October 2, 2026, 3:02 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Fame and popularity are apparently two different things. This is shown by the “Best Rated Pet Food 2026” seal of approval from the review platform “CheckForPet.” A total of 108,088 people have submitted reviews for more than 400 cat and dog food brands. Surprisingly, the brands with the largest TV advertising budgets mostly end up in the bottom third of the rankings.
Whiskas, Sheba and Felix in the Bottom Field
In the wet cat food category, “Whiskas,” “Sheba,” and “Felix” are among the four most-reviewed brands, each with more than 2,300 reviews. However, in overall satisfaction, they only achieve 3.7 to 3.9 stars. Specifically, they rank 45th, 46th, and 49th out of a total of 51 rated brands. In dry dog food, “Royal Canin” is also among the most-reviewed brands with 3,088 reviews, but it only reaches 3.8 stars, placing 69th out of 78.
For context: All listed brands meet the minimum requirement of 3.5 stars, but the gap to the leaders is up to a full star. Among the well-known, heavily advertised brands, Whiskas, Sheba, Felix, and Royal Canin are by far the worst-rated.
Upon request, PETBOOK received the following statement from Benedikt Schaumann, Corporate Communications Director at “Nestlé Purina PetCare”:
“Behind every review is an animal someone loves and a person who only wants the best for it. That’s why we read every feedback carefully and take it seriously. What review stars can’t show: whether a food contains everything an animal needs for a healthy life. Our nutritionists and veterinarians check this with research, strict quality controls, and independent analyses. Together, this gives pet owners a good picture. In the end, what matters for the well-being of their pet is what’s in the bowl.”
Also interesting: No meat, no problem? What dog food made from mushrooms can really do
How It Still Fits with TV Advertising
“Advertising makes a brand known. Whether the food convinces is decided by the animals and their owners at the bowl. That’s exactly what our numbers reflect,” says Alexander Felde, founder and CEO of CheckForPet. “A brand with 3.8 stars is well-rated. However, the winners are rated significantly better with 4.7 to 4.9 stars, and that’s over thousands of feedings.”
Strayz Founders on Their Poor Performance in “Stiftung Warentest”
Too Much Meat Can Lead to Problematic Behavior in Dogs
Who Performs Best?
In dry food, Platinum defends last year’s title–for both dogs and cats! New at the top are “Terra Canis” for wet dog food and “Miamor” for wet cat food, both with 4.8 stars in overall satisfaction. In dog snacks, Wolfsblut leads in all three rating categories.
Also interesting: “This is the biggest mistake in dog nutrition”
How the Ranking Is Created
Unlike many test seals, “Best Rated Pet Food” is not based on lab analyses or an expert jury, but solely on the experiences of pet owners. “We see ourselves as a kind of Wikipedia for pet food,” explains Felde. “The dog can’t write a review. But its owner sees every day whether the bowl is emptied or left untouched. That’s exactly what we measure.” According to CheckForPet, all reviews for each brand are publicly viewable on the platform, both positive and negative.
The underlying 108,088 reviews were collected between September 1, 2025, and September 1, 2026. Each brand is rated in the categories of overall satisfaction, value for money, and composition–the latter according to the subjective assessment of the owners, not by lab analysis–with up to five stars. A minimum of 30 reviews for dog products and 15 for cat products is required, as well as an average of at least 3.5 stars across all three criteria.