Dealing with a cat with diarrhea can be exhausting and frustrating. Things can get messy quickly and seeing your cat not feeling well is hard to watch. The good news is that there are multiple foods on the market that can help your cat’s diarrhea clear up. These reviews aim to put the best cat foods for diarrhea together in one place to make things easier on you.
Keep in mind that nobody can diagnose the reason for your cat’s diarrhea but a veterinarian. These food reviews are intended to provide general information and are not intended to replace having your cat see a veterinarian. Talk to your cat’s vet before making any changes to your cat’s diet. Also, work to find the cause of your cat’s diarrhea because changing your cat’s food without understanding the underlying problem can make the problem worse.
Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.
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Purina One Sensitive Stomach Cat Food |
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Purina Pro Plan Vet Diet Cat Food |
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The 11 Best Cat Foods for Diarrhea
1. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription – Best Overall
| Prescription required: | No |
| Primary protein: | Chicken, turkey, beef |
| Fiber content: | 0.5% |
| Food type: | Fresh, wet |
Cat food that uses high-quality, natural ingredients like Smalls is a good way to tackle many of the health issues that can affect cats. Smalls Subscription Cat Food focuses on offering nutrient-rich meals that are easy to digest without using artificial ingredients to add flavor or color. The easily digestible formula makes it gentle on sensitive stomachs that are prone to diarrhea or other gastrointestinal issues.
Smalls also caters to picky felines by offering recipes that are made with beef, chicken, or turkey. While the human-grade ingredients don’t mean that humans should eat cat food, it does mean the meals are made to the same standard that our own meals are.
The subscription enables you to trial the service at a discounted price, risk-free, to help your cat transition safely and make sure they enjoy their new food. If your cat doesn’t benefit from the subscription or you dislike the service, Smalls also offers a money-back guarantee.
As a subscription-based company, Smalls Cat Food is only available through its website. You have to sign up for a subscription to be able to benefit from the customizable meal plans and delivery to your door. It’s unavailable in physical stores.
2. Purina One Sensitive Skin & Stomach Food – Budget Buy
| Prescription required: | No |
| Primary protein: | Turkey |
| Fiber content: | 4% |
| Food type: | Kibble |
The best cat food for diarrhea for the money is the Purina One Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dry Cat Food. This food has turkey as its first ingredient and contains 4% fiber. This dry kibble is a good source of antioxidants and omega fatty acids. It’s made with no fillers and is made to be highly palatable and easy to digest. It contains prebiotic fiber to support digestive health. There are 36 grams of protein in every cup of this food, making it a great protein source. This food is a great starting option if you’re on a tight budget, but it isn’t as successful at clearing up some causes of diarrhea as many other foods we reviewed.
3. Purina Pro Plan Vet Diets EN Gastroenteric Dry Cat Food
| Prescription required: | Yes |
| Primary protein: | Chicken |
| Fiber content: | 3% |
| Food type: | Kibble |
The Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Naturals Dry Cat Food is a great option for higher budgets. This kibble is a prescription food that uses chicken as the first ingredient. It contains no corn, wheat, or artificial colors and flavors. This food is highly digestible to promote maximum nutrient absorption. It’s also energy-dense, which means it provides more nutrition in smaller amounts than most other foods. It’s a great option for cats with a variety of diagnoses, including IBD, pancreatitis, and gastritis. This food is less palatable than some other special diet foods for gastrointestinal issues.
4. Royal Canin Vet Diet Gastrointestinal Mousse in Sauce
| Prescription required: | Yes |
| Primary protein: | Chicken |
| Fiber content: | 3% |
| Food type: | Mousse |
The Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Kitten Ultra Soft Mousse in Sauce is a prescription food made specifically for kittens with gastrointestinal problems. This food is an ultra-soft mousse formula, making it easy for kittens to eat. It contains a blend of prebiotics and dietary fibers to support firm stools. This food is a good option for tiny kittens that are having a tough time transitioning from milk to solid food. It contains levels of protein and calcium appropriate for the needs of a kitten and is nutrient-dense enough to support your kitten, even in small quantities. This food does come at a premium price.
5. Royal Canin Vet Diet Gastrointestinal Fiber Dry Cat Food
| Prescription required: | Yes |
| Primary protein: | Chicken |
| Fiber content: | 7% |
| Food type: | Kibble |
The Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Dry Cat Food is a prescription kibble that uses chicken as its primary protein source. It contains 4.7% fiber and uses soluble and insoluble fiber to support healthy stools. Prebiotics and omega fatty acids support the digestive tract and immune system. This food has the S/O Index, meaning it supports urinary health and helps prevent crystal formation in the bladder. It’s highly palatable, ensuring your kitty eats it, and can help with more than diarrhea. This food can also help relieve constipation, hairballs, and vomiting. It’s only available in one bag size and is a premium price.
6. Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food
| Prescription required: | No |
| Primary protein: | Chicken |
| Fiber content: | 5% |
| Food type: | Kibble |
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Adult Dry Cat Food is another great cat food for diarrhea. This non-prescription food uses chicken as its primary protein and has 3.5% fiber. It’s a dry cat food that is packed with antioxidants, prebiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids. This food contains no corn, wheat, or soy. Natural sources of fiber, like fruits, grains, and vegetables, support healthy stools. This food is available in multiple bag sizes, including 2 pounds, allowing you to determine if your cat will eat the food before you invest in a large bag. This food is made to be palatable, but some people find that their cats don’t seem to adjust to the taste of this food very quickly.
