I’ve tested plenty of food with my 2 cats, and Smalls is the only fresh brand that offers something for both of them

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As a cat mom and pets reporter who researches the best cat foods extensively, I’ve learned that many cat foods will give your kitty the nutrition they need, just as long as they’re complete and balanced for your cat’s life stage. What sets certain cat food brands apart is their commitment to quality control, careful ingredient sourcing, and transparency. For pet parents, factors like ease of serving and storage, responsive customer service, and even how the food looks also matter.

Smalls is one of a handful of fresh cat food companies that caught my attention. Made with gently cooked ingredients, it promised something different, so I wanted to see for myself if it was worth all the buzz. My two cats, Atlas and Lyra, and I tried Smalls for a month in 2021, again in 2023 when I compared cat food delivery services, and most recently in a month-long trial in 2025. After all that testing, it’s still our favorite fresh cat food delivery service, and one I plan to keep in their regular rotation.

How it works

Founded in 2013, Smalls is a direct-to-consumer cat food delivery company that switched its focus exclusively to fresh in 2023. Unlike more processed commercial canned or dry cat food, “fresh” food is made by combining and gently cooking whole meats, vegetables, and essential vitamins and minerals, then freezing the food to lock in freshness.

Recipes: Smalls makes 11 different fresh cat food recipes. All of them are formulated to meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages, so they’re appropriate for kittens, adults, and seniors alike.

However, Smalls doesn’t employ an in-house veterinary nutritionist as recommended by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Global Nutrition Guidelines, as well as the veterinarians I’ve consulted in my pet food reporting. That’s why I didn’t rank it as the best fresh cat food overall, a spot earned by JustFood For Cats. Still, Smalls’ recipes are developed by a consultant who has a PhD in animal nutrition and reviewed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists, all overseen by Dr. Sarah Mitten, a board-certified veterinarian who serves as Smalls’ full-time veterinary advisor.

Ingredient sourcing: Smalls sources chicken, turkey, pork, and beef in the US, while its fish comes from Japan. Vegetables, fruits, and oils are sourced worldwide from the regions where they grow best, and vitamins and minerals are also sourced globally but blended in the US to meet FDA requirements. These ingredients come together to create Smalls’ recipes, which are cooked in third-party, USDA-approved facilities in New Jersey and Ohio.

Quality control: Quality control ensures that a food delivers the nutrients listed on the label and is free from harmful bacteria, contaminants, and toxins. Smalls tests every batch for Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli, conducts annual checks for mercury and pesticides, and runs quarterly tests to verify nutrients, amino acids, and omega fatty acids are balanced and confirm heavy metals and vitamins remain at safe levels.

Price: Each Smalls packet contains 200 calories and weighs 4.1 to 5.5 ounces. This amount is intended to feed an average 10-pound cat for a day, but you should always check with your veterinarian to confirm your cat’s caloric needs. Priced at $5 to $5.50 per packet, Smalls costs $0.30 to $0.50 more per ounce than premium wet food. Discounts kick in on any box larger than extra small, with savings increasing by size. The largest box is 30% off, dropping the price to about $0.70 per ounce, right in line with premium wet cat food brands. Shipping is free on all boxes bigger than extra small.

Smalls also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on its Sampler box. But before you give up, the brand suggests transition strategies like warming the food or adding a topper. My cats especially enjoyed theirs with a splash of Smalls broth.

Ordering: Smalls is mostly direct-to-consumer, though you can find its food in some brick-and-mortar pet stores. To order, head to the Smalls website where you’ll first answer a few questions about your cat, including their weight, age, spay-neuter status, allergies or protein aversions, and any health conditions, like urinary tract issues. If you’re ordering for multiple cats, you’ll complete the same questions for each one.

Customization: During signup, you can exclude certain proteins from your Sampler box, but once you check out, your selection is locked. For future shipments, click the “change your box” option under the upcoming shipments section of your account, where you can add or remove items, skip shipments, or adjust your delivery schedule.

Shipping and delivery: When you create a subscription plan and enter your cat’s weight, Smalls calculates your cat’s recommended daily calorie needs and adjusts your auto-ship frequency accordingly. You can also set delivery anywhere from weekly to every 12 weeks, with options to pause, skip, or cancel shipments. Smalls ships nationwide, except to Alaska, Hawaii, and PO boxes. Shipping is $15 for an extra small box or free for larger orders.

Packaging: Smalls meals ship with dry ice, biodegradable corn-based Styrofoam, and a recyclable cardboard box to maintain freshness for up to three days after shipping. To dispose of the packaging, remove the Green Cell Plus (GC+) film from the Styrofoam. The film and cardboard box can go in your recycling bin, while the Styrofoam dissolves in water or can be composted.

Our review of Smalls fresh cat food

Figuring out how much cat food to order each month can be a chore. Too much leaves my cupboards overflowing with cans and kibbles or with a packed freezer, while too little means unhappy cats and last-minute store runs.

