food is Castor & Pollux, a company that was founded more than twenty years ago but still remains a leader in the organic and natural pet food industry. In fact, Castor & Pollux was the first company to offer a complete line of organic pet foods.

Handcrafted in small batches to ensure nutritional quality and integrity, Castor & Pollux’s organic cat foods are made with real chicken, lamb, or salmon as the first ingredient. Every recipe offers uncompromised quality for 100% complete and balanced nutrition. This brand supplements each formula with organic flaxseed to provide omega fatty acids for skin and coat health as well as fiber to support your cat’s digestion and plenty of protein for lean muscle mass.

The Organic Authority names Castor & Pollux among its top choices for organic pet food, and this brand makes the list of the 14 best premium dry foods for cats on The Spruce. A review by Natural News mentions that certified organic, free-range chicken is the first ingredient in every one of this brand’s dry foods, which remains true, except for the new Healthy Kitten recipe, which features organic turkey as the main protein.

Not only does Castor & Pollux offer organic cat food, but it offers a wide variety of products including dry food and wet food options. In fact, this brand offers two complete product lines— Organix and Organix Grain-Free. Both are made with the same premium-quality animal proteins and other organic ingredients, though the grain-free line features alternative carbohydrates like potatoes and tapioca.

Pros: Made with premium-quality certified-organic ingredients, both original and grain-free recipes available, recipes for adults as well as kittens and seniors, non-GMO ingredients, produced in certified organic kitchens, no low-quality fillers or by-products, high in protein

Cons: Kibbles at the bottom of the bag may break up, limited selection of products, some recipes contain common proteins that may trigger food allergies in some cats (like chicken and fish)

Buy the 18-pound bag of the Castor & Pollux Organix Dry Cat Food on Petco for $73.99 Buy the 24-pack of Castor & Pollux Organix Wet Cat Food on Amazon for $45.12

The best cat feeders to help your cat lose weight

Cats who gulp down their meals often deal with other problems, including obesity and post-meal vomiting.

We've rounded up the best cat feeders that are designed to slow your cat's food intake for a healthier and more satisfying meal. They may also help overweight cats shed a few pounds.

Here are the best cat feeders to help your cat lose weight:

• Best cat feeder overall: Petmate Jackson Galaxy Go Fish Slow Feeder Puzzle Bowl
• Best cat feeder for natural feeding: Doc & Phoebe's Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder
• Best cat feeder for multi-cat homes: Petsafe SlimCat Meal Dispensing Cat Toy 3-Pack
• Best cat feeder for feline entertainment: Catit Senses 2.0 Digger for Cats
• Best cat feeder for customizable difficulty levels: Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree

The best lint roller for pet hair

You love your pet, but you probably don't love how much he sheds. Even if you brush him on a daily basis, you're still going to find his hair all over the house. It clings to the furniture, covers your clothes, and somehow makes its way into your food no matter how careful you are.

Lint rollers make removing pet hair quick and easy. These rollers come in many shapes and sizes, so take a look at our top picks for the best lint rollers for pet hair to choose the one that works best for you.

Here are the best lint rollers for pet hair you can buy:

• Best lint roller for pet hair overall: Evercare Pet Extreme Stick Plus Lint Roller
• Best budget lint roller for pet hair: Scotch-Brite Lint Roller Combo Pack
• Best non-adhesive lint roller: ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover
• Best lint roller for travel: Flint Retractable Lint Roller
• Best lint roller for large surfaces: Evercare Pet Mega Extreme Stick Roller

The best interactive cat toys you can buy

Cats get bored with ordinary toys fairly quickly, but if you invest in a good interactive cat toy, your furry feline will stay entertained for hours on end.

There are many different types of interactive cat toys out there, but we've tested the most popular toys on the market to bring you our top picks in six different categories.

Here are the best interactive cat toys you can buy:

• Best overall: SmartyKat Electronic Bird Sound Toy
• Best toy with treats: PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Toy and Food Dispenser
• Best laser toy: Friends Forever Interactive Cat Laser Toy
• Best roller ball toy: PetStages Tower of Tracks
• Best spinning toy: Catit Spinning Bee Interactive Cat Toy
• Best play mat: SnugglyCat Ripple Rug Cat Activity Play Mat