This is the definitive review of the best cat food for sensitive stomach In 2021.

There are a number of different diets available in the market that is especially formulated for sensitive stomach. but which one of them is the best? this is what we will be answering in this article.

As a nutritionist and an avid reader to topics related to cats nutrition , I have spent hours of researching, exploring and reviewing sources and products to help you decide the best food that you can get for your cat in such case.

Given the fact that sensitive stomach issues is complex and can be caused by a variety of causes, I found that Solid Gold Winged Tiger with Quail & Pumpkin Grain-Free Sensitive Stomach Adult Dry Cat Food is the best cat food for sensitive stomach because it has unique features that could help manage almost all possible causes of sensitive stomach issues in cats which increases the chance to become the perfect choice for your cat in such case.

However, It is not guaranteed that this diet will work on your cat, due to the fact that there are factors to be taken in consideration in each individual cat. But in general and theoretical way this diet have a higher chance to manage your cat sensitivity issues more than other products.

There are also other Brand products in the list which make an excellent sensitive stomach diets that might be an ideal diet choice for your individual cat.

However,  sensitive stomach is a serious issue and can lead to more serious complications, So it is important to see a vet before putting your cat on any food trails.

On this article we will discuss the following:

• What to look for when buying for a cat suffering from sensitive issues.
• How some ingredients can offer help.
• Ingredients to avoid in such case.
• Consideration of important factors such as life stages and body condition.

So lets get started.

Our List of Best Cat Food For Sensitive Stomach

• Solid Gold Winged Tiger with Quail & Pumpkin Grain-Free Sensitive Stomach Adult Dry Cat Food
• Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Real Duck Recipe Wet Canned Cat Food
• Purina ONE Plus Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dry Cat Food
• Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food, Chicken & Brown Rice
• Halo Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food

Best Cat Food For Sensitive Stomach Reviewed:

Below you’ll find what we think are the best cat food products available to help manage sensitive stomach in cats

Solid Gold Winged Tiger with Quail & Pumpkin Grain-Free Sensitive Stomach Adult Dry Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Quail, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Potatoes
• Key Feature:novel protein blended with omega fatty acid to boost your cat immune system
• Guaranteed Analysis : 30% crude protein, 13% Crude Fat , 3% max Fiber , 10% max Moisture
• Life Stage: Adult

Dry cat food with balanced nutrition that your kitty needs to flourish. Quail is the primary ingredient which serves as a single, novel protein to eliminate any potential allergic reaction to the food. It is also a great source of soluble fiber which is very helpful in managing sensitive stomach issues.

Turkey and chicken meals added in this product as heavy sources of protein and also decent sources of Vitamins and Minerals.

However, you should be aware that chicken meals may not be suitable for a cat with sensitive stomach since chicken protein is one of the common allergen in cats. So if your cat is allergic to chicken, this diets may be inconvenient in your cat’s case

This diet is free from any corn, wheat, soy, any artificial additives and preservatives which can relieve your cat’s digestive system from the burden of absorbing and processing this additives.

Those additives ,if consumed in large amounts or consumed on regular basis could disharmonize the digestive system because cats are not adequately equipped to handle such ingredients in general.

Peas and potatoes being the third and fourth ingredients in this diet, are a secondary source of soluble fiber which are very valuable ingredients for healthy digestion. Soluble fiber could work like a charm in managing sensitive issues because it nurture the healthy bacteria in the lower digestive tract.

Those bacteria enhance the digestibility of the food by facilitating the absorption and reducing as much as possible the digestion by-product.

These digestion-byproducts (AKA metabolites) can lead to excessive metabolic workload to be filtered out by kidney.

It also can regulate the bowel movement and making the defecation of the cats much easier if your cat has stool issues.

Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Real Duck Recipe Wet Canned Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Duck, Turkey Liver, Duck Broth, Ground Flaxseed, Montmorillonite Clay
• Key Feature: Alternative source of protein for cats with sensitive issues caused by allergy
• Guaranteed Protein: 10% min
• Life Stage: Adult
• Best For: Allergic cat with sensitive stomach.

Analysis of First 5 Ingredients: Duck, Turkey Liver, Duck Broth, Ground Flaxseed, Montmorillonite Clay

This recipe contains 10% crude protein comes from a high quality source with duck meat and turkey liver and Broth.

This Formula present alternative quality source of protein if your cat suffer from sensitive stomach duo to his allergy to common sources of protein (Beef, chicken).

