21 cans compared

Fancy Feast vs Hill's Science Diet

The typical Fancy Feast can gets 12.5% of its calories from carbohydrate, against 21.1% for Hill's Science Diet. Fancy Feast has 5 of 10 recipes under the 10% low-carb line; Hill's Science Diet has 2 of 11. Below, every number is worked out the same way from each can’s label.

Fancy Feast

Hill's Science Diet

Fancy Feast vs Hill's Science Diet at a glance

Typical values are the middle recipe of each brand. Shares are of calories, so textures compare fairly. Marked cells show the better value where the gap is meaningful.

	Fancy Feast	Hill's Science Diet
Cans we compare	10	11
Typical carbs, % of calories	12.5%	21.1%
Carb range	2.5–18.4%	3.9–35%
Recipes under 10% carbs	5 of 10	2 of 11
Typical protein, % of calories	55%	43%
Typical fat, % of calories	30%	37%
Calories per ounce	29	30
Calories per can	65–98	72–212
Recipes with published phosphorus	0 of 10	0 of 11
Typical phosphorus, mg per 100 kcal	—	—
Confirmed for kittens	6 of 10	3 of 11
Chicken-free recipes	1 of 10	0 of 11
Fish-free recipes	2 of 10	2 of 11
Textures	Flaked, Pâté, Chunks in gravy	Pâté, Chunks in gravy

Lowest-carb can from each brand

The recipe with the smallest share of calories from carbohydrate on each side, leaving out toppers meant for supplemental feeding.

Put these two side by side

Fancy Feast3 oz

Fish & Shrimp Feast

Flaked · 83 kcal per can

Carbs: 2.5%
Protein: 74%
Phosphorus: not listed

Protein 74%Fat 24%Carbs 2%

Low carbHigh proteinNo chicken

Hill's Science Diet5.5 oz

Kitten with Salmon

Pâté · 212 kcal per can

Carbs: 3.9%
Protein: 43%
Phosphorus: not listed

Protein 43%Fat 53%Carbs 4%

Low carb

Same texture, head to head

For each texture both brands make, the lowest-carb recipe from each.

Texture	Fancy Feast	Hill's Science Diet
Pâté	Tender Beef & Chicken Feast3.8% carbs · 40% protein · 97 kcal	Kitten with Salmon3.9% carbs · 43% protein · 212 kcal
Chunks in gravy	Beef Feast in Roasted Beef Flavor Gravy15.3% carbs · 55% protein · 65 kcal	Tender Chicken Dinner16.4% carbs · 44% protein · 170 kcal

Which to choose, by what your cat needs

For a diabetic or overweight cat

Fancy Feast is the lower-carb line overall. Its lowest-carb recipe is Fish & Shrimp Feast at 2.5% of calories; Hill's Science Diet’s is Kitten with Salmon at 3.9%. Both brands have recipes under the 10% line (5 of 10 against 2 of 11), so the right recipe matters more than the brand.

For kidney concerns

Fancy Feast doesn’t publish phosphorus on the pages we checked. Hill's Science Diet doesn’t publish phosphorus on the pages we checked. Without published values neither brand can be checked for phosphorus from the label alone; ask the maker for a typical analysis.

For kittens

Fancy Feast has 6 of 10 recipes whose label we could confirm covers growth or all life stages; Hill's Science Diet has 3 of 11. A missing statement doesn’t mean a can is unsuitable, only that we couldn’t verify it.

For allergies and picky eaters

Chicken-free: Fancy Feast 1 of 10, Hill's Science Diet 0 of 11. Fish-free: Fancy Feast 2 of 10, Hill's Science Diet 2 of 11. Textures: Fancy Feast makes flaked, pâté, chunks in gravy; Hill's Science Diet makes pâté, chunks in gravy.

Questions about Fancy Feast vs Hill's Science Diet

Is Fancy Feast or Hill's Science Diet lower in carbs?

Which has more protein, Fancy Feast or Hill's Science Diet?

Hill's Science Diet. Its typical can gets 43% of calories from protein, against 55% for Fancy Feast. Fancy Feast has 6 of 10 recipes over 50% protein calories; Hill's Science Diet has 0 of 11.

Which is more filling per ounce?

About the same: 29 calories per ounce for Fancy Feast and 30 for Hill's Science Diet.

Do Fancy Feast and Hill's Science Diet publish phosphorus?

Fancy Feast doesn’t publish phosphorus on the pages we checked. Hill's Science Diet doesn’t publish phosphorus on the pages we checked.

Which is better for a diabetic cat, Fancy Feast or Hill's Science Diet?

Carbs are what matter most, and Fancy Feast has the lower-carb line with 5 of 10 recipes under 10%. The best single choice is a specific recipe, not a brand: Fish & Shrimp Feast (2.5%) from Fancy Feast or Kitten with Salmon (3.9%) from Hill's Science Diet. Change a diabetic cat’s food only with your vet.