Last Updated: 22/10/2026
Best Wet Cat Food in Australia: Vet Picks
Find the best wet cat food in Australia with our Vet guide. Improve your cat's hydration and health with our top-rated nutrition picks.
Author: Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 6 minutes - short read
No doubt you want the best for your kitty cat, and that includes their nutrition. With so many wet and dry diets on the market, how can you be sure your fur baby is getting the best?
Wet food can offer a host of benefits to cats. Not only is it highly palatable, but it can help improve hydration levels; which in turn can support good urinary health. Wet food is also ideal for fussy eaters and those who may be off their food due to illness or dental disease.
However, not all wet foods are created equal. Wet food diets for cats can have vastly different moisture contents, digestibility and ingredients; so comparing different diets can sometimes be like comparing apples to oranges.
A good wet cat food is complete and balanced, made with high quality animal protein, and light on gelling agents. Our vets most often recommend Royal Canin, Feline Natural, Hill's Science Diet and Advance. Unsure if your cat needs wet food at all? See do cats need wet food?
Paw and Spoon
Paw and Spoon tasty wet food is quickly becoming an Aussie feline favourite. Focusing on supreme palatability, the range boasts 9 different flavours and textures to keep even the fussiest kitties pleased.
What wet cat food do our vets recommend?
Our vets regularly recommend Royal Canin breed formulas, Feline Natural, Hill's Science Diet and Advance.
"I really like the Royal Canin range of breed specific wet foods for Persians, British Shorthairs, and Maine Coons. As breeds which tend to be prone to specific conditions such as urinary tract disease, it makes sense to offer wet food as part of the diet for these cats and these diets offer premium, targeted nutrition that complements the range of breed specific dry foods really well."
Practical tip: swap to any new food gradually over about a week.
"While I like different brands for different reasons, I have always been impressed with the Feline Natural line of wet food. Not only is it complete and balanced, but it is great for owners who want a natural option for wet food. They offer different protein sources such as mackerel, beef, and lamb - which is usually quite hard to find for wet food. I recommend pairing with a premium, high quality dry food."
Practical tip: with a fussy cat, stir a spoonful through their usual food first. For the dry side, see our best dry cat food.
"Hills Science Diet is my go-to for wet food. This premium line of cat food is scientifically formulated to meet the requirements of your cat's lifestage or individual health needs. The wet food is available in cans or handy pouches, and different flavours afford plenty of variety for fussy cats."
Practical tip: if your cat gets bored, consider rotating flavours and textures. See our guide to rotational diets for cats for more information.
"I routinely recommend Advance wet food for cats. It is highly palatable, and made in Australia from premium ingredients. With recipes based on research from the WALTHAM Institute, and a strong veterinary influence, you know you're getting the best in terms of balanced nutrients!"
Practical tip: since cats are more enticed by smell than taste, warm wet food slightly (lukewarm only) to release the food aromas, particularly if your cat is picky.
What ingredients should I look for in wet cat food?
Look for named animal protein at the top of the list and few gelling agents. Our top picks are Feline Natural, Ziwi Peak and Black Hawk.
Many people start with the ingredients list, but it alone doesn't provide sufficient information to determine the overall quality of a cat food, as other factors such as nutrient balance, scientific research, and quality assurance are also important. That said, the ingredients panel can certainly give you some hints as to the quality.
Lower quality wet foods may use gelling agents such as guar gum or seaweed extracts to give their foods a more appealing texture. While gelling agents are generally considered to be safe, they don't offer any nutritional benefits to your pet so many pet owners prefer to avoid them. Conversely, higher quality wet foods may contain added ingredients such as green lipped mussel for joint function or fish oil for skin and coat health.
The Winners: Top wet cat food based on ingredients
Feline Natural wet food is made with over 90% animal protein, including free range lamb and sustainably sourced fish, which is perfect for carnivorous cats. It also contains beneficial green-lipped mussel to promote healthy coat and joints.
Ziwi Peak is made from premium quality, New Zealand animal protein and contains whole prey ingredients, including beneficial microflora. With novel proteins such as rabbit and mackerel, it offers a different flavour set for fussy eaters.
Black Hawk: each recipe is proudly made in Australia from high quality proteins, vegetables and fruits with zero grains or unnecessary ingredients. Based on the 'Real Food Movement'.
