This review aims to give you a guide to some of the best cat food for urinary health that can be found on cat food shelves.
As a feline Nutritionist and pet owner, I have bought various types of foods for my cats. My main concern always was; how to provide the best nutrition for my pet.
I believe that our pets deserve the best possible food that we can provide.
In this article, I aim to show:
- Top 7 best cat foods for urinary health,
- What to look for when buying cat food for urinary health,
- Difference between diets and what they aim to treat,
- Signs and prevention.
So you can make an informed choice if particular cat food is best for your pet.
With so many options available on cat food shelves, it is easy to be overwhelmed which is the best cat food for urinary health.
I recommend Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Chicken Turkey & Chicken Liver Pate Canned Cat Food as the best overall cat food for urinary health.
But every cat is different. So I researched the best urinary health formulas in every category to help you make the best decision for your cat.
Let’s see our picks.
Best Cat Food For Urinary Health
- Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Chicken Turkey & Chicken Liver Pate Canned Cat Food (Best Overall cat Food For Urinary Health)
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten Chicken Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Best Cat food for Urinary Health For Kittens)
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness Mature Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Best Cat food for Urinary Health For Seniors)
- Weruva Classic Cat Stewy Lewis Lamb, Chicken & Salmon in Gravy Stew Canned Cat Food (Best Budget Cat Food For Urinary Health)
- Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Best Premium Cat Food For Urinary Health)
- Wellness CORE Signature Selects Flaked Skipjack Tuna & Wild Salmon Entree in Broth Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Best Urinary Health Cat Food for Sensitive Digestion)
- Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Morsels in Gravy Canned Cat Food (Best Cat Food For Urinary Health Prescription Diet)
7 Best Cat Food For Urinary Health Reviewed
Find below foods that I find to be the best for a cat’s urinary health.
All formulas meet AAFCO Guidelines for pet food.
Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Chicken Turkey & Chicken Liver Pate Canned Cat Food
First five ingredients:
Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Chicken Meal
Type of product:
High-Protein, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Pea-Free
Food form:
Wet food/ Pate
Best For:
- Designed for cats urinary health support,
- Made for Adult cats.
Key Benefits:
- Made with chicken and turkey as the top ingredients for the protein needed to support lean muscles,
- Antioxidant-rich cranberries along with vitamins, balanced minerals, EPA and DHA omegas, and essential taurine to support immunity and well-being,
- Keeps your cat hydrated and supports urinary health with healthy moisture from the real broth in every can,
- Without any grains, carrageenan, or artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors,
- Designed as the best cat food for urinary health.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten Chicken Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
First five ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Product, Salmon Oil
Type of product:
High-Protein, Grain-Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Pea-Free
Food form:
Wet food/ Pate
Best For:
- Kittens,
- Urinary Health support.
Key Benefits:
- Real chicken is the first ingredient to aid healthy muscle growth,
- Supports brain, eye, and cognitive development,
- No grain, gluten, by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or preservatives,
- Designed to support urinary health.
Wet food is recommended to support urinary health in cats for its high moisture content. You can add water or broth (suitable for cats) to make dry kibble softer and water content.
This product is available in Dry Food Formula
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Mature Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
First five ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Potatoes, Pea Flour
Type of product:
High-Protein, Grain-Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy
Food form:
Wet Food/ Pate
Best For:
- Adult cats,
- Urinary Health.
Key Benefits:
- Real chicken is the first ingredient to aid healthy muscle growth,
- Supports brain, eye, and cognitive development,
- No grain, gluten, by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or preservatives,
- Designed to support urinary health.
Wet food is recommended to support urinary health in cats for its high moisture content. You can add water or broth (suitable for cats) to make dry kibble softer and add water content.
This product is available in Dry Food Formula.
Weruva Classic Cat Stewy Lewis Lamb, Chicken & Salmon in Gravy Stew Canned Cat Food
First five ingredients:
Lamb Broth, Lamb, Chicken, Salmon, Natural Flavor
Type of product:
Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Natural
Food form:
Wet Food/ Stew
Best For:
- Adult cats,
- Urinary Health.
Key Benefits:
- Hearty lamb, chicken, and salmon stew with gravy for lean muscle and moisture support,
- Essential nutrients—high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other vitamins and minerals,
- No grain, gluten, carrageenan, MSG, artificial flavors, or artificial colors,
- Available in 2 sizes,
- Designed as best cat food for urinary health support.
Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
First five ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Sunflower Seed Oil, Calcium Lactate, Dicalcium Phosphate
Type of product:
No Corn No Wheat No Soy, High-Protein, Gluten-Free, Low Glycemic, Grain-Free, Pea-Free, GMO-Free, Natural
Food form:
Wet Food/ Shredded
Best For:
- Adult cats,
- Urinary Health support.
