The complete guide
Choosing a Dry Cat Food, A Practical Buyer's Guide
The problem with the cat food aisle
Standing in front of a wall of cat food bags is a strange experience. Every bag has a picture of a very satisfied cat, every bag uses words that sound important, and almost none of it tells you what you actually want to know, which is whether your cat will eat it and whether the bag is the right size for your house.
Most people end up buying on three things. Flavour, because their cat has shown a preference before. Life stage, because kitten and adult foods are different. And bag size, because a bag that is too big goes stale and a bag that is too small means you are reordering constantly.
Friskies Adult Meaty Grills sits in a fairly clear spot on all three. It is a meaty flavour mix, it is listed by the maker for adult cats, and it comes in a 2.5 kg bag, which is a middle size rather than a trial pack or a bulk sack.
What dry cat food actually is
Dry cat food is kibble. The ingredients are combined, cooked, shaped and dried down to a low moisture level, which is what lets it sit in a cupboard without spoiling the way wet food would.
That low moisture is the main practical difference from wet food. You can leave dry food in a bowl for longer, you can use it in an automatic feeder, and you can store an opened bag at room temperature. The trade-off is that your cat takes on less water from the food itself, which is why fresh drinking water matters so much with a dry diet.
For this product, the maker lists the ingredients as cereal and vegetable products including corn, wheat and soya, chicken and chicken products (dehydrated chicken protein, chicken oil and hydrolysed chicken protein), dehydrated meat protein, dehydrated fish protein, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, flavours and colours. That is the full list the maker provides. If anything in it is a problem for your cat, that is a conversation for your vet.
Who this suits
The clearest fit is an adult cat in a one or two cat household, fed from a bowl, with an owner who wants something uncomplicated.
The mixed flavour is worth noting. Chicken, beef, turkey, lamb and vegetables in one bag means you are not committing to a single protein. Some cats get bored of one flavour over time, and a mix can help. People hunting for the best mixed flavour cat kibble often land on products like this for exactly that reason.
It is less of a fit if you are feeding a kitten, since the maker lists this for the adult life stage. It is also not the right choice if you need a grain-free food, because corn, wheat and soya are all listed. And if your cat is on a vet-prescribed diet, stick to what your vet has recommended.
Getting the bag size right
Bag size is the part people underthink. A 2.5 kg bag is roughly in the middle of the range you will see on a shelf.
For one adult cat, a bag that size usually runs for several weeks. That is long enough that you are not placing an order every fortnight, but short enough that the kibble is still fresh and crunchy by the time you reach the bottom. For two cats, it moves faster, which actually helps with freshness.
Where people go wrong is buying the biggest bag they can find to save money per kilo. If a single cat is working through a 10 kg sack, that bag is open for months. Kibble loses crunch and aroma as it sits exposed to air, and a cat that was happy with it in week one can turn its nose up by week ten. The best value bulk cat food is only good value if the cat still eats the last of it.
The honest rule is to buy a size that your household finishes in about a month.
Switching foods without drama
Cats do not love change. If you are moving from one food to another, do it gradually rather than swapping the bowl overnight.
The common approach is to start with mostly old food and a small amount of the new, then shift the ratio over several days until you are fully across. Spreading it out over a week is not excessive. Cats with sensitive stomachs may need longer, and if your cat has any existing health issue, check with your vet before you change anything about the diet.
Some cats will sniff a new food and walk away on day one, then eat it happily on day three. Others will never come around. If your cat genuinely refuses after a fair trial, there is no point fighting it. Try a different flavour or a different texture.
Storage, which matters more than people think
Once a bag of kibble is opened, air is the enemy. Air dulls the smell, and for a cat, smell is most of the appeal.
Keep the bag somewhere cool and dry, out of sunlight and away from the oven or a sunny window. After each serve, roll the top down and clip it, or tip the whole lot into an airtight container. If you decant, a tip worth following is to keep the original bag, or at least cut out the panel with the best-before date and batch code, and drop it in the container. That date is printed on the pack and you will want it later.
Wash food bowls regularly with hot soapy water. Dried kibble residue and oils build up on plastic in particular, and that film can put a cat off its bowl. Stainless steel and ceramic bowls are easier to keep properly clean.
And keep the water bowl full and fresh. With a dry diet, that is the single most useful habit.
Reading a pack properly
When the bag arrives, two things are worth a look before you open it.
The first is the feeding guide. For this product the maker's instruction is to serve on a daily basis, as per the cat's body weight, with the detail on the pack. Weigh or estimate your cat's weight and follow what the maker sets out. We will not give you numbers beyond that, and neither should any shop page.
The second is the best-before date. It is printed on the pack. Check it when the parcel lands so you know what window you are working with, especially if you are stocking up.
Feeding more than one cat
Multi-cat homes have their own quirks. A confident cat will eat more than its share if you put one bowl down, and a slower eater can end up underfed without anyone noticing.
Separate bowls, spaced apart, solve most of it. Some people go further and feed in different rooms. If one of your cats needs a specific diet and the others do not, separation stops crossover at mealtimes. For households looking at the best multi cat household food, flexibility and a sensible pack size usually matter more than anything printed on the front of the bag.
Delivery and returns in plain terms
Orders go out within 2 working days, then take up to 7 working days with a tracked courier. Delivery is free on orders over $99 and $12 below that.
On returns, food is different from most products. An unopened, sealed pack can come back within 14 days of delivery, with you covering the return postage. Once a bag is opened, we cannot accept it back for change of mind, which is a food safety matter rather than an awkward policy. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply in full and are not reduced by any of this.
The short version
Friskies Adult Meaty Grills is a 2.5 kg bag of dry kibble for adult cats, in a chicken, beef, turkey, lamb and vegetables flavour. The ingredient list includes grains, chicken, meat and fish proteins, vitamins and minerals, flavours and colours, all set out on the pack.
Buy it if you have an adult cat, you feed dry food, and a mid-size bag matches how fast your household gets through it. Store it sealed and cool, follow the maker's feeding guide based on your cat's weight, and keep water available.
For anything to do with allergies, a medical condition or a specific diet, ask your vet. They know your cat, and a product page never will.