The Best Foods for Senior Cats: Top Picks for Healthy Ageing

It’s hard not to think of your cat as the feisty little kitten they were when you first brought them home. Pets don’t age as visibly as humans do, but just because they look young on the outside it doesn’t mean they feel it on the inside. Ageing cats have different needs and nutritional requirements than youngsters. You can help them out by feeding them specially formulated food for senior cats.

Read on to learn more about how nutritional needs change as our cats get older. We’ll also provide tips for shopping for senior cat food and share our top picks.

How Cat Nutritional Needs Change with Age

When it comes to cat food, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Kittens generally have a higher need for protein, fat, and calories than adult cats because they’re growing and developing. But once they reach maturity, maintaining a healthy body weight becomes the focus.

So what happens when your cat starts to mature?

According to the Feline Nutrition Foundation, a cat’s energy requirements decrease in middle age (between four and nine years). With declining energy, your cat has a higher risk of weight gain. But once your cat hits 10 to 12 years of age, their calorie requirements may actually increase. Without enough calories and protein, your cat could lose muscle mass and become too skinny.

While scientific data on this phenomenon is limited, one thing is certain—adequate protein intake is essential for all cats, regardless of age. And the best thing you can do is choose a healthy, protein-rich diet to make sure your cat is getting the calories they need to maintain a healthy body weight. As always, check in with your vet when monitoring your cat’s weight and modifying their diet.

What To Look For in Senior Cat Food

All cats are obligate carnivores, which means the majority of their diet should come from animal protein. Here are some things to look for in senior cat food:

• Highly digestible food. Digestibility is the key to proper nutrient absorption—keep in mind that cats are designed to digest protein, not carbohydrates. (If your cat is throwing up food, talk with your vet to find out why—and get their recommendations for other food options.)
• Plenty of protein. Research suggests that older cats may need a higher percentage of protein in their diets than younger cats do.
• Taurine. Taurine is an essential amino acid critical for heart health and important for ageing cats. It can be found in animal-based proteins like chicken, lamb, and fish—you’ll see it listed as an ingredient in any good cat food.
• Moisture. Many older cats develop dental problems that make chewing kibble difficult. Wet food is easier for many senior cats to manage, and the increased moisture content is important for digestion and kidney health as well. If your cat insists on dry food, try using moisture-rich wet food as a topper.
• Sufficient calories. While some cats gain weight as they slow down with age, many senior felines have the opposite problem—they have trouble keeping weight on. Work with your vet to determine the ideal weight for your cat. Then find the right food and feeding schedule to help them achieve and maintain that weight.

The Best Cat Food for Senior Cats

Choosing a recipe formulated for older cats is one of the easiest ways to make sure your senior pet’s nutritional needs are being met, but it isn’t the only way. As long as your cat food provides the right balance of protein, fat, calories, and essential nutrients, and your pet is maintaining a healthy weight, you’re already on the right track.

If you are looking for food specially formulated for older cats, there are several excellent options.

IAMS for Vitality Senior Dry Cat Food With Chicken

Source: Amazon

This nutrient-packed cat food from IAMS delivers everything your ageing kitty needs: a tailored fibre blend including prebiotics and beet pulp for healthy digestion, protein and nutrients for healthy joints, and antioxidants alongside Vitamin E for a robust immune system. It’s healthy, delicious, and bonus—it’s wheat-free and contains no fillers or artificial flavours.

Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Dry Cat Food

Crafted with natural ingredients, this senior cat food (designed for cats seven years and older) provides ample vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for optimal immune system and organ function.

Purina ONE Senior 11+ Cat Food Chicken and Wholegrain

Source: Amazon

Packed with 24 vitamins and minerals to support and protect your senior cat’s health, this senior cat food promotes healthy bones and good mobility. There’s Vitamin E and C to assist in cell repair, as well as functional bacteria to support your cat’s natural defences from the inside out.

Lily’s Kitchen Senior Recipe with Fish and Turkey

Source: Lily’s Kitchen

James Wellbeloved Complete Hypoallergenic Senior Dry Cat

Source: Amazon

Made with 100% natural ingredients, this complete dry food is full of tasty flavours and vital nutrients to help keep your cat, happy, energised and healthy.

Scrumbles All Natural Dry Cat Food With 75% Chicken and Fresh Salmon

Source: Amazon

With a blend that’s 75% fresh meat, this Scrumbles dry food combines the tasty flavours of chicken and salmon. The food is given an omega-3 turbo-boost with extra salmon oil and it’s promises to provide 1billion gut-friendly probiotics to aid digestion and support the immune system.

Lily’s Kitchen Complete Wet Cat Food

Source: Amazon

If you’re looking for a softer food option for your senior cat, consider this pâté recipe. It offers chicken as the main protein ingredient to support lean and healthy body weight.

Royal Canin Feline Health Ageing Wet Senior

Source: Amazon

Specially formulated for cats well and truly into their twilight years, this Royal Canin wet food contains a high level of omega-3 to maintain healthy joints, as well as an adapted phosphorus content to help support kidney function and overall renal health.

Wainwrights Complete Mature Wet Cat Food Chicken and Tuna

Source: Pets at Home

Packed with protein, vegetables, yucca extract and fish oil, alongside cranberry extract to promote a healthy urinary tract, this tasty wet food is great for all-around senior cat health.

How to Transition Your Senior Cat to New Food

Making adjustments to the food your senior cat eats is important for their health and wellness, but try not to make the change too quickly. Sudden dietary changes can upset your cat’s stomach. Instead, transition your pet to the new food slowly over the course of a week. You can start by mixing 25% of the new food with your cat’s current diet and slowly increase the ratio as they adjust.