This is our review of the best cat food for constipation in 2021

Constipation as a classic symptom of poor digestion and poor nutrient absorption is becoming recurring issue for many cats.

The causes that contributes to the emergence of such condition is various and heterogeneous. It can be a bacterial, viral or fungal infection, and it could be a result of allergic reaction.

As a result of this fact, the management of constipation is usually a subsequent to managing the the underlying causes.

Proper Nutrition is one of the major aspect that can really help constipated cats. this is why we witness specific diets is being introduced by pet food manufactures that aims specifically to manage constipation.

The perfect dietary formula in these diets consist of specific nutrients such insoluble fiber which can speed up the bowel movement, and nurture the beneficial microorganisms in your cat lower digestive tract accompanied with moderate amount of highly digestible protein.

Our choice of best cat food constipation is Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free, Natural Adult Indoor Dry Cat Food. it is near perfect formula produced by blue buffalo. It is rich in insoluble fiber, antioxidants beside its moderate amount of proteins and low amounts of fats.

Beside that, we also enlist other products that is specially formulated to help with constipation. you may find that these diets is much more suitable for your constipated cat than our best choice. After all, the decisive factor that governs the suitability of specific product to an individual cat usually tends to be individualistic.

An excellent buying guide will also be provided in this articles. We will discuss constipation in cats in more depth and how some nutrients can help with this issue. So lets not waste any further time and start with our list.

Our List Of Best Cat Food For Constipation

• Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free, Natural Adult Indoor Dry Cat Food, Chicken
• HILL’S PRESCRIPTION DIET Gastrointestinal Biome Digestive/Fiber Care Cat Food
• Iams Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control Dry Cat Food
• Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Dry Cat Food

Best Cat Food For Constipation Reviewed:

Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free, Natural Adult Indoor Dry Cat Food, Chicken

• First 5 ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pea Protein, Peas, Tapioca Starch
• Key Feature: 
• Guaranteed Analysis: crude Protein 38.0 % Min, crude Fat 16.0 % Min, crude Fiber 6.0% Max, crude Moisture 9.0 % Max.
• Life Stage: Adult
• Best For:

Analysis Of The First Ingredients:

This product features great nutritional values for constipated cats. It has a lot of soluble and insoluble fiber found in several ingredients contained in these products.

As with all vegetables, Peas, one of the first 5 ingredients, is loaded with both insoluble and soluble fiber which can enhance your cat’s bowel movement and aids in digestion.

Soluble fiber can moisturize and lubricate the digestive tract because it dissolves and produces some kind of gel along your cat digestive tract which can easily facilitate the movement of food and make food passing more smoother.

On the other hand, insoluble fiber has another mechanism which is it can attract and sponge water in the stools to make it softer and bulkier.

The benefit of insoluble fiber is to regulates bowel movement and makes stool passing easier without upsetting your cat’s bowel.

The crude fiber here is 6% which is relatively higher than other products making it ideal for a cat with constipation.

This product also has other nutrients which can help in constipation like essential fatty acids (3 omega and 6 omega) which can produce a similar effect as the soluble fiber in your cat intestine.

It also has prebiotic represented in (flaxseed ) that can enhance healthy gut flora and aid in digestion.

It is definitely a worth-trying product for a cat with digestive upset especially constipation as it has more features to support digestive health.

HILL’S PRESCRIPTION DIET Gastrointestinal Biome Digestive/Fiber Care Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat, Pea Protein, Wheat Gluten
• Guaranteed Analysis: crude Protein 31.0 % Min, crude Fat 15.0 % Min, crude Fiber 7.0% Max, crude Moisture 9.0 % Max.
• Best for: Cats with Digestive Distress.
• Life stage: Adult

Hills being arguably the most respected brand in prescribed diets features this product that is specially formulated for cats with troubled digestion.

This product has a special formulation of ingredients that aims directly and precisely to help cats with different digestive issues. It has a blend of prebiotic fibers that helps the enhancement of healthy bacteria inside the lower digestive tracts.

It has also a proportional high content of other fibers (soluble and insoluble) to give further support for healthy digestion.

Other components like complex carbohydrates and antioxidants are included in this diet to facilitate the digestive process and also to manage any unwanted side effects that could happen in digestion.

This product requires a prescription from a vet because it is specifically formulated for special needs, and not to be consumed by the general cat population.

Iams Proactive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Control Dry Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Grits, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn
• Key Feature: 
• Guaranteed Analysis: crude Protein 30.0 % Min, crude Fat 11.0 % Min, crude Fiber 8.3 % Max, crude Moisture 10.0 % Max.
• Life Stage: Adult
• Best For:

Analysis Of The First Ingredients:

This product meets all the criteria that a cat owner should look for when buying for his constipated cat.

