As a pet parent of three cats, I've been around the block several times with different cat food brands.
All my furry little guys are rescues, ranging from a 6-month-old kitten to my elder statesman and original bad boy, Sankaman, who is about 11 years old.
When we welcomed our third kitten—or when he showed up at our house and decided never to leave—I thought I could continue with kibble for all three. That's what I always gave the older two, and more or less, there was never a big problem. The two cats ate their kibble and had few complaints overall. After a few months, I discovered our tried-and-true kibble was a no-go for the new kitten. He constantly got hairballs and threw up.
Because it was difficult to find new food that met every cat’s needs, I turned to a subscription service: Smalls Cat Food. Here’s what I learned about this brand and its revolutionary wet food.
What Is Smalls Cat Food?
Smalls Cat Food is a subscription box service for cats that specializes in high-protein, all-natural meals delivered right to your door. It is not considered “dry food,” but instead takes human-grade ingredients and freezes them for ultimate freshness so you can feel confident in what you’re feeding your cat.
All Smalls Cat Food meals and cat treats are made with 100% natural ingredients and zero fillers. There's quite a variety, too, with chicken, pork, turkey, beef, and fish available in convenient packaging.
Moreover, Smalls Cat Food offers texture options, either ground or smooth, perfect for finicky eaters and multi-cat households. Whether your cat prefers the turkey recipe or some other bird, gently cooked meat, or bone broth, Smalls’ food subscription service can help you get what you need for all your house felines.
Humanely Harvested Animal Protein
Regarding nutritional content, Smalls Cat Food is heavy on whole proteins, specifically 80% or more USDA-certified ingredients in each meal packet. They also add vitamins and fatty acids like fish oil for complete nutrition that's good for cats of all ages.
Smalls Cat Food even includes a dash of veggies to give your cats some fiber and make digestion easier, usually green beans and kale.
The Problem With Mystery Ingredients
Before I tried Smalls' food, I had looked at different types of wet and dry food available in the supermarket. Like clockwork, old Sankaman suddenly started being picky, and I noticed him moving more slowly, showing his age.
The wet food cans and dry food in the grocery store had many problems, including mystery ingredients that were actively contributing to my cats’ poor health. Some ingredients included:
- Artificial Colors & Flavors
- Carrageenan (Thickening Agent)
- Heavily Refined Corn & Wheat
- Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Preservatives)
These fillers and cheap ingredients can cause your pets to suffer from long-term conditions, but they also can lead to more hairballs, inflammation, obesity, poor coat quality, and a shorter life span.
Other higher-quality wet food was overpriced, and I could not justify the price because these products also contained poor-quality ingredients. With three mouths to feed, the best cat food for me would have to look and smell like their usual food, lead to fewer hairballs, and help my Sankaman live a long and healthy life.
How Does A Smalls Cat Food Subscription Work?
What's cool about Smalls is that they let your cats try it out before you subscribe to a box. This risk-free introduction appealed to me since feeding three cats is expensive. While the two adult cats could handle the smooth bird or the smooth fish, the kitten needed a higher-nutrient ground cow and fewer hairballs!
Getting Started
It works like this: First, you take their quick quiz online, which asks about your cat’s breed, age, body weight, and health issues of your cat(s). They don't leave out taste preferences (which is good for cats who only prefer chicken or some other bird), either.
Then, based on your answers, Smalls curates a sampler pack of different meals, including a bag of free treats to sweeten the deal.
For my three cats, each of different age and breed, Smalls sent me the following:
- 2 Fresh Ground Bird
- 2 Fresh Smooth Other Bird
- 2 Fresh Smooth Pig
- 1 Fresh Smooth Bird & Fish Dish
- 1 Fresh Ground Other Bird
- 1 Fresh Smooth Bird
- 1 Fresh Smooth Fish
- 1 Shameless Pets Catnip n Chill (FREE)
You have to pay for the sampler pack, but remember—it's risk-free. Shipping is free, too, and it's always free with Smalls.
