12 Best Cat Foods for a Sensitive Stomach

Posted in: Cat Food - Last Updated: May 24, 2022 - Author: Rebekah Carter
Posted in Cat Food 
Last Updated: April 26, 2020  
Author:  Rebekah Carter

Looking for the best cat food for a sensitive stomach?

Kitties, just like people, can get tummy troubles from time to time, caused by things like hairballs, issues with their food, and more. 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

12 Best Cat Foods for a Sensitive Stomach

If you’re noticing problems like constipation, lethargy, or vomiting, call a vet first to make sure your fluffball is fit and healthy. Once you get the go ahead, you can then start trying your cats on some of the most effective sensitive stomach cat food and cat food for diarrhea.

Purina ONE Sensitive Stomach

Our choice is the Purina ONE Sensitive Stomach, the best Cat Food you can buy for your cat with a Sensitive Stomach!

Purina ONE Sensitive Skin & Stomach With Real Turkey, Natural Adult Dry Cat Food

The Best Cat Food for a Sensitive Stomach : 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 foods 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:

  • Changes in appetite
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Loose stool
  • Smelly stool
  • Vomiting
  • Regurgitation
  • Increased or decreased thirst
  • Lethargy
  • Bloating and gas
  • Abdominal pain

What Causes Tummy Problems for Cats

Remember, stomach issues can come from a range of different sources, including:

  • Parasites: Yuck, I know it sounds terrible, but intestinal parasites are a real problem for our cats. These issues, like roundworms, can lead to significant GI issues. Adults are often infected by eating contaminated prey, animals or dirt from the outdoors. Tapeworms are also transmitted when cats eat fleas. Make sure that your cat isn’t suffering from parasites before you just switch his or her food. 
  • Hairballs: Hairballs are a pretty common problem among cats – but they shouldn’t be happening all of the time. Usually, these issues happen when your cat is shedding a lot of extra fur because of skin problems. If your cat only brings up a hairball from time to time, then you can start by changing their diet, or adding fiber into the mix to help move hair through the digestive tract. If hairballs become more common, or are accompanied by other symptoms, seek advice from a doctor. 
  • Constipation: Constipation happens when your kitty just can’t get things moving int heir gut. Constipated cats often share their distress by straining in the cat litter box, yowling, or even throwing up. Constipation might be caused by issues like gastrointestinal motility issues, pain, and dehydration. Speak to your vet if you think constipation might be blocking Mr. Snuggles up. 
  • Food intolerance or allergies: Some cats, just like some humans, just can’t eat certain ingredients in various cat foods. If your kitty has an allergy, then they might suffer with gastro problems alongside skin lesions and itchiness. On the other hand, if your cat has a food intolerance, then their symptoms are generally limited to things like vomiting and diarrhea. Avoiding the ingredient through some food testing can be a good option. Speak to your vet about how you can safely switch your moggy to a new meal plan.
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease: IBD is a problem that causes symptoms seen with many gastrointestinal problems, including diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, and poor appetite. However, because IBD can only be properly identified with a biopsy, it’s hard to pinpoint in most cases. IBD is usually caused by a combination of immune system issues, food allergies, bacterial growth, and metabolic disease. Your vet might recommend a hypoallergenic diet or antibiotics depending on the root cause of the problem. 

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:

  • Limited ingredient options
  • Hydrolyzed protein
  • Vet prescription food with novel protein

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 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:

  • Fatty foods
  • Dairy
  • Chives or onions (toxic to cats)
  • Bones
  • Raw Fish
  • Raw Eggs

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.

The Top 12 Best Cat Foods for a Sensitive Stomach

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. Best Cat Food for Sensitive Stomach: Purina ONE Sensitive Stomach

Purina ONE sensitive systems is a dedicated all-in-one dry cat food, made for moggies with stomach issues. The product is made with real turkey as the main ingredient, and there are no excess grains to act as filler in the food.

The best thing about this food is how easy it is to digest; the formula has been carefully chosen to move through your kitty’s stomach as easily as possible which makes it our pick as best dry cat food for sensitive stomach cats.

On top of that, you also get an extra dose of protein with every helping and a bunch of vitamins and minerals that are sensational for sensitive skin too! You can buy your bags in anything from 3.5 lb. to 22 lb. options.