Also The organ meat is an excellent source of protein providing your cat with quality protein with all its benefits without upsetting your cat digestive system.

The purpose of adding Ground flaxseed in this diet is to provides Omega Fatty Acid which helps with inflammation in allergies.

It also provide dietary fiber which will help enhancing your cat intestinal health and reduce digestive issues like constipation, diarrhoea which often happens if your cat suffer from allergic reaction.

Montmorillonite Clay serves as anti-caking agent in this product which allows this diet to be free from chemical agent. it is also an excellent source of minerals.

One worth mentioning fact about this diet is that It is a nutrient dense food with meat ingredients that represent 95% of the total while a mix of of fiber and micronutrients and a bunch of supplemental vegetables and fruits constitute the rest of the food.

Despite the fact that it is nutrient dense diet with a lot of ingredients which is not good for cats with sensitive problems, it still remains a popular food among cat parents whose cats having trouble with sensitive issues

 

Purina ONE Plus Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dry Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Turkey, Chicken By-Product Meal, Rice Flour, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal
• Key Feature: high quality protein with a unique texture 
• Guaranteed Analysis : 34.0% min
• Life Stage: Adult
• Best For: picky cats

Analysis of the first 5 ingredients: Turkey, Chicken By-Product Meal, Rice Flour, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal

This product contains a protein dense recipe with 34% Crude protein. It Features Turkey as primary ingredients which is a great source of quality protein.

As protein is essential elements in cat food ,less common protein like Turkey brings the benefits to your cat muscles, tissues and bones without triggering allergic reaction.

Beside being a good source of extra protein, chicken by product meal can provide some essential nutrients including some vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D) and minerals ( zinc, copper).

However, chicken By-products usually is a not high quality proteins as real chickens, and may contains a low quality ingredients that could upset your cat stomach.

Rice flower provides energy and add an appealing texture for your cat .

Although Corn Gluten Meal , soybean gluten meal contributes to the total protein content in this products ,they are rather a controversial ingredients as it has little nutritional value beside it can be a potential allergen to the cat.

This product also offer a supplemental minerals and vitamins and also omega-6 fatty acid which works as antioxidants to strengthen your kitty s immune system

In general, this product is very good for picky cats as it features a mix of delicious taste with a high quality protein as primary ingredient combined with a well-balanced amino acid profile. 

Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food, Chicken & Brown Rice

• First 5 ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Barley
• Key Feature: high quality protein with a unique texture 
• Guaranteed Analysis :Crude Protein 32.0% min, Crude Fat 16.0% min, Crude Fiber 3.5% max, Moisture 9.0% max,
• Life Stage: Adult
• Best For: 

Analysis of the first 5 ingredients:

This diet features Chicken being the main source of protein and energy with all its benefits to your cat’s general health.

Chicken meal is a super rich source of protein providing your cat more energy while supporting healthy digestion.

Brown rice being the third component is a complex carbohydrate providing essential B vitamins and minerals for more energy.

Also Barley being an excellent source of soluble fiber, carbohydrates and B Vitamins is incorporated in here as it can help your cat digestive system to function more smoothly.

This diet also has Fructooligosaccharide, which is a prebiotic that increases the amount of healthy bacteria/probiotic organisms in the intestine to promote your cat’s overall digestive health.

Halo Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food

• First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Product, Dried Peas, Oatmeal
• Key Feature: highly digestible recipe with great taste
• Guaranteed Analysis :Crude Protein 32.0% min, Crude Fat 16.0% min, Crude Fiber 3.5% max, Moisture 9.0% max,
• Life Stage: Adult

Analysis of First Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Product, Dried Peas, Oatmeal

This dry food features High digestible quality protein from Whole Meat such as chicken and chicken organs with non-GMO fruits and veggies.

It is also packed with essential Vitamins and minerals. This will give your cats a dense-nutrient meal beside managing their sensitive issues.

Also it is free from any artificial ingredients which will make the work of your cat’s digestive system easier as it is not loaded with processing and absorbing artificial additives which can be a very long and consuming process.

This diet also has a special crunchy texture and meaty flavor that your cat will love.

One last things to say about this product is that Halo brand is known to not use any genetically modified fruits and veggies nor any rendered meat meals in their diets.

