10 Best Cat Foods for Diarrhea in Australia — 2024 Review & Top Picks
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When your cat has diarrhea, you want to get them feeling better as soon as possible. While one episode of diarrhea isn’t typically anything to worry about, chronic diarrhea may indicate that your cat needs a change in their diet. There are several reasons that your cat’s food may be upsetting their stomach. Sometimes it’s an allergy or a food sensitivity. Choosing a novel protein food or one designed for sensitive stomachs might be able to help.
These reviews give you an overview of Australia’s 10 best cat foods for diarrhea. We also give you a few tips and tricks to help narrow down the cause of your cat’s diarrhea.
A Quick Glance at The Winners in 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
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Purina ONE Indoor Advantage Dry Cat Food |
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Best Value
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Purina Friskies Seafood Sensations |
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Premium Choice
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Orijen Original Cat Food |
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| Best for Kittens |
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Purina ONE Kitten Wet Cat Food |
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| Vet's Choice |
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Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin and Stomach |
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Check Price |
The 10 Best Cat Foods for Diarrhea in Australia
1. Purina ONE Indoor Advantage Dry Cat Food — Best Overall
| Main ingredients: | Turkey, chicken by-product meal, rice, corn gluten meal, soybean meal |
| Protein content: | 37% |
| Fat content: | 9% |
| Calories: | 372 kcal/cup |
Purina ONE Indoor Advantage Dry Food is our recommendation for the best overall cat food for diarrhea in Australia. This recipe contains turkey as the first ingredient and has 10% less fat than Purina ONE’s regular cat food to help your indoor cat maintain lean muscle mass and avoid weight gain. This food is significantly higher in protein than most cat foods. This helps your cat digest food slower and absorb more nutrients.
High fibre levels in this food also prevent diarrhea episodes and minimize hairballs that can cause stomach upset. The only downside to this food is that it’s not suitable for cats with chicken sensitivities. Even though turkey is the primary protein in this recipe, it still contains chicken ingredients.
- Meat is the first ingredient
- More protein than most other brands
- Less fat for indoor cats
- High fibre promotes slower digestion
- Not appropriate for cats with chicken sensitivities
2. Purina Friskies Seafood Sensations Cat Food — Best Value
| Main ingredients: | Ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, soybean meal |
| Protein content: | 30% |
| Fat content: | 11% |
| Calories: | 388 kcal/cup |
Friskies Seafood Sensations is the best cat food for diarrhea in Australia for the money. This food contains high-quality fish ingredients that are loaded with omega fatty acids and antioxidants to promote the health of your cat’s immune system. It offers complete nutrition at a budget-friendly price tag. The fish flavour is extra appealing for picky felines, and it has a reasonably low-calorie count for indoor cats to maintain a healthy weight.
If your cat has dental issues or missing teeth, this may not be the best food for them. The kibble chunks are fairly large. While this is great for slowing down eating and digestion, they might be hard to chew for kitties whose teeth aren’t in the best condition.
- Affordable
- Omega fatty acids and antioxidants for immune health
- Flavourful for picky cats
- Low enough in calories for indoor cats
- Large kibble chunks
3. Orijen Original Cat Food — Premium Choice
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, turkey, whole mackerel, turkey giblets, flounder |
| Protein content: | 40% |
| Fat content: | 20% |
| Calories: | 515 kcal/cup |
Orijen Original contains 90% meat ingredients to provide your feline carnivore with all the nutrition that they need to stay healthy and active. This means the food is also high in protein, making it a perfect option for cats with diarrhea. It also has organ meats that are nutrient-dense, and the kibble is freeze-dried raw coated to make it extra tasty. If your cat is sensitive to chicken, there is also a fish recipe from Orijen.
This cat food is more expensive than many other brands, but it is also premium quality. We think that the high protein and large quantity of meat ingredients are well worth the price.
The only complaint about Orijen cat food is that it smells strong. This appeals to your cat but may make feeding time slightly less pleasant for you.
- 90% meat
- High protein
- Nutrient-dense food
- Freeze-dried raw coated kibble is extra flavourful
- Expensive
- Strong smelling
4. Purina ONE Kitten Wet Cat Food — Best for Kittens
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, liver, chicken broth, pork lungs, salmon |
| Protein content: | 11% |
| Fat content: | 6.5% |
| Calories: | 105 kcal/can |
If you’ve got a kitten with diarrhea, it’s crucial to get it resolved as quickly as possible. Purina ONE Kitten wet food gives your little one the extra hydration that they need, and it’s formulated to meet all the nutritional requirements of growing kittens. This recipe is protein rich to provide energy and slow down digestion.
