Smalls Cat Food Case Study: My Honest Experience Feeding This Fresh Cat Food to 3 Very Different Cats

Fresh pet food has exploded in the dog space over the last decade, and now cat parents are getting their turn. Enter Smalls, a new type of cat food that boasts real ingredients, minimal processing, and meals that actually look and smell like food. 

Smalls cat food is not mystery mush from a can or pouch. As more people learn that the average kibble is ultra-processed, low in moisture, and bulked up with fillers, fresh cat food brands like Smalls have stepped in to offer something closer to a cat’s natural diet.

Smalls is a cat brand that makes human-grade, gently cooked, subscription-based fresh cat food that promises better digestion, healthier coats, and more predictable mealtimes. I tested Smalls with my three cats, Benjamin, Eleanor, and Roosevelt, to get a realistic sense of whether it's worth the money, the freezer space, and the subscription commitment.

This detailed Smalls Cat Food review will walk you through ingredients, nutrition, ordering, feeding experience, real-world results, pros and cons, and whether I ultimately think it’s a good pick for cat parents looking to level up their cat’s diet.

What Is Smalls? (Product Overview)

Ultimately, what sets Smalls apart from other cat food you’ve been using is that it’s an ultra fresh cat food subscription service. If you order from Smalls, they’ll send you frozen, human-grade meals straight to your door. Each shipment shows up in an insulated box packed with dry ice, so everything stays cold until you’re ready to stash it in the freezer. 

And unlike the usual kibble or canned stuff, Smalls is made with real, human-grade meat. While they call their meals “Smooth Bird & Fish” and “Ground Other Bird,” their varieties basically include: chicken, turkey, or beef. Everything is gently cooked instead of blasted at high heat, and formulated with plenty of moisture. There are no fillers, no artificial preservatives, and no mystery by-products, says the brand and their labeling.

From there, Smalls branches into a few different product lines depending on what your cat likes. You can choose from fresh and gently cooked meals, freeze-dried recipes, plus toppers and treats that add texture and flavor.

Fresh (Gently Cooked) Cat Food

This is their most popular line. They’re kind of like small batches of real food for cats. These come frozen in square plastic pouches you thaw before serving. (This is what we’re taste-testing for this review.) These are offered in a variety of textures: smooth, ground, and pulled. Anyone who’s ever fed a cat knows that texture can make or break mealtime.

Freeze-Dried Recipes

Shelf-stable, crispy nibbles for cats who love texture and for cat parents who want fresh food nutrition without the fridge. They kind of remind me of freeze-dried yogurt melts that you give babies, only they’re made of high-quality proteins.

Treats, Toppers & Broths

These are mix-ins to encourage picky eaters, add moisture, or change up texture.

The Subscription & Ordering Experience

To place an order, you must fill out Smalls’ cat profile quiz. It asks about: Your cat’s age and weight Activity level Pickiness Texture preferences

• Whether they need weight loss or weight gain support

Since ordering on Amazon or grabbing something in-store takes no extra steps, this could feel like a drawback for busy cat parents who don’t have a moment to spare.

That said, if you’ve got the time, it’s kind of nice to get a customized plan based on your cat’s needs and preferences.

Once you’re done with the survey, Smalls’ site recommends a starter plan. They heavily encourage trying the sampler box (which is currently 50% off). The sampler pack contains various textures and proteins so you can see what lands best with your cat.

It’s important to note that ordering Smalls is a subscription. You’ll get recurring deliveries unless you pause, skip, or cancel. It’s good if you are the type to forget to refill your cat’s stash. It’s not great if you want to have a rotation of food that doesn’t involve Smalls exclusively.

Ingredients & Nutrition: What’s Actually in Smalls Cat Food?

One of the biggest things that sets Smalls apart is its ingredient list. Every recipe starts with whole muscle meat (like actual chicken thigh, turkey thigh, or beef), and it’s all cooked in USDA-certified kitchens before being frozen to keep it fresh, says the brand’s website.

The nutrition profile is exactly what most cat parents hope for, by the way. Smalls cat food is high-protein from real meat, has plenty of moisture to support urinary health, and has very low carbs. What more could you want? Oh, and there are no fillers like cornstarch or powdered cellulose. Score! They also don’t have wheat or soy, artificial preservatives, and all those questionable by-products hiding in the fine print on other cat food labels.