Read more about ingredients in cat food, ingredients vs nutrients in pet foods and how to read a pet food label.
Which wet cat foods have research behind them?
Hill's Science Diet, Royal Canin, Pro Plan and Advance are our picks for research-backed, targeted wet foods.
Cat food is hyper-specialised these days. Not only are lifestages catered for (ie, kitten, adult, senior), but many health conditions are targeted, too (ie, hairball, skin care and dental health).
Pet food brands toward the 'premium' end of the spectrum tend to produce food tailored for specific lifestages or medical issues. By manipulating nutrients and adding beneficial ingredients, these precisely balanced recipes are designed to meet the unique needs of your cat's lifestage or health issue. For instance, if you have an older cat, a senior or mature formula will offer increased digestibility and added benefits such as joint health support. If your cat is a little on the heavy side or prone to weight gain, you may be better served by choosing a weight control recipe which is lower in fat and higher in fibre to promote feelings of satiety.
To contrast, a cheaper or poor quality pet food brand may produce 'one size fits all' formulas with no specific wellness purpose. While this may not do your cat any harm, we recommend seeking a premium food with targeted benefits.
The Winners: Top wet cat food brands based on targeted, specific benefits
Hill's Science Diet produces a wide range of health-targeted formulas. With a prescription veterinary line and a general retail line, Hills wet food caters for everything from urinary disease to hairballs.
Royal Canin is one of our most popular brands, and known for being highly palatable. Royal Canin produces wet food to help with a wide array of health conditions (including a therapeutic veterinary line) as well as breed-specific formulas.
Pro Plan produces targeted, scientifically formulated wet food for cats. With a focus on specific lifestages, their wet food is highly palatable and available in a number of flavours.
Advance produces targeted formulas based on scientific research from the WALTHAM institute in the U.K. Advance wet food is produced in Australia as complete, balanced formulas for every lifestage.
See also how to choose the best food for your cat's lifestage and our best cat food in Australia guide.
What's the difference between veterinary and regular wet cat food?
Usually, the difference lies in the treatment of a health condition as opposed to the prevention. Veterinary diets are finely tuned to treat an existing condition, whereas retail diets are only intended as a means of preventing a condition before it occurs.
Some 'non-veterinary' formulas seem to address the same condition as a 'prescription' formula, which can be confusing. For instance, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary S/O is a therapeutic diet which requires a recommendation from a vet, yet Royal Canin Urinary Sachets are available at a retail level and do not require a prescription.
See also prescription diets for pets for more about the differences, and the best urinary cat food for urinary specific queries.
Which wet cat foods are most palatable?
Royal Canin Instinctive, Paw and Spoon and Feline Natural are the wet foods customers most often review as highly palatable. Every cat has different flavour preferences though.
Cats can be notoriously fussy, and nobody wants to waste money on food that won't get eaten. Palatability is also very useful if your cat is ill or suffering from dental pain as it can tempt them to eat.
Why are some cats so fussy? The truth is, rather than being 'fussy', some cats may simply be bored with a lack of variety. Eating the same food every day is an unnatural concept for cats, who are naturally inclined to hunt a different prey each day. This means that if your cat seems a little fussy, it may help to rotate between different flavours (particularly between different meat proteins) to see if it sparks their interest.
More ideas in our fussy cat feeding tips.
The Winners: Most palatable wet cat foods
Paw and Spoon is available in a huge variety of scrumptious flavours and is widely reviewed as highly palatable. Perfect for fussy cats, it is complete and balanced to keep your cat healthy.
Feline Natural: with a high meat content and 'whole prey' ingredients including organs and tripe, it is widely reviewed as a real cat pleaser.
Which wet cat foods are made in Australia?
Our top Australian made picks are Advance, Dine and Black Hawk.
Most cat owners actively look for an Australian-made cat food over one made overseas. Why buy Australian Made cat food? When seeking an Australian-made food, it is comforting to know you're buying food from trusted, 'first world' Australian facilities (with nationally controlled manufacturing factories, quality assurance, and OH+S standards). There is also a financial benefit: buying locally avoids unnecessary import costs.
Below we've listed which pet food is Made in Australia, and which is not. Note: not all varieties below produce wet cat food, some only produce dry cat food.