After you place your order, the samples will arrive in a couple of days. Based on what meals your cat likes best, you can make your customized subscription order to be delivered at the cadence of your choice.
Remember that if your cats don't like the sampler pack, Smalls will refund you 100%.
(FYI, prices are lower when ordering for multi-cat households, which is one of the big reasons Smalls appealed to me in the first place.)
About the Food
According to this study, it's really important that domesticated cats eat food high in protein and amino acids to make the protein easier to digest.
The study authors also noted that each cat's age, weight, and health issues should be considered when selecting a healthy diet plan. The best cat food for one cat will not be the same as for another cat. Older cats might need Smooth Other Bird or Smooth Fish, while younger cats might need more nutrient-dense food with multiple proteins and roughage, like Ground Cow.
I was happy when I saw that study, since it confirmed that Smalls' quiz and custom recommendations align with what the published science says cats need.
What’s In This Wet Food?
The recipe for success in Smalls Cat Food is radically simple-- 80% whole protein, a dash of veggies, plus infused vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids.
In case you're wondering, 80% is significantly higher than in the kibble I previously gave my cats. It's also higher than some of the more expensive labels at the pet store.
Everything in Smalls is sourced in the USA and human-grade, meaning you won't find any questionable byproducts or fillers. The meat is USDA certified, humanely harvested, and tastes like your cat’s usual food. This makes it much easier for your kitty to adjust to a new diet, which often doesn’t go over well with creatures of habit.
Smalls Cat Food recipes were formulated by veterinarians to be easy to digest while promoting immunity, energy, and healthy weight management (which can be difficult with strong-willed cats).
Compared to most commercially available cat food, Smalls is minimally processed, and you can see and smell this for yourself when you open the packets. Even the free treats are made with the highest quality ingredients.
How It’s Made
Smalls Cat Food sources its all-natural ingredients entirely in the U.S., where raw materials are shipped to Ohio and New Jersey facilities. All meats and fish are USDA-certified.
Then, the different proteins, from beef or pork to turkey and other bird, are gently cooked. THen nutrients, including fish oil, biotin, and more, are added. This fresh food is quickly frozen and then promptly shipped to your doorstep.
The wet food comes with enough dry ice for a couple of days, making it ice-cold when opened. It is not freeze-dried food, so it does not need additional moisture to make it appealing to your cat. Rather, it is wet food gently cooked and frozen, ready to eat upon opening.
Flavor Options
The range of flavors from different proteins that felines love is a big part of why Smalls Cat Food works for my pet family. Here's the variety of whole proteins from Smalls that come in two textures: ground or smooth:
- Chicken & chicken liver
- Beef & beef liver
- Fish (wild-caught salmon & cod)
- Turkey & turkey liver
- Pork & pork liver
USDA Certified Ingredients & Premium Wet Food For Success
After an in-depth taste test, the experiment was a success. My little guy, middle-aged cat, and my eldest, Sankaman, all ate every morsel from the Smalls sampler pack, so the taste seems to be a win across the board. The older two cats seemed to enjoy the wet food more than their usual food.
My cats enjoy the most flavor of fresh, smooth fish, with fresh ground bird coming in a close second. Sankaman will likely continue to eat Smooth Other Bird for the rest of his days. I have noticed a change in his walk and his overall spirit.
Smalls also included cat treats for free, which everybody likes, particularly my black cat in the middle, who doesn’t need cheesy sticks anymore. They're also way healthier than cheesy sticks, so that's another plus.
Food preferences in domesticated cats are real, dictated by gender, body weight, seasonality, and more. It's not just something we cat people are imagining in our heads. So, if your cat is on the pickier end, be sure to say so when you take the Smalls quick quiz, and they'll customize your order accordingly.
Ingredient Quality
If I didn't know better, I would have thought the fresh smooth fish was a tuna salad for humans.
