14 Best Cat Foods For Weight Loss 2021
We love our furry companions and oftentimes, we are quick to overindulge them. We feed them too much food they love and treats just for asking. However, this could get to be a problem if they start gaining weight so it's important to understand what's the best cat food for weight loss.
When a cat is overweight, it can lead to several health issues that could shorten their lifespan. Switching their food to diet cat food made for weight loss can help your cat start to shed those pounds without them even realizing it.
Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult, Perfect Weight
Our choice is Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, the best Best Dry Cat Food for Weight Loss you can buy for your cat!
What is The Best Cat Food for Losing Weight?
When shopping for the best cat food for weight loss, you will run into several different kinds of labeling. Some will say “weight control” or “weight management,” some will say “indoor formula,” and others will say “high in protein.” Or, you may run into some foods that have a combination of these labels. But what do they mean?
Cat foods for weight loss all have different pros and cons, but what they all boil down to is what the food was designed for.
Weight control food was specifically made to help cats lose or maintain their weight. Indoor formulas are made specifically for indoor cats because they often do not have the same amount of activity or nutrients as outdoor cats. And high protein cat food includes a ton of protein, especially since large amounts of protein have been scientifically linked to weight loss.
At the end of the day, what you should really pay attention to in the food you feed your cat to lose weight is the number of calories in one serving.
Comparing Calories in Weight Control, High Protein, & Indoor Formulas
Weight Control Cat Food
Naturally, weight control formulas have fewer calories per cup than indoor and high protein formulas usually do. This is because the formulas have weight loss specifically in mind. If you are really trying to cut back on the amount of calories your cat consumes, opt for a weight control formula.
Indoor Weight Loss Cat Food
Indoor formulas fall somewhere in between weight control and high protein formulas as far as calorie count goes. However, just because it may have more calories than weight control formulas doesn’t mean it’s bad for weight loss. They often provide several added benefits specific for indoor cats, such as hairball control and easy digestion.
If you choose an indoor formula for all the benefits combined, just be aware of the number of calories in a serving and make sure not to overfeed your cat.
High Protein Weight Loss Cat Food
Finally, high protein formulas tend to have more calories than weight control and indoor formulas. While that’s not always optimal for weight loss, high amounts of protein can be. Protein helps build muscle mass which helps burn more fat. Protein can also help keep your cat full for longer, reducing the amount you need to feed them.
Since high protein formulas are higher in calories than the other two, you need to be very aware of the number of calories you are feeding your cat so you don’t overfeed them. Check the label and opt for high protein blends that are also low in carbs.
Guide to Buying the Best Cat Foods for Weight Loss
How Much Should Domestic Cats Weigh?
As a general rule of thumb, domestic cats should weigh approximately 10 pounds. However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Often a range of weights work for domestic cats and your cat could very well be healthy at 15 pounds.
Does That Depend on Breed?
The amount of domestic cats should weigh really depends on their breed. Several breeds of cats are bulkier and naturally heavier than other breeds. For instance, Siamese cats could be healthy at just 5 pounds while Maine Coon cats can be healthy at 25 pounds.
What is an Obese Cat?
Cats are considered obese when they are 20% heavier than their ideal weight. They are considered just overweight if they are 10-19% heavier than their ideal weight. You can also usually tell if a cat is obese by the way they look. If it is hard to palpate a cat’s ribs and spine and it is hard to see their waist due to fat, they are more than likely considered obese.
Health Risks for Overweight Cats
Just like in people, obesity in cats can put them at risk for several health problems. First, the excess weight can take a toll on their bones and joints and make them more prone to developing arthritis faster.
Not to mention, it can wreak havoc on cats’ organs and make them more prone to diabetes, heart disease, and liver disease. In the most extreme cases, it could even cause cancer in cats.
The gist of the matter is obesity could shorten a cat’s lifespan dramatically if not taken care of.
Why Your Cat Could Be Overweight
There are several reasons your cat could be overweight. Just like when humans are overweight, a combination of factors could be involved, especially when it comes to food and exercise.
