Is cat food for senior cats necessary or is adult food okay?

Original Question: My question relates to feeding a 7-year-old cat. We give her dry Iams adult 1+ (and 1/2 of a small can of wet food daily) and recently I thought she should be on the next level of Iams dry food so I introduced her to Iams Premium Protection Mature Adult 7-10 years, mixed in with the Iams adult 1+/- and it resulted in loose stools and frequent bowel movements. So I reverted back to the old routine. Is it ok to keep a cat of this age on "adult 1+" and still be giving her what she needs as a 7-year-old cat? Thanks - Barb

Is cat food for senior cats necessary or is adult food okay? Mar 1, 2018

Hi Barb,

I would recommend that you just stick with the original diet instead of the cat food for senior cats. I believe that a good food is one that keeps your cat at an ideal weight, does not cause itching, vomiting or diarrhea, and is well tolerated. I often don’t care what it is as long as those things are taken care of. Keep in mind that your cat is unique and just because some company thinks she should be on a different formulation, doesn’t mean she’ll do well on it. The only thing I would watch out for here is weight gain. The ‘adult 1+’ food may be a little richer in calories and we don’t want our cats becoming overweight. This can be prevented with portion control.

I hope this helps.

Dr. Clayton Greenway

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Is cat food for senior cats necessary or is adult food okay?
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Is cat food for senior cats necessary or is adult food okay?
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I believe that a good food is one that keeps your cat at an ideal weight, does not cause itching, vomiting or diarrhea, and is well tolerated. I often don't care what it is as long as those things are taken care of.
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Healthcare for Pets
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