Key Benefits:
- The 16% protein from chicken helps maintain healthy lean muscle mass for an active lifestyle,
- Hormone and antibiotic-free shredded chicken is the first ingredient for animal-sourced protein to meet the nutritional needs of carnivores,
- High protein to support healthy muscles plus sunflower oil rich in omegas that nourish the skin and coat,
- Provides a balanced and complete diet for cats of all ages with essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and taurine,
- Made with real chicken broth so it provides essential moisture to keep your cat hydrated and support overall health,
- The consomme-based formula is great for picky eaters and contains no grains, gluten, carbohydrates, starches, or flour,
- High levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids also help support immune function.
Some concern is raised due to high ash content (1.6% max).
But what is Ash in cat food?
This refers to the minerals in cat food that are not burned off after being eaten. Crude ash content listed on the packaging of any cat food refers to the total number of minerals.
All cats need minerals in their diet. However, too much of a good thing can be harmful. The mineral in question is Magnesium, which has been shown to cause urinary problems in male cats in some studies. The magnesium level in this recipe per fed basis is 0.03%, which is below the advised 0.1% in cat foods.
Magnesium in high doses can be harmful to a cat. If you notice your cat straining to urinate, take them to a veterinarian right away.
Wellness CORE Signature Selects Flaked Skipjack Tuna & Wild Salmon Entree in Broth Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
First five ingredients:
Tuna, Tuna Broth, Water Sufficient for Processing, Mackerel, Salmon
Type of product:
No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Grain-Free, Pea-Free
Food form:
Wet food/ Flaked
Best For:
- Adult cats,
- Urinary health support.
Key Benefits:
- Includes real tuna as a high-quality fish protein source,
- Sunflower oil that contains essential fatty acids for a healthy coat,
- Offers a healthy protein blend and adds hydration to diet for urinary support,
- Complete and balanced nutrition comes in convenient serving sizes for everyday feeding.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Morsels in Gravy Canned Cat Food
First five ingredients:
Water Sufficient For Processing, Pork By-Products, Chicken Liver, Chicken By-Products, Wheat Gluten
Type of product:
Pea-Free, Veterinary Diet, Urinary Tract and Bladder Health
Food form:
Wet food/ Chunks in Gravy
Best For:
- Designed as best cat food for urinary health,
- Adult cats.
Key Benefits:
- Helps dissolve pure struvite stones and helps prevent calcium oxalate stones,
- Lowers the risk of crystal formation,
- Creates an environment unfavorable to crystal formation in the bladder,
- Helps prevent struvite stones from reoccurring,
- It increases the amount of urine your cat produces to help dilute excess minerals that can cause crystals and stones,
- A reduced level of magnesium helps dissolve pure struvite stones and prevent struvite stones from forming.
Best buy guide:
We all know that prevention is better than cure, so what can you do to support your cat’s urinary health.
What to look for in the best cat food for urinary health?
Crude protein
Kittens will need around 30%- 40% crude protein in their diet per day. They are growing fast, so they need as much lean protein as possible to maintain good bone and muscle health. High energy output requires higher protein, minerals, vitamins, and amino acid foods.
Adult cats require 35%- 40% protein in their diet.
But is it possible to feed too much protein to a cat? Generally, if a cat has a shiny coat, is alert, has normal stool and skin, ideal weight. It probably means that the food is okay.
Senior cats
It can be a bit tricky to determine how much protein a senior cat needs. The difficulty is in the fact that elderly cats might develop kidney disease. A high protein diet could harm the kidneys further. On the other hand, a low protein diet will mean muscle mass loss.
The best things to do I this case:
- See your cats veterinarian for a kidney check-up
- Focus on quality rather than quantity in protein.
For example, if your cat’s food label has chicken as the first ingredient. This means that your cat is getting quality lean protein.
- Change your cat’s diet to a lower protein diet
(do it gradually as cats do not like change in diet).
Crude Fat
Cats get their energy from protein and fat and favor a meal where protein and fat are high.
Some owners might be tempted to feed a cat a low-fat diet to ensure obesity is not a problem. However, cats need more fat content and tend to overeat low-fat food to meet their nutritional needs.
Look for actual animal fat in your cat’s food label.
Crude Fiber
The fiber in cat food has become somewhat a controversial topic. It might seem that cats in the wild only eat meat, but actually, they eat all the animals with their prey’s skin, hoves, intestines, and stomach contents.
This could mean that our felines do need a bit of fiber content in their meals.
Your veterinarian might prescribe a low or high-fiber diet if your cat is experiencing digestive problems.