I've already discussed the high level of quality from a nutritional standpoint and from a taste perspective. But something must be said about how fresh Smalls is compared to other wet foods. It doesn't look like your standard canned cat food when you open it. You can tell the packets that this cat food is super fresh. And my babies come trotting up around meal times, at the hour, to let me know that it's time for food.
This cat food looks and smells like a to-go salad in the grocery store's refrigerated section, which makes sense since Smalls' cat food ingredients are human-grade.
How Does Smalls Compare to Other Cat Food Brands?
I tried Smalls for my three cats after feeding them kibble and supplementing with wet food from common household names.
After trying the sampler pack, the convenience, value, and nutritional content convinced me to order a subscription. For the price, I haven't found anything with this level of quality and customization anywhere else.
Here's a quick breakdown of how Smalls cat food compares to other brands I tried before that you've probably tried too, since they're widely available:
- FRISKIES
Protein content: Around 50%
Artificial flavors & fillers? YES
Human-grade cat food? NO
Custom ordering? NO - WHISKAS
Protein content: Around 50%
Artificial flavors & fillers? YES
Human-grade cat food? NO
Custom ordering? NO - PURINA CAT CHOW
Protein content: Around 50%
Artificial flavors & fillers? YES
Human-grade cat food? NO
Custom ordering? NO - SMALLS CAT FOOD
Protein content: Over 80%
Artificial flavors & fillers? NO
Human-grade cat food? YES
Custom ordering? YES
As you can see, the major differences lie in ingredient quality and customization. Smalls Cat Food makes it easier for me to give all my guys the complete nutrition they need since each cat is at a different stage in life. So, for me, customization is a really strong sell.
Shipping and Returns
Here's what you can expect for shipping and returns when you order a subscription from Smalls Cat Food:
Shipping
- Shipping on sampler packs and all Smalls cat food subscriptions is FREE for contiguous US states.
- Subscription orders are processed within 6 business days.
- All wet food comes with dry ice to maintain freshness for 2-3 days.
- Change your plan and/or ordering frequency anytime with Smalls customer portal.
- You must make any changes to orders before 8pm EST Thursday because everything gets shipped out on Fridays.
Returns
Smalls cat food offers a 100% money-back guarantee on their sampler packs. However, the company does not accept returns and instead encourages donating to local shelters.
Smalls Cat Food: Is It Worth It?
Final verdict? For my cat family, Smalls cat food fits the bill, and I've found personally that it comes mostly down to convenience, ingredient quality, and value. It is not freeze-dried food for cats but rather a thoughtful regular meal tailored for each cat and its needs.
Convenience is the name of the game for me since I work and don't have time to cherry-pick what each of my cats wants. With Smalls Cat Food, it just comes to the door every two weeks. That's the delivery schedule that works for me, but you can set this up at your own intervals.
As far as ingredient quality, the nose doesn't lie. You can smell the difference! Smalls doesn't have flavorings or fillers added to it, and it's worth it to take this extra step to support my cats' nutrition.
Visit The Smalls Website Today!
According to my research, cats need super protein-rich food, and Smalls food has a whopping 80%, which is higher than anything I've seen at the grocery store. And, I'm looking forward to seeing the long-term impact of the added nutrients like biotin, D3, and folic acid.
In terms of value, it's not too much more expensive to have Smalls delivered than to go to the pet store and buy the higher-quality cat food brands, especially when you have more than one cat to feed, like I do.
The only fresher option I know of is to cook the food yourself, so for me, this justifies the value. Plus, shipping is free.
A Smalls cat food subscription would be a good idea for any pet parent who wants to boost their cat's nutrition. You can't beat the convenience or the freshness.
I'd especially recommend Smalls for multi-cat households like mine, where one or more cats have some sort of health issue. Their tailor-made menus ensure that everybody is satisfied and healthy.
