The scores
Meow Mix Original Choice: F (18/100)
Friskies Surfin' & Turfin': D (37/100)
A 19-point gap across the D/F boundary. Meow Mix remains at the bottom of our cat food database, while Friskies’ live-analyzer rescore lifted it into the D tier. The formulas are still nearly identical on paper — the scoring difference comes from Friskies’ named fish meals further down the ingredient list and natural tocopherol preservation, both of which Meow Mix lacks.
How the ingredients compare
Here are the first five ingredients side by side:
Meow Mix: Ground Yellow Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Beef Tallow
Friskies: Ground Yellow Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Beef Tallow
You're reading that correctly — the first five ingredients are identical. Same order, same sources, same quality. Ground yellow corn leads both formulas, meaning the most abundant ingredient in both foods is a cheap plant filler that provides minimal nutritional value for obligate carnivores. Cats need meat-based protein. These foods bury it behind two corn products and soybean meal.
Where neither pulls ahead
This is the rare comparison where we struggle to find a meaningful winner. Both foods share the same fundamental problems:
Corn-first formula. Cats are obligate carnivores — they need animal protein as the foundation of their diet. Both Meow Mix and Friskies put corn first, corn gluten meal second, and don't reach a named animal ingredient until position three (chicken by-product meal, which is itself a low-quality source).
Artificial colors. Both contain artificial dyes that serve absolutely no nutritional purpose. Your cat doesn't care what color their kibble is. Friskies includes Yellow 6 on top of the dyes shared with Meow Mix, which is the primary reason for its slightly lower score.
Soybean meal. A cheap plant protein that inflates the protein percentage on the label without providing the complete amino acid profile cats need. It's filler disguised as nutrition.
Beef tallow. An unnamed animal fat source. Not the worst fat choice, but a sign of a formula built on the cheapest available ingredients rather than nutritional quality. Shop on Amazon →
Where Meow Mix holds a negligible edge
One fewer artificial color. Meow Mix scores 3 points higher than Friskies, and the difference comes down to Friskies including one additional artificial dye (Yellow 6). That's it. That's the entire competitive advantage. It's like saying one gas station brand has slightly cleaner restrooms — technically true, but not a reason to fill up there. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
Meow Mix and Friskies are essentially the same food in different bags. Both earn F grades, both start with corn, both use artificial colors, and both provide a level of ingredient quality that we can't recommend for any cat. If budget is the driving concern — and we understand that it often is — look at options like Iams (C/63) or Purina ONE (D/52), which cost modestly more but score dramatically higher. Any move up from F-grade territory is a meaningful improvement for your cat's nutrition.
Read our full reviews of Meow Mix and Friskies for the complete ingredient breakdowns.