Is high fiber food good for cats

Best High Fiber Cat Food

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

After studying how much fiber cats need, identifying appropriate fiber sources for cats, and researching the high-fiber cat food market, we recommend Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Funk in the Trunk Chicken in Pumpkin Consomme as the best high-fiber cat food on the market.

Most high-fiber foodsthink those marketed for indoor cats and hairball controlare bulked up with fiber and other plant ingredients your cat doesnt need. Too much fiber and too much plant matter can give your cat a smelly litter box and a troubled tummy. Thats the opposite of what you want.

The best high-fiber cat food supports your cats need for a carnivorous diet and provides just enough fiber to keep their gut healthy without weighing them down.

At a Glance: Best High-Fiber Cat Food to Buy in 2024

Want a quick look at the products reviewed in this article? In the comparison table below, weve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. Youll find more detailed information about each product later in the article.

Overall Best

10.0

Picked by 31 people today!

• Popular among cats with digestive issues
• Higher fiber content than most wet foods
• Low carbohydrate content

Runner Up

9.8

Picked by 31 people today!

• Primarily made from animal protein
• Contains a mix of insoluble and soluble fiber, including prebiotic fiber
• Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives

Budget Pick

9.5

Picked by 25 people today!

• Rich in animal-sourced protein
• Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
• A relatively economical buy

Premium Pick

9.4

Picked by 21 people today!

• Made with a single source of animal protein
• Pumpkin provides supplemental fiber
• Very low in carbohydrates

Best Dry Food

9.3

Picked by 18 people today!

• Formulated to support digestive health
• Multiple animal sources of protein and fat
• Supplemented with probiotics

Best Prescription

9.2

Picked by 18 people today!

• Primarily made from animal protein sources
• Contains prebiotic fiber to support digestive health
• Made with fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids

Why Trust Cats.com

Before selecting products to test, I performed in-depth research and consulted veterinary experts to determine what role fiber plays in feline digestion. Using that information, I selected products and tested them at home with my two cats, Wessie and Forest.

In addition to considering fiber content, I selected cat foods with essential qualities like plenty of species-appropriate animal protein, high moisture content, and minimal carbohydrate matter. Theyre made with safe, high-quality ingredients and are created by reputable companies. Some are formulated with digestive health in mind, offering additional support for a smooth move through the digestive system.

On top of testing these products, I read customer reviews to assess their overall customer satisfaction. I also researched the brands to determine their trustworthiness and history of safe, quality manufacturing.

Top 6 High-Fiber Cat Foods

The best high-fiber cat food acknowledges your cats carnivorous biology and provides just enough fiber to keep their gut healthy without weighing them down. Weve chosen Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Funk in the Trunk for its meat-centric formula and easy digestibility. But its not the ideal choice for every cat.

If your cat requires high-fiber cat food for therapeutic reasons, follow your veterinarians dietary advice. Otherwise, one of the recommendations below might be a good fit. Weve categorized them by food type, price, and other key considerations to help you narrow down the options.

Things to Consider When Buying High-Fiber Cat Food

Cats are carnivores who live on flesh, fat, and bones. The natural feline diet doesnt involve cellulose powder, dried tomato pomace, or flaxseed. In contrast to the fiber fermentation machines that are herbivores, cats have short digestive tracts and their bodies dont spend much time fermenting what they eat.

But they do need a little fiber. When cats consume prey in the wild, they ingest all sorts of indigestible matterhair, claws, teeth, and connective tissue. Though its not fiber in the traditional sense, this indigestible stuff ferments in a cats colon and aids digestion. Since most people are unable or unwilling to add back this indigestible animal matter, plant fiber works instead.

Here are some things to consider when shopping for high-fiber cat food.

There Are Two Types of Fiber

Both soluble and insoluble fiber help to promote healthy digestion. Soluble fiberderived from plant pectin and gumscan help regulate blood sugar, which may be a benefit for diabetic cats. Insoluble fiber or cellulose draws water into the stool, making it easier to pass.

Both types of fiber feed good bacteria in the gut, working together to promote regular digestion. A little bit of fiber is essential to keep your cats gut happy and healthy. But while a pinch of fiber is a friend for your cats GI tract, theres no need to fill your cat up with piles of fiber.

Dont Assume More Fiber is the Solution

On top of the fact that most cat food has more fiber than cats need, cat food companies market fiber as a solution to problems that it either isnt the best solution to or simply cant solve. For example, although fiber helps promote fullness, your overweight cat may not need a high-fiber diet to stay satisfied and lose weight.