Indoor cats are often not as active as outdoor cats. If they are not staying active enough, they could start to gain weight, especially if their diet does not reflect their level of inactivity.
Feeding your cat too much or too frequently could also result in their weight gain. Sometimes the food they eat has too many calories, their portion sizes are too large, and they get too many treats. Also, if you just leave dry food down for them all day long, they may become little gluttons and pig out too frequently.
We know it’s hard to resist that cute, furry face when they’re begging for treats or more food, but putting your foot down and monitoring their diet may just be what helps keep them healthy for a long time.
Weight Loss Tips for Cats
There are plenty of simple things you can do to help your cat lose weight. First is getting them to move more. More movement means that they burn more calories. Make sure they have plenty of toys that they are interested in and even take the time to play with them to keep them moving.
You could even be sneaky and move their food or litter box further away so they have to move more to get where they want to be.
Next, control what they eat. Feed them smaller portions and change their diet to a food that helps with weight control. A great way to reduce the amount they eat without them getting angry at you is to use interactive feeding.
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Automated feeders and even treat dispensers make them work for the food instead of just leaving it out for them to graze on all day long. The Surefeed Automatic Microchip Pet Feeder is a great way to make their feeding interactive, while also making sure each cat eats their own food if you have more than one!
The Best Cat Weight Loss Food
1. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult, Perfect Weight - Best Dry Cat Food for Weight Loss
The Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult, Perfect Weight is a great food to encourage weight loss in a healthy way. In fact, the manufacturer states that over 70% of cats studied lost weight within 10 weeks of switching to this dry food.
This dry cat food for weight loss is made from natural ingredients and also helps support weight maintenance in cats who aren’t overweight so they don’t become obese. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food is high in both protein and fiber and contains other ingredients, like L-carnitine and coconut oil, that support their metabolism.
Many cats who have transitioned to this cat food for weight loss not only lose weight but gain energy as well. Owners have even found that their older cats are more playful than before. Between the roasted vegetable and chicken flavor and its long-lasting effects, this food for weight loss is a great option.
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2. Hill’s Science Diet Canned Wet Cat Food - Best Wet Cat Food for Weight Loss
The Hill’s Science Diet Canned Wet Cat Food is a great option if you are looking for a cat food for weight loss. It comes in flavors liver & chicken and roasted vegetable & chicken and each can only contain 71 calories.
This wet food is the number one veterinarian-recommended wet cat food for weight loss and produces results in your cat that are visible within 10 weeks. It is a safe and effective way to encourage weight loss in your overweight cat. It also provides weight maintenance and lean muscle support in cats that are not overweight.
The effects of Hill’s Science Diet Canned Wet Cat Food are long-lasting and very healthy since it is made with natural ingredients. However, this canned wet food can get pretty expensive, especially if this is the only food you are feeding your cat.
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3. Blue Buffalo Weight Control Natural - Best Natural Option
Feeding your cat Blue Buffalo Weight Control Natural dry food is a great way to help them lose weight while also providing highly valuable nutrition. Just like other Blue Buffalo formulas, their weight loss cat food formula includes no by-products, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives.
To help your cat lose weight, this dry food contains optimally balanced proteins and fats, as well as high-quality veggies and protein, for the best nutrition possible. In fact, Blue Buffalo designed each individual bite to have the optimal amount of nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
Besides aiding in weight loss, Blue Buffalo Weight Control Natural dry food contains antioxidants to keep your cat’s immune systems strong, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to keep their coats healthy and shiny, and plenty of fiber for healthy digestion. One cup of this dry food contains 346 kilocalories.
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4. IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control - Best Hairball Control Option
IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control is a great option if you are looking for both a weight loss cat food and a hairball solution. This dry food provides a complete and balanced diet in a tasty chicken and turkey flavor.
