You love your kitty, but you know that your kitty needs her weight checked too often. An overweight cat is at risk for many serious health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and organ failure.
Most conventional cat food brands are loaded with excess fat and cholesterol that can make your little one fat and unhealthy.
If your kitty is already overweight, then you know what I mean. Drastic steps need to be taken. Not all fat is bad, but your kitty needs to shed those extra pounds and try to be more functional.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and there are now several very healthy options for keeping your kitty at an ideal weight and more energetic for longer.
The best diet cat food is not the same as it used to be. New cat food manufacturers have created some very healthy kitty food options that involve little to no filler ingredients. This list will focus on those options — and will provide a range of choices for keeping your kitty light on her feet and healthy.
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control Dry Cat Food | Best Overall |  |
| Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken & Turkey Grain Free Cat Treats | Budget Pick |  |
| Hill's Pet Nutrition Metabolic Weight Management Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food | Upgrade Pick |  |
1. IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control Dry Cat Food
For those looking for an indoor weight control formula for adult cats, IAMS has the perfect solution: Proactive health adult indoor weight control.
It’s a premium dry cat food that will help you keep your indoor cat healthy and happy.
The formula will help keep your cat’s weight – and your mind – in check. It comes with ingredients that provide a healthy immune system and heart.
2. Hill's Science Diet Dry Cat Food
3.5-lb bag
The formula is specially designed to meet the needs of overweight cats. These delicious kibbles contain 37% less calories, fat and protein.
This cat food, designed to help your overweight cat lose weight naturally, comes in 3 flavors: chicken, seafood, and lamb.
3. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein
4. Hill's Pet Nutrition Metabolic Weight Management Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food
Pros:
- One of the best dry cat foods in terms of protein
- Balanaced diet with fewer calories
- Has fewer carbohydrates and more fiber
- Enhanced with probiotics
Cons:
- Targeted for middle-age and overweight cats
- Given the size of the bag, the price is on the higher side
5. Purina Pro Plan Weight Management
This dry cat food from Purina is specially formulated for overweight or obese cats. It is also useful for senior cats because of the high-protein content that is sure to keep your cat fuller longer.
According to reviews, this food is easy to digest. As a result, it does not cause diarrhea when your cat is eating it. The recommend serving is one cup per adult cat once daily. You can also serve it as a complete meal every two to three days.
This formula is also easy on the cat’s stomach. Therefore, you will not have to worry about your cat developing ulcers from eating too much. The protein content also helps alleviate some of your cat’s anxiety.
6. Hill's Science Diet Canned Wet Cat Food
Pros:
- Hill’s is a well-known brand
- This cat food is nutritionally balanced for adult cats
- The 3.5 percent fat content is ideal for losing weight
- Comes in various consistencies – pate, shreds, and chunks
Cons:
- Not meant for kittens, adult cats, or nursing or pregnant animals
- It’s not completely balanced and requires supplementation
- There’s a higher than average amount of sodium in this diet food
- We found that the wet food tends to be more expensive overall
Chicken Entree in Sauce, Net Wt. 5.5…
If your cat needs to lose a few pounds, Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight is a nutritionally-balanced diet food to help your cat achieve their ideal weight.
It’s highly unlikely that your cat will be able to exercise off the extra weight, so careful diet management is needed.
7. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free Dry Cat Food
Pros:
- Available in a wide variety of flavors
- Provides complete and balanced nutrition
- Extremely palatable
Cons:
- Not suitable for cats with kidney issues
- Not the best price
- Expensive
This Merrick cat food review will focus on the Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free Dry Cat Food. It’s an AAFCO certified complete and balanced diet formulated for adult cats.
This is a semi-moist diet that contains two chicken flavors within the limited ingredient diet. Both chicken flavors include deboned chicken.
The primary source of protein in this diet is deboned chicken. Unlike many other cat foods, this contains 85% protein – a premium ratio.
8. Natural Balance Fat Cats Low Calorie Chicken & Salmon Meal
The Natural Balance Fat Cats has a few bumps in the way of its potentially quality food. That said, it still gets the job done and is a great product. The food itself is not high quality and is not something that I would use all the time for my cat. But it is a good meal for her when I need to go away and she’s hungry.
9. Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Cat Food
It can be tough to find a good cat food that isn’t filled with chemicals. Dog food is easier to find that is made purely of natural ingredients.
The Natural Balance L.I.D (Limited Ingredient Diets) is a good choice for cat owners who want a high-quality diet for their pets. It’s an excellent choice for those who want to switch to a better way of feeding their cat. One of the many reasons it’s recommended by vets.