On the downside, some people will find that this kibble does make your cat’s litter tray stink. You’re probably going to have to commit to scooping the litter immediately!

Purina ONE Sensitive Skin & Stomach With Real Turkey, Natural Adult Dry Cat Food

Pros:

  • Plenty of sizes
  • Easy to digest
  • Great for your cat’s skin
  • Real meat as the main ingredient
  • Extra protein

Cons:

  • Makes cat poop stink!

2. Best Wet Cat Food for a Sensitive Stomach: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive

For some kitties with sensitive stomachs, the decision to switch from dry to wet food can be enough to make a huge difference. It’s 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 canned 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. 

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Pros:

  • Easy to digest
  • Full of prebiotic fiber
  • Highly digestible with optimal nutrient absorption
  • Omega 6 and vitamin E
  • Made in the USA

Cons:

  • Can be challenging to find
  • Can cause vomiting in some cats

3. Best Canned Food for Sensitive Stomach: Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin

Hill’s Science is always a top choice if you’re looking for vet-recommended foods for your furry friends. This excellent food is brimming with delicious vitamins and minerals to help support your cat.

For instance, the sensitive stomach and skin formula 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. 

Hill's Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult, Sensitive Stomach & Skin, Chicken & Rice Recipe with Diet Wet Cat Food, Sensitive Stomach & Skin, Chicken & Vegetable Recipe

Pros:

  • Easily digestible formula
  • Prebiotic fiber included
  • Optimal for nutrients
  • Made in the USA
  • Vet recommended

Cons:

  • Difficult to find in certain flavors
  • Can be expensive

4. Best Food for Kittens with a Sensitive Stomach: Purina Kitten Chow Nurturing Formula

Kittens have much smaller stomachs than their grown cat counterparts, which can mean they need even more help with digestion. The Purina Kitten Chow kibble is one of the best cat foods for sensitive stomachs 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.

However, the downside for this product is that it does smell absolutely terrible!

Purina Kitten Chow Dry Kitten Food, Nurture Muscle + Brain Development - 14 lb. Bag

Pros:

  • Made with real meat
  • Contains essential kitten nutrients
  • Supports brain and vision development
  • Excellent for balanced nutrition

Cons:

  • Smell is awful
  • Difficult to mix with wet food

5. Best Food for Indoor Cats with a Sensitive Stomach: Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient

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 hat 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 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. 

Blue Buffalo Basics Skin & Stomach Care Grain Free, Natural Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food, Turkey & Potato 11-lb

Pros:

  • Excellent meat content
  • Limited ingredients for fewer interactions
  • Lifesource bits for antioxidants and vitamins
  • Natural with no grain
  • Various flavors available

Cons:

  • Can be hard to mix with wet food
  • LifeSource bits are harder to digest

6. Best Prescription Food for Cats with a Sensitive Stomach: Hill’s Prescription Diet Digestive Care

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 tinned foods are excellent for improving nutrient absorption in the digestive tract. 

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. On the downside, you may find that the boxes arrive dented.

What’s more, this food can be quite challenging to get. 

Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Digestive Care with Chicken Wet Cat Food, Veterinary Diet, 5.5 oz. Cans, 24-Pack

Pros:

  • Designed by nutritionists and vets
  • Great for digestive tract
  • Helps with nutrient absorption
  • Supports healthy moisture intake

Cons:

  • Can be difficult to get hold of
  • Quite expensive

7. Best Dry Food for a Sensitive Stomach: Iams Proactive Health Sensitive Stomach

Dry food can be an excellent option for our feline friends who like to spend their days grazing on their food, rather than eating it all at once.

Iams Proactive Health sensitive stomach is excellent for delivering strong muscles and healthy skin, as well as giving your cats more energy for play. 

This fantastic food comes with highly digestible proteins included, which is great for good long-term digestive health. Additionally, the fiber included in the meal comes with beet pulp and prebiotics that help your cat to absorb the nutrients that they eat. There are even antioxidants included for your cat’s immune system.

Unfortunately, like some other sensitive stomach foods, Iams kibble can make the smell from your cat’s litterbox difficult to handle.

