The Best Online Cat Food Delivery Services for Even the Pickiest of Felines

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Giving cat tins of cat food on hardwood floor
Giving cat tins of cat food on hardwood floor

Helen Schryver Photography / Getty Images

Getting food for your cat can be a process in itself, especially if you have to haul a large bag weighing several pounds back to your home. However, with cat food delivery services, there's no need to take a break when getting your feline friend their favorite meal. These convenient services not only deliver food straight to your door when you (and your kitty) need it, but they also carry raw, wet, or dry food options depending on your cat's taste and needs.

Picking the best cat food delivery service for your feline can be daunting, especially if they have dietary restrictions like allergies. Luckily, many services offer many different cuisines that can suit your budget and your cat's dietary needs. But before deciding on a new food, always consult your veterinarian to make sure you're making the right choice.

Best Cat Food Delivery Services of 2023

Best Splurge: Smalls

Key Specs

  • Starting price: $4/day

  • Free shipping? Yes

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • All food is vet-approved and made with real meat

  • Offers discounted trials for various recipes

  • Fresh and raw food available for purchase

Cons

  • Price point is relatively high

Why We Chose It

Smalls delivers healthy, vet-approved cat food every single month. Starting at $4/day, Smalls' recipes are designed to not only be delicious but also promote overall cat health, helping soften fur and regulate bowel movements. While the price for ordering cat food from this service is more expensive than other competitors on this list, the service offers discounted trial periods to ensure that you aren't dropping a ton of money on something your cat might not like.

Smalls is available in two different formulations: fresh food and freeze-dried raw food, both of which are grain-free. The company asks every new customer to complete a thorough quiz that asks about your cat's build, meat preferences, allergies, and more. Once you've made your selection, you can sign up for monthly delivery; however, you can adjust your delivery frequency to meet your schedule and add fun extras like kitty litter and hand-knit cat toys. In the event your cat isn't a fan of the food, the service offers a money-back guarantee.

Smalls logo
Smalls logo

Best Wet and Dry Food Options: Open Farm

Key Specs

  • Starting price: $1/day

  • Free shipping? Yes, over $50

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Can select from five different proteins for both wet and dry food

  • Broth and liquid topper add-ons available

  • All food is sustainably sourced

Cons

  • Some products only available in-store

Why We Chose It

Open Farm delivers cats and their owners sustainably sourced, high-protein food. Owners can choose from five different meats—beef, chicken, turkey, fish, or lamb—for both wet and dry food, offering a variety of options. Open Farm is also allergy-friendly, offering grain-free formulas as well as single-protein recipes. You can also easily enhance a meal with a yummy chicken or beef broth or other supplements that your cat won't be able to get enough of.

When it comes to sustainability, the company actively makes an effort to reduce carbon emissions and packages food using recyclable materials. Open Farm's food is also sourced from farms that meet strict animal welfare regulations, are cage-free, and make no use of antibiotics or hormones. You can get Open Farm delivered to your door whenever you need it, and you can also enjoy free shipping on orders over $50. Note, however, that some products may be only available in brick-and-mortar stores.

Open Farm logo
Open Farm logo

Best Fresh Food: Raised Right

Key Specs

  • Starting price: $3/day*

  • Free shipping? Yes, but not for sample orders

*Based on a cat that weighs 10 pounds

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Food is cooked before sending to maximize freshness

  • Tests food for pathogens before shipping

  • Can create a custom meal plan based on cat's dietary needs

Cons

  • No free shipping on sample orders

Why We Chose It

Raised Right delivers vet-recommended recipes created by food formulation experts so you can serve your kitty food at peak freshness. Before it's shipped, Raised Right's recipes are cooked, and once it's delivered you can store it in your freezer to preserve it. When your cat is ready to chow down, simply let it defrost overnight and serve it within six days.

Raised Right's fresh recipes include proteins like beef, turkey, and pork, and fruits and veggies like blueberries, cranberries, carrots, and pumpkin. These recipes are topped off with craveable seasonings like parsley and sea salt. Raised Right also tests all of its batches in a laboratory before shipping to make sure they're free from pathogens like E. coli, listeria, and salmonella. The company offers free shipping on every order, whether it's a subscription delivery or a single purchase, but sample orders do not qualify for this perk.

Raised Right logo
Raised Right logo

Best for Raw Food: Darwin's Natural Pet Products

Key Specs

  • Starting price: $2.40/day*

  • Free shipping? Yes, on 20-plus pounds

*Based on a cat that weighs 10 pounds

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • All raw food adheres to strict FDA guidelines to minimize health risk

  • Sources food from free-range and cage-free farms

  • Has a wealth of information about raw diets for cats

Cons

  • Food must be kept refrigerated at all times before serving

Why We Chose It

Feeding your cat a raw food diet does pose its own risks if not handled properly, but Darwin's Natural Pet Products provides your cat with raw food meals that meet strict FDA standards. The company mainly specializes in turkey and chicken, but all of its meat comes from free-range, pasture-raised, and cage-free farms. Its raw food formulations are also grain-free and free from fillers and preservatives as well as growth hormones.

