7 Best Cat Foods For Diarrhea
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Diarrhea should not be a common occurrence in a healthy cat. Temporary bouts are most likely a reaction to something your cat ate that upset his stomach.
Diarrhea involves some degree of inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Bacteria, viruses, intestinal worms, or non-infectious irritants, can be common causes of inflammation. Food intolerance or allergies, to specific ingredients in your cats diet, may also be responsible for diarrhea. If diarrhea persists for a week or more, it maybe time to consider making changes to his diet.
How We Researched The 7 Best Cat Foods For Diarrhea?
- We spent several days researching the best cat foods for Diarrhea
- We considered over 12 cat foods and fine tuned it down to the 7 reviewed in this article
- We did this by reading hundreds of reviews, watching videos and comparing the features of each cat food
What To Look For In Cat Foods For Diarrhea?
There are certain symptoms such as gas, vomiting, and diarrhea that manifest in cats with food sensitivities. When selecting a food for your cat with diarrhea, look for the following:.
Quality Protein – Protein helps your cat build lean muscle and maintain a healthy weight. Protein can be easily digested and absorbed, which is influenced by the source of the protein and the quality.
Fiber – Fiber is needed to help firm up your cat’s poop and maintain the digestive track. A food with high fiber content is important if your cat has chronic diarrhea issues.
Grain Free – Some cats do not digest grains well so switching to a grain-free food is a good place to start. Always check the label for wheat, rice, barley and oats, which are used as thickening agents.
Prebiotics – Prebiotics help stimulate your cat’s digestive system in order to produce more good bacteria, that can reduce digestive issues. Many cat foods add prebitotics and probitotics especially for this reason.
Vitamins & Nutrients – Look for high levels of essential vitamins like vitamin A, E, and C to help with many body functions. This important to keep your cat’s immune system strong.
Fatty Acids – Two key fatty acid’s are omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 fatty acids are needed for cell membranes and reduces inflammation. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fish, shellfish and flax seed. Omega-6 fatty acids are important to aid in the process of repairing tissue.
Organic – If a food is not organic it most likely contains GMOs and other ingredients that can upset your cat’s stomach.
The Best Cat Food For Diarrhea Comparison Chart
We highly recommend looking at the comparison table we have below where we highlighted the features of each product.
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Best Dry Cat Food
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Best Budget Cat Food
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Best Kitten Food
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Best Food for Senior Cats
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The 6 Best Rated Foods For Cats With Diarrhea Reviewed
#1 Open Farm Homestead Turkey & Chicken Dry Cat Food
Product Info:
- Price Range: ~$1-2$/ Per Meal
- Food Type: Dry
- Made In: USA
- Protein: 37% Min
- Fat: 18% Min
The Good
- No chicken or poultry by-product meals, corn, wheat, gluten or soy
- Quality protein ingredients
- No fillers, grains or artificial flavors
The Bad
- Contains plant based ingredients
- Low moisture content
Open Farm is a subscription cat food delivery service that delivers customized cat food right to your door. They use high quality, human grade ingredients and each recipe contains no fillers, grains, preservatives or artificial flavors.
Open Farm recipes are prepared in a human-grade kitchen that is 100% designed and dedicated to making fresh pet food right here in the USA.
There are several recipes choices such as Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food and Wild-Caught Salmon Dry Cat Food . You can opt for a subscription and have your cat’s food delivered monthly or make a one time sample pack purchase to make sure your cat loves this food.
#2 Smalls Food For Cats
Product Info:
- Price Range: ~$2.00 – $3.50/ per meal
- Food Type: Fresh
- Made In: USA
- Protein: 21.2% Min
- Fat: 8.05% Min
The Good
- 100% money back if your cat does not like the food
- Customized meal plan based on budget, cat’s age, health status, and current diet
- Free from preservatives, fillers, grains, and artificial flavors
The Bad
- Cost is higher than wet and canned foods
- food must be kept cold until served which makes travel difficult
Smalls food for cats is a subscription service, prepared with 100% human grade ingredients. You can create a customized meal plan for your cats based on their age, health goal, and current food and have freshly prepared food delivered to your door.
Smalls buys all of their ingredients the same day they cook it and then freeze it right away. They also cook on a weekly basis so the food coming to you is never old. All of Smalls ingredients are sourced from 100% USDA certified human grade suppliers.
Smalls currently offers 3 fresh recipe flavors in pate or minced, and can mix and match the foods depending on your cats preference. Their food is free from preservatives, fillers, grains, and artificial flavors.