Smalls simplified ordering and suggested a delivery schedule for its 200-calorie packets based on my cats’ weights (every two weeks for a medium-sized box). The serving recommendation was one packet per day for a 10-pound cat. It’s a good starting point if you’re unsure how much to feed, but your veterinarian should ultimately determine the appropriate amount.

After checking out, I received a confirmation email right away with the option to edit my order. The next day, shipment tracking info landed in my email, and my food arrived frozen solid just three days later. It was packed in eco-friendly insulated foam and dry ice, giving me time to get it into the freezer, where it keeps for up to a year.

Though the pouches aren’t resealable, their small size makes leftovers easy to store in an airtight container in the fridge and then feed within the recommended five days. I defrosted the packets in the fridge overnight, which took about 12 hours. Smalls also sent a reminder three days before my next shipment with options to edit or cancel.

Smalls offers 11 recipes with five different proteins (chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish). Textures range from smooth pates to shredded and finely ground meats with veggies. The food is moist but slightly more crumbly than canned cat food and has a milder smell.

Lyra, my cat who will eat just about anything, devoured every Smalls recipe. Atlas, who is my picky eater, needed a little nudge to try her food, and flat-out refused to eat a handful of the recipes. Fresh Smooth Fish was an obvious favorite of both cats, with Atlas gobbling it down without hesitation.

I also appreciate that Smalls is transparent about ingredient sourcing and processing, which boosts my confidence in the quality and safety of its food. During a conversation with its Cat Concierge, which is Smalls’ text-only customer service, I learned that its recipes use only organic minerals. These organic minerals contribute to a higher-quality diet, says Dr. Korinn Saker, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and retired associate professor of clinical nutrition at the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University. She says organic minerals are absorbed more readily by the body than inorganic ones.

That Cat Concierge also told me that the formulas contain dark meat chicken for a more enticing flavor than white meat. Nutritional yeast is added for a cheesy flavor and as an added source of protein and B vitamins. Each recipe also includes taurine, which is an essential amino acid that should be included in any diet you feed your cat. Cod liver oil is added for joint, skin, and coat health. Dandelion greens, an unusual addition, are beneficial too, says Dr. Jo Myers, a veterinarian at Vetster. They’re a good source of vitamins and minerals, including A, B, C, D, iron, potassium, and zinc. Just keep in mind that too much of any supplement can be harmful, so if you’re feeding your cat a complete and balanced diet such as this one, you do not need to give them additional nutrients in the form of supplements like fish oil or multivitamins.

While you can serve the food in Smalls’ branded $52 elevated bowls, I don’t recommend it. Though the bowls we tried were stylish, with a ceramic dish perched on a plastic pedestal, the plastic base on one of them warped in the dishwasher. The bowl also has a convex rather than concave design, so food slides to the sides instead of staying centered. My cats finished their meals, but had to press their faces into the sides. This could frustrate some cats or prevent flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds from eating comfortably. If you do decide to purchase one, watch your cat closely to ensure they are comfortable with the bowl and wash by hand to ensure the plastic pedestal isn’t damaged.

Cons to consider

If you select “yes” for certain medical conditions during signup, Smalls claims its food is “good” for cats with issues such as arthritis, cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, cystitis, or asthma. However, your veterinarian is the best resource for determining which food is appropriate for your cat’s medical needs. That said, the brand does consult with animal nutritionists, board-certified veterinary nutritionists, and has a full-time veterinary advisor. However, because Smalls does not employ a veterinary nutritionist as recommended by the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, I recommend JustFood For Cats as the best fresh cat food overall.

Smalls suggests a shipping schedule based on your cat’s needs, but meals aren’t preportioned. The Pet Nutrition Alliance recommends 261 calories for a 10-pound cat, while my vet suggested 220 for my 10-pound cat, Lyra. For my two cats, Smalls’ estimate was about 40 calories short of what they actually eat. Even so, the subscription still provided us enough food, with about a four-day buffer of leftovers between shipments. You can adjust the delivery schedule if you prefer more or less food.

For questions about recipes, feeding guides, or shipping, you can text Smalls’ Cat Concierge or email the brand. Texts go to a bot first, so you must request a human. Replies work more like email than live chat, sometimes taking up to 18 hours. The brand does not offer phone support.

The bottom line

There’s little evidence that cats fed fresh or human-grade diets are healthier than those eating nutritionally complete and balanced commercial dry or wet food. Still, it can feel good to feed our beloved pets minimally processed food like Smalls. The recipes contain simple ingredients with added vitamins and minerals, making them complete and balanced for cats of all ages. I also like that the company is transparent about its ingredient sourcing and manufacturing.

With 11 recipes and a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, there’s little downside to trying it if your budget allows. While my picky cat didn’t enjoy every recipe, my non-picky cat happily ate it day after day, and neither had digestive issues. I’ve also tried JustFood For Cats and Cat Person, and Smalls stands out for its range of recipes and flexible delivery scheduling. It’s a great option for pet parents who want to feed their cats a variety of fresh foods.