Cats, just like people, can get tummy troubles from time to time, caused by things like hairballs, eating the wrong thing or other issues with their food, as well as a range of possible illnesses.
While a stomach issue can sometimes only be fixed by a trip to the vet, there’s also a possibility that changing your cat’s diet can make a difference too. In this guide, we'll help you do that by detailing what we found to be the best cat food for sensitive stomachs in this group test.
The key to picking the best foods for sensitive stomachs in cats is testing foods and eventually working your way to the right diet for your cat. Whether you're looking for the best dry cat food for sensitive stomachs, the most gentle wet cat food options, or even a kitten food for sensitive stomachs, there's a whole range of products out there designed to soothe those tummy problems.
We'll take you through the best cat food for sensitive stomachs, highlight our top-tested picks in both the dry and wet food categories, and discuss why certain foods are better for cats with sensitive stomach conditions.
We have cats and understand that every cat is unique and that they can be exceptionally fussy eaters, so we've also included additional options for cats sensitive to specific ingredients and those who might prefer canned food for their sensitive stomachs.
Our goal is to provide you with the best and most comprehensive insights to help you make the best choice for your beloved kitty.
Best Cat Food for a Sensitive Stomach
Best Overall
Smalls Cat Food
Best Cat Food for a Sensitive Stomach
Best Overall Choice
Smalls Cat Food
Smalls cat food is our top choice for cats with sensitive stomachs, thanks to its highly digestible and nutrient-rich ingredients. Smalls includes essential omega-3 fatty acids and a very low carbohydrate content which is below 10%.
Smalls is developed with high-quality, human grade, animal-sourced ingredients like chicken muscle meat and chicken liver, and is totally free from artificial additives. This allows it to be to be gentle and kind on the stomach.
Additionally, all Smalls cat food ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced.
3 Top Cat Food For Sensitive Stomach Picks – Best, Value & Premium
As I mentioned above, finding the right food for a cat with a sensitive stomach can be an uphill challenge. These specialized sensitivity foods are not always readily available, and the costs can certainly begin to add up.
Plus, let's not forget how frustratingly picky our furry pals can be – we've all seen them turn up their noses at new foods and literally go on hunger strikes.
We are cat owners ourselves and recognize this difficult problem. However, we also have the added ability to tap into our extensive social media network (boasting over 1 million followers) to pull out golden nuggets of information from the large community of cat owners.
Their real-world feline experiences are invaluable, especially when it comes to such a delicate issue as sensitive stomachs in cats. Based on the feedback from this engaged community, and guidance from our veterinary experts, we've been able to compile this list of top picks.
This list includes a variety of sensitive special kitty cat food options from the best cat food for sensitive stomachs, encompassing both budget-friendly choices and premium selections, to the best dry cat food and wet cat food for sensitive stomachs.
Our sole focus is to help you find food that not only eases your cat's digestive issues but is also yummy to their 'discerning' kitty palate.
So that’s a quick chart showing our top three best cat foods for a sensitive stomach. Now let’s take a deeper look at those and a whole lot more.
Since different cats have unique needs, we’ve created our list of the best cat foods for a sensitive stomach based on the requirements of every kind of cat, from seniors, to kittens, and beyond.
Let’s get started. Here are some of the top choices on the market.
1. Smalls Cat Food - Best Overall
Smalls cat food is simply outstanding and deservedly shines through as one of the best cat foods in the World. It is highly regarded for cats with sensitive stomachs mainly due to its highly-digestible recipe design and the all important nutrient-rich composition.
Crucially, Smalls includes essential omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for maintaining a healthy coat and reducing inflammation.
This is especially crucial for cats with digestive issues. Additionally, Smalls is moisture-rich and the use of only the very best high-quality animal-sourced ingredients, like chicken muscle meat and chicken liver, make it a nutritious choice that's easy on the stomach. Plus our cats love it!
In particular one of our cats had terrible sensitivity issues a few months ago but all her issues cleared up within a week or so after switching her onto Smalls.
