10 Best Joint Supplements for Cats in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Pain and stiffness from inflamed joints can affect cats no matter how old they are. Even if you have a kitten, they’re sure to appreciate any help ensuring that their joints develop properly. Not only do joint supplements ease inflammation and pain from arthritis, but most also support the growth of new cartilage tissue to keep your feline moving.

Whether your cat bounces off counters and tables like they’re trampolines or struggles to clamber onto the sofa, there’s a joint supplement that will help boost their mobility. We put together these reviews to introduce you to each option to help you choose between capsules, liquid, or chewable supplements.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Nutramax Cosequin Capsules	Chicken flavored 55-, 80-, or 160-count bottles Veterinarian recommended	Check Price
Best Value		Nutramax Cosequin Soft Chews	Omega-3 supports skin and coat health Recommended by veterinarians Grain-free	Check Price
Premium Choice		Vetoquinol Flexadin Soft Chews	Can be added to food or fed as treats Prevents cartilage from breaking down Supports multi-pet homes	Check Price
		Nutramax Dasuquin Capsules	Veterinarian recommended Chicken and tuna flavor Blocks enzymes that break down cartilage	Check Price
		Liquid Health Joint Supplement	No sugar, starch, wheat, gluten, yeast, milk, corn, or soy NASC quality seal Beef flavor	Check Price

The 10 Best Joint Supplements for Cats

Nutramax Cosequin Capsules for Cats are available in 55-, 80-, or 160-count bottles and are recommended by veterinarians, making this option the best overall joint supplement for cats. Chicken flavored to entice poultry-loving cats, Nutramax supports your feline’s joints by focusing on the new and old cartilage, along with their urinary health.

It’s suitable for all ages—from kittens to seniors—and breeds of cats. However, although the capsules are designed to be easily ingested, they’re too big for many cats to swallow and don’t fit into cat-sized pill pockets. You may have to break the capsules open to sprinkle the contents on your feline’s food.

The best joint supplement for cats for the money is the veterinarian-recommended Nutramax Cosequin Soft Chews for cats. Sold in 60-count packets, you can purchase a single packet or a bundle of two for a longer-lasting supply. The formula is grain-free and includes omega-3 to keep your feline’s coat and skin healthy, even as the active ingredients work to rejuvenate their joints.

Like capsules, soft chews can be mixed with your cat’s food. They can also be offered as treats for felines that enjoy the chewy texture.

Some fussier felines dislike the smell and taste of these chews, though, and won’t eat them.

For pet owners with both cats and dogs, the Vetoquinol Flexadin Advanced with UCII Soft Chews is suitable for felines and their canine siblings. Vitamin E and UCII (a type II collagen) prevent your pet’s cartilage from breaking down, enabling them to move more freely. Omega-3 is also in the recipe to protect your cat’s outsides and reduce inflammation and swollen joints.

Along with this product being expensive, many picky eaters—both cats and dogs—dislike the taste and smell of these chews and refuse to eat them.

Nutramax Dasuquin Capsules use natural ingredients to support your cat’s joint health. Recommended by veterinarians, this option by Nutramax blocks the enzymes that break down cartilage and uses omega-3 to reduce inflammation and support your cat’s skin and fur.

Chicken and tuna flavored for poultry and fish lovers, these capsules can be opened and sprinkled over your feline’s food.

Although these capsules can be given to your cat in pill form, they are too big for small cats to swallow comfortably or fit into pill pockets. Fussy felines are also more likely to dislike the taste and refuse to eat food with the powder mixed in.

With an NASC quality seal, the Liquid Health Pets Joint Purr-Fection Cat Supplement is formulated to support the joints and mobility of cats of all ages. Hypoallergenic, this liquid supplement avoids common allergens like sugar, starch, wheat, gluten, yeast, milk, corn, and soy.

The formula uses vitamin C and taurine to protect your feline’s overall health, while glucosamine and MSM keep their joints supple and lubricated. It also contains real beef liver powder to tempt your cat to eat it, whether on its own or mixed with their food.

Fussy felines may still refuse to eat this option due to the taste despite the natural flavorings. Also, unlike other capsule or chewable supplements, Liquid Health must be refrigerated after opening.

Backed by 30 years of experience and created and recommended by veterinarians, VetriScience GlycoFlex II Soft Chews are made with real chicken liver. The recipe uses renowned joint support ingredients—MSM, glucosamine hydrochloride, manganese, and green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus), among others—to lubricate your cat’s joints.

Formulated to maintain healthy tissue, rejuvenate old cartilage, and support new tissue, VetriScience enables your cat to get back to climbing to their favorite napping spot on the bookshelf.

While this supplement is designed as a treat, the chews are a little big and may need to be broken into smaller pieces. Some felines also refuse to eat it due to its flavor and smell.

Sold in bottles of 30 or 60 capsules, the Nutramax Cosequin Maximum Strength Capsules is an affordable solution to your feline’s ailing joints. The formula is recommended by veterinarians and filled with ingredients known to lubricate and rejuvenate old cartilage while supporting new tissue growth. Along with supporting your feline’s mobility, these capsules support their bladder health.

Although many capsule supplements can be fed to your cat as pills, this Nutramax option is recommended to be used as a powder instead. This requires opening the capsules to pour the contents onto your cat’s food. Unlike other supplements, this one is aimed at adult and senior cats and might not be suitable for kittens.

The NaturVet Moderate Care Glucosamine DS Plus Soft Chews are formulated for adult and senior pets. The antioxidants prevent cellular decay omega-3 and -6 fatty acids relieve inflammation, and the other active ingredients—glucosamine, MSM, Yucca schidigera, and chondroitin sulfate—lubricate your feline’s joints.

