Cat owners ought to know that cats are prone to urinary infections. As our pets grow older, they become particularly vulnerable to urinary issues. It is not rare that they develop a Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD), manifested through painful urination and even blood in the urine.
When there is excess magnesium, calcium, or phosphorus in their urine, cats face a common problem of developing crystals in the urine. These problems can seriously damage their urinary tract, so they should be treated as a priority to avoid putting your cat in a life-threatening situation.
Research has shown that water and a water-rich diet seem to play crucial roles in preventing and treating urinary tract infections in cats. Any dry foods which lack water can contribute to the development of a urinary tract disease. Most recently, the emphasis has been on maintaining a certain pH level in the urine, which signifies the amount of acid present.
Cat food companies have developed various food products aimed explicitly at cats with urinary issues. These are also known as “wet food,” since they have a significant amount of water so that your cat is well-fed and hydrated.
Needless to say, all cats, and especially those with urinary tract infections, should drink a lot of fresh, clean water daily. The wet food products are also most frequently based on a high protein meat diet designed for cats, known to help dissolve any crystals found in their urinary tracts.
Cat food brands still differ in terms of which ingredients they emphasize as being the most beneficial ones for these kinds of problems.
We help you decide which one is the best for your cat by reviewing the top 5 best wet cat foods for urinary health.
Top Urinary Tract Cat Food – Comparison Table
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Best Wet Cat Food for Urinary Health Reviews
1. Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health Formula Cat Food
Purina is one of the leading cat food brands. Their Urinary Tract Health Formula Cat Food tackles the urinary tract infection by reducing urinary pH. Also, it is rich in low dietary magnesium.
For this reason, this particular wet food should only be fed to cats that have already developed a urinary tract issue. Also, the focus is on adult cats, so you should avoid giving this canned food to kittens.
As we mentioned, research has shown the benefits of protein on urinary infections in cats are many, so this wet food product also has optimal levels of both protein and fat (standing at 12% each) to promote an ideal body condition for your cat.
This is, however, much less protein (by percentage) than in Purina’s dry food formula due to all the water this wet food contains. More precisely, there is up to 78% of moisture in this wet food. Purina’s health formula for urinary issues comes in several flavors.
The basis for all types is some sort of meat and sauce or gravy to keep it wet. At the moment, you can buy beef, chicken, ocean whitefish, turkey, salmon, or a combination of these. To add to these perks, this is one of the cheapest available wet foods options for urinary health.
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2. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Urinary Hairball Control Canned Cat Food
Hill’s Science canned cat food supports the urinary health of your cat in a wholesome way. It is also supposed to reduce hairballs in healthy cats, so you can feed it to your cats even if they haven’t experienced any urinary issues.
This wet food contains an optimal level of magnesium which supports a healthy urinary system, while a carefully chosen fiber blend fights those hairballs. It could be wise to introduce Hill’s Science to your cat’s diet only to take care of the annoying (and harmful) hairballs.
The high-quality natural ingredients include several kinds of meat (predominantly chicken, turkey liver, pork liver, pork by-products), as well as fish oil, rice, and even dried beets. There are many added vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, but no artificial flavors or preservatives.
Altogether, these diverse ingredients are developed to help make sure your cat lives a long, healthy, and perfectly balanced life. Keep in mind it only comes in one flavor, so you cannot choose between these different kinds of meat.
This cat food, too, is recommended for adult cats only (ages 1-6). The price of this product per can is reasonably low. If you order a pack on Amazon and your cat hates the food, you can return any unused cans and get your money back.
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3. Royal Canin Feline Urinary SO Morsels in Gravy Canned Food
Royal Canin’s Urinary SO is definitely on the expensive side. This wet food contains boosted potassium and sodium chloride to actually increase and maintain a high urine volume in cats. This is most definitely a great benefit because it successfully combats and prevents urinary crystals by making your cat urinate more often.
The type of wet food which focuses on the level of acidity in urine, keeping it balanced at the scale of 6.0-6.3 (the level recommended by vets). Unlike the other two wet foods we’ve reviewed so far, Royal Canin’s contains restricted magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium.
It is possible that high levels of these can cause urinary crystals. Another significant fact about this canned food is it is enriched with antioxidants. So if you keep feeding your cat with this food even after the urinary infection is gone, you will help them maintain a healthy immune system.
It works well for cats that are recovering from other diseases, like kidney stones, for instance. You can see this brand applies a different formula to maintain urinary health, which possibly makes Urinary SO one of the best urinary tract cat food products.
The food comes in one flavor, with shreds of meat (chicken and pork) in gravy.
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4. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR St/Ox Urinary Formula Canned Cat Food
Another, much more expensive product by Purina, also tackles urinary acidification and strives to avoid urinary infections by maintaining the recommended pH level. This clinically optimized food helps your cat to drink more water, which can sometimes be hard for them to do as they are thirst-resistant.
It also aims to increase the urine volume in cats and combat urinary tract infections in that way. Such a formula creates a urinary environment where it would be hard for any crystals to develop. It is an excellent choice for cat owners who want to be on the safe side.
The urinary formula is also rich in taurine, which allows for the proper functioning of your cat’s kidneys, making the product a great option for all those concerned about the development of stones.
The original canned Veterinary Diets food is made of a combination of meat by-products, rice, oat fiber, and a range of added vitamin supplements and nutrients. It’s not chunky, but more pate-like, with 78% of moisture.
Or you can choose a combination of turkey and giblets in sauce, or salmon in sauce, both of which have added fish oil. The level of moisture in these two is at an incredible 80%. Magnesium is kept at a low (0.03% level) in all three variants.
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5. Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care Canned Cat Food
Hill’s Multicare Urinary canned food is led by the principle of a vital nutrients balance. Because excess minerals are known to have the capacity to create crystals or even bladder stones in the urine, this multi-care product is clinically formulated to provide your cat with all the necessary nutrients in moderation.
Such a formula prevents recurrence of the most common urinary issues. That said, it contains controlled levels of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, to prevent the development of crystals.
At the same time, there’s added potassium and a high level of Vitamin E and Beta-Carotene, all of which are hostile to crystals and bladder stones. If your cat already has crystals, this food is supposed to dissolve them within four weeks (on average).
Omega-3 fatty acids are also there to put an end to any inflammation your cat could be feeling. This canned food is made of chicken and vegetables, and the portions are more chunky, not pate-style.
It can be fed daily to adult cats, regardless of whether they have a urinary infection or not. Hill’s formula is rather unique.
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Prevention Is the Key
While all these wet cat food products serve to help cats with urinary tract problems, they rely on unique formulas to help them in this mission. New research keeps coming out, so without consulting a vet, it might be challenging to make an informed decision about what the best urinary tract cat food for your cat is.
In the end, it will depend on your cat’s condition, taste, and maybe even your budget. Whichever you decide to buy, make sure you introduce wet food slowly not to cause any stress to your cat’s stomach.
Some of these wet food products we’ve reviewed, like Purina’s Urinary Tract Health Formula, are only aimed at cats that already have urinary tract issues. Others can become a part of your cat’s daily diet, even if he or she is perfectly healthy.
By introducing wet food and lots of water to your cat’s diet, you will stop these harmful infections from developing and allow your cat to maintain a high level of urinary health.
Last update on 2023-09-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API