Best Cat Food for Indoor Cats
Indoor cats are sweet, loving and would love to spend time sleeping. Too often, because of their loving gestures, we give them treats or offer food more than what they should have. It is the main reason for why indoor cats can easily become overweight.
The truth is, it would not be hard as long as you’ll find the best cat food for overweight indoor cats. A proper and planned diet would help them in easily losing their weight alongside with some exercises and other activities.
An overweight cat would have a hard time in moving around the house, would not enjoy time playing and tend to sleep always. It won’t be fun and you are letting them be prone to a number of health diseases like diabetes, kidney failure, and, health problems. As they grow older, the problem can be worse.
Contents
- Cat Food for Overweight Indoor Cats Comparison Table
- NUTRO MAX Wet Cat Food
- Hill's Science Diet Cat Food for Healthy Weight and Weight Management
- Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body Health Reduced Calorie Chicken
- Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Wet Canned Cat Food
- Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost
- Solid Gold Weight Control Dry Cat Food
- BLUE for Cats Adult Dry Cat Food
- Natural Balance Fat Cats Dry Cat Formula
- Important Points to Consider
- How to Shed an Indoor Cat’s Weight
- What Ingredients are Vital for your Kitty?
Cat Food for Overweight Indoor Cats Comparison Table
| Name | Main Ingredients | Protein | Fat | Fiber | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutro Max Lite Feline Cat Food | Turkey Broth, Chicken Liver, Beef Liver, Turkey, Chicken, Cod | 8.5% | 3% | 2% | Click Here |
| Hill’s Science Light Liver and Chicken Entrée for Adults | Water, Pork Liver, Pork By-Products, Chicken, Rice, Wheat Flour | 36.7% | 15% | 7% | Click Here |
| Natural Balance Ultra Whole Body Canned Food | Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Salmon, Brown Rice, Brewers Dried Yeast | 8% | 5% | 2% | Click Here |
| Wellness Core Classic Pate Turkey and Chicken Liver Recipe | Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Chicken Meal, Turkey Liver | 12% | 8% | 1% | Click Here |
| Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost | Chicken, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chicken Meal, Tapioca, Menhaden Fish Meal | 33% | 11% | 15% | Click Here |
| Solid Gold Fit as a Fiddle Formula | Pollock, Peas, Tapioca, Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, Pea Fiber, Pollock Meal | 30% | 8% | 9% | Click Here |
| Blue Buffalo Weight Control for Adults | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Barley, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Salmon Meal (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids) | 30% | 9% | 9% | Click Here |
| Natural Balance Fat Cats Low Calorie | Chicken Meal, Salmon Meal, Pea Protein, Garbanzo Beans, Peas, Oat Groats | 35% | 9.5% | 9% | Click Here |
Having Nutro Max Lite Feline Cat Food should be perfect! The Nutro MAX Lite Wet Cat Food is made with the best nature of genuine turkey, chicken protein and regular fixings that accomplish an exceptionally flavorful taste for your felines. It is a 100% normal feline nourishment that could help, in keeping up a solid body, as well as avoid them to be obese.
There are 15% fewer calories included and it contains common ingredients that bring minerals, vitamins and different supplements that can adjust the nourishment and finish the requirements of overweight and less dynamic felines. This offers completed and well-balanced diet and awesome taste for your felines.
If you are cutting extra pounds for your felines, at that point giving this a shot can be an incredible start. It influences your feline to feel full and abstain from requesting a few treats that can be the purpose behind their weight. It gives them the vitality to do exercises and has a very much healthy lifestyle. This food was also featured on our ultimate cat food advisor post, as it ticks all boxes.
Pros
- It was made with the best quality of protein-rich source ingredients.
- It is being loved by many cats because of the natural flavor.
- It can help in adjusting the diet of your cat for better results.
- It makes them feel full most of the time and avoid eating a lot.
Cons
- There are cats that don’t like the ingredients used.
- There are cases of cats getting diarrhea from this meal.
A wet diet routine is a typical suggestion for felines that are overweight. It allows them to get in shape and potentially limit themselves n eating a ton. Wet feline food was demonstrated to help lessen diabetes and heftiness in felines.
The Hill's Science Diet Adult Light canned feline nourishment is one of the ideal decisions you have today. It has low calories, however with large amounts of fiber to keep your feline full the entire day. It is perfect so you can legitimately plan the dinner times of your feline and take a stricter eating routine to achieve your objective.