The downside of this food is that it only comes in one flavour, so it might not be a good fit for picky eaters. Some customers add broth to the mixture for extra flavour, which solves the problem. Also, wet food can be less cost effective than dry food, making it a more expensive option. This can be mitigated by mixing it with dry kibble.
- High protein
- Adds hydration
- Complete nutrition for growing kittens
- Only one flavour
- Expensive
5. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach for Cats — Vet’s Choice
| Main ingredients: | Lamb, rice, corn gluten meal, chicken meal, soybean meal |
| Protein content: | 40% |
| Fat content: | 18% |
| Calories: | 539 kcal/cup |
Our vet’s choice food for cats with diarrhea is Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin and Stomach. This food is recommended by veterinarians for gut issues, including diarrhea, but it’s not a prescription food. It’s a high protein, with lamb as the primary ingredient. It also contains rice and oatmeal, which are gentle on your cat’s digestive system. Probiotics are added to this recipe to promote healthy gut bacteria and regulate bowel habits.
The kibble pieces in this food are large and may be hard for some cats to chew. It also doesn’t fix stomach issues for every cat, but most owners do see significant improvement and less digestive upset.
- Gentle on the digestive system
- High protein
- Fortified with probiotics
- Veterinary recommended
- Large kibble
- Doesn’t work for all cats
6. Taste of the Wild Lowland Creek Recipe for Cats
| Main ingredients: | Duck, duck meal, turkey meal, chicken meal |
| Protein content: | 36% |
| Fat content: | 16% |
| Calories: | 403 kcal/cup |
Taste of the Wild Lowland Creek Recipe is packed with meat ingredients. This makes it a high-protein food, but it’s also filled with probiotics, prebiotics, and antioxidants to support your cat’s gut and immune system. All Taste of the Wild cat foods are grain free. While grain won’t hurt cats (unless they have a diagnosed allergy), it’s not a mainstay of their diet, so most cats will do fine on grain-free food.
Caution should be taken if introducing a high-protein food to your cat for the first time. It can cause stomach upset initially, so it should be introduced gradually, especially if you are increasing protein to solve gut issues.
- High protein
- Contains prebiotics, probiotics, and antioxidants
- Top four ingredients are meat
- High protein can cause stomach upset if introduced too quickly
7. ORIJEN Six Fish for Cats
| Main ingredients: | Whole mackerel, whole herring, flounder, Acadian redfish, monkfish |
| Protein content: | 40% |
| Fat content: | 20% |
| Calories: | 463 kcal/cup |
Like Orijen Original, Orijen Six Fish is primarily made of fish ingredients. If your cat needs a novel protein in their food, this may be one to try. It doesn’t contain chicken like many other foods do, and the first six ingredients are different types of fish (hence the name). The kibble is freeze-dried coated to provide extra flavour for picky cats. This food is appropriate for all life stages, which can be a huge plus when dealing with digestive problems. If this food helps, you won’t have to switch later.
The downside of Orijen is that it is expensive. The company uses ethically sourced, high-quality meat in large quantities in its recipes, and the increased price of production does translate down to the consumer. Also, as this food is primarily fish based, it smells strongly like fish, which is a big turn-off for some owners.
- Top six ingredients are fish
- Novel protein food
- Freeze-dried coated kibble for extra flavour
- Appropriate for all life stages
- Expensive
- Strong fish smell
8. Applaws Chicken Breast With Liver Wet Cat Food
| Main ingredients: | Chicken breast, chicken liver, rice flour, vegetable gelling agent |
| Protein content: | 13% |
| Fat content: | 1% |
| Calories: | Information not available |
Applaws Chicken Breast With Liver wet food gives your cat quality protein with no fillers or additives. As a wet food, it naturally improves your cat’s hydration status. The liver offers extra-dense nutrition, along with omega fatty acids to give your cat a shiny, healthy coat.
Reviews on this food show that it has good results for cats with digestive issues, including diarrhea and IBD. It is a limited-ingredient food, so it’s less likely to trigger a reaction than many other recipes. The jelly consistency also makes it less messy.
The biggest complaint about Applaws wet cat food is the quality control when buying in bulk. Many customers report that the consistency isn’t the same between pouches of food; some contain more jelly than others, while others contain more meat. This can make it difficult to know exactly what your cat is getting at each meal.
