If you have read anything about BFF, you have probably read about a thiamine recall and hundreds of sick cats.
That happened. It is also not what most people think it was, and the detail that gets left out changes the picture completely for anyone shopping in the United States.
Here is the full story, plus an honest look at what is actually a good, high-moisture wet food at a fair price.
- BFF, short for Best Feline Friend, is made by Weruva and shares its high-moisture, low-carbohydrate philosophy at a lower price.
- The 2017 BFF thiamine recall affected an Australia-exclusive product line, and Weruva has no recall history in the United States.
- Thiamine deficiency is serious in cats, and the Australian recall was linked to hundreds of illnesses and several deaths.
- BFF recipes are predominantly tuna-led, so rotating in the chicken pairings avoids a fish-only diet.
- BFF comes in gravy and aspic textures, and cats often have strong preferences between the two.
Our Top Picks
BFF OMG Rainbow Road Variety Pack Grain-Free Canned Cat Food, 2.8-oz can, bundle of 24
BFF Tuna & Chicken 4EVA Recipe in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct
BFF Tuna & Shrimp Sweethearts in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct
BFF range compared
| Product | Best for | Size | Price | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BFF OMG Rainbow Road Variety Pack Grain-Free Canned Cat Food, 2.8-oz can, bundle of 24 | Best overall | Variety pack | $37.98 | OMG, grain-free |
| BFF Tuna & Chicken 4EVA Recipe in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct | Best chicken option | Case | $50.16 | In gravy |
| BFF Tuna & Shrimp Sweethearts in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct | Best in gravy | Case | $50.16 | Sweethearts |
| BFF Tuna Too Cool Recipe in Aspic Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24 | Best in aspic | Case | $48.99 | Too Cool, aspic |
| BFF Tuna & Salmon Soulmates in Aspic Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct | Best fish pairing | Case | $47.76 | Soulmates, aspic |
| BFF Tuna & Pumpkin Valentine in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct | Best for digestion | Case | $47.99 | With pumpkin |
The thiamine recall, and the detail everyone omits
This needs stating precisely, because the shorthand version is genuinely misleading.
In 2017, BFF products were recalled over insufficient thiamine, or vitamin B1. Thiamine deficiency in cats causes appetite loss, unsteadiness, dilated pupils, head tilting and seizures, and can be fatal. The event was linked to hundreds of illnesses and several deaths. That is serious and should not be minimised.
The part usually left out: the affected products were an Australia-exclusive BFF line. Australian customers were asked to return cans with best-before dates between September 2018 and October 2019. Weruva has no recall history in the United States or anywhere outside Australia.
So if you are buying BFF in the US, you are buying from a production line that has never been recalled. If you are in Australia, the history is directly relevant. That distinction matters enormously and gets flattened into brand was recalled almost everywhere it is mentioned, including in our own Weruva review, which we have since made more precise.
Check the current position yourself in the FDA recall database rather than relying on any summary. The Cornell Feline Health Center covers thiamine deficiency and its signs.
Is a tuna-heavy diet a problem?
BFF is built around tuna far more than most brands, and that deserves a straight answer rather than either panic or dismissal.
Tuna is not dangerous for cats in commercial cat food. Complete and balanced fish recipes are formulated with appropriate nutrient levels, unlike canned tuna intended for humans, which should not be fed as a diet.
Two practical cautions. First, some cats become so fixated on fish that they later refuse everything else, which becomes a real problem if they need a therapeutic diet. Second, variety across proteins is generally sensible over a cat’s lifetime.
The fix is easy: rotate. BFF’s tuna and chicken pairings exist for exactly this, and alternating them with a poultry-led food from another brand keeps options open. Our best wet cat food guide covers poultry-led alternatives worth rotating in.
The 6 BFF products, reviewed
BFF OMG Rainbow Road Variety Pack Grain-Free Canned Cat Food, 2.8-oz can, bundle of 24: best overall
The OMG Rainbow Road variety pack is the sensible entry point because it covers several recipes at once, and BFF’s whole range is tuna-led enough that finding which combination your cat prefers matters. Grain free, high moisture, and cheaper per can than the Weruva lines it sits beside.
BFF Tuna & Chicken 4EVA Recipe in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct: best chicken option
Tuna and chicken 4EVA in gravy. Pairing tuna with chicken gives you a second protein rather than a pure fish diet, which is worth doing because long-term fish-only feeding is not ideal and some cats become so fixated on fish that nothing else is acceptable later.