It offers your feline the essence of chicken and liver while keeping up their eating regimen. It completes the supplementary requirement ideal for the wellbeing of your cats with low fat and low-calorie equation. The high fiber can likewise control hunger between suppers.
Pros
- It is formulated for overweight cats.
- It can control the appetite of the cats.
- It can easily be digested and promotes healthier digestion.
- It helps to avoid the risk of different health problems.
Cons
- There are cats that would have allergies to chicken.
- Some cats would prefer dry foods than this.
Regardless of whether your feline is less dynamic, overweight and is getting more seasoned, the Natural Balance Original Ultra White Body Health can be an extraordinary alternative to consider. This discussion is uniquely intended to fit the requirements of your felines. It accompanies a diminished calorie equation that would help your felines in getting the best nature of supplements their body would require.
This is made with high protein ingredients, for example, salmon, chicken, and duck. It can make them more supported, solid and cheerful too. It offers a total eating regimen for all types of grown-up felines. It is hard for them to keep up their smell and taste buds as they become more flavored and due to the tantalizing taste of this wet nourishment, it turns into a great deal that comes with a cheaper price.
There is no fake flavor included, no additives and no hues. This is totally normal with rich vitamins and supplements that could manage all the required nutrition of your feline today! Everything is adjusted and over it, it is free from gluten.
Pros
- There are no artificial flavors and colorings added.
- It was made with all natural ingredients that are rich in protein.
- It completes the nutrient requirements of your cat.
- The taste is really good and appetizing to cats.
Cons
- It is only recommended for adult cats.
- It would be hard to know the ingredient that would possibly trigger allergies on cats.
When you consider the recommendation of your veterinarian, they would suggest searching for wet feline nourishment that is free from grains. The Wellness Core Natural Grain Free Wet Cat Food is a formula that is best known to offer protein supplements to adjust the required nutrient levels of your feline. It can be a choice to consider on your rundown.
Everything is regular which implies that there would be no meat side-effects, no hues, additives and even manufactured flavors included. It doesn't cause intestinal disturbance and loose bowels. It gives the measure of vitality that your feline would require while keeping up a solid and healthy lifestyle.
It was made with chicken, genuine turkey, and herring with included DHA that would have the capacity to help more useful eye and mental health. This is significantly prescribed for grown-ups as well as for a little cat also. They need to start young keeping a strict eating routine to abstain from being overweight.
Pros
- It is recommended for cat of all ages.
- It is very safe to use and comes with natural ingredients.
- There are no byproducts and additives.
- It helps your cat in keeping a strict diet.
Cons
- Some cats would not taste it.
- There are cats that can easily get irritated by eating chicken meats.
If your cat prefers dry foods over wet canned food, then this can be a great choice. There are cats that would be more comfortable in eating kibbles than pates. With Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost, you can be assured of the nutrients that your cat would have. It is a good diet meal that was designed for controlling and achieving a healthy weight.
There are no gluten or grains added, so it would be safe and easy to digest. It was formulated to help your cat in maintaining a healthy weight by giving them natural flavors out of chicken meals. There are other ingredients added such as peas and chickpeas that can promote better digestion.
It comes with natural fibers that would also let your cat feel full and avoid asking for meals often. We all know that you won’t be able to resist them, so you may want to keep them full and don’t ask for food. Just follow the suggested servings to keep up with their needs.
Pros
- It is rich in protein and recommended for adult cats.
- The kibbles are very easy to chew, so they can get the nutrients added on this.
- It promotes healthy digestion and overall well being.
- It comes with natural flavors that your cats would love!
Cons
- Senior cats would not like this meal.
- It comes with peas that might cause allergies to other cats.
Ever heard about Solid Gold? They are not one of the most common brand names that you’ll hear, but when it comes to weight loss, they are offering a good formula that would best help you and your cat. They are offering meals that are formulated to help cats in achieving better and healthy weight.
Their formula is low in calories and fat, so it would be easier for you to control the weight of your cats. There are no grains or gluten added, so you don’t have to worry about allergies. The main ingredient used in this product is the Alaskan Pollock that is known to be rich in lean protein and omega fatty acids. It is enough to reach the right nutritional level that your cat would require.
Aside from those, the formula would also come with other ingredients including chickpeas, peas, and tapioca. It is responsible for promoting better digestion. Adding up extra activities and exercises would make it a perfect combination to lose your cat’s weight.