 

Buyer’s Guides Of Cat Food For Sensitive Stomach

below you will find a buying guide that will help you to understand sensitive stomach and address the nutritional requirements that will help your cat to overcome his sensitive stomach issues

Symptoms Of Sensitive Stomach In Cats

There are some common symptoms to indicate that your cat has an stomach upset. Despite that it is not easy to tell if this is because of stomach sensitive issues or not as some cats can show similar symptoms occasionally without apparent underlying cause. however, it is helpful to know the most common symptoms of sensitive stomach:

Vomiting 

It is the most obvious sign to indicate that your cat has an upset stomach. However, some cats can show this symptom on occasion (once per month) and it is not necessarily related to sensitive stomach issues.

Also you as a Cat’s owner can benefit from knowing the difference between vomit and Regurgitation (irregular closing of the valve that is located between the esophagus and the stomach). as some cat owners confuses between these two symptoms.

To clarify the distinction between the two , you should know that Vomiting does not occur directly after eating while on the other hand, regurgitation usually occurs immediately after feeding.

Also you can recognize vomiting by its wet form, offensive smell as opposed to regurgitation which has a semi-solid form

Diarrhea 

As the case with vomiting, some cats can still show loose stool occasionally without being caused by sensitive stomach issues. It could be a reaction to eating some rubbish off the floor.

So You should wait a day or two and if the situation doesn’t get better, it could absolutely be a diet-related issue.

For further confirmation, you should visit a vet to run a few tests to rule out any other common causes and advise you based on the given results.

Excessive Gas

The same applies here in this symptom in regard to its direct linking to sensitive stomach issues in cats.

It is not absolutely because of sensitive stomach related issues, there are some common causes like eating too fast.

So If your cat is eating too fast, this can result in excessive gas since eating too fast increases the amount of air your cat swallows and eventually this will result in more gas building up in your cat’s gastrointestinal tract.

However , if this symptom lasts for more than one day, this could be a sign of a digestive problem and therefore you should seek a professional advice from your vet.

Allergy

Allergy happens when your cat is exposed to a specific food ingredient that triggers your cat’s immune system (which will misidentify this specific food as a threat) response which will then result in some symptoms like rashes, itching, skin or ear infection and other symptoms.

The allergy usually manifests in the skin showing symptoms like itching, scratching and excessive licking but it also affects the digestive system and shows symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and stomach disturbances.

The allergy that your cat has toward this specific ingredient is often genetic, passed down from its parent.

The symptoms of this allergy can not appear unless your cat is exposed to this specific ingredient, before that, your cat can’t show any sign of allergy as is the case with all Allergies in cats.

Foods that are well known to be a common allergen in cats include fillers (soy, wheat) common protein (fish, beef, chicken) and dairy products.

If your vet decides that your cat has an allergy to some specific ingredient, you can definitely find an excellent alternative for your cat in the list above that doesn’t have this specific ingredient.

What Are The Causes Of Sensitive Stomach In Cats?

Sensitive stomach is not by itself a diagnosis. You can consider it as a wide-spectrum, larger symptom that can show some or all of the above mentioned symptoms. However, There are some common underlying causes for stomach sensitivity in cats.

• Switching cat food too suddenly or too frequently: changing your cat diet frequently will result in stomach upset, because cats are not well-adapted as humans to the frequent changes of food. They have a narrow spectrum of nutritional needs compared to other pets and their metabolism can’t handle some food such as dairy products, foods that are heavily reliant on plant based protein and some types of fiber. For the same reasons, you should not change your cat food suddenly.

• Intestinal parasites (especially common in young cats and kittens): There are some Gastrointestinal Parasites in Cats that can cause stomach upset and digestive problems. It is a common problem in cats with an occurrence rate as high as 45%  according to Cornell university [1]. This parasite can weaken your cat and make it vulnerable and susceptible to viral, bacterial and disease and that will result in some digestive issues.

• Eating too fast: As we discussed before in the symptoms section, eating too fast will allow more air comes through your cat gastrointestinal tract and that will then result in excessive gas 

• Eating too big portions: As is the case with eating too fast, the same result occurs here. Eating too big portion can lead to excessive gas building in your cat stomach leading to digestive disturbances 

• Food allergies: Food allergy is not common in cats, but it can occur of course. Fish, beef and chicken being common proteins of cats diet is also the most common allergen in cats unfortunately. However, If you suspect that your cat has an allergy to a specific ingredient, you should check the validity of your suspicion by taking some steps to know for sure if your cat has it or not. These steps are:

1. Switch to a limited ingredients diet with a few ingredients that are not common allergen in cats or even a single novel protein 
2. Exclusively use this diet to feed your cat for at least a month.
3. If the symptoms disappeared or diminished significantly, it is likely that your cat have allergy 
4. Reintroduce the suspected allergen whether it is fish, chicken or beef each one at a time and observe the changes.
5. If the symptoms recurred after introducing one of these potential allergens, permanently eliminate it from your cat’s diet. 