7. Hill’s Prescription Digestive Chicken & Vegetable Wet Food
| Prescription required: | Yes |
| Primary protein: | Chicken |
| Fiber content: | 2% |
| Food type: | Stew |
The Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d Digestive Care Chicken & Vegetable Stew is a good wet food option for adult cats with digestive problems. It can support digestive health in cats having diarrhea from food sensitivities, pancreatic dysfunction, and surgery or illness. Mixed fiber sources support healthy stools while highly digestible sources of protein and fat support tissue repair and nutrient absorption. It’s a good source of antioxidants, while also increasing your cat’s water intake and supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the GI tract. This food does come at a premium price and is not as palatable as some other wet food options.
8. Purina Pro Plan Vet Diets EN Gastroenteric Wet Cat Food
| Prescription required: | Yes |
| Primary protein: | Chicken, salmon |
| Fiber content: | 2% |
| Food type: | Chunks in gravy |
The Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Feline Formula Savory Selects in Sauce Variety Pack is a prescription food pack that includes chicken and salmon flavored chunks in gravy, giving your kitty some variety. Both flavors are highly digestible, maximizing nutrient absorption, and nutrient-dense, packing more nutrients into smaller quantities. It’s a good source of B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, supporting energy, immunity, and digestion. St/Ox defense means this food supports urinary health and helps prevent the formation of struvite and calcium oxalate urinary crystals. Like most prescription diets, this food does come at a premium price. Both flavors contain meat by-products and wheat gluten as the first two ingredients.
9. Royal Canin Vet Diet Hydrolyzed Protein Dry Cat Food
| Prescription required: | Yes |
| Primary protein: | Soy |
| Fiber content: | 7% |
| Food type: | Kibble |
The Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Hydrolyzed Protein HP Dry Cat Food is a good option for cats with diarrhea related to food allergies. The primary protein is a hydrolyzed soy protein, reducing the risk of diarrhea from the protein. This food is a good source of B vitamins, amino acids, and omega-3 fatty acids. The fiber blend supports healthy stools, helping to reduce diarrhea, and this food is higher in fiber than most other digestive foods. This food is not as palatable as foods with non-hydrolyzed proteins and sells for one of the more premium prices of other foods reviewed.
10. Hill’s Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome Dry Cat Food
| Prescription required: | Yes |
| Primary protein: | Chicken |
| Fiber content: | 7% |
| Food type: | Kibble |
The Hill’s Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome Digestive/Fiber Care Dry Cat Food is a prescription kibble that contains 7% fiber, making it the highest fiber content of the dry foods reviewed. Prebiotics support healthy stools and ActiveBiome+ technology supports beneficial bacteria growth in the digestive tract, ensuring the digestive biome stays healthy and intact. This food is available in a smaller bag than many of the other prescription diets, making it more affordable than most options. This food does not seem as palatable to many cats as other options.
11. Stella & Chewy’s Rabbit Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
| Prescription required: | No |
| Primary protein: | Rabbit |
| Fiber content: | 5% |
| Food type: | Freeze-dried |
The Stella & Chewy’s Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food is not a digestive health food, but it contains rabbit, which is a novel protein to most cats. This can make it a good option for diarrhea caused by food allergies. This is a non-prescription food and contains 5% fiber. It’s minimally processed and has added taurine for heart, skin, and coat health. This food sells for a premium price close to that of a prescription food, so it’s not a budget-friendly option. The texture of this food is different than kibble or wet food, so some cats may not be accepting of the abnormal texture. Many people report finding the smell of this food to be noticeable and unpleasant.
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Cat Foods for Diarrhea
Choosing the Best Food for Your Cat With Diarrhea
Choosing the right food for your cat with a sensitive digestive tract can be difficult and overwhelming. The key to choosing the right food is to identify the cause of the diarrhea. Rapid changes in diet or rich treats can cause diarrhea, which will typically clear up on its own with a return to the routine diet. However, multiple medical conditions can cause diarrhea. Knowing what condition your cat has and understanding the type of diet your cat needs and why will help you find the right food.
If your cat is having diarrhea, you need to have your cat seen by your veterinarian. This will help you find out exactly what’s wrong, giving you a starting point. Finding the right food may take some trial and error to find a taste, texture, or formula that your cat enjoys. Trying different foods can get very expensive, especially if you have to swap through prescription diets. Talk to your vet about your cat’s preferences on the front end to have the best starting point to finding the right food.
High-quality cat food is an important part of fostering a long and healthy life for your cat but the right cat food and water dish will promote good posture, offer whisker relief, and aid in good digestion. The Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is our favorite bowl since it offers all of the above and is beautifully crafted to meet modern home stylings. The wide tray design catches any food and water spills and the entire setup is dishwasher safe. Learn more about the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl here.
At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Conclusion
For cats with diarrhea, the best overall non-prescription pick is Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food, which is convenient and effective. For tighter budgets and a non-prescription diet, the best pick is the Purina One Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dry Cat Food, which many cats find highly palatable. These reviews have hit the high points of foods to help relieve your cat’s diarrhea. Make sure to talk to your vet before making any changes to your cat’s current diet.
You may also be interested in:
- 10 Best Cat Foods for Diarrhea in Canada – Reviews & Top Picks
- 9 Best Cat Foods for Hairballs – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: AlexanderDubrovsky, Shutterstock