Made in Australia:
Made internationally:
- Applaws wet food (Asia)
- Fancy Feast (U.S.A. / Hungary / Thailand)
- Feline Natural (New Zealand)
- Hills Science Diet (U.S.A)
- Orijen (U.S.A)
- Paw and Spoon (Thailand)
- Royal Canin (France)
- Taste of the Wild (U.S.A)
- Ziwi Peak (New Zealand)
The Winners: Top Australian made wet cat food
Advance wet food is produced in Australia (Albury/Wodonga and Bathurst) in state-of-the-art MARS Pet Food facilities.
Dine is available in a variety of flavours and is widely reviewed as being highly palatable. Some varieties are marked as 'occasional feeding only', intended as a special treat.
Black Hawk is proudly made in Australia from high quality proteins, vegetables and fruits.
Want the full list? See our guide to Australian made pet food.
How do the top wet cat foods compare?
Wet food brand
Key callouts
Lifestage / Health Formulas Available
Meat Proteins Available
First 5 Ingredients (of pictured formula)
Varieties Available
Australian made, highly palatable, premium recipes based on gold standard WALTHAM Institute research.
Kitten, Adult, Senior, and Weight Control
Chicken, Turkey, Ocean Fish, Lamb, Beef Tuna
Chicken; Pork; Lamb; Turkey; Gelling Agents
Sachets and Trays
Natural, grain free, Australian made wet food for cats.
Kitten, Adult, and Senior
Chicken, Tuna, Beef, Lamb, Salmon
Chicken, Peas, Chicken Broth, Plasma Protein, Tuna, Ocean Fish
Sachets
Australian made, affordable, highly palatable canned food perfect for tempting fussy eaters.
Kitten and Adult
Chicken, Ocean Fish, Tuna, Lamb, Beef
Meat including Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Pork and Turkey; Gelling Agents; Colours
Sachets, cans, and trays
Natural, grain-free, high meat canned food, complete and balanced for all life stages.
All Formulas marked for 'All Lifestages'
Chicken, Venison, Lamb, Salmon, Beef, Hoki, Lamb
Chicken, Venison Heart, Venison Kidney, Venison Liver, Venison Blood
Cans
Delivers a wide range high quality wet food varieties, with reduced calories for small breed dogs with a tendency to gain weight.
Kitten, Adult, Senior, as well as weight control, urinary, hairball, and neutered
Chicken, Ocean Fish, Salmon, Tuna, Beef
Chicken (31%), pork, tapioca starch, corn starch, pea protein
Sachets and cans
Highly palatable, premium canned food recipes with a focus on taste optimisation and broad range of aromas.
Kitten and Adult wet food
Salmon, Chicken, Cheddar cheese, Tuna, Ocean fish
Chicken broth, Chicken, Tapioca starch, Vitamins and Minerals
Cans
Natural, grain free, all life stages canned food with an appealing pate texture.
All formulas marked for 'All Lifestages'
Ocean Fish, Chicken, Salmon and Shrimp, Turkey
Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Chicken Meal, Whitefish
Cans
Premium quality, highly digestible canned food recipes with varieties for every cat.
Kitten, Adult, Senior, Sensitive stomach, urinary, sensitive skin
Salmon, Chicken, Lamb, Ocean fish
Water sufficient for processing, salmon, wheat gluten, liver, meat by-products
Sachets and cans
A wide, varied array of wet diets scientifically formulated for different types of cats.
Kitten, Adult, Senior, high palatability, sensitive stomach, weight control, urinary, hairball, and breed specific lines
Animal protein generally not specified
Meat and animal derivatives, fish and fish derivatives, cereals derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, minerals
Sachets and Cans
Natural, limited ingredient canned food made in New Zealand with novel proteins and 'whole prey' ingredients.
All Formulas marked for 'All Lifestages'
Rabbit, Lamb, Mackerel, Venison, Beef
Rabbit Meat, Lamb Broth, Lamb Liver*, Lamb, Lamb Lung
Cans
Wet Cat Food FAQs
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Thu 22 Oct 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr. Carla graduated from the University of Queensland in 2013 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and worked for a number of years in small animal clinics across South East Queensland. While Carla enjoys most facets of clinical veterinary work, she holds a special passion for feline medicine, pocket pets, and nutrition.