Neither does your hairball-prone cat need more fiber to sweep hair through their digestive tract. Fiber is not a broom and your cat doesnt need to be swept like a kitchen floor. Its normal for cats to eat hair, whether its their preys hair or their own. That hair moves through the GI tract and comes out in the stool. Frequent hairball hacking is indicative of deeper digestive problems, not a fiber deficiency.

Excessive Fiber Intake Could Cause Problems

Too much fiber could inhibit the secretion of pancreatic enzymes that digest protein, decreasing nutrient absorption and, ultimately, making your cat less healthy. Elisa Katz, DVM says that shes seen this problem in many cats fed a commercial prescription diet known to be high in fiber. Their coats become dry and flaky and their stools become huge.

If, after switching your cat to one of the above foods or something similar, your cat is still having digestive issues, more fiber isnt the answer. There are likely deeper issues at play.

Speak with your veterinarian if youre thinking about switching your cat to a high-fiber food. Your vet will consider your cats overall health and current diet to determine whether a high-fiber food might be a good fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much fiber do cats need?

Cats dont have specific nutritional requirements for fiber. A wild whole-prey diet consists of indigestible matter which, in a commercial cat food diet, is generally replaced by plant-based fibers. Dietary fiber requirements may vary depending on your cats diet health status.

Do indoor cats need more fiber?

No. In fact, most normal dry cat foodsnot even those marketed as high-fiber or indoor foodshave more fiber than a cats natural diet would ever include. A cats natural diet of fresh, whole rodents would be about 0.55% fiber. Compare that to the 4% fiber content of a standard dry food or the 9-10% fiber content of the typical indoor cat food.

How do I add fiber to my cats food?

Cats with certain health conditions may benefit from a temporary increase in fiber intake. If your veterinarian recommends it, one of the simplest methods is to add small amounts of unsweetened canned pumpkin puree to your cats normal food.

The 8 Best High Fiber Foods for Your Cat in 2024

Cats have vastly different dietary needs than us, or our canine friends. Or armadillos. Everyone is different. Still, we might not put much thought into what we put into their bowlbut we should. Our Garfields dont have the same nutritional needs as their free-roaming relatives. Indoor cats need a balanced diet, optimal for their particular metabolism.

While high fiber diets are not necessary for most cats, in many cases, this is the ideal solution to keep them healthy. If your cat is obese, has a regular issue with hairballs, or suffers from diarrhea or constipation, its worth asking your vet is a high fiber diet is right for them.

Luckily, you dont need to begin a quest for the best high-fiber cat foods available today, though: weve already located them for you. Read on to find more about them and why they might be the top choice for your four-legged companion.

How to Choose the Best High Fiber Food for Cats

Before we dive into the best high fiber foods on the market, lets explore the most vital info to know before you make your selection.

What Can Fiber Help Your Cat With?

There are few health issues that a high fiber food can help your cat with, like constipation. Here, we break down a few of the other more common ailments that fiber can help with.

Diet Management

The introduction of more fiber in your cats food can also help you manage their diet. An increase in fiber content can help your cat feel full after eating, for longer. At least theoretically, this should lead to fewer visits to the food bowl, less food consumption, and fewer calories.

Diabetes

A diet rich in soluble fiber can also help diabetic cats. Diabetes is directly related to weight and is affected by high blood glucose. Soluble fiber can reduce the calories and glucose absorbed by the body during digestion. Thus, it can help in two ways, reducing sugar levels in the short term, and assisting in losing weight in the long term.

Eliminating Hairballs

If your cat has long hair or is over-grooming, you are probably familiar with the concept of hairballs. Foods that include both soluble and insoluble fiber, like Hills Science Diet Dry Cat Food, can help with this problem.

Wed prefer to avoid getting into the gross details. Lets just say that a mix of solid and semi-liquified fiber can help the hair pass through. Thus, your purr-buddy will be able to deposit them at the litter box instead of suddenly launching them at your pillow.

Factors to Consider in a Higher Fiber Food for Cats

When choosing the right food for your furry best friend, keep these important considerations in mind.

Does It Have Healthy Sources of Fiber?

Some sources of fiber can wreak havoc to your cats stomach. Others can have the opposite effect, assist in digestion, and keep them happy and healthy. By paying a closer look at the fine print, you can ensure it contains fiber your pet pal can digest easily.

You should go for a number between 1% and 10%, with the amount considered optimal for a housebound felines diet being around 3%. Those fiber sources include:

• Apples
• Barley
• Beet
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Flaxseed
• Fruit Extracts
• Pumpkin
• Rice
• Sweet Potatoes

We should note that cats dont have a high thirst drive and get a significant amount of water from their food. Thats why you should avoid food sources that contain large amounts of corn, grains, or wheat, that absorb water when digested.

Is Protein a Primary Ingredient?

