Dry Cat Food

Dry cat food is fed as the base diet in most households because it can be left down, stores without refrigeration and costs less per serve than wet. The trade-off is moisture, which is why kibble is usually paired with a wet meal rather than fed on its own.

The useful splits are by how a cat lives rather than by protein. Indoor formulas moderate calories for a cat that sleeps eighteen hours on a couch, and usually add fibre to move swallowed hair through; desexed and sterilised recipes do the same job for a cat whose energy needs dropped after surgery. Kitten kibble runs higher in energy and protein for growth, and senior ranges — commonly 7+ and 11+ — ease back on phosphorus and add joint support. Hairball formulas earn their place with long-haired and heavy-shedding cats and are largely wasted on the rest. Whatever you choose, change food over about a week, mixing an increasing share of the new kibble into the old, since cats refuse an abrupt change more stubbornly than dogs do.

Shop Dry Cat Food by Brand

• Royal Canin
• Advance
• Orijen
• Ivory Coat
• Trilogy
• Black Hawk

Shop Dry Cat Food by Type

• Freeze dried cat food and boosters
• Cat dental treats and dental care

Shop Royal Canin Dry Cat Food

Royal Canin is the deepest dry cat range on this page by product count, and it is split by how a cat lives rather than by protein. The lifestyle formulas below are everyday foods rather than veterinary diets.

• Royal Canin dry cat food — the full dry range, 400g to 10kg, by breed, age and lifestyle.
• Royal Canin Indoor — moderated calories and added fibre for less active indoor cats.
• Royal Canin Sterilised — for desexed cats, including Kitten Sterilised and Sterilised 7+.

Shop Hill's Science Diet Dry Cat Food

Hill's Science Diet splits its dry cat range by living situation and life stage rather than by protein, which makes it straightforward to match to an indoor cat or an older one without leaving the brand.

• Hill's Science Diet dry cat food — the full dry range, kitten through Adult 11+.
• Hill's Science Diet Indoor — Adult Indoor, Indoor Kitten and the Adult 7+ and Adult 11+ senior indoor kibbles.
• Hill's Science Diet Oral Care — the Oral Care kibbles; one is a cat formula and two are for dogs, so check the pack.

Beyond kibble

Two formats sit alongside dry food and are fed the same way — straight from the bag, no rehydrating — but with a very different ingredient profile.

• Air dried cat food — ZIWI Peak, Absolute Holistic and Air Proudi, gently dried meat and organ.
• Pure Life cat food — Natural Boost dry in 1.5kg and 6kg, including a kitten recipe.