Best Moist and Semi-Moist Cat Foods (original) (raw)

Although true semi-moist cat food is all but nonexistent in today’s market, the closest wholesome alternative is Wellness Healthy Indulgence Morsels.

We selected it as the best semi-moist food because it’s meat-based, relatively low in carbohydrates, and has a softer texture than the average kibble.

It combines these qualities with species-appropriate nutrition, low carbohydrate content, plenty of animal-based protein, and no potentially harmful additives.

Read on to learn more about moist and semi-moist cat food, read our reviews of the top 6 best moist foods, and find tips on how to satisfy cats who can’t eat kibble but don’t like canned food.

At a Glance: Best Moist and Semi-Moist Cat Foods To Buy

Want a quick look at the products reviewed in this article? In the comparison table below, we’ve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. You’ll find more detailed information about each product later in the article.

Overall Best

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wellness

10.0

Picked by 31 people today!

Wellness Healthy Indulgence Morsels

Best Premium

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Smalls

9.7

Picked by 25 people today!

Smalls Ground Bird Fresh Cat Food

GET 35% OFF ENTER "CATS35" TO GET 35% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER

BEST LOW CARB

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instinct

9.4

Picked by 21 people today!

Instinct by Nature’s Variety

Remember Semi-Moist Cat Food?

In 1976, Ralston-Purina introduced cat food that wasn’t dry and wasn’t wet. It didn’t come in a bag or a can. No pâté clumps. No kibble. They called this food Tender Vittles.

It was the United States’ first national semi-moist cat food brand and perhaps the world’s first cat food in a pouch.

Tender Vittles was a smash among both cats and people. By the 1980s, it was the leading moist cat food brand in the United States. Tender Vittles enjoyed over 20 years as an iconic and beloved brand.

But semi-moist cat food doesn’t exist anymore—at least not as we once knew it. Here’s why.

Semi-moist cat food has never been nutritionally ideal for cats. In 1982, a package of Tender Vittles cat food listed, among other more nourishing ingredients, propylene glycol, BHA, artificial color, and ethoxyquin.

These potentially-harmful ingredients have made semi-moist food one of the most criticized varieties, and this criticism seems to have led to its disappearance. Purina discontinued Tender Vittles in 2007 due to declining customer demand and low sales.

Though semi-moist food is now the stuff of pet food nostalgia, there are still good options for those who want that soft-but-not-soupy consistency.

I’ve scoured message boards, review articles, and pet retail sites in search of the best equivalents to moist and semi-moist food.

The following five foods capture something of the old moist or semi-moist magic. Most of them come in the same type of easy-serve, easy-store pouch.

They aren’t exactly the same as the carb-heavy, preservative-laden semi-moist food so many loved, but they’re a lot better for your cat’s health. It’s a fair trade, right?

The Best Moist And Semi-Moist Cat Food – Our Top 6 Picks

Alternatives To Moist and Semi-Moist Cat Food

Moisten Your Cat’s Kibble

Consider adding water, tuna juice, or bone broth to your cat’s kibble. This is a great way to improve the food’s texture and make it easier to chew. It’s a good mid-point between feeding your cat kibble and a fully wet diet.

Also Read: Best Cat Water Fountain: Top 8 Fountains to Keep Your Cat Hydrated

If you choose to wet your cat’s kibble, be sure to refrigerate or discard it after about an hour.

Dry food, particularly dry food containing wheat, corn, and other cereal grains, is prone to aflatoxin mold growth. In fact, it’s more dangerous to leave out moistened kibble than it is to leave out fresh or canned food.

This means no grazing! Provide a single serving at a time and throw it away or refrigerate any leftovers as soon as you can.

Consider Other Types Of Food That Have A Texture Between Kibble And Wet Food.

Moist or semi-moist food isn’t the only option for cats who want something softer than kibble but not as wet as canned food. Think about freshly cooked foods, which are soft and chewable but not wet. Smalls Cat Food is a good example of this.

Smalls cat food recipes are primarily made from gently cooked chicken and fish, so they have a naturally tender texture with plenty of chewable chunks.

Freshpet sells a cooked fresh food that comes in soft kibble-style niblets that are extremely similar in consistency to the old-fashioned semi-moist products. Learn more about Freshpet in our complete brand review.

You can also consider raw food, which is available in a world of consistencies and styles. A chunky raw food is both soft and substantial. Remember to always speak with your veterinarian before feeding your cat a raw food diet.

Freeze-dried foods may also fit the bill. Typically, these foods are rehydrated and mashed into something resembling a canned pâté-style food, but you can also rehydrate them without mashing or smashing, giving you little chunks of slightly-softened food.

Try Using Semi-moist Treats To Encourage Your Cat To Try Wet Food.

If your cat refuses to eat both dry and wet food, the solution may not be a moist food but simply finding a way to convince your cat to eat a wet food.

Convincing your cat to eat a new food is a relatively complex issue and we can’t go into much depth on it here. But one of the easiest ways to get started is by sprinkling something your cat likes on top of the thing he doesn’t like.

Although semi-moist diets have gone out of vogue, moist and tender treats still exist. You can sprinkle these treats on top of your cat’s food to entice him to try it out. Semi-moist treats include Pet Greens Cat Craves and Blue Buffalo Kitty Yums.