Even when choosing a high-fiber food for your cat, you should pay attention to the sources of protein in it. Good protein sources for our mini carnivores come from real meat, which should be a cat foods primary ingredient. Chicken, duck, turkey, or salmon can be a great first ingredient for a cat recipe. Animal byproducts and any mention of meals? Not so much.

To be clear on this, its not a negative if a cat food contains animal byproducts or stuff like chicken meal. Some filler content is expected, helps enrich the recipe, and isnt bad on its own. Still, it shouldnt be the primary ingredient.

Is the Brand Safe & Reputable?

It should also go without saying that you should prefer reputable brands that use safe ingredients. Avoid any brand you havent ever heard of or no-name options whose ingredients you cant check.

Since the trip to your house can be quite adventurous, also make sure to check out the packaging. While researching product availability for this guide, weve run into unfavorable reviews for practically all brands. One common point between them wasnt the foods or brands fault: tempered or destroyed packaging. If the packaging isnt pristine, consider the food inside it unsuitable for consumption, and avoid offering it to your purr-pal.

Does It Meet Your Cats Needs?

Finally, your choice should be the best for your furball. Your diabetic and lethargic pawed partner, whos kept you company for more than a decade, wont have the same nutritional requirements as the healthy and energetic kitten you adopted yesterday.

Before making the purchase, though, it would be better to ask your veterinarian for their opinion. Maybe theyd suggest you use a supplement instead of switching to a higher fiber food for your cat. Plus, theres always the chance your felines particular nutritional demands call for less fiber in their diet instead.

Now that you know what to look for in a high fiber food for your cat, lets check out the best options on the market right now.

Everything You Need to Know About Fiber and Your Feline

We saw the basics about how to choose a high-fiber food for your cat, and some of the best products available. How did we come to pick those choices over the alternatives? What else should you look for when choosing a high-fiber food for your cat? Is there a reason for your constipated feline friend to celebrate Halloween by enjoying some pumpkin?

Pour a cup of your favorite beverage, ensure your cat wont start jumping on your keyboard, and scroll down for the answers to those burning questions and more.

Feeding Indoor Cats

Our cats are obligate carnivores, which means that the optimal diet for them, at least when in the wild, consists of small prey, like birds and rodents. After consuming those delicacies, non-digestible parts like fur, bones, and feathers, end up traveling through the whole digestive system. In the process, they help clean the intestines.

Since an indoor cats food doesnt contain such gross to our human eyes tasty bits, grain can replace them to both offer similar services and enrich our pet pals diet.

Also, feral cats live a rough life. They have to be more energetic to hunt for food and avoid becoming prey for larger animals. And its not as if they enjoy searching for scraps in our garbage.

In contrast, our household cats spend most of their day sleeping, except when they eat, make a donation to our litter box to keep us happy, or get the zoomies. So, to make a long story short, what should they eat?

How Are Indoor Cats Different?

Thanks to their less energetic lifestyle, indoor cats usually need fewer calories than the cats who go on daily adventures outside.

Strictly indoor cats can also get more easily frustrated since they dont have many venues to vent their stored energy. For some, this translates to extended grooming, which in turn leads to hairballs. If that sounds like your cat, there are food formulas precisely for that, like Hills Science Diet Urinary & Hairball Control.

Does Age Matter?

Young kittens are little hyperactive balls of fur who need lots of energy to thrive. As they get older, they become less active. They develop preferences and sensitivities, and need a more balanced diet, like what IAMS Proactive Health Weight & Hairball Control offers.

Then, you blink, and theyre old. Not older, plain old, and their age shows. Unlike their everlasting devotion to you, their kidneys and livers might start failing. Thats when its time to, once more, introduce them to a different, lighter type of food, like Royal Canins Feline Health Nutrition Sensitive Digestion Dry Adult Cat Food.

How Much Should You Feed Them?

Just like us, our cats need different types and amounts of food throughout their life. You should consult your vet about how much you should feed your cat and what.

Still, most commercially available cat foods target specific age groups, address their particular nutritional needs, and suggest a serving size on their packaging.

How Many Calories Do They Need?

We should stress once more that your furball is an individual and could have particular dietary needs, on which only your vet could comment with authority.

That said, a relatively healthy adult cat needs an average caloric intake of around 20 times its weight in pounds.

Food Transition

Cats dont like surprises and are creatures of habit. An abrupt change in their bowl might come as a shock to them, refusing to even look at it. In a worst-case scenario, they might even have an it-wasnt-actually-an-accident on your bed. That should show you how much they disagree with your choice of salmon-with-peas.

Low and Slow

When transitioning your four-legged friend from one food to another, do it gradually. Slowly introduce the new food into the older one. Day by day, increase the amount of the new food, easing your cat into it.