We had to feed her seperately as Thomas (our greedy three legged cat!) kept trying to steal it from her. He is rather partial to Smalls.
Another key features of Smalls cat food is its low carbohydrate content, which stays under 10%.
This is important as high levels of carbohydrates can. actually be very difficult for some cats to digest and may trigger stomach sensitivities.
Furthermore, the design of Smalls Cat food means there's less risk of aggravating a cat's digestive system, making it a much cleaner and safer choice for those with sensitivities.
Finally, the ethical aspect of Smalls cat food is noteworthy. The ingredients are humanely raised and sustainably sourced, ensuring not only the health and well-being of the cats but also adhering to responsible production practices.
If money is no issue, this is definitely the stand out winner!
Pros
Cons
2. Purina ONE Sensitive Stomach - Best Value
Purina ONE Sensitive Stomach cat food is specifically designed for cats with sensitive digestive systems and skin.
A large percentage of cat owners have reported seeing a notable improvement in their cats' digestive health after switching to this Purina One food.
We actually tried this food ourselves with one of our terrace cats last summer and, after a while (as she is a picky eater), she took to it and her symptoms cleared up.
The main ingredients focus on protein-based nutrition. These are vital for cats' dietary needs and combat sensitivity problems. Nutritionally, Purina ONE is also produced with all the essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids a healthy cat's stomach would require.
This food includes ingredients like soybean, rice flour, and corn gluten which all maintain higher carbohydrate levels.Additionally, the inclusion of beef fat and soybean oils along with small portions of vegetables like carrots and peas, boosts Purina One's health and nutritional benefits.
Finally, what makes Purina ONE Sensitive Stomach an excellent value pick is its economical pricing, especially within this ultra-premium market segment of sensitive cat food brands.
The cost-effectiveness is evident in its daily feeding costs and certainly makes it a budget-friendly option for cat owners.
This, combined with the fact that these Purina formulas have been tested and are recommended by our veterinarians, underscores their reliability and suitability for cats with sensitive systems.
Purina One Sensitive Cat food offers a balanced approach for those intent on supporting their pets' health on a tighter budget.
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3. Open Farm Homestead Turkey Rustic Blend - Premium Choice
Open Farm cat food is outstanding and this Turkey wet cat food recipe is our premium choice for cats with sensitive stomachs.
This is due to its emphasis on quality and ethical sourcing of all its ingredients.The brand uses humanely raised meat, free from antibiotics and growth hormones, along with non-GMO fruits and vegetables.
These high-quality Open Farm ingredients are far less likely to cause digestive upset, making Open Farm a suitable premium option for cats prone to stomach sensitivities. This wet cat food Turkey recipe was a strong pick in our community feedback with many cat owners reporting that their cat's digestive health improved rapidly after switching to this wet formula.
The brand's other specialized formulas, such as the RawMix line, are also tailored for sensitive stomachs. Those formulas limit ingredients to easily digestible, nutrient-dense kibble that's actually freeze-dried raw.
Open Farm avoids using artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, which, as we all know, are the common culprits in digestive issues. Additionally, their grain-free options are awesome for cats who have trouble digesting grains.
Open Farm also offers a variety of protein sources to cater to cats with sensitivities to common proteins like chicken or beef. Alternatives like lamb, turkey, and mackerel provide essential nutrients without the associated discomfort.
These grain-free options, which include ingredients like pumpkin and lentils, also offer balanced nutrition whilst avoiding potential irritants.
This focus on eclectic protein sources and grain-free options makes Open Farm the best premium choice, especially for kitty owners looking to provide only the very best possible care for their cats with sensitive stomachs.
Another top pick from our Veterinarian testing team! It's worth noting that this approach to quality ingredients is similar to our overall pick, Smalls, which costs more than Open Farm. Both are premium picks and we'd suggest trying them both to see which your cat responds to the best.
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Best Foods for Cats with Sensitive Stomachs: Alternative Options
We chose the three options above to appeal to a wide range of pet parents, but if none of those solutions work for your cats, there are still plenty of great alternatives out there.
