11 Best Cat Foods for Constipation in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Seeing your cat suffer from constipation and other digestive issues can be heartbreaking. As a pet owner, the last thing you want to see is your companion in pain or discomfort. This is why many cat food companies out there have worked diligently to create cat foods to help ease constipation and make your cat’s bathroom time easier.

If you have a cat who suffers from digestive issues, this list of the best cat foods for constipation is for you. This list of foods, both wet and dry, offers your cat the healthy benefits you dream of while still providing the great taste they require. Take a look at our review of these cat foods so you can make the best decision for your feline best friend.

Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.

A Quick Glance at Our Favorites in 2024

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription	Human-grade cat food Food is Minimally processed Provides fiber-rich meals	Click to Save 40% Use code: PetKeen2024
Budget Buy		Iams Proactive Health Sensitive Digestion	Budget-friendly Multiple size options Plenty of fiber and prebiotics	Check Price
		Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Dry Cat Food	Packed with protein Low-calorie formula Helps improve digestion and gut bacteria	Check Price
		Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Kitten Soft Mousse	Great for sensitive stomachs Easy for all cats to eat Kitten-specific recipe	Check Price
		Purina Pro Plan Vital Systems	Senior-specific recipe Promotes healthy digestive development Veterinarian-recommended formula	Check Price

The 11 Best Cat Foods for Constipation

1. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription – Best Overall

Just like humans, cats can experience constipation sometimes; it is actually quite common. A lack of water is an important part of your cat’s diet and can often be the cause of constipation. If your cat is having trouble with regularity, it’s a good idea to increase their water intake. Canned wet food can be a great way to help your cat get more water. There are occasionally serious cases, but most of the time this issue is manageable and can be mitigated with simple diet changes and exercise.

This is where Smalls Cat Food may come in handy. Smalls provides human-grade cat food that’s gently processed and made fresh before shipping. If your cat is suffering from dehydration or fiber issues, you can choose from one of their fresh, fiber-rich meal options. They offer moist pate and minced meat textures to provide your cat with additional hydration during meal time. This makes it the overall best cat food for constipation.

The downside of this food is that it is subscription only, so it’s not available in stores. The subscription is also costly. But, it’s worth the price if you can afford it for a high-quality diet.

If your cat has a sensitive stomach and you don’t have an unlimited bank account, then Iams Proactive Health Sensitive Digestion & Skin might be just what you’re looking for. It’s a more affordable cat food option that also boosts digestive health, and it comes in multiple sizes, so you can try it out and then order in bulk if it works.

The recipe is full of fiber and prebiotics, and Iams makes it in the United States, so it goes through a more stringent quality control process and you can trust what you’re feeding your cat.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Kitten Gastrointestinal Dry Cat Food is a great food option for your cat if you can get a subscription for it. The recipe helps just about any cat with constipation issues, making it the perfect choice for this list.

However, it is a kitten-specific recipe, so it’s not the best choice for older cats. Not only that, but you need a prescription, and even then, it’s more expensive than non-prescription foods. But it works, and that alone makes it worth every penny to us!

If your kitten just isn’t ready to completely transition to kibble but has digestive issues, then Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Kitten Gastrointestinal Ultra Soft Mousse is an outstanding choice. It’s a far more expensive dietary choice for them, but it works great, and cats love the taste.

You will need a prescription and deep pockets to afford it, but it’ll solve your cat’s digestive problems and give them some high-quality food, and that’s a real win-win for us!

Purina Pro Plan Vital Systems is the first cat food on our list without its accolade, but that doesn’t make it any less of a great choice. It’s the first senior-specific cat food on our list, and you don’t need a prescription for it.

Not only does it help with digestive health, but it also boosts immune, kidney, and brain health! It’s a veterinarian-recommended formula, but it only comes in small bags, is senior cat-specific, and is more expensive per ounce than most other dry cat foods.

The Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Funk in the Trunk Chicken in Pumpkin Consomme Grain-Free Cat Food is perfect for pet owners who want to aid their cat’s digestive system while offering their pets foods they will love. By being a completely grain-free formula, this wet good avoids added corn and wheat and instead offers lean chicken breast and pumpkin. While your cat enjoys proteins from the tasty chicken and needs fiber from the pumpkin, they will also get a great blend of vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy and active. This tasty cat food can be served alone or as a topping to your kitty’s favorite kibble.

The Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat & Kitten Food is full of great ingredients to keep your cat eating and feeling its best. Real turkey is the first ingredient in this food, it also includes chicken, turkey liver, tuna, and turkey broth. Although not specially formulated for constipation, this cat food does include pumpkin which is an excellent source of fiber, extra vitamins, and taurine for better heart health. This canned food is also grain-free to further promote easier digestion for cats with stomach issues. Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, Nulo also promotes better hydration thanks to the moisture offered by the broth-based gravy.

The Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Cat Food is one of the best cat foods on the market for animals with digestive issues. This wet cat food is highly palatable and features a high fiber content. The included prebiotics are ideal for better gut health while dietary fibers help the health of the intestines. This food also includes all the nutrients needed to help your cat feel better after symptoms such as vomiting and an upset stomach. This cat food is also a veterinarian recommended and prescribed food. Vets may prescribe this food when cats are underweight or need help managing their weight due to overeating.

The Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet GI Gastrointestinal Support Grain-Free Dry Cat food is the company’s effort to fully promote gastrointestinal health. This cat food features easy-to-digest foods while being part of Blue Buffalo’s best resources. This food is packed with healthy proteins and carbohydrates including deboned chicken and tapioca starch. While using ingredients ideal for easy digestion, this food is also high in protein to promote healthy muscles. Due to the high levels of fats, proteins, and fiber inside this bag of cat food, owners can only get this formula with a veterinarian’s prescription. If your cat has dietary issues or deals with digestive problems like constipation, speaking to your veterinarian will help you bring this food home to their bowl.

The Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets OM Overweight Management Formula Canned Cat Food is specially formulated to help cats manage their weight while aiding their digestive systems. Like the dry cat food version, this food is popular with vets and animal researchers. This food is designed to help cats who are overweight. By using an ideal protein-to-fat ratio, this cat food is designed to help cats who are already carrying extra weight fill up quicker in hopes of helping control their weight and build the healthy muscles they need later in their adult life.

FirstMate Chicken Meal with Blueberries Diet Grain-Free Dry Cat Food was created to make having a good meal easier for cats with food allergies and other sensitivities, including poor digestion and constipation. This cat food features real chicken, potatoes, and blueberries to ensure your cat receives only the best all-natural ingredients at each meal. Vitamin supplements, rich fibers, chelated minerals, and other beneficial extras are also found in this cat food to help make it easier to digest while being healthier for your cat. This amazing blend is also perfectly balanced for cats of all life stages.

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Cat Foods for Constipation

When choosing the best cat food for constipation, understanding your cat’s needs is important. As you can see, not all foods are developed with the same ingredients. This is where you, the owner, come into play. By knowing what ingredients are good for your cat and the ones you should avoid, you can help your feline friend’s digestive system while also keeping an eye on their weight.

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If you’re choosing the food you trust for your cat’s gut health, keep your eyes open for prebiotics, digestible fibers, proper protein-to-fat ratios, and lower calories. These special extras are great for improving your cat’s weight, gut health, and digestion. In some cases, these ingredients can even help eliminate symptoms of an upset stomach like vomiting and diarrhea.

While you’re looking for the best ingredients and additives, there are also things you should avoid. Grains and meat by-products are very difficult for a cat to digest. When consuming lots of these foods, your cat may become overweight, or more sluggish than you’d expect. To help them feel better, it’s always better to choose cat food with ingredients you understand and trust.

Final Thoughts

If you still can’t figure out which cat food is right for your cat after reading through the reviews and buyer’s guide, don’t overthink it. There’s a reason Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food is our top choice, and it will give your cat everything they need and then some with the highest quality food possible.

Of course, if you’re on a tighter budget, there’s nothing wrong with that, and Iams Proactive Health Sensitive Digestion & Skin is a great choice, too. The important thing is that you get the right food on order for them sooner rather than later so you can get their constipation under control!

We truly hope that this article helps you find a cat food that your cat will love!

Featured Image Credit: Skrypnykov Dmytro, Shutterstock