Chicken is the first ingredient in this dry food and it helps keep your kitty’s muscles nice and strong. This cat food also includes a fiber blend that includes beet pulp to reduce hairballs, L-carnitine to help burn fat, nutrients like calcium and potassium to aid in heart health, and omega fatty acids to keep their skin and coat soft and shiny.
The IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control is a great dry weight loss cat food that aids in multiple areas of your cat’s health, especially if you have both hairball and weight maintenance concerns.
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5. Purina ONE Indoor Advantage - Best Indoor Cat Option
Specifically designed for weight loss in indoor cats, the Purina ONE Indoor Advantage is a great option for a cat weight loss control diet. This dry food blend helps cats achieve and maintain a healthy weight while also reducing hairballs, especially since it contains 10% less fat than other Purina formulas.
This type of cat food for weight loss contains no fillers, artificial flavors, or preservatives and the number one ingredient is turkey. In fact, this cat food is very high in protein at 42 grams per cup which helps build lean muscle and aids in weight loss.
Purina ONE Indoor Advantage contains a natural fiber blend that aids in digestion and reduces hairballs. It also includes omega 6 fatty acids that keep your cat’s skin and coat soft and shiny, antioxidants and vitamin E to keep their immune systems healthy, and other essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
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6. Purina Beyond Grain Free - Best Grain Free Option
Purina Beyond Grain Free is a great way to feed your cat a diet that aids in weight loss, especially if you do not want to feed them grains. Made for indoor cats, this dry food provides several solutions for different problems they may experience whilst using cat foods for weight loss.
First, it helps cats maintain a healthy weight. Second, it helps reduce the amount of hairballs they have. And third, it contains essential nutrients that help support their immune system. Overall, this cat food for weight loss provides a complete and balanced diet for your cat.
Purina Beyond Grain Free contains no corn, wheat, soy, by-products, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, and fish or poultry is always the number one ingredient.
It also comes in several flavors, and a couple of high protein options, including salmon, egg, and sweet potato, ocean whitefish and egg, chicken and egg, high protein Icelandic arctic char, and high protein pacific tuna.
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7. Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Weight Management - Best Low Fat Option
The Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Weight Management dry food is a great cat food for weight loss, especially if you are concerned with your cat’s fat intake. This dry food has 20% less fat than other dry food formulas.
Not to mention, chicken is the number one ingredient in this cat food and it has 46% protein. Protein is great for building and protecting muscles while also burning fat and maintaining strength and energy. It also contains no artificial flavors or colors.
Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Weight Management also contains prebiotic fibers to help with digestive health, linoleic acid, which is an omega 6 fatty acid, to help with skin and coat health, and antioxidants to support immune system health. As a bonus, this cat food for weight loss also appeals to picky eaters.
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8. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free - Best High Protein Option
The Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free dry food is a great option to deliver a large amount of protein to your cat while still encouraging the use of a cat food for weight loss and feeding them a natural, grain-free diet. It also works to help control the number of hairballs your cat has. Every bite has a precise blend of vitamins and minerals that helps maintain a healthy body weight.
The best part about Blue Buffalo is that their foods never contain any by-products, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial preservatives and flavors. This high protein formula contains 30% high-quality protein including deboned chicken, chicken meal, and fish meal.
The healthy complex carbs in this dry food include peas, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Other fruits and veggies included, like carrots, cranberries, and blueberries, have antioxidants that protect your cat’s immune system. Also included is natural fiber which aids in digestion and hairball control and a taste that appeals to picky eaters!
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9. Rachael Ray Nutrish Superfood Blends - Best Superfoods Option
The Rachael Ray Nutrish Superfood Blends dry food is a great way to deliver essential nutrients to your cat while also encouraging weight loss. Real chicken is the number one ingredient in this blend and it contains no corn, wheat, soy, by-products, artificial flavors, or preservatives.
Formulated with indoor cats in mind, this cat food for weight loss contains plenty of fiber, prebiotics, and antioxidants. The Fiber from the lentils aid in digestion, the natural prebiotics from pumpkin also aid in digestion, and the antioxidants from cranberries and blueberries provide support to your cat’s immune system.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Superfood Blends is high in fiber and protein to help your cat reach a healthy weight and metabolism. Not to mention, it has small pieces that are bite-sized and great for cats that have teeth problems.