For example, a high fiber diet can help a diabetic cat, and a low fiber diet can help with minor intestine problems.
It is always important to speak to your veterinarian for advice on your cat’s diet if urinary health problems occur.
How can I help my cat?
How do cat urinary system work?
The bladder is a triangle-shaped, hollow organ is located in the lower abdomen. It is held in place by ligaments that are attached to other organs and the pelvic bones. The bladder’s walls relax and expand to store urine and contract and flatten to empty urine through the urethra.
It gets rid of the waste products that are created when food is transformed into energy. It also maintains the correct balance of water and electrolytes (salts) needed for the body’s cells.
What are the most common Urinary health problems?
- Cystitis, which refers to inflammation of the bladder lining, is commonly a part of a disease complex called feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD)
- Bladder stones,
- Tumors.
Signs that your cat has urinary health problems:
If you notice recurring signs like:
- Difficulty urinating,
- Frequent visits to the toilet,
- Genital licking,
- Blood in the urine,
- Painful urination,
- Previous urinary tract infection,
- The cat might start to urinate around the house and not in his toilet.
Note:
If you notice these signs, take your cat to veterinary practice right away, as this can be life-threatening for your cat if left untreated.
Research shows that Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) can affect kittens and senior cats (10+ years). However, it has been noted that this might be a genetic disorder and affect some cats more than others. If your cat has had urinary health problems, they are most likely to have them again.
What can I do to try to prevent urinary health issues for your cat?
Increase water intake in your cat’s diet.
We all know that cats might be shy water drinkers as they would get most of their water intake from prey in the wild.
- Fresh water — Cats love fresh water, and your cat will likely drink more if you clean and fill the water bowl daily. Filtered and distilled water is the best as does not have the flavor as some tap waters might have.
- Use shallow bowl– Cats do not like their whiskers to touch the bowl whilst drinking and eating.
- Experiment with the material– plastic, glass, ceramic china.
- Some flavor from the material can be in the water and your cats might not like it.
- Canned food — Canned diets contain more water than dry varieties, and feeding wet food is an easy way to incorporate more water into your cat’s daily diet.
- Flavored water — Adding tuna juice or sodium-free chicken broth can tempt your cat to drink more.
- Fountains — Most cats are drawn to running water, notice how they are sitting with you while you taking a shower or wash up in the kitchen? Shop for water fountains HERE.
Reduce your cat’s environmental stress.
- Competition– if you have more than one cat they will feel less anxious if they each have their own food, water bowl, litter trays, and toys.
The rule of thumb is one more of each than the number of cats per household.
- 3D– cats are 3 dimensional if you can provide places to climb and play. Cat towers, spaces to explore like the top of the refrigerator, wardrobes are a great addition to cats’ space.
- Quiet resting spaces– every cat is an individual, some will be at your side at all times, some will want attention on their own terms. Make sure that you give your cat space to relax undisturbed.
- Litter trays– Make sure to scoop and clean every day and change the litter when needed. Some cats will refuse to use a dirty litter tray and might go someplace else in your home.
- Add feline pheromones — Feliway® products contain feline pheromones that reduce stress and encourage calmness in cats. A Lavander scented dehumidifier can be helpful as well. Read more in our article 4 Best Calming Supplements For Cats.
- Consistent meal times and routine
Annual Veterinary visits for your cat.
A veterinary practitioner will be able to check if your cat’s urinary health is in good order. When the cat gets older or has had previous urinary health issues, visits might need to be more frequent.
Ask your veterinarian what is the best cat food for urinary health for your cat.
In conclusion.
We believe that every cat is different in its food preferences.
This is why we offer seven options available for the best cat food for urinary health in each category:
Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Chicken Turkey & Chicken Liver Pate Canned Cat Food (Best Cat Food For Urinary Health Overall)
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten Chicken Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Best Cat food for Urinary Health For Kittens)
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Mature Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Best Cat food for Urinary Health For Seniors)
Weruva Classic Cat Stewy Lewis Lamb, Chicken & Salmon in Gravy Stew Canned Cat Food (Best Budget Cat Food For Urinary Health)
Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau Succulent Chicken in Chicken Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Best Premium Cat Food For Urinary Health)
Wellness CORE Signature Selects Flaked Skipjack Tuna & Wild Salmon Entree in Broth Grain-Free Canned Cat Food (Best Cat Food For Urinary Health Sensitive Digestion)
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Morsels in Gravy Canned Cat Food (Best Cat Food For Urinary Health Prescription Diet)
Each of these foods is designed to make your cat feel better. It’s essential to feed them high-quality ingredients made from whole meats and the right balance of vitamins and minerals through vegetables or whole grains.
Choose the best cat food for urinary health HERE.