Here are some other fantastic picks recommended by our community that are worth considering for your kitty with sensitive tummies.
4. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach Wet Cat Food
Next on the list is the popular Hill's Science format. For some kitties with sensitive stomachs, the decision to switch from dry to wet food can be enough to make a huge difference.
I can be a lot harder for kibble to move through your cat’s digestive tract, particularly if they don’t get a lot of water in their diet.
Hill’s Science offers some of the best wet food around for sensitive stomachs, with clinically proven antioxidants and absolutely no artificial colors or preservatives. It's an easy top pick as best wet cat food for sensitive stomach kitties.
This Hills Science sensitive stomach canned cat food comes with nutrition that’s ideally chosen for skin and digestive health, with an extra dose of omega 6 and vitamin E for sensitive stomachs.
Pros
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5. Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Dry Cat Food
Hill’s Science Diet cat food is always a top choice if you’re looking for vet-recommended foods for your furry friends. All formulas of this excellent food is brimming with delicious vitamins and minerals to help support your cat.
In this sensitive stomach and skin formula you're getting their dry kibble version of the wet food above and it comes with prebiotic fiber that helps to support your kitty’s natural gut biome.
There’s omega 6 and vitamin E to support sensitive skin, and the natural ingredients throughout the kibble come with absolutely no excess grain. This number one vet-recommended formula is even available in a wide selection of sizes to suit your needs.
On the downside, it can be quite expensive, and finding the right flavor for your cat is often tough.
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6. Purina Kitten Chow Nurture Dry Kitten Food - Best for Sensitive Stomach Kittens
Purina's value 'Chow' range has a specific sensitive skin food that is great for adult cats in their Gentle formula. This is a good value dry cat food for sensitive stomach cats and we rate it alongside our value pick above.
However, it is another of their Chow formulas that you should turn to if you have a kitten with a sensitive stomach. That's because the adult formula, whilst excellent at coping with the digestive needs of adult cats, does not have the additional nutrients and high levels of protein that a kitten needs.
Kittens have much smaller stomachs than their grown cat counterparts, which can mean they need even more help with digestion, but they also need those specific nutrients to ensure their proper healthy development.
The Purina Kitten Chow kibble is therefore one of the best kitten foods for sensitive stomachs specifically because it is designed to target the needs of kittens.
This product comes with real chicken built-in, as well as essential nutrients, specifically for growing cats. There’s DHA to help with vision and brain development.
Additionally, this Purina mixture provides 100% complete and balanced nutrition for kittens too. Plus the recipe is made to have minimal stomach irritation for these tiny furballs.
However, the downside for this Purina product is that many of our community think that it does smell absolutely terrible!
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7. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Indoor Sensitive
Sometimes, indoor cats have more issues with their stomachs because they don’t get the dose of fiber that they would be able to access from hunting their prey in the great outdoors.
If you have an indoor cat, then Blue Buffalo Basics could be a great choice.
This simple cat food is made with real meat to give your cat the protein that they need. Plus, the limited ingredient means that there’s less of a chance that something will interact badly with your cat.
The Blue Buffalo food also comes with “LifeSource bits,” which include antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins for great health.
This Blue Buffalo Basics cat food is totally grain-free, but it can be a problem for cats that need help getting extra moisture, as it doesn’t mix well with wet food.
Additionally, some cats find the LifeSource bits harder to digest.
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8. Hill’s Prescription Diet Digestive Care Wet Cat Food
If you take your cat to the vet when you notice them having stomach troubles (which you should), they may suggest a prescription diet. That’s where options like Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D can come in handy.
These canned sensitive stomach cat foods are excellent for improving nutrient absorption in the digestive tract. The wet formula contains electrolytes and additional B vitamins to help cats that are struggling to digest food to get the nutrients they need to recover.
It also has antioxidants and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to promote a healthy gut.
Vets often recommend the wet version of this diet as the high moisture content helps absorption of the additional nutrient content and makes it easier to digest. However, there ids also a very highly rated dry formula and often your vet may recommend combining the two.
