This is the definitive review of the best cat food for cats with allergies in 2021

Allergy is quite rare in cats when compared to other pets, dogs for example, But it certainly can occur. And unlike the case with allergy in humans, Food allergy is the least common type of allergy in cats. 

However, whatever the causes of allergy either it is environmental, nutritional, the sure thing about allergy is that It can cause a multitude of symptoms ranging from mild ones like itching, sneezing, nasal congestion to more serious symptoms like digestive related issues (diarrhea, bloating, constipation)

it may even become life-threatening if it is severe enough to cause a systemic reaction from your cat’s immune system like when acute allergy causes anaphylactic shock to your cat resulting in a wide spectrum of signs such as severe respiratory distress and vomiting, sudden onset of diarrhea, excessive drooling, seizures, coma, or even death if not managed immediately and urgently by Vets.[1]

The main approach to preventing such allergies in cats is through nutrition by locating and eliminating the ingredients that caused allergies from your cat’s diet.

As a nutritionist and heavily involved in cats matter especially their nutrition and after I studied the possible causes of allergy and the most common allergen in cat’s food, I could say that protein is usually the main suspect of causing allergy.

This is due to multiple reasons, either because of long-term consumption of one source of protein resulting in developing sensitivity towards it or because the cat has genetic allergy passed down from its parent towards this specific source of protein (chicken being the prime example here) which can be activated if the cat eats it excessively

With that in my mind and as I navigate through the market to find the best products that are designated to manage allergy, my eyes caught this product (Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Adult Dry Cat Food) which is perfect in every way as it is composed of the perfect nutritional blends which specifically catered to the match the ideal nutritional requirements for cats with allergy.

With less common protein like turkey and limited ingredients to narrow down any potential causes of allergy from other ingredients, with life source bits [a mix of antioxidant, Essential minerals, and vitamins] which blue buffalo provide in their products to achieve optimal health, Your cat dietary needs are likely to be secured with this product.

I Also included other excellent products from different Brands which are specifically formulated to manage allergies in cats to diversify our list and give you multiple choices which each one of them has the potential to be much more adjusted to your individual cat than our best choice.

Besides that, a helpful guide that will expand your horizon on this particular topic will be provided in this article.

And by the end of this article, you will be able to know what causes allergy, how it can be managed, what is the common food allergens to cats using reliable statistics, and many more which can guide you to be more insightful about your cat dietary needs in such case

So without further delay, let’s jump right on it.

List of the Best Cat food for cats with allergies:

• Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Adult Dry Cat Food
• Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
• Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d Original Skin/Food Sensitivities Dry Cat Food

Best Cat Food For Cats With Allergies Reviewed:

Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Formula Turkey & Potato Recipe Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Pea Protein, Peas, Tapioca Starch
• Key Feature: Limited ingredient combined with less common, high-quality animal protein represented in Turkey combined with plant protein represented in pea protein
• Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein 6.5% min, Crude Fat 3.0% min, Crude Fiber 3.0% max, Moisture 77.0% max.
• Best For: Overall
• Life Stage: Adult

Analysis Of The First Ingredients:

Turkey and Turkey meals are included in this product as an alternative, less common protein with high quality. Turkey protein has similar features as chicken protein but with less potency to trigger allergy or immune response. 

Pea protein is also included in this product as a secondary source of protein which contributes to the sum value of crude protein.

You may have read that plant protein is not a sufficient source of protein for cats and lacks essential amino acids and that is true but as a complementary source of protein, Plant protein can be a valuable nutrient.

Tapioca Starch is a source of carbohydrates to provide fast energy and calories. Carbohydrates, in general, are not suitable for excessive consumption as cats can’t adequately metabolize carbs, but if carbs are included in the diet in a reasonable, calculated amount, it can give your cats the desirable energy without the drawback of burdening your cat digestive system with digestive and metabolic workload.

Blue buffalo is infamous for their LifeSource bits which are in simple terms a combination of antioxidant and essential Vitamins and minerals.

This supplement is formulated specifically to let your cat eat a more nutritious, healthier food which then will help your cat to achieve optimal health.

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dry Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Rabbit Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Rabbit
• Key Feature: 
• Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein 35.0% min, Crude Fat 19.0% min, Crude Fiber 5.5% max, Moisture 9.0% max.
• Best For: Overall
• Life Stage: Adult

Analysis Of The First Ingredients:

Rabbit meat is considered an alternative source of protein with great potential to resolve allergies in many cats. Its protein has a similar nutritional value as chicken protein but with less likelihood to cause an immune reaction. 

Canola oil is rich in oleic acid (an omega 9 fatty acid which constitutes 60% of this oil),  essential linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid which is about 19% of the oil), and omega-3 linolenic acid (9% of the total), Also it is rich in vitamin E (alpha and gamma tocopherols), vitamin K (as K1; phylloquinone) 

Canola oil in a pet diet provides a significant amount of the essential nutrient linoleic acid; this will help narrow the ratio of 3 fatty acids and 6 fatty acids to a level consistent with the values suggested by the US National Research Council (2006).

Despite that, there should not be any worries regarding the hindrance of the effect of these 2 essential fatty acids which work as anti-inflammatory modulators by the significant amount of linoleic acid. [1]

This oil is commonly used to identify and eliminate allergies because of its novelty to cats.[2]

Tropica is a source of carbohydrates that provide your cat with calories that are necessary for fussy cats.

It is a great diet with huge potential to solve your cat’s allergic issue as it consists of alternative protein (rabbit) and alternative sources of fats ( canola oil).

Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d Original Skin/Food Sensitivities Dry Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Brewers Rice, Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver, Rice Protein Concentrate, Powdered Cellulose, Soybean Oil,
• Key Feature: 
• Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein 29.0% min, Crude Fat 10.5% min, Crude Fiber 4.5% max, Moisture 9.0% max.
• Best For: Overall
• Life Stage: Adult

Analysis Of The 5 First Ingredients:

This product has a relatively low content of protein. Hydrolyzed chicken liver is incorporated into this diet as a source of premium protein.

The hydrolyzation of protein is the chemical decomposition of the protein into particles that are too small to be identified by the immune system.

Rice protein is added to this product as a complementary provider of protein which contributes to the sum of Crude protein.

Also, this product is rich in fiber which is represented in this product from multiple sources, although the highest contributor of fiber here is powdered cellulose.

This is very valuable for allergic cats with digestive disturbances as Fiber enhances digestive health in many ways either by increasing the gut flora in your cat’s stomach or by offering aid in regulating the bowel movement and facilitating the food passing through the digestive tract.

Soybean oil is an excellent provider of essential fatty acids, especially the most important ones ( omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids) in beneficial levels.

Those essential acids could offer various health benefits either by enhancing the coat and skin health, or strengthening the immune system, or improving the cognitive function of your cat.

Buying Guide Of Best Cat Food For Cat With Allergy

When you browse the market to find the best cat food for your allergic cat, it is good to know the nutritional requirement that every hypoallergenic cat food should contain.

This will assure you that the selected diet that you have chosen is meeting the ideal criteria of hypoallergenic cat food. And this is what we will explain thoroughly inside this guide

Anyway, we will Also shed light on many aspects concerning our main topic in this guide that will inform you about what are the common causes of allergy to cats, its symptoms, and how it can be managed. So let’s cut to the chase and jump on it.

What To Look For When You Are Shopping For Best Cat Food For Cat With Allergies

There are three areas in which you should redirect your focus:

Ingredients

When you are shopping for your cat food in any given situation, The typical first thing that comes across a cat owner’s mind is the list of ingredients.

And this will not differ in the case of shopping for hypoallergenic food for allergic cats.

The ideal food for an allergic cat usually consisted of less common, novel protein such as rabbit, duck, turkey with just only one source of carbohydrate. 

Some hypoallergenic food is composed of hydrolyzed versions of common protein such as chicken or beef. In such a case your cat will enjoy his usual delicious meal without the potency of causing an allergic reaction.

The hydrolyzation process as we explained earlier in this article aims at creating a protein version of the common protein that will not be identified by the immune system.

The one source of carbs aims primarily to limit the potential causes of allergy. Carbs sources are well known for their capacity to trigger immune responses.

Grain, corn, and their by-products are the prime example here for carbohydrates sources with the potential to cause adverse reactions in cats.

You can read more about carbohydrates’ role in cat nutrition in this article.

Age of Cat

As you may already know, cats differ in their nutritional requirements according to their age.

The general guideline that has been recommended by The Association of Animal Food Control Officials (AAFCO) will also be followed in case of hypoallergenic diets.

Regarding that, you should know that Almost all hypoallergenic formulas that are available in the market are aimed at adult cats. but you can find hypoallergenic cat food that is perfectly suitable for the dietary needs of kittens or senior cats.  

Senior cats particularly are able to eat adult cat food without major consequences.  

In fact, The one thing that differentiates senior formula from an adult is the fact that senior formula often consists of additional nutrients and supplements to support your cat’s general health in his old age.

As for kittens, there are hypoallergenic diets for this group, but it is way less common than the hypoallergenic adult diet.

And this is because food allergy is pretty uncommon in cats in general, and more uncommon in young cats.

Allergy is usually developed over a cat’s lifetime so kittens are less likely to develop allergies compared to adult or senior cats.

Veterinary authorization

Hypoallergenic food usually needs approval from a registered vet in order to purchase them.

Because of its specific formulation that aimed to treat particular medical conditions, this kind of food is deemed not be suitable for the general cat population.

This food should be given to your cat under the supervision of a professional Vet because there are other related requirements that should be followed along with this kind of diet which only a Vet can help you with.

Common Allergens In Cats Food

The most common food allergen in cats appears to be protein sources. This could be because of the fact that protein is the main nutrient in cats’ diet with content that is much higher than fats and carbs content.

Also, it could be due to inherent causes as some cats have genetic allergies towards this specific source of protein.

Carbohydrates sources could also be potential allergens. Cat’s immune system could misidentify some common carbs sources such as ( wheat, corn, grains) as a threat which will then result in multiple symptoms.

Symptoms Of Allergy In Cats

There are multiple symptoms of cat allergy ranging from mild ones like ( rashes, scratches, nasal congestion, sneezing) to more serious symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, stomach distress, and other digestive related issues

In some critical cases, allergy can be life-threatening if the immune response is very intense to the extent that it can cause anaphylactic shock.

If anaphylactic shock happens with its classic manifestation such as severe respiratory distress and vomiting, sudden onset of diarrhea, excessive drooling, seizures, coma, it is critical to take it immediately to the Vet.

In some severe cases, cats can’t be rescued unless an epinephrine shot is administered.

Conclusion 

We provided in this article what we believe is the best cat food for cats with allergies.

Our choice of the best hypoallergenic cat food is ( Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Adult Dry Cat Food ) because it meets all the criteria that should be met in every hypoallergenic food.

It is composed of less common protein which aims to avoid allergic reactions accompanied by only one source of carbohydrate to minimize the potential allergen as much as possible in this diet.

However, we also included other hypoallergenic cat food which can be real candidates for our first choice.

After all, We ensured that all these diets we included in our list meet the standard of The Association of Animal Food Control Officials (AAFCO) in such cases.

We strongly recommend you not to use or purchase any prescribed diet unless you discuss it with your Vet to give you more guidance and better direction regarding your fluffy friend’s diet on such occasions.