If you are on the prowl for the best low protein cat foods, chances are that your feline friend has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease or another illness that restricts their diet. This can be difficult to deal with and at times overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that you need to step up and be there for your kitty by finding them food that is going to allow them to live a comfortable and healthy life.
The process can be tough, but with our guide, you should be able to find the right food for your cat. There are a lot of options out there for low protein cat food, and the best option for one cat isn’t necessarily going to be the best option for every other cat.
We’re going to walk you through some of the top options on the market, what you should be looking for in a low protein cat food, and give you some other general tips to help you along in the process.
Our Top Picks For The Best Lower Protein Cat Foods
About Low Protein Diets For Cats
Before shopping for and eventually finding the right food to satisfy a low protein diet for cats, you are going to need to do some research. As this type of cat food is meant specifically for kitties with some health problems, it would be wise to learn everything that you can about what to look for, why you might need it, and other general information about non prescription low protein cat food.
How to Choose the Best Low Protein Cat Foods
As with anything, shopping for cat food is a process. You want the best for your cat, so you’re not going to take the decision lightly. As humans, we can sometimes take food for granted because we have so many options and are often not very limited.
For cats with health conditions, this couldn’t be further from the case. Not only will they be eating this food every day, but their health will depend on the contents of the food that they eat. The first thing that you’re going to want to do is to listen to your vet.
Your vet is probably the one who told you that your cat needs a low protein cat food, so listen to what they say so that you know what to look for in terms of ingredients and nutrients in your cat food.
Finding Low Protein Cat Foods
Knowing what you need is one thing—finding it is another. Luckily, we’ve compiled a complete guide to make that a little bit easier. In our guide, we’ll show you what is unique about each of the low protein cat foods that we reviewed and what they each bring to the table.
Using a combination of the requirements provided by your vet and our extensive research of the best low protein cat foods on the market, you should be able to pinpoint the cat food that meets the perfect combination of health, nutrition, taste, and affordability.
One thing that you should be prepared for is that you might not get it right the first time. It’s important to not be hard on yourself because this could be a process of trial and error. Finding the right food isn’t always an exact science so it’s crucial to have patience.
What Are Some Important Features to Look For in Low Protein Cat Foods?
With so many options out there, many people are left wondering what specific features and ingredients should they be looking for when shopping for cat food. Sometimes, the answer is going to vary based on how particular you need to be with your cat’s diet. However, there are some general guidelines that we suggest you follow and ingredients we recommend you look out for.
The most important thing to include in these foods is a low-protein composition. After that, there are some other ingredients to keep an eye out for. One of the things that are good to look for is restricted phosphorous. You also want to include Omega-3 fatty acids from fish whenever possible. These ingredients are going to help support the kidney function of your cat.
It’s also a good idea to pay special attention to foods that offer some form of immune system support. This can be delivered in the form of a multivitamin and antioxidant complex, which work in conjunction to strengthen your cat’s immune system.
Moisture Content
Finally, you want to try and provide your cat with the most natural food possible by including a high moisture content in their diet whenever possible. In nature, the prey of cats provide a lot of moisture content and attempting to replicate that can help with their kidney function. It also helps a couple of other things like the prevention of urinary tract function and the promotion of healthy weight loss.
If you do decide to try and include some more moisture in the diet of your cat, you’re going to want to check out some of our recommended low protein cat foods!
Additional Tips & Tricks for Selecting Low Protein Cat Food
While you already know what ingredients you should be looking for when shopping for the best low protein cat food for your furry friend, there are some other tips and tricks that we feel you should be aware of that will help you navigate the world of cat foods.
When you are looking at the back of your cat food, there are some things that you need to know. There should be a section that is labeled “Guaranteed Analysis” on the back of the cat food bag.
In addition to the percentage of protein content, you also need to check out the overall ratio, moisture ratio, ingredients, and protein sources. Not all protein sources are created equal, so make sure that the protein source is suitable.
Feeding a cat a diet with low protein seems counterintuitive since protein is essential to their survival, but it can absolutely be done with the right amount of research and preparation. With the right low protein cat food, your cat can be healthy and happy for the years to come.
Now, let’s dive into some of the best low protein cat foods on the market and what they each bring to the table.
The Best Low Protein Cat Foods
Essential Vitamins
This low protein wet cat food was designed specifically for adult cats that are having problems with a urinary tract infection. In addition to being incredibly tasted (we’ll take their word for it), this cat food reduces urinary pH levels and also provides low magnesium content to encourage urinary tract health.
In each serving, there are 25 essential vitamins and minerals as well as a plethora of amino acids to support kidney function and overall health. As we mentioned earlier, this vitamin, mineral, & amino acid content is great to have for any cat with kidney function problems.
In addition to helping kidney function and urinary tract health, this food will also help to promote a healthy immune system to ward off illness.
There is real chicken in this wet cat food, which is a testament to the quality of ingredients that are used. Finding cat foods with high-quality ingredients is incredibly important for your already health-troubled kitty.
Pros.
- High-quality protein sources
- Promotes immune system health
- Improves urinary tract health
- Provides essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids
- Promotes healthy kidney function
Cons.
- One of the more expensive options on our list
0% Filler
If you prefer Purina foods but your cat doesn’t like wet cat food, this low protein dry cat food by Purina is sure to please. This cat food is specifically designed to help cats who have poor urinary tract health.
The unique blend of ingredients that Purina uses helps to reduce urinary pH levels and just as the wet cat food does, it also provides low magnesium content for cats with sensitive systems.
This dry cat food includes real chick, which is quite rare for affordable cat food. Purina is known for including high-quality ingredients. This food isn’t high in protein, but the protein that it does provide comes from a quality source. This is a very important consideration for cats with kidney health problems.
Another huge benefit of this food from an ingredient standpoint is that it contains 0% filler. Fillers are ingredients that have no nutritional value to cats. Some low-quality pet food brands use them because it saves them money. You want to avoid foods with high fillers for both health and financial reasons.
In addition to the nutritional content of this food, past users also report that their cats seem to love the taste. Whenever you have a cat food that has great nutritional content and great taste, you know that you’re on to something.
This dry cat food also helps to promote dental health by removing plaque and whitening your cat’s teeth as they eat it. The omega acids in the food will promote soft, smooth fur and healthy skin.
Pros.
- Promotes dental health
- Promotes urinary tract health
- Improves kidney function
- 0% filler ingredients
- High-quality chicken included
Cons.
- Cats with sensitive stomachs may not like this food. Some users report that their cat completely rejected it
Money-back Guarantee
If you are looking for food that can address a few different health problems at an affordable price, this might be the one for you. The Hill’s Science diet is made with quality ingredients that mostly help with urinary tract health, but also helps with some other conditions as well.
This food is specially designed to help promote urinary health. It also contains carefully formulated ingredients that can help with weight loss and hairball control. The versatility of this food is very impressive and can help to save you a lot of money in vet bills down the road.
The contents of the food are very straightforward and easy to understand. It contains natural ingredients and a variety of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that help to promote kidney health.
Hill’s is actually so confident that you will find their food satisfactory that they offer a 100% money-back guarantee on their product. That’s hardly industry-standard and really encouraging that they stand by their product so adamantly. Placing trust in a pet food company is a big deal because of the role they play in the health of our friends, but Hill’s makes it a little bit easier with this guarantee.
Pros.
- Money-back guarantee
- Hairball control
- No artificial flavors or colors
- Natural ingredients
- Promotes healthy skin and coat
- Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids
- Made in the USA
- Supports lean muscle growth
- Weight loss properties
Cons.
- Slightly more expensive than some other cat foods, but delivers good value to justify it
Made In USA
Like the dry food version of Hill’s science diet, this wet cat food can help with a variety of problems that your cat might be having including weight loss, hairballs, kidney function, and urinary tract health.
If you want these benefits for your cat but the dry food isn’t loved by your cat, this is the ideal choice. It’s available in multiple sizes and even multiple textures. You can order this food in a minced texture or chunks & gravy.
You should keep in mind that this food is mostly intended for seniors and the composition reflects that. It contains high-quality protein that is designed to help promote lean muscle growth and maintenance.
The ingredients are also easier to digest than most other foods, to the benefit of your senior cat. In addition to the high-quality ingredients, it also contains antioxidants and vitamins to promote a healthy immune system and overall health.
Pros.
