21 cans compared

Friskies vs Hill's Science Diet

The typical Friskies can gets 16.3% of its calories from carbohydrate, against 21.1% for Hill's Science Diet. Friskies has 0 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.

Friskies

Hill's Science Diet

Friskies 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.

	Friskies	Hill's Science Diet
Cans we compare	10	11
Typical carbs, % of calories	16.3%	21.1%
Carb range	12.9–19.4%	3.9–35%
Recipes under 10% carbs	0 of 10	2 of 11
Typical protein, % of calories	50%	43%
Typical fat, % of calories	34%	37%
Calories per ounce	24	30
Calories per can	124–180	72–212
Recipes with published phosphorus	0 of 10	0 of 11
Typical phosphorus, mg per 100 kcal	—	—
Confirmed for kittens	0 of 10	3 of 11
Chicken-free recipes	0 of 10	0 of 11
Fish-free recipes	2 of 10	2 of 11
Textures	Chunks in gravy, Pâté, Shreds in broth	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

Friskies5.5 oz

Prime Filets With Ocean Whitefish & Tuna in Sauce

Chunks in gravy · 124 kcal per can

Carbs: 12.9%
Protein: 59%
Phosphorus: not listed

Protein 59%Fat 28%Carbs 13%

High protein

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	Friskies	Hill's Science Diet
Chunks in gravy	Prime Filets With Ocean Whitefish & Tuna in Sauce12.9% carbs · 59% protein · 124 kcal	Tender Chicken Dinner16.4% carbs · 44% protein · 170 kcal
Pâté	Salmon Dinner14.9% carbs · 36% protein · 178 kcal	Kitten with Salmon3.9% carbs · 43% protein · 212 kcal

Which to choose, by what your cat needs

For a diabetic or overweight cat

Friskies is the lower-carb line overall. Its lowest-carb recipe is Prime Filets With Ocean Whitefish & Tuna in Sauce at 12.9% of calories; Hill's Science Diet’s is Kitten with Salmon at 3.9%. Both brands have recipes under the 10% line (0 of 10 against 2 of 11), so the right recipe matters more than the brand.

For kidney concerns

Friskies 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

Friskies has 0 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: Friskies 0 of 10, Hill's Science Diet 0 of 11. Fish-free: Friskies 2 of 10, Hill's Science Diet 2 of 11. Textures: Friskies makes chunks in gravy, pâté, shreds in broth; Hill's Science Diet makes pâté, chunks in gravy.

Questions about Friskies vs Hill's Science Diet

Is Friskies or Hill's Science Diet lower in carbs?

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

Hill's Science Diet. Its typical can gets 43% of calories from protein, against 50% for Friskies. Friskies has 2 of 10 recipes over 50% protein calories; Hill's Science Diet has 0 of 11.

Which is more filling per ounce?

Friskies. Its cans average 24 calories per ounce against 30 for Hill's Science Diet, so a cat needs fewer ounces of it to get the same calories.

Do Friskies and Hill's Science Diet publish phosphorus?

Friskies 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, Friskies or Hill's Science Diet?

Carbs are what matter most, and Friskies has the lower-carb line with 0 of 10 recipes under 10%. The best single choice is a specific recipe, not a brand: Prime Filets With Ocean Whitefish & Tuna in Sauce (12.9%) from Friskies or Kitten with Salmon (3.9%) from Hill's Science Diet. Change a diabetic cat’s food only with your vet.