#3 Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Cat Food
Product Info:
- Price: ~$2-3$/ Per Meal
- Made In: USA
- Protein: 45.0% Min
- Fat: 25.0% Min
The Good
- Made with 98% cage-free poultry
- 100% organic-certified fruits and vegetables
- Sustainably-sourced ingredients used
The Bad
- Price on the high side
- Some cats refuse to eat it
Stella & Chewy’s Chick Chick Chicken Dinner Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food is made from sustainably-sourced ingredients and raw protein.
This recipe starts with 98% cage-free quality poultry, organs, and bone. In addition to the cage-free poultry this recipe includes 100% organic-certified fruits and vegetables. Stella & Chewy’s foods never contain grains, gluten, fillers, artificial preservatives, or colors.
Each batch is made with care in Stella & Chewy’s own USA kitchen. Food can be served as is or can be re-hydrated by adding warm water.
#4 Primal Freeze-Dried Nuggets Raw Cat Food
Product Info:
- Price: ~$2.3/ ounce
- Made In: USA
- Protein: 52.0% Min
- Fat: 32.0% Min
The Good
- No Corn, wheat, soy or pea
- Hormone and steroid-free chicken
- Incorporates certified organic produce
The Bad
- Some cats refuse to eat it
- Large pieces
Primal Freeze-Dried Cat Food offers a diet packed with naturally derived vitamins and minerals. It is made with antibiotic, hormone and steroid-free chicken meat and chicken organs along with real salmon and incorporates certified organic produce, certified organic minerals and unrefined vitamins.
This food also has added optimum levels of amino acids, essential fatty acids, natural-occurring enzymes and necessary vitamins and minerals supply the building blocks for healthy biological functions.
This freeze dried raw food is crafted in the USA with sustainably-sourced ingredients and contains no grain, gluten, corn, wheat or soy. It can be served straight from the bag or with added water.
#5 Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach Cat Food
Product Info:
- Price Range: ~$0.20-0.30$
- Food Type: Pate [Wet]
- Made In: USA
- Protein: 10% Min
- Fat: 6% Min
The Good
- Made with high-quality real duck protein
- Highly-digestible formula for sensitive stomachs
- Grain-free recipe
- Reasonably Priced
The Bad
- Contains by-products
- Some cats won’t eat it
- Not effective on all cats
Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach Grain-Free Entree Canned Cat Food features high-quality protein, which includes real duck.
Every serving provides essential vitamins and minerals, including taurine, which is an amino acid known to help support your cats overall health and wellness. It’s also formulated to help promote your kitty’s healthy skin and coat, while the highly-digestible formula is gentle on sensitive stomachs. Last but not least this recipe is grain free.
#6 Royal Canin Babycat Canned Cat Food
Product Info:
- Price: ~$0.3/ OZ
- Food Type: Pate (Wet)
- Made In: USA
- Protein: 9% Min
- Fat: 4% Min
The Good
- Formulated for young kittens
- Kittens take to it quick
- Great for immunity
The Bad
- Contains by-products
- Contains grains
This 1st stage Royal Canin Babycat cat food features an ultra soft mousse that helps a young kitten transition from milk to solid food. It is recommended for kittens being weaned to 4 months old. This is good for kittens who are just starting on cat food and may need to go gentle on the digestive tract.
It Includes an antioxidant complex to help support the immune defenses of the young kitten. It also features a proven Macro Nutrient Profile that is preferred by young kittens under 4 months old and represents the balance between proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
#7 Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach
Product Info:
- Price: ~$3.8/ Oz
- Food Type: Wet
- Made In: USA
- Protein: 6.3% Min
- Fat: 4% Min
The Good
- Blend of vitamins C and E for strong immune system
- Veterinarian recommended
- Low in carbohydrates
The Bad
- Complaints of cats vomiting
- Some cats won’t eat it
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin soft cat food is specially formulated for cats with sensitive digestive systems as well as to improve skin and coat health.
This sensitive stomach cat food provides a precisely balanced and complete nutrition that’s gentle on the stomach for optimal nutrient absorption to assist in everyday feeding.
This cat food also includes omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E to promote healthy skin and a shiny coat, plus a clinically proven blend of antioxidants with vitamins C and E to support a healthy immune system.
Conclusion
In most cases diarrhea is a defense mechanism and will clear up on its own, once it’s expelled. Usually, your cat has just eaten something that did not agree with his stomach and there’s no reason for concern. It is important your cat drinks plenty of water and stays hydrated during this time and if it persists for too long, you may want to see your veterinarian to rule out any underlying health issues.
*This article is for informational purposes only. It’s not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment.