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- Diabetic Cat Food Reviewed – Our Top 5 Picks
Diabetic Cat Food Reviewed – Our Top 5 Picks
A diabetic cat needs a special diet. At first, it may seem daunting to provide the correct food for your feline friend since there are so many different diabetic cat foods on the market.
There are two main factors to consider when choosing the ideal diabetic cat food. First, it should contain mostly meat and not meat byproducts. (Cats are supposed to eat fresh meat – it’s by far the healthiest option for them.) In this list we include dry foods for cat owners who prefer that, but optimally you’d buy wet food.
The second most important component is that your diabetic cat food contains healthy fats. In general, diabetic cat foods should have low or no grains in them to reduce the amount of carbohydrates and to remain mostly meat.
Some diabetic cat foods are high fiber to keep cats fuller, longer. Other cat food makers take a low fat approach, thinking that might help with weight loss. No matter what, there is a cat food for each individual cat’s needs. Let’s take a closer look at some of the range!
The Best Diabetic Cat Foods Compared
| Rank | Name | Type | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellness CORE Grain-Free Canned Cat Food | Wet | 5.5 oz | $$$ |
| 2 | Instinct Grain-Free | Wet | 5.5 oz | $$ |
| 3 | Wellness CORE Grain Free | Dry | 12 lb | $$ |
| 4 | Blue Buffalo Wilderness | Dry | 12 lb | $$ |
| 5 | Merrick Before Grain | Dry | 11.1 lb | $ |
#1: Wellness CORE Grain-Free Wet
This comes in a range of 5 flavors and is made in North America with all-natural ingredients. It’s rich in nutrients, so if you’re currently feeding your cat something of lower quality, ease them into the new diet by adding more of this to their meal every day over the course of a week.
Typical customer feedback:
My cat is obsessed with it!
My cat always cleans his bowl these days.
Pros and Cons
- Grain free without extra calories
- Has naturally occurring micro-organisms to help maintain your cat’s health
- Formulated with Salmon Oil and Flaxseed oil
- Contains no meat by-products, wheat, soy, corn, artificial flavorings, artificial colors, or preservatives
- Available in poultry, fish, beef, kitten, and indoor cat varieties
- Naturally Gluten Free
- Cans seem to get dented a lot during shipping
#2: Instinct Grain-Free
Formulated similar to what ancient cats would have eaten with meat, poultry, a dash of veg and a soupcon of fruit. Balanced nutrition for cats of all ages.
My three cats devoured the whole can in a matter of minutes!
Pros and Cons
- Grain free canned cat food with no fillers (e.g. soy)
- The first four ingredients are real meat
- Naturally gluten free formula because there is no grain
- Made in Lincoln, Nebraska
- Helps cats keep their weight at the perfect range with proper feeding
- Comes in several flavors: Duck, Chicken, Turkey, Rabbit, Lamb, and Salmon
- Fortified with vitamins for better feline health
- Some cats are fussy about the carrots and peas
#3: Wellness CORE Grain Free Dry
The dry version of our #1 pick.
Cats approved! Worth every penny.
Pros and Cons
- Grain Free to reduce carbohydrates
- Contains Salmon Oils and Flaxseed Oils to provide health fats
- Balanced minerals to help the urinary tract
- Contains no meat byproducts, wheat, corn, soy, artificial flavors, artificial colors, or preservatives
#4: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain Free
This formula was inspired by the diet of the lynx, and is rich in protein. As with all dry foods, it’s a good idea to supplement it with some wet food (or raw meat) since that’s where your cat will get most of its water intake.
This product is made in the USA and is wildly popular.
Helped my cat lose weight! Delighted!
Pros and Cons
- Made of only the finest ingredients and contains no chicken or poultry by products, corn, soy, artificial flavorings, or wheat.
- It provides a practical alternative to a raw diet
- It is highly digestible for cats with stomach issues
#5: Merrick Before Grain #1 Chicken
This is a tremendous product with thousands of ecstatic cat owners who swear by it. It’s 0% grain and only 9% fat. The ultra-high protein count makes it great for diabetic cats.
Don’t worry that it doesn’t have added Taurine – there’s more than enough in the meat itself, and the large numbers you see on the packaging refer to the flavor. #1 is the ever-popular chicken.
Lowest priced premium cat food!
Pros and Cons
- First ingredients are meat
- Small kibble sized pieces so cats of all life stages can eat it
- Comes in salmon and chicken flavors
- It’s made in the USA
- Fortified with vitamins for feline health
- Contains Salmon oil and Omega fatty acids
Finally, here’s an interesting note from a reader about her experience of choosing a diabetic cat food:
I hate to sound so negative, but, I have a cat that is diabetic that has been in remission for years now. I have researched cat food to a ridiculous extent. Anyone that knows about diabetes really well knows that the absolute worst thing you can do is fed your cat dry food, period. It all has far too many carbs, all of it!
Secondly, I will never ever feed my cats a Hills food again. That’s what made her diabetic in the first place. If you really want the best food for your cat, try Rad Cat Raw (it needs to be mixed with a good canned food), Hound & Gatos Canned Rabbit, Tiki Cat canned Koolina Luau & Puka Puka Luau varieties only, Wellness Core Canned is ok but I think it’s gone downhill and I would not feed the non Core varieties. The only dry food that is low enough in carbs is Young Again Carb Free and it has to be ordered direct online.
Thanks to Melissa Thornton for that.
And thanks to you for checking out this post. We hope you enjoyed our list of Diabetic Cat Foods, and wish you and your kitty the very best of health!