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The short answer: Friskies edges Meow Mix by 4 points, D/39 to D/35. Their ingredient lists remain nearly identical: corn first, corn gluten meal second, chicken by-product meal third, soybean meal fourth, and beef tallow fifth. Both carry the same low-quality plant-protein backbone. Either way, any switch to a C-grade or better food is an upgrade worth making.

The scores

Meow Mix Original Choice: D (35/100)
Friskies Surfin' & Turfin': D (39/100)

A 4-point gap. Both formulas earn the same D-tier grade. The formulas are nearly identical on paper.

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 an additional color (“Other Colors Added”) on top of the dyes shared with Meow Mix.

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

Fewer added colors. Friskies includes an additional color (“Other Colors Added”). 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 D 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/58) or Purina ONE (C/58), which cost modestly more but score dramatically higher. Any move up from D-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.

Corrected 2026-10-19: we corrected factual errors, and grades and score comparisons that did not match our current scores.