However, You should always consult your vet and ask for more tips and guidance 

• Other causes include
  • Hairballs
  • Eating some rubbish (like feathers, wool or string)
  • Age-related changes
  • Bacterial or fungal Infections

What to look for in cat food for sensitive stomach?

When you decide to change you cat food to more suited food for your cat sensitivity issues, make sure that the new foods made from quality source like novel protein, whole meat and have a balanced proportion of  vitamins and minerals

However, You could locate the potential cause of sensitivity stomach in you cat food by focusing in the following

Fillers: Avoid fillers such as artificial colors , flavors and preservatives as it can cause sensitive issues besides it is not a must ingredient for your cat food. So you should look for a food that is free from any additives

The source of protein: If your cat have allergy to common source of protein like beef or chicken, you could find an alternative, less common source of protein like turkey, lamb and duck

Your cat Food texture: Consider the texture of your cat food as one of the factors that affect your cat feeding preferences and can cause stomach issues if neglected. Because cats are finicky eaters, generally  they prefer pate texture over chunks or gravy as it runs smoothly in the digestive tract. .

Inclusion of grain: You should also consider a grain as a potential cause of sensitive issues because some cat may have an allergy to it, you should check the label and identify the types of grain included ,or simply choose a free grain food that is specifically formulated to sensitive stomach cats.

 Things To Avoid In Feeding Your Cat

You have to feed your cat on scheduled time and you also should avoid table scraps because even a healthy cat can develop digestive problems if you disturb the regularity of his feeding habit.

Additionally, you have To avoid giving your cat food that contains a common allergen such as fish, beef, chicken or food that contains preservatives and Additives.

Moreover, you should also know that There are some foods that contains components that could cause serious issues including sensitive stomach.

Raw fish, raw eggs, onions, garlic, Dairy products and foods that containing a lot of fat being the prime example for such foods.

Some of these foods such as raw eggs contain harmful bacteria Salmonella [E.coli] which leads to pancreatitis and other digestive issues. Other foods such as Onion and garlic and raw fish have dangerous chemical substances that could cause serious issues including digestive disturbances.

Home Remedies To Comfort Your Cat That Is Suffering From Sensitive Stomach

• It is worth considering to put your cat in quiet and comfortable place , you should minimize the disturbance sources as much as you could in case you cat feeling sick
• Give your cat abdominal massage If your Kitty likes it and if not, Wrap it in warm blanket
• Look for any changes  in your cat behavior , If your recognize it, Keep a food diary of your cat food to Identify the ingredient or the additive that cause them sensitive stomach , This will help you track the source of problem whether it is allergy , bacterial or fungal infection.
• Feed your cat with a small portion of food to avoid overeating. 
• If your cat suffer from hairballs , you should brush their coat and also give them supplement and food that is specially formulated to aid them in this specific condition.
• You should Motivate your cat to drink more water and also you should add more wet food to its regular diet. Keeping your cat hydrated could enhance your cat immune system and ease your cat discomfort.
• If your cat is aging,  you should change his food to a cat recipe that is formulated specifically for their age ,But first you should consult your vet and ask for advice.

Nevertheless, This home remedies is not by any means replacement To a professional care, So you should always work with your vet to give you a better direction about what to do and what is the best cat food for sensitive stomach in your cat case.

 

Conclusion

The list above contains the best cat food for sensitive stomach that are available in the market.

Our pick (Solid Gold Winged Tiger with Quail & Pumpkin Grain-Free Sensitive Stomach Adult Dry Cat Food) has more features to manage and control sensitive stomach such as (novel protein as their primary ingredients, rich in fiber and free from any artificial additives).

we believe these multiple features could manage almost all sensitive issues by eliminating potential allergy with novel protein as primary ingredient, and providing a great support to digestive system with rich source fiber ingredients.

However, Not all cats will have the similar reaction to this specific diet So feel free to browse our list till you find an alternative that is more suitable and pleasant to your Cat. Having said that, This is not by any means a substitute for the professional care that your cat really needs in this case from a trusted veterinarian.