Although Hill’s Prescription Diet is a little more expensive than some of the other options out there, it was developed by veterinarians and nutritionists, so you know it’s going to deliver great results.
Since you need to have a vet's prescription, this Hills food can be quite challenging to get, but many online pet stores, such as Chewy, make the process of validating a prescription very simple so you shouldn't let that be a barrier to trying it.
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9. Royal Canin Sensitive Digestion Adult Dry Cat Food
Another top choice for the best cat food for a sensitive stomach is Royal Canin Sensitive Digestion Adult Dry Cat Food . This is another dry kibble option, formulated for adult cats with problems in their digestive tract.
The Royal Canin cat food solution supports quicker and more efficient digestion, with excellent highly digestible proteins.
There’s a higher concentration of nutrients within this food, even at small serving sizes, which means that even if your kitty doesn’t eat a lot, they’ll still get what they need. Royal Canin also offers an accompanying wet cat food formula.
Just keep in mind that there are a lot more calories in this food than some other products, so you may need to reduce the amount you give your pets.
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10. Halo Holistic Whitefish Recipe for Sensitive Stomach Support Dry Cat Food
Halo Holistic Whitefish Sensitive Stomach formula is one of the best cat foods for a sensitive stomach on the market for one key reason – it has a great natural formula. This brand call their range 'holistic' and the way they make their cat food and the recipes rely on that description.
They are designed and made from high quality ingredients to ensure high quality and nutrition and digestive health.
This product comes with whole fish, and it’s super digestible, providing easier access to more bioavailable nutrients.
There are refined whole grains and proteins included in the mix to encourage kitty digestion. There's also some of the ingredients we and our vets like to see that we know promote healthy digestion, including flaxseed, sweet potatoes and cranberries.
The secret sauce that Halo claims are postbiotics (added to the also included prebiotics and probiotics) which are claimed to further aid digestion.
What’s more, when you buy from Halo, you know that you’re supporting fishermen, farmers and ranchers who are responsible in looking after their stock.
The biggest downside is how expensive this product is, but every cat parent in our community who tried it found that their cats loved it and they had zero stomach issues after trialling it. This is a great dry cat food for sensitive stomach cats.
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11. Diamond Premium Recipe Maintenance Complete and Balanced
If you’re looking for a luxurious food to give your cat, but you don’t want to spend a fortune on each meal, then Diamond Premium could be a good choice.
This dry food is mixed with carefully chosen levels of protein and fat to support the ideal body type for your active cat.
The Diamond premium food comes with 30% protein and 15% fat, as well as extra fiber for digestive health.
On top of that, you also get antioxidants for supporting the immune system, and omega fatty acids at guaranteed levels for healthy skin and a shiny coat.
The downside is that not all cats seem to like the flavor of Diamond cat food. Additionally, although the kibble is dry, it smells as much as wet food.
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12. Lucy Pet Formulas for Life Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Cat Food
Lucy Pet formulas for life has an excellent dry kibble solution to offer kitties that have trouble with both their tummies and their skin. This carefully formulated kibble is great for gut health, digestive health, and sensitive stomachs.
What’s more, the grain-free formula means you’re not paying for filler.
With antioxidants for natural immunity, a healthy amount of omega 3 acids for healthy skin and coat, and plenty of package sizes to choose from, this is great all-round food.
The problem is that it is costly. Despite being vet-approved and designed for cats in all breeds and stages of life, Lucy’s kibble isn’t ideal for those on a budget.
Additionally, you might find that switching your cat onto this Lucy Pet formula food too quickly could cause diarrhea, as it comes with a massive change in vitamins and minerals compared to other foods.
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Cat Food for Sensitive Stomachs Buyer’s Guide
If your kitty is showing signs of a sensitive stomach, then the first thing you need to do is speak to a doctor. If your cat is vomiting hairballs or food more than once a month and is losing weight at the same time, then there’s a good chance that something else is going on.
Signs of stomach sensitivity may include:
What Causes Stomach Problems for Cats?
