Although a good number of the most severe symptoms that emanate from food allergies among the feline population are skin-related, we have seen so many cases where allergies and food intolerance can lead to digestive issues as well. Depending on the severity of such situations, these digestive issues are capable of compromising the quality of a kitty’s nutrition and the inherent ability of its body to absorb and also utilize the nutrients.
This is a good reason to offer cats high-quality feline food products, especially for pet parents who are taking the elimination process to identify food allergens (more explanations below). So, what foods are best for cats with allergies? Find out here.
Table of Contents
Best Foods For Cats With Allergies
If you are looking for good commercially packaged food to feed your allergic furry friend, check out these four below.
Smalls For Smalls Fresh Chicken Pate
For this brand, pet parents fill out a profile while signing up for cat food, after which the food will be specially formulated to suit your kitty’s needs. In fact, this should the best choice for cats with allergies as owners will be able to provide the manufacturers with information about their cats which ensures that whatever food you eventually get will be exactly what your feline companion needs. The benefits of feeding your pet with fresh food are too numerous – the animal will get more energy, its coat will become shinier, and its litter box will be less fragrant.
Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Kibble
This brand has two lines of products for cats, the Prairie line of canned foods, and the Instinct line of raw and grain-free formulas. The Instinct line offers a good number of products including kibbles with freeze-dried raw pieces, raw recipes, healthy weight formulas, and high-protein kibbles, in addition to a collection of Limited Ingredient Diets which includes things like canned foods, kibbles, and treats. The Instinct line of Limited Ingredient Diet offers a couple of feline dry food formulas and five canned food formulas.
The two flavor options you can get in kibble form are produced with rabbit or turkey as their primary source of protein and these foods come balanced and complete for felines in all life stages. They come in the form of grain-free formulas formulated with peas and tapioca as their main sources of digestible carbs. The canned food comes in five different flavors – lamb, turkey, rabbit, duck, and pork. They produce wet food formulas with a minimum number of ingredients that are known to be grain-free and gluten-free for healthy, balanced nutrition.
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets
In a bid to create high-quality diets for felines in a selective number of formulas produced with unique proteins, quality meats, complex carbs, as well as fresh fruits and veggies, the Limited Ingredient Diets line of Natural Balance products offers four different flavors for wet food, four for dry food, and three for treats. For the dry foods, they are formulated with green peas with duck, chicken, venison, and salmon as the protein options and primary source of digestible carbohydrates.
The wet food option also has peas and the above-listed protein options. Every formula in this line of product has supplements like omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 which makes for a healthy coat and skin. They also include chelated minerals for maximum absorption which is good for cats with allergies.
Merrick Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Diets
The Limited Ingredient Diet is a line of feline grain-free formulas designed to provide balanced and complete nutrition for kitties without causing food allergies. They are formulated with a simple list of ingredients that include high-quality proteins, as well as digestible carbs. In addition, all the formulas in this line of products are gluten-free and equally free from corn and grains, they offer four wet food formulas and three dry food formulas with turkey, salmon, and chicken as the primary sources of protein.
The wet food option also has a duck flavor. The line of products is known to formulate its food with a single source of protein and the sources of carbs are gluten and grain-free items like peas and potatoes. In addition, dried fermentation products are included to support healthy digestion. These feline foods are also known to be free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Key Ingredients In Cat Food That Cause Allergies
Just like humans, the feline population can experience allergies and anything can be the culprit, including food ingredients. However, studies have revealed that there are certain food components that are more likely to trigger allergies among cats and this serves as a guide to manufacturers that produce hypoallergenic foods that are ideal for cats with allergies.
Most feline food intolerance and allergies can be laid at the doorstep of dairy products and grains as cats are consummate carnivores and thus, they are not prepared to ingest them as their digestive system is ill-equipped to deal with such foods. The most common trigger among these food items is corn.
The second common cause of allergic reactions in cats is dairy products as the digestive tract of a mature cat is not equipped with the enzymes to digest such. Cats can react to some parts of meat like fat tissue and another common cause of feline allergy is seafood. Again, artificial fillers and preservatives may also serve as triggers; and commercially produced feline foods are replete with those.
Home Remedies For Cats With Allergies
Once you have established that your furry friend is suffering from a food allergy, the likely recommendation from your vet is a food trial and elimination diet; this takes a period of 12 weeks and entails eliminating every potential allergen from the kitty’s diet. This way, you will be able to flush all traces of the allergen from your pet’s body. Once the 12 weeks elapse, you will then go ahead to introduce some potential allergens to the cat one after the other while you gauge its response.
Any particular food item that makes your cat display a negative reaction is the culprit. Once all the allergens have been identified, the onus is now on the pet parent to avoid feeding the cat such foods.
Read Also: High Fiber Cat Food To Feed Your Pet
What Are The Best Food Ingredients To Feed Your Cat During the Elimination Period?
Once you have taken the decision to identify the source of your furry friend’s allergy, you will also have to give consideration to the ideal foods they can eat during this period. For cats with allergies, it is best to go for food that is replete with a novel source of protein, as well as digestible carbs. Ideally, the food should be prepared with ingredients from animal products, if animal fats must be present, then it has to be moderate, besides, the digestible carbohydrate also has to be very low.
Many pet food manufacturers produce their cat food brands with novel protein sources such as rabbits and ducks. However, these may not be the best option to take. Pet owners who don’t have a clue as to what to feed a cat with allergies can leverage the commercially produced ones mentioned above as most of them offer a selection of limited ingredient food diets.