It comes in a variety of flavors: chicken, seafood, duck, and Turkey. Each box comes with twelve pouches of food. These pouches are kept air-tight to make sure the food stays fresh.
10. PureBites Duck Freeze-Dried Treats
3.2 oz
These freeze-dried treats are made with duck puree. They’re small in size, and your cat won’t have any trouble chowing down on them. Plus, you’ll only have to serve your cat a small portion since they contain high-quality, protein-rich duck.
Duck is an excellent source of protein for your cat. It’s rich in taurine and other beneficial nutrients. The duck is balanced out with other premium ingredients like spinach, broccoli and vitamins and minerals.
11. Blue Buffalo Weight Control Natural Adult Dry Cat Food
Pros:
- Available in two sizes: 3lbs and 15lbs
- High in fiber
- High protein
- No corn or wheat
- Free of artificial flavors
- Contains antioxidants and vitamins
- Comes in two flavors: chicken and lite salmon
- Economical in terms of energy
- Designed to give your cat a lean and fit figure
- 100% complete and balanced; formulated to provide optimum nutrition for each life stage
Cons:
- The pieces are below average quality
- Some cats don’t like this brand
Many cat owners consider this product to be the best cat food for weight control. It’s complete and balanced with antioxidants and vitamins added, which can effectively control your cat’s weight.
It’s high in fiber and protein with no corn, wheat, soy, or by-products. It’s also designed to deliver the proper amount of nutrients to your cat throughout its life cycle.
12. PetGuard All Natural Wet Canned Cat Food
PetGuard All Natural Canned Cat Food is a three-stage food – kitten, adult, and senior.
But all packs include a variety of meats so every cat will get the nutritional needs they need. You’ll get ground turkey, beef, chicken, and fish.
For a wet food, this is pretty rich in protein content. It has an 85% protein content so it’s the kind of food if you’re really worried about your cat gaining weight.
13. Nutro Wholesome Essentials Weight Management Dry Cat Food
14. Northwest Naturals Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
Pros:
- Very reasonably priced
- Very small packets – great for travelling/camping
- Good quality
- Allergen-free
Cons:
- Very small, small quantity
- Small packet means a small offering size
- May be too small for large cats
2 Pack.
15. Purina Pro Plan Weight Management
This dry cat food from Purina is specially formulated for overweight or obese cats. It is also useful for senior cats because of the high-protein content that is sure to keep your cat fuller longer.
According to reviews, this food is easy to digest. As a result, it does not cause diarrhea when your cat is eating it. The recommend serving is one cup per adult cat once daily. You can also serve it as a complete meal every two to three days.
This formula is also easy on the cat’s stomach. Therefore, you will not have to worry about your cat developing ulcers from eating too much. The protein content also helps alleviate some of your cat’s anxiety.
16. CANIDAE Grain Free PURE Limited Ingredient Diet Cat Wet Food
The CANIDAE Grain-Free is a great food for cats who have allergies. It’s grain-free offer a better source of nutrition for cats who are sensitive to grains. It also provides low carbs and high quality proteins for lean body mass. And its high quality ingredients means it’s an ideal food for feline kidney disease.
With first ingredient chicken meal as the protein source, it’s a high protein and high fat diet. These percentages rank it at the top in terms of nutrition for your cat.
The food comes with 9 grams of fat which is the recommended fat percentage of broccoli, peas and potatoes in the diet. For those who are trying to maintain your cat’s weight, it’s best to feed them this wet food instead of dry.
17. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken & Turkey Grain Free Cat Treats
Pros:
- Grain-free formula
- Wild-caught proteins
- Satisfies a cat’s natural desire
- Contains no artificial flavors or preservatives
- Keeps a cat’s digestive system healthy
- Contains antioxidants
- Chicken Free and Turkey Free Formula
Cons:
- Contains wheat and soy
- Higher in carbs
- Less active cats may be bored by it
- Needs to be mixed with food
The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken and Turkey Cat Treats are grain-free and contains no filler ingredients. These treats feature wild-caught chicken and turkey, combined with a wholesome blend of vegetables and fruits, to give your furry family member a taste of the wild.
The treats are rich in essential nutrients, antioxidants, fiber and other important vitamins and minerals.
Blue Buffalo claims that the treats are low in carbohydrates, making them ideal for inactive cats and weight management.
18. Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Cat Food Healthy Weight Chicken & Turkey
Pros:
- All natural and grain-free recipe
- Ideal for cats with a sensitive stomach
- Contains probiotics to strengthen the immune system
- Affordable
- Made in the USA
- Comes in different flavors (chicken, turkey, salmon and lamb)
Cons:
- Not suitable for all cats
- Harsh or bland for many cats
This brand has received many positive reviews when it comes to the overall quality of the dry cat food.
According to recent customer reviews, this brand gives cats smooth, healthy coats as well as a nice firm stool.
Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Cat Food Healthy Weight Chicken & Turkey Recipe has received rave reviews because it’s 100% grain-free and contains probiotics to strengthen the immune system.
19. Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Vital Cat Treats
Our top pick is the Vital Essentials freeze-dried Vital Treats, considering the number of positive reviews on Amazon. These tasty treats contain ‘whole prey goodness’, which is a lot easier to digest than regular cat kibble. And the freeze-drying process helps make sure that the texture is soft and chewy without losing any nutrients.
But it’s the high meat content that makes these treats so popular – it’s up to 71%! Actually, people really appreciate the high meat content because it’s easy to spoil their pets. Thus, when they find a food that’s of great quality but doesn’t break the bank, they jump on it.
One good thing about the Vital Essentials Vital Cat Treats is that they come in a variety of different flavors, so your cat will never get bored.
20. CodderTots Natural Low Calorie Cat Treat
Shopping for a premium cat food can be challenging, especially if your cat has allergies.
The two most common cat allergies are chicken and fish. Though commercial cat food typically contains at least one of these ingredients, there are some all-natural cat treats and cat food brands that are safe and healthy for your cat.
As far as cat treats and cat food goes, you can’t do much better than Codertots. They are fish-free cat treats and cat food made from 100% Icelandic whitefish fillets. As you can see in the image above, they are pretty small, which is great if you’re looking for a cat food that isn’t very filling. They are also quite low in calories.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the healthiest cat food on the market?
I sincerely hope that all the cat food on the market is healthy for my babies, but I’ve found that the best cat food is a brand that specializes in quality cat food. We’ll start first with the basics: The ingredients. It has to contain high-quality protein and lower-quality carbs for your feline friend. Second, the freshness matters, as keeping it cold is the best way to ensure freshness in food. Third, I suggest you to consider the brand history. It is a good sign, when the company is well-established and has been on the market for quite a while.
What brand of cat food is the best?
Pro Plan for cats — by far. It is a grain free cat food, which is best for cats. The prices are good and good enough to not have to worry about how much your spending. The pro plan is the brand that helped my cat lose weight and now everyone is happy!
What cat food is best for weight loss?
The cat food brand Royal Canin was designed to assist overweight cats in their weight loss program. This cat food is available in an assortment of flavors and makes use of some wholesome products that help to ensure a healthy and tasty meal for your cat.
It should be noted that the recommended dosing of this cat food by their manufacturers is 2.6 ounces per pound of bodyweight every day. Although this is entirely a subjective opinion, it is important to exercise caution here.
This is because some cats can consume a significantly higher amount of food per day than others. In case you find that your cat is gaining a significant amount of weight, it is important that you give them less food as compared to the recommended dose.
It is recommended that you implement a weight loss program for your cat if they are overweight. It is also important that you are mindful of the quality of the food that you provide them.
What is the healthiest wet cat food on the market?
Exclusively wet cat food is the best for your cat. It contains several benefits over dry food. It helps to hydrate their body, which is really important, as cats tend to be dehydrated. Dry cat food does not provide adequate hydration if you do not top it up with water (which is difficult to do if your cat is picky and won't drink water from a bowl).
Exclusively wet food is has more moisture content, making it more palatable – you cat will definitely enjoy it more. Cats need approximately ⅓ of their diet to be comprised of water, and if they are getting wet food, this would be a whole lot easier to achieve. Plus, if you want a cat that is well hydrated, dry food just doesn't do the trick.
Conclusion
Looking for a top-quality diet cat food? We looked at hundreds of reviews and sorted through them to determine which diet cat food will give you and your cat the best chance to live to see old age. Although you have a value bet when it comes to the most popular diets, our best pick for value and best pick for quality are both natural diets. That’s no surprise considering natural diets have the most favorable nutritional profile of all.
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| IAMS Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control Dry Cat Food | Best Overall | |
| Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken & Turkey Grain Free Cat Treats | Budget Pick | |
| Hill's Pet Nutrition Metabolic Weight Management Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food | Upgrade Pick | |