This product suits cats and dogs, so you can support all your pets without worrying about mixing up specialized supplements.

Since dogs can eat these supplements, too, they may need to be broken into smaller pieces for your cat and can be too hard for kittens or felines with missing teeth. This option is expensive compared to other choices, and the bottle must be sealed for freshness.

Formulated to support cats and dogs in multi-pet households, Pet Naturals Hip + Joint Dog & Cat Chews are backed by 40 years of experience in customer care. Created by veterinarians, the recipe uses vitamin C, green-lipped mussels, and MSM in a 160-count bottle to promote healthy joints and restore your cat’s mobility. Real duck is also used to appeal to your feline’s appetite.

Some cats, particularly picky eaters, dislike the flavor and won’t eat these chews even when mixed in with food. The soft chews also tend to stick together and crumble when you try to pull them apart, making it difficult to ensure that your cat receives the proper dosage.

For cats with sensitive stomachs and allergies, the Liquid-Vet Hip & Joint Support Allergy-Friendly Cat Supplement supports joint health and doesn’t exacerbate allergies. The liquid formula lets you easily mix the supplement with your cat’s meal, especially if you use wet food. The recommended daily dosage can be used in one meal or split between two meals.

Picky eaters who dislike strange tastes are more likely to eat food mixed with this supplement because the liquid is completely flavorless. There are also no flavored ingredients that your cat can have an allergic reaction to.

However, some cats became lethargic after ingesting this product, and the bottle sometimes leaks during shipping.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Joint Supplement for Cats

No matter how often we wish they could, our cats can’t tell us what’s wrong with them. As a result, it is hard to know whether they need a joint supplement. While they can’t speak to us in a language that we understand, we can take note of their body language and actions to decide how to take care of them.

To help you determine if a joint supplement is the best choice for you and your cat, this guide will give you a few things to consider.

What Are Joint Supplements?

Most joint supplements use various ingredients to keep your cat’s joints in top shape. They can come in various forms — liquid, chewable tablets, or capsules with pre-portioned powder that you can sprinkle on your cat’s dinner — but the recommended products always use similar ingredients to help boost your pet’s joint health.

Glucosamine

Derived from shellfish for use in supplements, glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound found in your cat’s joints — and yours too. This substance helps repair the cartilage surrounding your cat’s joints. For older cats especially, producing enough glucosamine to keep their joints working properly can be challenging, which is where these supplements come in.

A deficiency in glucosamine leads to pain and discomfort from inflamed and damaged cartilage. Boosting your cat’s glucosamine levels can help repair any damage caused by aging or surgery.

Chondroitin

Often partnered with glucosamine, chondroitin is another naturally occurring compound. Instead of repairing damaged cartilage, chondroitin focuses on removing the enzymes that damage the cartilage in the first place. It also helps lubricate your feline’s joints by enabling fluid retention.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

MSM is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory chemical. Like glucosamine, it’s a naturally occurring substance that cats struggle to produce as they age. You can find it in most high-quality cat foods, along with glucosamine and chondroitin in joint supplements.

Green-lipped Mussels

A great source of omega-3, green-lipped mussels are used in many joint supplements to help lessen inflammation and boost the health of your cat’s skin and coat. Not only are they good for increasing your feline’s intake of omega-3, but they’re also filled with naturally occurring glucosamine and chondroitin, which makes them some of the best all-around choices for these supplements.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is another compound that focuses on lubricating your cat’s joints. This substance is the reason that the fluid around your cat’s joints has a sticky consistency. It works to alleviate inflammation and strengthens the cartilage between joints.

Liquid, Capsules, or Chewable Tablets

Choosing between the types of joint supplements available depends on your cat’s preferences. Each of these supplement forms appeals to cats with varying tastes.

Liquid

Available with a dropper or a measuring cup, liquid supplements can be more easily mixed with your cat’s food. For cats that notice powders too easily, liquid options can blend in better and be almost unnoticeable. Droppers also give you the option of giving your cat the supplement directly rather than mixing it with their meal.

Capsules

Many capsule supplements aren’t designed to be used in pill form, although they can be. They’re often too big for cats to swallow comfortably or for placing in pill pockets (treats designed to seal around pills to hide them from your pet). You can open the capsules and sprinkle the contained powder on your cat’s meal.

Chewable Tablet

If your cat prefers chewy, soft textures and isn’t afraid to wolf down supplements in treat form, chewable tablets enable you to avoid both liquids and powders. Some chews can be too big to offer to your cat as a whole, especially when the formula is suitable for both cats and dogs. While such chews are great for multi-pet households, you may have to break them into smaller pieces for your feline.

Does Your Cat Need a Joint Supplement?

Age isn’t necessarily a deciding factor on whether your cat needs a joint supplement, as younger felines can also benefit from the extra boost of nutrients for their joints, especially after surgery or trauma. Pay attention to any signs of pain that your feline exhibits, as well as:

Not all of these are signs that your cat is in pain. Purring, for example, is a way that cats soothe themselves and show their contentment. Look for a variety of signs, and if you’re still not sure, visit your veterinarian. They’ll be able to examine your cat more closely and even give you recommendations for joint supplements that you can try.

Final Thoughts

Our best overall choice, Nutramax Cosequin Capsules uses chicken flavoring and a range of ingredients to keep your feline’s joints active and supports the health of their bladder. The Nutramax Cosequin Soft Chews offer a chewable option for felines that dislike capsules or powders mixed in with their food. It’s a budget-friendly product filled with omega-3 for inflammation relief and skincare.

The best joint supplement for your cat may take trial and error to discover, but these reviews will hopefully help you find a solution to your cat’s aching joints.

Featured Image Credit: Zhuravlev Andrey, Shutterstock