Best senior cat food: what to look for

The best senior cat food is a complete and balanced food your cat eats eagerly and keeps weight and muscle on. For most older cats that means plenty of digestible animal protein and enough calories, often with some wet food, rather than a "light" diet. If your cat has kidney disease, a thyroid problem or diabetes, the diet your vet prescribes comes first.

This article does not name or rank brands. The right food depends on the cat, and this site does not take money to rank foods. What follows is how to judge a food for yourself, with your vet.

What "senior" means on cat food

In the United States, the nutrient profiles that pet foods are formulated to (published by AAFCO) cover growth and reproduction, and adult maintenance. There is no separate nutrient standard for senior cats. "Senior", "mature" and "11+" are the maker's own descriptions, and foods carrying them vary a lot in calories, protein and minerals. Read the label, not the front of the bag.

Older cats often need more, not less

Many dogs and people gain weight with age. Cats often go the other way. From the early teens, many cats start to lose weight and muscle, and it is commonly reported that older cats digest fat and protein less efficiently than they used to.

So a senior food built around fewer calories may suit a plump ten-year-old and be the wrong choice for a thin fifteen-year-old. Healthy older cats generally need more highly digestible protein, not less. Protein restriction is for specific medical conditions, on a vet's advice.

Weigh your cat regularly on the same scale and write it down. A small loss is a large share of a small animal, and it is easy to miss under fur.

What to look for on the label

• The nutritional adequacy statement. It should say the food is complete and balanced for adult maintenance or all life stages. Food labeled "complementary" or for "intermittent or supplemental feeding" is not a full diet.
• Calorie content. Listed per can, pouch or cup. Thin cats with small appetites need more calories in each mouthful. Overweight cats need fewer.
• Protein. Cats are obligate carnivores and rely on animal protein. The label cannot show how digestible it is, so the maker matters: one that employs qualified nutritionists, tests its food and will send full nutrient figures on request.
• Phosphorus. Kidney disease is common in older cats and changes how much phosphorus is appropriate. Ask your vet whether it matters for your cat, based on blood and urine tests.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA from fish oil are added to many senior foods and may help joints and skin.

Wet or dry: canned and dry food for senior cats

Either can be complete and balanced. Many vets like older cats to have at least some wet food for the extra water, particularly cats with kidney disease or constipation. Feeding both is fine. The food your cat will reliably eat counts for a lot at this age.

Soft dry food and texture for sore mouths

Dental disease is very common in old cats. A cat with mouth pain may drop kibble, chew on one side, walk up to the bowl and leave, or lick the gravy and leave the chunks.

Softer options include smooth pate or mousse textures, kibble soaked in warm water, and smaller or semi-moist kibble. Check that whatever you choose is complete and balanced. Soft food only works around the pain, though. A sore mouth needs treating. See dental care for senior pets.

Senior cat losing weight

Unexplained weight loss in an old cat is a reason for a vet visit, not a food change. That is especially true if the cat is eating well and still getting thinner.

Weight loss in an older cat can point to an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, diabetes, dental pain, bowel disease or cancer, among other things. Several of these can be treated or managed, and an exam with blood and urine tests is how they are told apart. Read more on why an old cat loses weight and why an old cat gets so skinny.

Once the cause is known, your vet may suggest a higher-calorie food as part of the plan.

Gravy, toppers and liquid meal replacements

Lickable treats, broths, gravies and liquid foods are useful for tempting a fussy cat and adding water. Most are not complete diets. The label will usually say "complementary" or "for intermittent or supplemental feeding". Fed as the main food, they leave gaps.

A few liquid and recovery diets are complete and balanced. These are typically supplied through vets for cats who are ill or recovering, and your vet decides whether one is appropriate and how it is used.

Be careful with human food as a topper. Gravy, stock and some baby foods often contain onion or garlic, which are toxic to cats, and a lot of salt. Milk upsets many cats' stomachs. If your cat will only lick gravy and leaves the rest, treat that as a sign of mouth pain or nausea and have it checked.

When a prescription diet replaces a senior diet

These diets are chosen by your vet from test results. When a cat has more than one condition, the vet decides which takes priority.

Switching foods and how much to feed

Change slowly, over a week or more, starting with mostly the old food and a little of the new. Cats can take much longer than dogs, sometimes several weeks. Never try to starve a cat into accepting a new food.

This article gives no feeding amounts on purpose. The guide on the label is a starting point, and your vet sets the amount from your cat's weight, body condition and muscle. Many older cats do better on several small meals than on one or two large ones. Wet food served slightly warm smells stronger and is often eaten more readily.

How to tell a food is working

• Weight is steady from one weigh-in to the next.
• Muscle along the spine and over the hips is holding.
• Your cat comes to the bowl and finishes meals.
• Stools are formed, and vomiting is no more frequent than before.
• The coat is kept and groomed.

When to call the vet today

• Your cat has not eaten for 24 hours. In cats this is an emergency, because a cat who stops eating can develop a serious liver condition quickly. See why an old cat stops eating.
• Weight loss, with or without a good appetite.
• Repeated vomiting or diarrhea.
• Drinking or urinating far more than usual.
• Drooling, pawing at the mouth or crying while eating.
• Straining in the litter box or producing no urine. Go to an emergency clinic at once.

For more, the senior pet nutrition guide covers feeding older pets in general, and the senior cat guide covers everyday care.

This article is general educational information about feeding older cats, not veterinary or nutritional advice for your cat. It does not recommend any brand or product, and no food suits every cat. The right diet, the amount to feed and any topper or supplement should be decided with your veterinarian, and weight loss or a cat who has stopped eating needs a veterinary exam rather than a change of food.