Pros
- It features Alaskan Pollock as the main ingredient.
- It is rich in protein and can help your cat in building leaner muscles.
- It was formulated to help your cat in losing their weight.
- It comes with omega fatty acids for better skin and coat.
Cons
- There are cats that would not eat it.
- It contains other ingredients such as tapioca that can cause allergies to other cats.
When it comes to specialized formulas, the Blue Buffalo can be reliable on this. They are creating a variety of meals that would be specific to the needs of the cats. For weight loss, they have a weight control meal that comes with natural ingredients and are proven to help in managing and controlling the cat’s weight in a shorter period of time.
The first ingredient used is chicken which is rich in protein. It comes with fresh vegetables and wholesome grains for healthier digestion. It comes with lower calorie content compared to the other at the food on the market and it is well-balanced to fit their needs. This formula is also created to avoid the risk of hairballs.
There are other kinds of it available which is being offered with natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support healthier body of your cats.
Pros
- This is a complete and well-balanced diet to help your cat lose their weight.
- All the ingredients used are natural.
- There are no byproducts added.
- It comes with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for better support on your cat’s health.
Cons
- It is only recommended for adult cats.
- There are cats that may have allergies to rice recipes.
Last but not the least is the Natural Balance Fat Cats Low-Calorie food. It was formulated to help cats that have dietary needs or would need to lose their weight. It comes with natural ingredients that are based on the nutritional truths and scientific requirements of your cat. Some of the ingredients used are chicken, salmon, venison, and duck.
The formula is ideal to promote healthy digestion as it also comes with green peas, tapioca, and whole grains. The main purpose of this meal is to fit the needs of your pet despite having a low-calorie meal. This can promote leaner muscle and develop their body stronger.
This is being supplemented with essential vitamins, natural fibers, and different minerals to assure that your cat would have everything they need. All of this is possible while maintaining their weight and avoid the risks of obesity.
Pros
- It was made with high quality of natural ingredients.
- It comes with a low-calorie diet to easily lose your cat’s weight.
- It was made with chicken, venison, salmon and duck which are all rich in protein.
- It is very easy to give to your cat, and they would surely love it!
Cons
- It comes with whole grains that might cause allergies to other cats.
- This is not recommended for nursing, senior and kitten.
Important Points to Consider
It may be cute to see them fat, but it’s not healthy. With that, it is important to help your cat in losing their weight and encourage them to have a new lifestyle. The best cat food for overweight indoor cats would be efficient and a great step to make this possible.
However, there could be tons of company that would claim to offer the best, and for more assurance, make sure to consider the following things below:
- Ingredients: The ingredients should be rich in protein and do not come with plant ingredients. Our cats are carnivorous and may have a hard time in digesting plant ingredients. Make sure that there are no fillers added, which can be harmful or toxic to them.
- Wet vs. Dry Food: When buying cat food, you’ll be offered with two kinds of it, the wet and dry food. The choice would depend on the preference of your cat. There are some that would consider getting both for a better diet plan.
- Recommended Servings: You have to check the recommended servings and determine if it can be ideal for your cat. You have to lessen this depending on how often they ask for food. This helps to still maintain the right recommended servings and not go over it.
- Supplements Needed: When they are losing weight, you may choose meals with limited ingredients to be assured of the nutrients they can get. With that, there would be a need for you to get supplements or look for a meal that has additional supplements on their menu.
- Veterinarian’s Choice: If you are in doubt about your options, there is always your veterinarian that you can ask for their choice and recommendations.
What Are the Dangers of Obesity in Cats?
Obesity in cats are starting to become rampant, and they can be at risk. We tend to think that it is their nature to ask for food and eat, but the thing is, we have to control their meals to avoid being obese. This would result in their immobility, and be prone to a number of health diseases including kidney and heart failure. They would have a hard time in moving, jumping, and will become too lazy of moving because of their weight.
They would not really enjoy their everyday life, and you can expect for it to be boring. They will not be as sweet as they are in the past, and would give a hard time in doing different activities. It is also hard for you to bring them in different places because of their weight.
Indoor Cat Lifestyle
There are lots of benefits related with keeping your cat indoors. For example, cats which take liberties and roam around the streets are at an increased risk of injury through fights with other cats, or through interactions with other humans. Cats are also natural explorers, and it is not unheard of for them to get stuck in tight gaps or – the classic – getting stuck up trees.