The brand says everything is AAFCO-complete for all life stages, which means their food meets the nutritional standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials.

In simpler terms, each recipe has the right balance of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals to be considered a complete and balanced diet for both cats and kittens. If a food is AAFCO-complete, you can feed it as your cat’s primary diet without needing to add supplements or mix in anything else. (Kibble? No need.)

We really appreciate that Smalls is open about where they source ingredients and how their small batches are made.

My Feeding Experience With 3 Cats (Benjamin, Eleanor & Roosevelt)

Here’s the real-world part of this Smalls Cat Food review: what happened when I fed it to my cats. I have three:

• Benjamin: foodie, gobbles anything, even steals his cat siblings’ food
• Eleanor: also a piggie, but a little more subtle about it; zero hesitation when eating
• Roosevelt: anxious, picky, suspicious of… well, everything

So Who Liked It?

Benjamin and Eleanor scarfed it up immediately. Zero questions asked. The minute I put the bowl down, they were in. They’ve eaten a variety of wet and dry foods over the years, and they treated Smalls like I’d just served rotisserie chicken straight off my cutting board. No surprise here. These two are not picky eaters.

Roosevelt, however, refused it during the first couple of days of feeding. Upon discovering Smalls, she sniffed, backed up, stared at me like I was trying to poison her, and then daintily ate the dry food around it. She’s extremely skittish to begin with though, and changes in food tend to set off her “nope” meter. I tried warming it, and nothing. This is consistent with other reviewers who mention that very picky cats may need a longer transition or just prefer freeze-dried textures.

On days two and three, Benjamin and Eleanor continued to eat, true to form. Roosevelt finally ate it on day three. It was the ground bird that did the trick. She threw up though. On day four, she kept it down but would only eat the ground bird. She was not a fan of the fish or combo variations.

Smell & Texture (Important for Cats!)

When it comes to smell and texture, two things that can make or break a cat’s interest, Smalls genuinely surprised me. It doesn’t have that classic “cat food smell” at all. There’s no fishy punch or metallic canned odor. It honestly smells like human food, like I made some chicken or turkey. If you told me you sautéed it in olive oil and served it over rice, I might believe you.

The texture of the smooth offering lands somewhere between pâté and a chunky stew: soft, flaky, a little bit chunky, and nicely moist. The ground variety is just like ground meat you’d cook that’s lightly mashed, moistened, and mixed in with pâté It’s a great middle ground for cats who prefer soft foods but still like a bit of texture to keep things interesting.

Feeding & Serving Notes

When it comes to actually serving Smalls, I learned a few things pretty quickly. My cats were definitely more excited about it when it was warmed up a bit. So if you’re giving this a go, a quick 10-second tour in the microwave or submerging it in a hot or warm water bath will help the aroma pop, which will appeal to the cats who are being finicky.

Regardless, just know that you do have to plan ahead. Smalls food needs time to thaw. If you forget to move a pack from the freezer to the fridge, you’re basically out of luck until it softens.

I also have an important note about size. One pack was perfect for my three cats and gave them two full meals in a day, which is great for multi-cat homes. But if you only have one cat, the packaging becomes a little annoying. You’ll need to portion it out yourself and store the extras in your own container. And yes, the food takes up a noticeable amount of freezer real estate, so if your freezer is already fighting for space, you’ll definitely feel it.

User Reviews & Customer Feedback (Plus, My POV)

Beyond my household test subjects, I reviewed dozens of real customer comments from Reddit, Instagram, and review platforms. Here are the recurring themes:

Common Positive Feedback

• Cats with digestive issues or smelly stools improved within days.
• Glossier coats and less shedding.
• Better hydration and fewer vomiting episodes for some cats.
• Good for cats who refuse kibble but aren’t into canned food.
• Strong customer service and easy delivery scheduling.
• Freeze-dried recipes are a huge win for picky cats.

Common Complaints

• Picky cats sometimes reject the fresh line.
• Packaging isn’t ideal for portion flexibility.
• Subscription management can be annoying if you forget to pause.
• Requires freezer real estate.