- Made in the USA
- Contains antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
- Great for senior cats
- Promotes lean muscle growth
- Comes in multiple flavors
- High-quality ingredients
- Veterinarian recommended
- 100% Money-Back Guarantee
- Immune system support
Cons.
- More expensive than many cat foods
- Intended for seniors (not young cats)
Reduced Sodium
Find On ChewySo far, every food in our guide has been a non-prescription low protein cat food. For that reason, we want to show this prescription cat food option in case your cat needs a little something more.
This cat food is designed specifically for cats with kidney function problems by reducing the amount of workload and stress placed on the kidneys. Furthermore, it also has reduced phosphorous levels that will help maintain healthy kidneys for your cat.
While some other foods have peripheral features that help improve and maintain kidney function, this food is crafted with that specific purpose in mind. Since it is a prescription food, it’s more likely to be used on cats with rather severe kidney issues.
To help with blood pressure, this food has reduced sodium levels. Reduced blood pressure will also help to reduce the amount of stress on the cat’s system and improve overall health.
It contains all the vitamins and minerals that you’ve grown to expect from Hill’s foods, including omega-3 fatty acids and B-complex vitamins, each of which helps to support kidney health in your cat.
To take advantage of all the benefits that this food offers, you’ll have to get in contact with your veterinarian to see if they do in fact recommend this food for your cat’s needs.
Pros.
- Very low protein level to help with kidney health
- Reduced phosphorous levels
- Reduced sodium
- Increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids and B-complex vitamins
- Great for cats with kidney health problems
Cons.
- Expensive because of the quality
- Consult a vet to use
Conclusion
Though different foods are going to be good for different cats and situations, we feel that we have found the best low protein cat food on the market. In the beginning, we laid out several criteria that we feel should be met when looking for a quality low protein cat food for cats with poor kidney health.
The cat food that met all of these criteria most completely was the Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food Chicken Recipe. It’s clear that Hill’s has a reputation for providing quality foods with quality ingredients, but we felt that this was the best of the 3 Hill’s recipes that we reviewed because of its affordability and ability to be suitable food for cats in multiple situations.
We were impressed by the quality of the ingredients, money-back guarantee, and its reputation in the feline community. If you are looking for a good starting point recipe for your cat that needs a low protein diet, this is a great food to try out. There’s a high chance that your cat will like it and the health benefits are numerous.
Thanks Ross for this quality post. Thumbs up!!
Hi Rehbar,
Thank you so much for your comment!
Please feel free to share this article if you feel others would find it helpful.
Hope you have a great weekend.
Ross + Carmen
My 18 yr old Lily was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure amd she hates the prescribed foods. I may try one of these on the list. Thank you.
Thank you for researching and making this information available.
What a great article My cat was just diagnosed with kd . He’s not thrilled with any of the prescription foods so far. I’m looking for something low protein low sodium and low phosphorus that I can mix with the prescription food . I keep reading that if they don’t like the prescription and they are not eating that it’s better to find a healthy otc food. Any thoughts!
Thank you!!!
Hi Bette – I am not a vet and only have the experience of loving an 18 .5 year old kitty with kidney disease. She won’t eat prescription kidney food either. That being the case my vet said any senior food or the lowest protein content that they’ll actually eat. Also, ask your vet about an appetite stimulation drug called mirtazapine. It comes in pill form but we use an ointment applied to her ear. It really works. My kitty gets jittery for a little while after taking it but shortly after that she chows down. Oddly, this is a common antidepressant that is prescribed to elderly humans, in part for the same reason. My mom took it for years!
It’s hard to imagine there would be any quality cat food produced by Purina.
Am I missing something?
I’ve heard cats with acid reflux do well on low protein diets too. Have you done any research on the best food for this problem?
Thank you I just found out my cat has kidney problems she was drinking a lot of water I took her in for her blood work now I am looking at your blog for cat food.
Don’t neglect the veterinarian’s advice and if you suspect your kitty is not doing well please take them in to get checked : )
Thank you for this article. I was just told my Bailey has kidney failure. Right now since I can’t meet with the vet face to face, it’s hard to ask questions. She recommended script food. I’ve tried 4 types of SD. Pro Plan Kidney, and Blue Buffalo. One meal & he’s done with it. I may try the purina one you listed. I know it’s not the script food but he needs to eat ‘ cause he’s diabetic also. Fingers crossed. Thanks again for the article.