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Pros:

  • Real meat as the main ingredient
  • Highly digestible proteins included
  • Prebiotics and beet pulp included
  • Crunchy kibble to reduce plaque build-up
  • Antioxidants for immune system support

Cons:

  • Makes the litterbox smell terrible
  • Ingredients seem to change from time to time

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8. Royal Canin Feline Health Sensitive Digestion

Another top choice for the best cat food for a sensitive stomach is Royal Canin Feline Health. This is another dry kibble option, formulated for adult cats with problems in their digestive tract.

The 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.

Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Sensitive Digestion Dry Cat Food

Pros:

  • Convenient shaped kibble for great digestion
  • Prebiotics and digestible proteins
  • Great concentration of nutrients
  • Perfect complement to royal Canin sensitive food formula
  • Great concentration of nutrients

Cons:

  • Quite expensive
  • Includes a lot more calories than other foods

9. Halo Natural Dry Food Sensitive Stomach

Halo Natural is one of the best cat food for a sensitive stomach options on the market for one key reason – it has a great natural formula.

This product comes with whole fish, or meat included, 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. What’s more, when you buy from Halo, you know that you’re supporting farmers and ranchers who are responsible in looking after their stock.

The biggest downside is how expensive this product is. It’s really difficult to get hold of if you’re low on income. 

Additionally, the bags aren’t always delivered in great condition. 

Royal Canin Aging 12+ Thin Slices in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 3 oz cans

Pros:

  • Excellent natural formula
  • Supports farmers and ranchers
  • Novel proteins and refined whole grains
  • Made with whole meats and fish

Cons:

  • Really expensive for a small bag
  • Difficult to find in some places

10. 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 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 this food. Additionally, although the kibble is dry, it smells as much as wet food. 

Diamond Adult Dry Cat Food Maintenance Formula with Protein, Probiotics and Antioxidants

Pros:

  • Excellent protein and fat combo
  • Extra fiber for digestive health
  • Antioxidants to support the immune system
  • Omega fatty acids for healthy skin
  • Great price

Cons:

  • Flavor doesn’t appeal to all cats
  • Really significant smell

11. Royal Canin Digest Sensitive Thin Slices in Gravy

Royal Canin doesn’t just offer one of the best cat foods for sensitive stomachs in dry form; it also has a wet food alternative too. The “sensitive” mixture includes slices of meat in gravy, designed to be easy for your kitty to chew and digest. The product is specially designed for cats aged over a year with sensitive stomachs. 

This formula comes with highly digestible proteins to help kitties absorb their nutrients better while reducing potential stool smell. What’s more, the product is great for maintaining an ideal weight, because the nutrition is designed to deliver exactly what your cat needs.

If you prefer to give your cat a mixture of wet and dry food, combine this with the Royal Canin Kibble.

 Just keep in mind that this is quite an expensive product, and it’s also very difficult to find in a lot of stores – including on Amazon. 

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Pros:

  • Formulated for adult cats
  • Highly digestible proteins for easy nutrient absorption
  • Excellent blend of vitamins and minerals
  • Fantastic for complementing the dry food option

Cons:

  • Difficult to find, even online
  • Quite expensive

12. Lucy Pet Formulas for Life – Sensitive Stomach and Skin

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 food too quickly could cause diarrhea, as it comes with a massive change in vitamins and minerals compared to other foods.

Lucy Pet Products Formulas for Life - Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Cat Food, All Breeds & Life Stages - Salmon, Pumpkin, & Quinoa, 4 LB Bag

Pros:

  • Carefully formulated for good health
  • Designed to support skin and coat
  • Excellent for all breeds and life stages
  • Recommended by vets

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Not good for a quick diet change

Finishing Thoughts

There are a lot of great foods 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 the Purina ONE sensitive systems mixture. This dry cat food is excellent for letting your kitty graze throughout the day. It comes in a range of sizes, for an affordable price, and includes all the nourishment that your moggy needs. There’s even extra support for sensitive skin. How can you go wrong?

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About the author

Rebekah Carter is a dedicated animal lover. Her Savannah cat, Roscoe, has a lot of attitude, while her Maine Coon, Dukino, is full of love. When not writing, she’s looking after her cats and researching ways to help them live their best possible life. Her passion for animals and natural skill for writing led her to pursue pet blogging.

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