Cats graze on food naturally, it’s just what they do. If there is dry food left out, they will eat it intermittently throughout the day. As your kitty nibbles away at the dry food, you probably fill it back up with fresh food. Because of this, it is so easy to lose track of what your kitty has eaten.
Plus, kitties who live indoors typically eat too much and don’t exercise enough, so it is even more important to take special care and attention when feeding your indoor cat.
How to Shed an Indoor Cat’s Weight
Because indoor cats are very sedentary and don’t exercise as much as outdoor cats, it is easy for them to put on weight. Cats do not look in the mirror and get self-conscious like us humans and will happily eat whatever you put in front of them. This means that indoor cats are much more prone to weight gain, and it is important to make sure your indoor kitty stays active, so the extra pounds don’t start piling on!
These are some of the steps you can take to keep your indoor kitty slender –
- Cut down on edible treats – these should be used as rewards, sparingly.
- Cats love to chase and hunt things down, so a laser pointer is a great tool to keep your cat active indoors, and it involves minimal effort from you. Plus, it’s fun!
- Make sure your cat has plenty of vertical space it can use to jump and climb on things – this quickly burns extra calories.
- If you’ve got a particularly lazy cat, keep the litterbox, food bowl and water bowls in different parts of the house – perhaps even on different levels – so your kitty has no choice but to move around the house a lot.
- Exercise wheels are a good choice if you have limited room in your house. See our article on the Best Cat Exercise Wheel for more information!
What Ingredients are Vital for your Kitty?
Protein
Again, cats are obligate carnivores – I can’t stress that enough! Cats must eat meat, but so many cat owners aren’t aware of this. An adult cat needs two to three times more protein than dogs. A cat in the wild would primarily feed off of smaller animals, which results in a high-protein intake. Of course, an indoor cat cannot hunt, so they are reliant on us humans to provide them with all the protein they need.
- Raw or cooked plain meat (chicken, lamb, turkey) are great protein sources for your kitty. See Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken for further information.
- Canned food is the next best alternative to raw and cooked meats. Canned foods typically have a good amount of protein, but check the label!
- Dry cat kibble contains some protein, but not very much. Dry kibble protein content usually does not exceed 30%.
Don't Avoid Fats
We as humans are conditioned to think that fats are bad and have become obsessed with low-fat foods and diets. Cats are not humans and rely on fats as their primary energy source, whereas we humans use carbohydrates for our energy. Fats are critical for a kitty’s good health, and you should not avoid fats when buying cat food – if a cat food has a lot of fat in it, that is not a bad thing.
- Cats need omega fatty acids (3, 6 and 9) for their immune system, joint function, muscle development and skin health to name a few.
- Omega-3 is very important for cats and they should get around 250mg per day! Omega-3 can be found in foods such as fish and flax.
Cut Out the Carbs
Cats really don’t need carbohydrates… not at all! They have no nutritional need for them, period. In the wild, cats would never ever come across carbohydrates as they do not naturally eat wheat, grains or corn, and very rarely eat fruits and vegetables. However, most dry foods and kibbles use corn, wheat and other grains as fillers to bulk the food up.
- Cats cannot digest carbohydrates properly so, by feeding your cat high-carb dry food, they are missing out on the good stuff: protein and fats.
- When you see a food which contains high amounts of carbohydrates, put it back down and never look at it again!
Add Extra Moisture
Cats get lots of their moisture from wet food which can be as much as 75% water content. But, kibble is generally less than 10% water, if that, and for indoor cats, especially ones who eat a lot of dry food, it is important to add extra moisture to their diet; cats will rarely drink enough water from their bowls alone. If your cat has an exclusively dry diet, consider supplementing the food with canned food so that your cat gets enough water in his or her diet.
The best cat food for indoor cats is not necessarily the most expensive brand. The nutrients your indoor kitty needs to stay healthy can be found in a number of regular cat food products and, since indoor and outdoor kitty lives are so different – this is a factor you need to take into account.
The Round Up
Make sure to get the best cat food for overweight indoor cats. There would be different kinds of it on the market that are made with different ingredients. You have to be particular on the meal that you will choose and try to mix and match meals to fit their preferences and needs.
Wet food is always preferable to dry food as it always contains less carbohydrates; the less carbohydrates you give an indoor cat the better, as these add on weight and your cat has no use for them. If you’ve got a particularly pudgy kitty, consider taking steps to exercise him or her more to burn extra calories.
