This is our review of best cat food without red dye.
Pet food manufacturers will not have our cat’s health at the forefront of their vision and it is our duty to make sure that the food we are feeding our furry friends are healthy and safe.
Red Dye or dyes in general are considered unsafe for cats and they don’t add any nutritional value to cats.
We recommend Ziwi Peak Air-dried Venison cat food as the best cat food without red dye.
Read more on our top picks and why red dye is dangerous for cats.
Our Best Cat Food Without Red Dye
- Best Overall – Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Venison Cat Food
- Best For Picky Eaters – Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Chicken & Egg Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
- Best Wet Food – American Journey Pate Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
- Best Without Chicken – Hound & Gatos 98% Turkey & Liver Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
- Best Budget – Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original with Added Vitamins, Minerals & Nutrients Dry Cat Food
5 Best Cat Food Without Red Dye Reviewed
All cat foods in our list strictly meet the minimum AAFCO nutrition recommendations for cats. Always consult your vet before starting off your cat on a new food.
Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Venison Cat Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Venison, Venison Tripe, Venison Heart, Venison Lung, Venison Liver
- Guaranteed Analysis: 44% Crude Protein, 24% Crude Fat, 3% Crude Fiber, 14% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 264 kcal/scoop
- Type of Product: Limited Ingredient Diet, No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Grain-Free, Pea-Free, Non-GMO, High-Protein, Natural
- Best For: Overall
Our rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Ziwi produces one of the best cat foods out there! Just look at the ingredient list, all real meats and organs.
With a unique drying process, Ziwi doesn’t need to use any binding agents such as starch or artificial binders so that the food can maintain its shape and doesn’t crumble and become dust.
The advantage of this technique is that Ziwi cat food is incredibly low in carbs and high in protein.
The moisture content is also higher than average dry cat food moisture content.
This Ziwi cat food does not include any colour dyes or artificial additives making it a healthy and safe option for your furry friend.
As Ziwi cat food is very calorie dense, you need to serve a smaller portion to your cat to fulfil their daily calorie requirements.
| What We Liked | What We Didn’t Like |
| + No Red Dye + No Fillers + No Artificial Ingredients + Low in Carbs + Protein From Real Meat | – A bit expensive – Some picky cats might not like the texture |
Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Chicken & Egg Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Dehydrated Chicken, Dried Egg Product, Tapioca
- Guaranteed Analysis: 43% Crude Protein, 19% Crude Fat, 3.5% Crude Fiber, 10% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 482 kcal/cup
- Type of Product: High-Protein, Grain-Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Natural, Non-GMO, Premium
- Best For: Picky Eaters
Our rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This Tiki formula is loved by cats and cat owners alike due to the high quality ingredients and high protein content.
Made with real meat ingredients such as chicken and egg, it is easy for your cat to digest and get all the nutrients they need.
Tiki never uses any colour dyes in their foods so you can rest easy that there are no harmful ingredients in this food.
Filler free means that this food is low in carb and does not have any ingredients which are not part of a cat’s natural diet.
| What We Liked | What We Didn’t Like |
| + No Red Dye + No fillers + No Artificial Ingredients + Low in Carbs + Protein From Real Protein | – Includes chicken meal |
American Journey Pate Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Natural Flavor, Ground Flaxseed
- Guaranteed Analysis: 10% Crude Protein, 6% Crude Fat, 1% Crude Fiber, 78% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 102 kcal/3-oz can
- Type of Product: Grain-Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Pea-Free
- Best For: Wet Food
Our rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
If you are looking for a high quality wet food without any dyes, look no further than this American Journey formula.
Made with real chicken ingredients such as chicken, chicken liver and chicken broth ensure your cat gets high quality protein that it needs.
No fillers to bulk up the protein content, this formula is incredibly low in carb content making it an ideal food for your furry friend.
There are no colour dyes used in this formula, so if you are looking for a good wet food without harmful ingredients and is not that expensive, we highly recommend American Journey.
| What We Liked | What We Didn’t Like |
| + No Red Dye + No fillers + No Artificial Ingredients + Low in Carbs + Pocket Friendly | – Binders from multiple gums |
Hound & Gatos 98% Turkey & Liver Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Turkey, Turkey Broth, Turkey Liver, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride
- Guaranteed Analysis: 10% Crude Protein, 8.5% Crude Fat, 1% Crude Fiber, 78% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 191 Kcal per 5.5oz (156g) can
- Type of Product: Gluten Free, Grain-Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Pea-Free, High-Protein, Limited Ingredient Diet, Natural, Premium
- Best For: Without Chicken
Our rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
If you have a cat that has chicken sensitivities and you are looking for cat food without red dye and chicken, we recommend the hound and gatos Turkey recipe.
Made with high quality Turkey ingredients such as Turkey, Turkey Broth and Turkey Liver.
This is a limited ingredient formula meaning it doesn’t contain any useless ingredients and is great for cats with sensitivities.