This product is high in fiber ( soluble, insoluble, prebiotic) and low in calories. Actually, there is an interesting relationship between consuming high-fiber food and body weight management and insulin balance in the blood. fiber can help to manage these disorders besides its laxative-like effects in the digestive tract.

Given the fact that it is dry cat food, it actually has a high moisture content which is a desirable element in food for cats with chronic constipation. This product also features highly digestible ingredients with balanced nutritional values.

However, this brand is known to use fillers extensively in its products. Fillers are a low quality ingredient that is not ideal for consistent consumption. If your cat eats fillers on a regular basis for a long time, it may lead to malnutrition.

This diet is popular among cat’s parents whose cats are suffering from digestive disturbances. So you can consider it as a good food option for your constipated cat.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Dry Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn, Chicken Fat, Corn Gluten Meal
• Key Feature:  high fiber content from natural sources.
• Guaranteed Analysis: crude Protein 29.0 % Min, crude Fat 13.0 % Min, crude Fiber 4.7 % Max, crude Moisture 8.0 % Max.
• Life Stage: Adult
• Best For: cat with problem in excretion either constipation or diarrhea

Royal Canin produced this product which aims primarily to enhance gastrointestinal health.This high fiber formula is what your constipated cat needs.

The fiber content in this product is relatively higher than the average fiber content in cat food with a 4.7% max.

The fiber content here is derived from natural sources like Psyllium Seed Husk, Dried Chicory Root to support digestion (especially constipation and diarrhea) as different types of fiber play a major role in forming consistency in the stool. It is definitely a good diet for cats with difficulty in excretion.

insoluble fiber is of utmost important in managing constipation, it retains water in the stool to form bulky moisturized stools, thus making the stool passing is much easier in the intestine. Also Different types of fiber can ferment which is very valuable for nurturing beneficial bacteria in your cat intestine.

Also it has multiple rich sources of both soluble and insoluble fiber which makes this product a real candidate to manage constipation as well as similar digestive issues.

Buyers guide of Best Cat Food For Constipation

It is helpful to know some information about what could cause constipation, what are the main symptoms? how could you manage if it happened? and which ingredients you should look for when you are shopping for food for your constipated cat?.

This information will give you some guidelines to follow that will make your food choice well informed and more adjusted to your constipated cat dietary needs.

What To Look For When Buying Cat Food For Constipation

There are four major criteria that you should look for in this case:

High Fiber. Consuming rich Fiber food has an enormous positive effect on your cat’s digestion. Whether it is insoluble and soluble fiber. The main function of fiber in digestion is to aid in the formation process of balanced stool.

If the stool is dry and hard, adding more fiber could moisten it, also if your cat had diarrhea, certain types of fiber would harden your cat stool and help in managing loose stool.

Moderate Fat. Diets with moderate amount of fat is usually helps with constipation as There are some evidence which shows that there are correlation between consuming high dietary saturated fat with constipation in humans and some animals.[1] So lowering the fat intake in pet food is usually helps with constipation.

Low Carb: most ingredients that is high in carbs  such as grains, legumes, sweeteners can ferment in your cat gastrointestinal tract causing  symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, and gases

Highly Digestible. This is a self-explanatory factor as such food can help your cat’s digestive system break down and absorb the food with less troubles. This would inhibit any symptoms that are directly related to digestion such as constipation, stomach upset, ..etc.

Novel Protein-Based Food. Novel protein is ideal because it significantly diminishes potential allergy and sensitivity issues in cats that are prone to develop such symptoms.

Although allergy in cats is not common compared to other pets, it is worth considering this factor when your cats have constipation which can be caused by an allergic reaction

Home Remedies For Cats With Constipation

It is important to ensure that you give your cat a lot of water to facilitate digestion and make food pass by more smoothly.

Use some probiotics supplements such as Purina fortiflora which can enhance the digestive process by enriching the beneficial bacteria in your cat gut. Also, you can give your cat canned pumpkin as it is rich in fiber.

Encourage your cat to exercise more because increased activity can have a positive impact on your cat’s bowel movement. 

If your cat constipation is severe. try a laxative like Lactulose and Vetasyl

Ingredients To Avoid

grains as it can trigger an allergic reaction

meat by-product as it may have some low-quality ingredients which can lead to a digestive upsetting 

How To Introduce Your Cat to The New Food

You should introduce this new food gradually over a 7 days period then continue feeding your cats this food for about 2-4 weeks to see the result.

If there is no improvement, you could change the food to less fiber-food because in some cases a particular type of fiber (insoluble) could complicate constipation instead of aid.

Of course, You may find it hard to determine the type of fiber because food companies usually don’t specify the types of fiber that are contained in their food on the food label.

However, there are some common insoluble fiber ingredients that are usually added to cat food such as cellulose, pea fiber, rice bran, and beet pulp.

