We often get questions from our clients about their pets and what they should feed them. One of the most common questions is ‘What can I feed my cat with a sensitive stomach?’. Finding the right food for a cat with a sensitive stomach can be challenging and sometimes frustrating, but we have some tips to make the process a little easier.
Quality Matters
If your cat suffers from an upset stomach, you know how miserable it can make them. Some cats just have more sensitive digestive systems than others. The quality of your cat’s food is a big factor in soothing an inflamed digestive tract. Look for foods that don’t use or artificial flavors or colors. Foods that have limited ingredients can be helpful for cats who have sensitive stomachs.
Where Does Your Food Come From?
It’s important to know where your cat’s food is coming from. The ingredients on the label may look good but some countries have higher safety standards than others. There have been many reports of animal illnesses linked to ingredients from China, so we recommend looking for foods that do not use ingredients from China.
Wet or Dry?
If your cat is only eating dry food, consider adding in wet food as part of their diet. Cats acquire their water through their food (even if your cat drinks from the faucet or a water dish, it’s not enough) and not getting enough water in their system could lead to an inflamed digestive tract, causing your cat to have an upset stomach.
How To Switch
It’s especially important with a sensitive cat, to switch over their food slowly. Start with 3/4 of their old food and 1/4 of their new food. Feed this combination for a few days, checking for signs of distress. If your cat experiences stomach upset, back off a little on the new food until they are back to normal. After a few days, you should be able to feed half of their old food and half of their new food. At the end of two weeks, you should be progressing to feeding only the new food. Any time your cat’s stomach gets upset, slow down the transition.
Addiction Pet Foods carries a wide variety of cat foods, including dry foods and wet foods. We use limited ingredients in most of our foods and we never source our ingredients from China.