Keep the Flavor

Apart from a slow transition from one food to another, it also helps if you choose a similar flavor. Your purr-pal will be able to tell its different, but probably wont mind a transition from chicken-and-this to chicken-and-that, instead of an abrupt switch to anything-with-salmon. Thats one of the reasons many cat foods, like Natural Balances L.I.D. Indoor Grain-Free Dry Cat Food come in multiple flavors.

Tolerances and Benefits

Whenever you introduce a new type of food into your cats diet, you should keep a close eye on her appearance, behavior, but also the litter box.

It will be easy to tell theres a problem with the new food if your cat starts vomiting. There can be more subtle clues, though, for which you should be vigilant. Swap back to the previous food and contact your vet if your furball:

• Looks lethargic/noticeably less active
• Pays fewer visits to the litter box
• Has dull, non-shiny fur

Expected changes that you (probably) shouldnt worry about include increased flatulence and more visits to the litter box, with higher volume output. Apart from those quirks, if your cat is more energetic, and looks happier, congratulations, cat-parent! The new food you picked up was a nice upgrade!

Price

We would love to offer our pet pals the best in the world, but that can be a pricey endeavor. Most of us dont survive on caviar and lobster, nor can we afford the most premium cat foods.

This, though, doesnt mean you should go for the cheapest option. Just like most humans with the possible exception of Hindu mystics cant survive all our life on bread and water, the cheapest cat foods may have low nutritional value for your purr-pal.

Although your cat might accept them, cheap, sub-par foods could lead to problems in the long run. Problems demanding multiple and expensive visits to the vet, nullifying the very point of choosing the most affordable option in the first place.

Is Too Much Fiber Bad?

Cats typically dont need over 3% of fiber in their food. More fiber means less of everything else, and the average cat needs more of this everything else. A fiber value of around 6% can be considered more than enough for most felines.

Going over 10% can make both your cat and you miserable: too much fiber can cause bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and more visits to the litter box. In the long run, it can lead to decreased muscle mass, a slower metabolism, and weight gain which is also directly linked to feline diabetes.

Although some fiber can be good for our feline friends, you should always remember that they are primarily carnivores. Some fiber in their food can help enrich their diet and assist in digestion. Still, it should be far from the primary ingredient.

When we talk about rich in fiber foods for cats, rich translates to a range between 2% to 10%. The ideal target you should be looking for is 1.5% 3%.

What Are Alternatives to High Fiber Cat Foods?

If your cat only temporarily needs a fiber-boost, consider these easy options.

High-Fiber Treats

A great way to add more fiber to your cats existing diet is by introducing high-fiber treats into the mix. As a bonus, they can even help with clicker training.

Do note, though, that like other treats, those are concentrated bits of nourishment. You shouldnt use them as a replacement for actual food. Check their instructions for a suggested daily dosage and make sure not to exceed it.

Supplements

Products like the organic pumpkin supplement by Raw Paws Pet Food are another excellent option for adding extra fiber to your cats existing diet. Make sure not to exceed the suggested daily dosage, though.

Alternatives

You dont want to change your felines diet, nor use commercially available treats or supplements? Thankfully, there are other ways to boost their digestive system.

Add Some Pumpkin

Add half a teaspoon of pumpkin to their existing food. Despite being carnivores, many cats seem to enjoy it, and it supposedly helps with their digestion. See? Weve told you your cat could also enjoy Halloween!

However, theres a reason we say supposedly. Your cat would need more than two cups of pumpkin every day to get the same amount of fiber found in high-quality high-fiber products.

Serve Them Vaseline

Not all cats like it, but if yours does, half a teaspoon of Vaseline around two hours before or after eating can also help them with their digestion.

Get a Water Fountain

If you are looking for high-fiber foods as a possible solution for your cat being continuously dehydrated, maybe you could tackle the problem differently. Many cats dont like drinking from still water sources. The solution? Make the water move!

You can find water fountains explicitly created for this purpose, which can help your feline both keep hydrated and entertained.

We suggest you place them away from any cabling, though, for your, your pets, and your electric/electronic equipments safety.

Balanced Diet, Happy Cats

The very fact we make our food choices for our purr-pals is one of the reasons indoor cats enjoy two to three times longer lifespans compared to their feral cousins.

Most cats in the wild have to find food every single day if they dont, its diet time. They have to fight the elements and avoid being hurt by larger animals among which those shiny ones with wheels are probably the most dangerous.

Our household pals are lucky to have us help them with problems like those, but also in choosing the best food for them. With a balanced diet and lots of love, whos to say your feline wouldnt reach 40, braking Crme Puffs Guinness World Record?