BFF Tuna & Shrimp Sweethearts in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct: best in gravy
Tuna and shrimp Sweethearts in gravy. Gravy recipes carry more moisture than aspic and tend to win over cats who find the firmer texture off-putting. If your cat licks the sauce and leaves the rest, that is common with any brand and worth mashing together.
BFF Tuna Too Cool Recipe in Aspic Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24: best in aspic
Tuna Too Cool in aspic, which is a firmer set jelly rather than a loose gravy. Some cats strongly prefer this texture and some refuse it outright. Buy a small quantity first rather than committing to a case until you know which camp your cat falls into.
BFF Tuna & Salmon Soulmates in Aspic Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct: best fish pairing
Tuna and salmon Soulmates. Two fish proteins rather than one, which broadens the amino acid profile slightly. Still very much a fish-forward recipe, so rotate it with the chicken pairings rather than feeding fish exclusively.
BFF Tuna & Pumpkin Valentine in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct: best for digestion
Tuna and pumpkin Valentine in gravy. Pumpkin adds soluble fiber, which helps some cats with loose stools and, oddly, some with mild constipation too. Worth keeping a few cans around even if it is not your everyday choice.
BFF vs Weruva: what you actually give up
- Price: BFF runs noticeably cheaper per case than Weruva’s main lines. That is the main reason to choose it.
- Protein variety: Weruva spreads across chicken, beef, mackerel and more. BFF is tuna-forward throughout.
- Moisture: both are built around high water content, which is the shared strength and the best reason to buy either.
- Texture options: BFF’s gravy and aspic split is useful, since cats are opinionated about texture in a way they are not about ingredients.
Read our Weruva review alongside this if you are choosing between the two.
Who should buy BFF
Buy it if you want Weruva’s high-moisture approach at a lower price, or if your cat is a committed fish eater and you want a complete food built around that rather than fighting it.
Skip it if you want protein variety in a single brand, or if a tuna-dominant range makes you uneasy. Compare with our main cat food guide for broader options.
The bottom line on BFF
BFF is a good high-moisture wet food at a fair price, and the recall story that follows it around is far less alarming for US buyers than the headline suggests. An Australia-only production line was affected, and the US range has never been recalled.
The genuine consideration is the tuna focus rather than the history. Rotate proteins, use the chicken pairings, and it is a sensible everyday food. BFF OMG Rainbow Road Variety Pack Grain-Free Canned Cat Food, 2.8-oz can, bundle of 24 is the easiest way to find out which texture your cat prefers before committing to a case. This article is educational rather than veterinary advice.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is BFF a good cat food?
BFF is a good high-moisture wet cat food made by Weruva, offering the same hydration-focused approach at a lower price. Its recipes are predominantly tuna-led, so rotating in the chicken pairings is worthwhile to avoid a fish-only diet.
Q: Was BFF cat food recalled?
BFF products were recalled in 2017 over insufficient thiamine, but the affected line was Australia-exclusive. Weruva, which makes BFF, has no recall history in the United States or anywhere outside Australia.
Q: Who makes BFF cat food?
BFF, short for Best Feline Friend, is made by Weruva. Both brands share a focus on high moisture content and low carbohydrate, with BFF positioned at a lower price point.
Q: Is too much tuna bad for cats?
Tuna in complete and balanced commercial cat food is fine, unlike canned tuna made for humans, which is not nutritionally complete. The practical risks are cats becoming fixated on fish and refusing other foods, and the general value of protein variety over a lifetime.
Q: What is the difference between BFF gravy and aspic?
Gravy is a loose sauce with higher moisture, while aspic is a firmer set jelly. Cats often have strong preferences between the two, so buying a small quantity of each before committing to a case is sensible.
Q: Why is thiamine important in cat food?
Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is essential because cats cannot store much of it and need a steady dietary supply. Deficiency causes appetite loss, unsteadiness, dilated pupils, head tilting and seizures, and can be fatal if untreated.
Q: Is BFF cheaper than Weruva?
Yes. BFF is priced below Weruva’s main lines while sharing the same high-moisture, low-carbohydrate approach. The trade-off is less protein variety, since BFF recipes are largely tuna-led.
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