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10. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Light for Weight Management - Best Light Food Option
The Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Light for Weight Management blend is a great cat food for weight loss if you are trying to focus on the number of calories they consume. This dry food has 20% fewer calories than other formulas.
This dry cat food for weight loss was made with indoor cats in mind, specifically cats aged 1-6 years old who are less active than others. It contains natural ingredients. In fact, chicken is the number one ingredient and there are no by-products.
On top of ingredients that aid in weight loss, the Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food contains L-Carnitine, omega 6 fatty acids to promote skin and coat health, and antioxidants that support immune system health.
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11. 9Lives Dry Cat Food - Best Value Option
9Lives Dry Cat Food is a decent dry cat food for weight loss that works well to help your cat maintain a healthy weight and metabolism. It has several vitamins and nutrients that are essential to your cat’s overall health and provides a complete and balanced diet for adult cats.
This is an affordable option, especially if you are feeding multiple cats, and it comes in a chicken and salmon flavor that even appeals to picky eaters. Besides weight and metabolism maintenance, this dry food also aids in digestion and the preservation of lean muscle mass.
However, the one downside to this dry food is that it does not have as many high-quality ingredients as other brands or formulas. This may not be an issue for you though if you are more concerned with price as this dry food is rather affordable.
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12. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult 7+ - Best Option for Senior Cats
The Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food provides essential nutrients for senior cats ages seven and up. It provides much-needed energy for the indoor cat, as well as other essential nutrients and vitamins that aid in other areas of your cat’s health.
First and foremost, this dry food is high in fiber with aids in digestion and leads to a better litter box cleaning experience. It also includes other high-quality ingredients, like protein, which helps your cat build and maintain muscle mass and keeps them full between meals.
Chicken is the number one ingredient in Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food for Senior Cats 7+ and it contains no by-products. It is also highly recommended by veterinarians.
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13. Hill’s Science Diet Wet Cat Food
Hill’s Science Diet Wet Cat Food has a great formula for encouraging weight loss and control in your cat. It contains plenty of high-quality protein to help burn fat and build lean muscle. With just 147 kilocalories in a 5.5 ounce can, this low calories formula is highly recommended by veterinarians.
Besides high-quality protein, this wet cat food for weight loss includes natural fiber that keeps your cat full and satisfied between meals. It also has antioxidants and vitamins like vitamins C and E to support their immune system health.
However, this canned food can get somewhat expensive and a formula change a few years ago was not loved by many cat owners.
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14. Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care
Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care is an affordable and quality cat food for weight loss option for indoor cats in need of losing a little weight. It contains 40% protein and has salmon as the number one ingredient. All that protein helps your cat burn fat and build lean muscles.
There is also plenty of natural fiber in this dry food which helps with digestion and nutrient absorption, as well as reduces the number of hairballs your cat has. Also in this dry food is prebiotics which also helps with digestion, omega 6 fatty acids like linoleic acid which support skin and coat health, and antioxidants for immune system health.
As an added bonus, the Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care dry food contains no artificial colors or flavors and is an affordable way to provide your cat with essential and quality nutrients.
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Final Thoughts on the Best Cat Food for Weight Loss
As you can tell, getting your cat to lose weight doesn’t have to be a hard, stressful experience. Simply changing their food can put your cat on the right track to living their best kitty life!
The best cat food for weight loss is Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Perfect Weight. Not only does it help your cat maintain muscle mass and boost their metabolism, but it is also made from all-natural ingredients and is the number one veterinarian-recommended cat food. Not to mention, over 70% of cats lose weight in just 10 weeks when eating this dry food!
Overall, as long as you monitor what your cat eats and encourage them to be more active, it should be rather easy to help them lose weight. Before you know it, you will have a healthy, happy kitty that will surely be there for a very long time!
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