While on other hand there are also common soluble fibers that are typically added to cat food such as barley, beans, lentils, peas, and sometimes food companies choose to add some common fiber supplement such as psyllium in their food

Symptoms

• If you noticed that your cat Has fewer bowel movements than usual, this could be a sign of constipated stomach
•  Straining while defecation is one of the symptoms of constipation in cats.
•  Screaming pain during defecation 
•  hard, dry feces as a result of moisture lack in your cat GI Tract.
•  Stool is full of blood or mucus.
•  If your cat Goes to the letterbox frequently,it could be a sign also. 
•  No or little defecation as it is the main sign that informs you about your cat constipation.
• If your cat’s appetite is decreased or lost.
•  Vomiting.
•  Lack of grooming.

Causes of constipation in cats

There are multiple causes of constipation in cats.  Yet The most common causes are:

Lack Of Fiber

SOLUBLE FIBER (which dissolves in water) can make your cat poop more moisturized by forming some kind of lubricative inside your cat’s GI tracts. As a result of that, your cat poop becomes looser.

The benefits of this kind of fiber are not confined to what we just described, It usually works as a prebiotic which nourishes the good bacteria (probiotics) in your cat’s stomach.

However. It is important to know that too much soluble fiber could interfere with essential mineral absorption.

Insoluble fiber on the other hand, does not moisturize your cat poop. It rather retains and keeps the moisture of the food intact and thus the stool becomes bulkier.

Cats that have problems with their intestine tend to have difficulties with bulkier poops.

Dehydration

Dehydration is maybe the major factor here in causing constipation, and usually this happens with dry food with no sufficient drinking of water. This will result in dehydration as cats do not have the required amount of water they need.

In fact, Cats, due to some attributes their ancestors acquired through an evolutionary process, are capable of consuming the moisture in their food and utilizing it as a source of fluid that would compensate for water drinking.

As a result of this unique feature in cats, they develop insensitivity towards their thirst status, so cats who just eat tend to not feel thirsty even if the amount of water they acquired from the food is substantially low.

So in case your cat has consistent constipation with dry foods, consider switching your cat food to a canned version as it has more moisture. And If your cat is well adapted to dry food or doesn’t like wet food, consider setting up a water fountain to encourage them to drink more water.

Ingesting Foreign Object 

if you have a naughty cat, you could postulate the possibility that your cat ate some rubbish that blocked the digestive tract which can result in multiple symptoms, one of which is constipation.

Excessive Grooming. 

Excessive grooming usually leads to hairballs ingestion which can obstruct your cat intestine or colon leading to constipation or more serious complications, if it isn’t managed by vet.

Obstruction Or Blockage 

Obstruction usually takes place in the colon and it is usually because of some infection, inflammation, or tumors inside your cat’s digestive tract, leading to constipation and other more serious issues if it is not treated.

Side Effects Of Some Drugs. 

Some drugs could cause constipation, so if your cat is on some medication, you can’t exclude this as a potential cause of your cat constipation 

Megacolon

megacolon can be caused by the accumulation of poops inside your cat colon without the ability to excrete and defecate which then results in an enlarged colon.

The process in which megacolon occurs could be outlined in the following: Long and consistent accumulation impair your cat colon muscles which then results in intestinal muscle weakness combined with its inability to conduct a proper contraction.

Neurological Disorder.

 If your cat’s nerves have some damage either in the central nervous system or the peripheral nervous system (around the intestine), this could result in digestive issues including constipation.

Inactivity

if your cat does not exercise enough, this could result in poor function of the lower GI tract as inactivity inhibits a healthy intestinal contraction.

Obesity. 

as it may result from metabolic dysfunction, obesity could be accompanied by other digestive problems including constipation 

Final Thought

constipation is not uncommon in cats and proper nutrition can help with resolving such issue.

Fiber being the Best nutrient that can really help with digestive distress is also a major factor in managing constipation, Insoluble Fiber particularly with its retentive properties can really make the bowel movement accelerate, thus making the cat defecation much easier.

Also insoluble fiber can nurture the microbiome in your cat stomach and intestine resulting in better digestion and better nutrients absorption.

Our best choice Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free, Natural Adult Indoor Dry Cat Food is having all the nutritional requirements for constipated cat.

It is packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber, moderate amount of protein, and sufficient amount of antioxidants.

However, We also recommended other products with really good prospect to meet the nutritional requirement of constipated cat. We assured that all these products is having the perfect nutritional formula that aims precisely to manage constipation in cats.

Needless to say, that the Vet is the only qualified person who can give you a clear and sound advice regarding your cat nutrition, So if your cat have constant,or severe constipation, or your cat shows some other symptoms along with constipation, you should always resort to a licensed Vet for better diagnosis and better guidance regarding what your cat should have in terms of nutrition and medication.