Remember, stomach issues can come from a range of different sources, including:
What is The Best Food For a Cat With a Sensitive Stomach?
The best foods for a kitty with stomach problems will be highly-digestible products with little to no fat, lots of protein, and even an extra dose of fiber.
You might even see some extra carbohydrates in these cat foods.
Many foods for gastro issues come with additives that improve intestinal health, such as omega 3 fatty acids, soluble fiber, and increased amounts of antioxidants and vitamins.
They will usually avoid common ingredients that can be problematic for some cats, like lactose and gluten too.
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If you’re unsure exactly what your kitty needs or you’re worried that they may have an allergy to certain foods, then your vet might recommend using a hypoallergenic meal.
This means that you choose a food that has minimal ingredients in it. Some studies show that certain foods, like beef and chicken, are more likely to cause allergies than fish.
The most common hypoallergenic diets for cats are:
Diets with limited ingredients often contain only a single source of protein and a single source of carbohydrate. These diets aren’t totally regulated however, so keep that in mind when you’re shopping for the best food options.
For cats that are even more picky with their food, then vets might suggest prescription diets that come with novel animal proteins with only a single-source protein.
These foods are carefully produced in a facility that eliminates the risk of cross-contamination.
If your vet recommends a hydrolyzed protein diet, then they may need to give you a prescription. These meals break the proteins in a food down to a size that’s more likely to be absorbed. There are a few options out there in this area, but it’s worth noting that these foods are quite expensive.
Changing Your Cat’s Food : Give them the best food for a cat with sensitive stomach
Remember, when you’re switching Mr Snowball to a new type of food, it’s important to be cautious.
Switching foods too quickly can cause problems like vomiting and GI upset just by changing what your kitty is used to. With that in mind, it might be helpful to combine the old food and new food for a while, until your kitty gets used to it.
After all your aim is to provide the best cat food for cats with sensitive stomach like your furball.
One point worth noting is that if you’re noticing GI problems in your cat, they may be caused by problems with the kind of food you’re feeding, rather than whether it’s hypoallergenic or not.
For instance, if your cat has stomach sensitivities on dry food, it might help to switch them to a wet food with more moisture. Avoid feeding your cat:
Just because you consider yourself to be a master chef doesn’t mean you should take the risk of making your cat’s food from scratch – unless you have vet guidance.
FAQs
What ingredients should I avoid in cat food for a sensitive stomach?
It's important to avoid ingredients that commonly cause irritations or allergies. These can include grains like wheat and corn, artificial colors and flavors, and certain proteins that some cats may react or be allergic to, such as beef or dairy products. Basically, juts look out for unnecessary fillers.
How do I transition my cat to a new food for sensitive stomachs?
Start by mixing a small amount of the new food with their current food, gradually increasing the levels of new food over a week or two. This slow transition allows your cat's digestive system to gradually adjust. Of course, keep a close eye out for any signs of further discomfort or allergy during this period. If this peaks, seek veterinary advice.
Can sensitive stomach in cats be managed through diet alone?
In all honesty, it's not always the sole solution. Some cats may have underlying health issues that contribute to their sensitivity. Because if this, it's important to consult a veterinarian to rule out any additional medical conditions. However, alongside a well-suited diet, your vet may suggest supplements, medications, or some other type of diet management strategies depending on your cat's health needs. Be prepared to be flexible.
Best Cat Food for a Sensitive Stomach: The Verdict
There are a lot of best cat food for a sensitive stomach picks out there if you want to help your kitty overcome his or her problems with a sensitive stomach.
As humans, we know how painful it can be to suffer with things like constipation or allergies, so the last thing we want to do is see our cats suffering the same thing.
My favorite option when it comes to the best cat foods for a sensitive stomach is Smalls Cat food as it really is a formidable allrounder.
However, if Smalls is not the one for you then our budget and premium picks are where it's at for sensitive stomach cats!
Just keep an eye out on your cat's sensitive stomach, just in case it doesn't get better and there may be another issue going on.
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