Switching to a raw food diet can be quite the adjustment for your pet, but Darwin's Natural Pet Products' website contains a vast online resource library, complete with tips and tricks for transitioning your cat to a raw food diet. However, it's worth noting that since this company specializes in raw food, any orders you receive will have to be refrigerated and cooked slightly before serving to prevent any health risks. If you want to make the dive, simply take the company's online quiz to plan your cat's raw meals and get free shipping on orders over 20 pounds.

Darwin's Logo
Darwin's Logo

Best for Sensitive Stomachs: Chewy

Key Specs

  • Starting price: $0.79/day

  • Free shipping? Yes, on orders over $45

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Has its own line of food made for cats with sensitive stomachs

  • Prices for cat food start at an affordable rate

  • Offers discounts on Autoship orders

Cons

  • Sensitive stomach formula is available as dry food only

Why We Chose It

Chewy is one of the most popular online pet supply stores, providing everything from food to litter. In addition to its many offerings, the company also has its own cat food line for sensitive stomachs: American Journey's Total Health Formula by Chewy. This particular brand of food is made with 30-percent protein recipes, along with probiotics and pumpkin to help support digestive health. In addition to promoting digestive health for sensitive stomachs, the food's omega fatty acids and taurine help keep your cat's skin, coat, eyes, and heart healthy.

Chewy makes cat food delivery easy by offering reliable one- to three-day shipping and a 5-percent discount if you opt in for autoship. Autoship ensures that your cat will never go hungry, always delivering another bag of American Journey before you run out. The only major downside when it comes to its sensitive food line is that it's only available as dry food, not wet.

Chewy logo
Chewy logo

Best Grain-Free Food: Cat Person

Key Specs

  • Starting price: $2.76/day

  • Free shipping? Yes

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Food is specially formulated without any grains or fillers

  • Available in shreds, pate, and/or dry food

  • Offers 10 percent off every order

Cons

  • Only meal plans qualify for discount and shipping perks

Why We Chose It

Some kitties' stomachs just can't handle grains, and this is where Cat Person shines. The service goes above and beyond to provide various delicious recipes, all of which are grain-free and high in protein. Even a picky kitty is sure to find something they enjoy, as the service's protein selection includes chicken, tuna, duck, turkey, salmon, and more. If you're not sure if your cat will enjoy this food, you can also take a quiz and customize a starter pack based on your cat's preferences—all for 25 percent off.

Cat Person meal plans are 10 percent off every order and are typically shipped every four weeks, but you can easily pause, delay, or cancel an upcoming delivery. Plus, if your cat gets bored of their food, you can easily swap out recipes before the next month rolls around. Just note that if you aren't a meal plan subscriber, you won't be able to get 10 percent off every order, and you have to pay over $50 to qualify for free shipping.

Cat Person logo
Cat Person logo

Best Value: Just Food

Key Specs

  • Starting price: $1.55/day

  • Free shipping? Yes, only for Autoship orders

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Prices for cat food start at under $2

  • Cat food is allergy-friendly and low calorie

  • Offers 35 percent off first autoship order

Cons

  • Doesn't offer a ton of protein variety

Why We Chose It

Just Food doesn't beat around the bush with its prices or ingredients. The service offers a straightforward Alaskan Pacific cod, chicken thighs, and sardine wet food recipe, all for less than $2 a day. As a bonus, this moisture-rich formula is great for keeping cats hydrated, is grain- and hormone-free, and is allergy-friendly.

The smallest size the food ships in is an 18-ounce package that starts at $14. However, you can increase the amount of food you get by selecting small or medium box options which offer 7.8 and 23.6 pounds of food respectively. You can even order it for store pickup at multiple retailers if you want to avoid shipping fees. The only major con with this particular cat food delivery service is that it only offers its formula in wet food form—nothing else.

Just Food For Dogs logo
Just Food For Dogs logo

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Cheaper to Order Cat Food Online?

Ordering cat food online can be cheaper than buying it in-store thanks to first-time order discounts, Autoship discounts, subscription perks, etc. However, shipping fees can add up if you aren't a subscriber, or if the service you're ordering from doesn't offer any promotional discounts. However, if lugging a massive bag or box of cat food proves difficult, you can't beat the convenience of getting your cat's food delivered straight to your door.

How Often Should You Feed a Cat?

What stage of life your cat is in and their health will mostly determine how often you should feed them. Kittens, as well as pregnant cats, have higher nutritional needs than adult cats, so they'll need to chow down a little more often. Senior cats may also require a special diet, but that's also not always the case. When in doubt, ask your veterinarian to understand how much food your cat needs.

What Human Food Can Cats Eat?

Cats can enjoy a variety of human foods, including apples, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries, peanut butter, cooked eggs, baked bread, and cheese. However, there are foods that cats should absolutely avoid eating, such as grapes, nuts, chocolate, and more. While it's nice to give cats a treat now and then, it's best to check with your veterinarian before sneaking your kitty something under the table.