You may not often think about your cat’s teeth, but your pet can develop oral disease just like you can.1 In fact, diseases such as gingivitis can often begin when your cat is still a young adult. In addition to caring for your cat’s teeth, you can help mitigate dental problems by giving your cat food formulated to remove plaque and improve dental health. As your cat ages, it is even more important to care for its dental health. Older cats with chronic dental problems may have bad or even missing teeth, which can make eating difficult.
In this article, we have compiled some of the very best cat foods for older cats who have dental problems. We hope that our reviews will help you learn about the options available and ultimately choose the cat food that works best for you and your senior cat.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024
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Best Overall
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Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Bird Cat Food |
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Best Value
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Purina ONE + Sensitive Skin & Stomach |
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Premium Choice
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Hill’s Science Diet Adult Healthy Cuisine |
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Royal Canin Feline Care Nutrition Dental Care |
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Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers |
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The 6 Best Cat Foods for Older Cats With Bad Teeth
1. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Bird Cat Food – Best Overall
| Food Form: | Wet food |
| Life Stage: | All life stages |
| Primary Ingredients: | Chicken thigh, chicken breast, chicken liver, green beans, peas |
The Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Bird recipe is our pick as the best overall cat food for older cats with bad teeth. The soft food won’t be difficult for your cat to chew, and it has chicken listed as the first ingredient, so your pet will get plenty of protein. It’s fortified with taurine, which is an essential nutrient for cats, and it also contains real fruits and vegetables like page kale and green beans that provide important vitamins and minerals. These ingredients also help boost the immune system and provide fiber and prebiotics that strengthen and balance your cat’s sensitive digestive system, which is often troublesome for older cats.
The downside to Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Bird is that it is not available in stores, so you have to purchase it directly from the company, and it’s more expensive than most other options
2. Purina ONE + Sensitive Skin & Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food – Best Value
| Food Form: | Dry |
| Life Stage: | Adult |
| Primary Ingredients: | Turkey, chicken byproduct meal, rice flour, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, oatmeal, whole grain corn, beef fat naturally preserved with vitamin E |
Purina ONE + Sensitive Skin & Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food is the best cat food for older cats with bad teeth. It has prebiotic fiber for digestive health and omega fatty acids for skin health, as well as high-quality ingredients and a lot of protein for optimal health. In addition, this food contains extra calcium to support teeth and bone health.
Like other Purina foods, this food is veterinarian-recommended and manufactured at Purina-owned facilities in the US with no artificial flavors or preservatives. Several reviewers had issues with their cats getting sick from the food. Dry food forms could be uncomfortable for a cat to eat as well.
3. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Healthy Cuisine Poached Salmon & Spinach Medley Canned Cat Food – Premium Choice
| Food Form: | Wet |
| Life Stage: | Adult |
| Primary Ingredients: | Chicken broth, salmon, pork liver, carrots, chicken, wheat gluten, spinach, rice, rice starch, chicken fat |
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Healthy Cuisine Poached Salmon & Spinach Medley Canned Cat Food is the premium choice for an older cat with dental issues. It’s soft and nutritious to ensure that your cat can eat it comfortably and get the nutrients they need. The flavors of poached salmon and tender spinach in sauce work well for even the pickiest of eaters.
This food has taurine for vision and heart function and no artificial flavors or preservatives. Some reviewers had issues with their cats not wanting to eat the food, however. It’s also designed for adult cats, not necessarily senior cats.
4. Royal Canin Feline Care Nutrition Dental Care Dry Cat Food
| Food Form: | Dry |
| Life Stage: | Adult |
| Primary Ingredients: | Chicken meal, corn, brewer’s rice, chicken fat, wheat gluten, pea fiber, natural flavors, corn gluten meal |
Royal Canin Feline Care Nutrition Dental Ca1re Dry Cat Food is designed specifically for dental health. The exclusive kibble texture simulates tooth-brushing to polish off plaque and tartar and keep gums healthy. It’s 100% complete and balanced nutrition for adult cats as well.
This food does not require a prescription like other specialty diets. Many cats liked the food, according to reviews, but some upset the cats’ stomach. Some reviewers said that the kibble was too large for smaller cats as well.
5. Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Poultry & Beef Feast Variety Pack
| Food Form: | Wet |
| Life Stage: | Adult |
| Primary Ingredients: | Turkey broth, turkey, wheat gluten, meat byproducts, liver, chicken, corn starch, soy flour |
Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Poultry & Beef Feast Variety Pack is a highly palatable meal in savory gravy. It offers complete and balanced nutrition with no artificial colors or preservatives in a soft food form that’s more comfortable for your cat’s teeth. It’s also protein-rich to care for the health of adult cats.
Fancy Feast is made in Purina-owned US facilities for quality control and developed in partnership with Purina pet nutritionists. According to reviews, the food contains a lot of gravy compared to solid wet food. Several reviewers were concerned about changes to the formula and the texture as well.
6. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Dental Dry Cat Food
| Food Form: | Dry food |
| Life Stage: | Adult, mature adult |
| Primary Ingredients: | Chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, corn, brown rice, corn gluten meal |
If you are looking for a cat food specifically recommended by veterinarians to help keep your cat’s teeth clean, you should consider asking your vet about Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Dental. This cat food is not just for seniors but can be given to cats of all ages. That’s a plus; it’s never too early to start paying attention to your cat’s oral health.
However, the drawback to this food is that it does require a prescription from your vet. Something else to consider is that the kibble is too large for some cats to eat. Seniors in particular may have a difficult time eating large pieces of kibble.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Cat Food for Older Cats With Bad Teeth
Are you wondering how to select cat food for older cats with bad teeth? In this buyer’s guide, we’ll discuss some things you should look out for when comparing cat foods.
Protein
All cats need to eat a well-balanced, high-quality diet that includes protein, fat, and nutrients to stay healthy. Senior cats need a higher percentage of protein than other adult cats to help them maintain muscle mass. Aim for 26% protein in your senior cat’s diet.
Digestibility
Older cats can’t always handle additives such as artificial colors and flavors. Stick to all-natural ingredients that are easier for your kitty’s stomach to handle. Also, consider chewability when selecting a type of cat food. Smaller pieces of kibble are more likely to be easily chewed, swallowed, and digested than larger pieces, especially for cats with dental problems.
Nutrients
Finally, make sure to choose foods with added nutrients to support your senior cat’s overall well-being.
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
The best overall choice for cat food for older cats with bad teeth is Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Bird for its soft texture and healthy ingredients. If you want value, Purina ONE + Sensitive Skin & Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food offers solid nutrition in an affordable formula. The premium choice is Hill’s Science Diet Adult Healthy Cuisine Poached Salmon & Spinach Medley Canned Cat Food, a soft and nutritious food that cats can eat comfortably.
- Next on your reading list: Elderly Cat Won’t Eat? Here’s What to Do! (Vet Answer)
Featured Image Credit: Sergey Fatin, Shutterstock