No Red dye or any other colour dye, this is a safe and healthy option for your cat.
| What We Liked | What We Didn’t Like |
| + No Red Dye + No fillers + No Artificial Ingredients | – Some Picky Eaters don’t like the flavour – Can be a bit expensive |
Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original with Added Vitamins, Minerals & Nutrients Dry Cat Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-product Meal, Rice, Soybean Meal
- Guaranteed Analysis: 34% Crude Protein, 13% Crude Fat, 3% Crude Fiber, 12% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 398 kcal/cup
- Type of Product: High-Protein, Weight Control, Indoor, Natural, With Grain
- Best For: Budget
Our rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
If you are looking for a budget cat food without any red dye, we recommend Purina Cat Chow Naturals.
Protein is coming from Chicken and Chicken By-product meals. We are not a big fan of by-product meals due to them containing lower quality protein than real meat but they do the trick if your cat is healthy.
This formula also contains a bit of grain ingredients as well. These can add more carbs to your cat’s daily intake.
This Purina formula does not contain artificial ingredients such as Red Dye or any other colouring.
| What We Liked | What We Didn’t Like |
| + No Red Dye + High Protein + Meat as first ingredient | – Includes by-products – Includes grains |
Why Are Dyes Bad For Cats?
Do you know what the pet food dyes are made of? They are made from chemicals called benzidine-based azo dyes, which are derived from petroleum products! I wouldn’t have guessed that!
Benzidine is a known carcinogen and can cause kidney failure in humans as well as animals when consumed in large amounts over time. Why should we take even the smallest risk with these ingredients for our cats?
It has also been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer in workers exposed to benzidine while manufacturing these dyes at textile plants in India and China.
What Are The Health Risks of Colour Dyes to Cats?
Risks! Plenty of that with this ingredient for cats. Let’s look at some of them here.
Cancer
Artificial colours such as Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2 and caramel are known to have carcinogens which can cause abnormal cell development in cats. [1]
Allergies
Cat’s digestive systems can’t process dyes and in some cats can cause reactions such as skin irritation, including redness, itchiness, hives, and rashes. Some cat’s might also experience diarrhoea, flatulence, itching, loss of balance, swelling, and vomiting.
Behavioural Problems in Children
Okay, this one isn’t related to cats but some studies have shown a relation between hyperactivity and food colour dyes in children. If it isn’t good for humans, we shouldn’t risk it for our cats as well. [2]
Buying Guide: How To Buy Best Cat Food Without Red Dye?
Use the below criteria to pick the best cat food without red dye.
Avoid These Ingredients
Red 40 Or Allura Red
Used only to give the kibble a red colour and make it look like meat! Red 40 has been linked with promoting tumour development in mice and hyperactivity in kids.
Yellow 5 or Tartrazine
Yellow 5 is linked with hyperactivity, insomnia and aggression in children. In Europe, manufacturers are required to put up a label if they are using Yellow 5 in their products. Meaning to take it seriously.
If you see Yellow 5 or Tartrazine in any cat food, run away from it as fast as you can.
Yellow 6 or Sunset Yellow
Yellow 6 or Sunset Yellow can cause adrenal or kidney tumours in pets according to some studies. [3]
Blue 2 or Indigo Carmine
Another carcinogenic that is linked to brain tumours and abnormal cell development.
Caramel Colour
If the caramel colour contains the chemical 4-Mel, it is carcinogenic. It is unlikely that manufacturers will share that level of information so let’s just avoid caramel colour as whole and not risk it.
Artificial Colour and Added Colour
I have seen cases where manufacturers have just put in artificial colour or added colour in the ingredient list and not identified the individual dyes in there.
So if you see artificial colour or added colour in the ingredient list, it is best to avoid that cat food.
High Protein, Moderate Fat and Low Carb
Cats require a high protein, moderate fat and low carb content diet to live a healthy and happy life.
Always choose cat food whose protein is derived from real meat ingredients not coming from by-products or by-meals because these are considered low quality proteins which can cause health issues in the long term for cats.
Protein from real meat is considered high quality and is best for cats.
Cats get most of their energy from fats and proteins but cat’s don’t require a very high amount of fat in their diet to thrive so look for moderate to low fat content food for your cat.
The only purpose of carbs is to provide energy and as cat’s can get energy from fats and proteins, cat’s do not require a high level of carbs in their daily diet.
Carb’s make up a very small part of a cat’s natural diet and hence the same should be for the food that you buy for them.
Make sure the food that you are buying for your cat is low in carbs. You can do this by ensuring that the food has low grain or no grain content as grains are full of carbs.
Easily Digestible
Look for whole grain or low starch vegetables in your cat food. These ingredients are easily digestible in your cat’s stomach and your cat also absorbs nutrients much quickly from these nutrients.
‘Natural’ Label
As per AAFCO definition, artificial colouring is legally prohibited in products that are labelled as natural.
So look for cat food which says natural on the label.
Even though this is a good starting point, you still need to ensure that you check the ingredients in detail and confirm that there are no harmful ingredients in there.
Our Verdict
Pet food companies are now moving away from artificial colours in their products and have started using more natural colours.
But still, go check the food you are feeding your cat and make sure it does not have any artificial colouring.
Always consult your vet before changing your cat’s food.