- Adds hydration to your cat’s food
- Promotes skin and coat health
- Shows good improvement in digestive issues
- Less messy than most other brands of wet food
- Lack of consistency between pouches
9. Fancy Feast Tuna, Prawn, Mackerel, & Crab for Cats
| Main ingredients: | Meat and meat by-products, wheat, cereal protein, rice, natural flavours |
| Protein content: | 30% |
| Fat content: | 15% |
| Calories: | Information not available |
Fancy Feast Tuna, Prawn, Mackerel, & Crab is a good choice if you have a picky cat that needs to eat. It is nutritionally balanced to provide all the vitamins and nutrients that your cat needs and is tasty enough to appeal to even the pickiest of eaters. Sometimes all that’s needed to resolve digestive issues is consistent food intake. If that’s the concern, this food is a reasonable option. Rice is fairly high on the ingredients list, which is appropriate for food meant to be gentle on cats’ stomachs.
The biggest downside of Fancy Feast is the ingredient list. While meat is the first ingredient, it doesn’t outline what type of meat is included in the recipe. While this food is Tuna, Prawn, Mackerel, & Crab, it’s clear that it is only a flavour and that no actual fish is contained in the food. There are also several ingredients designed to keep your cat full, but they don’t provide many nutrients.
- Offers complete nutrition
- Suitable for picky cats
- Rice is gentle on digestion
- Unclear what meat is included in the food
- No fish in the recipe
- Several filler ingredients
10. Purina Friskies Adult & Senior Meaty Grills for Cats
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken by-products, cereal and vegetable products |
| Protein content: | 30% |
| Fat content: | 10% |
| Calories: | 3500 kcal/kg |
Friskies Adult and Senior Meaty Grills is a high-protein food with added antioxidants to support your cat’s immune system. The ingredients list on this cat food is vague, so it’s unclear exactly what’s contained in the recipe other than chicken. It does, however, offer complete and balanced nutrition for your cat. It’s suitable to help resolve diarrhea because it’s a high-protein and high-fibre food. Both qualities slow down digestion and help regulate the bowels.
- High protein
- High fibre
- Offers complete nutrition
- Unclear ingredients list
Buyer’s Guide — Buying the Best Cat Foods for Diarrhea in Australia
What Is Diarrhea?
Diarrhea in cats is defined as watery, loose stool. In cats, it can also cause an increased frequency of passing stool.
The usual cause of diarrhea is food passing through the digestive tract too quickly. It also means your cat isn’t absorbing as many nutrients from their food as they should be. Food designed for sensitive stomachs helps slow down the digestive process.
Some cats have difficulty digesting the protein in their food. This is considered a food sensitivity rather than an allergy, and most often, the problem can be solved by changing the protein source in their food. If your cat is sensitive to chicken, for example, a food that is primarily lamb, duck, or beef may solve the stomach upset and diarrhea.
Other causes of diarrhea include bacteria, viruses, or worms. It’s important to keep an eye on your cat’s litter box habits to know whether they are having a one-off episode of diarrhea or if it is a chronic issue.
When Should You Be Concerned About Your Cat’s Diarrhea?
It’s perfectly normal for cats to have an occasional change in their bowel habits. A single episode of diarrhea is nothing to worry about, but it’s not normal to have diarrhea every day. If it clears up on its own and your cat goes back to having normal stools within a day or two, it probably doesn’t require a vet visit. Your cat may have eaten something that they shouldn’t, gotten overheated, or just had an upset tummy.
If your cat has daily episodes of diarrhea, though, it’s time to investigate. Taking to them to the vet is a good idea to make sure there isn’t an underlying illness causing the runny stool. Most likely, the vet will start with a dose of de-wormer to eliminate worms as the cause.
The concern with chronic diarrhea is that it leads to dehydration. Cats lose water and nutrients through their bowels. This can often be corrected by feeding wet food or extra water, but when it becomes extreme, the problem will require veterinary intervention.
Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities are common causes of GI upset and diarrhea. Sometimes cats have difficulty digesting the protein in their diet, or they may have eaten something that they shouldn’t have. Changing foods too quickly can also cause problems. Switching to a cat food that’s designed to alleviate stomach upset or changing the protein source can help you determine if your cat’s food is the issue.
What to Look For When Choosing Cat Food for Diarrhea
There are a few things that should be present in cat food to help alleviate diarrhea.
- Fibre — High levels of fibre can firm up a stool by absorbing excess moisture.
- High protein — Protein levels should be high to keep your cat’s energy levels up.
- Prebiotics — Prebiotics and probiotics can help maintain healthy bacteria levels in your cat’s gut. This reduces the incidence of digestive upset, including diarrhea.
- Complete nutrition — Adequate levels of vitamins and minerals in your cat’s food promote gut health and the health of the immune system.
Conclusion
To recap these reviews of the best cat foods for diarrhea in Australia, the best overall cat food for diarrhea is Purina ONE Indoor Advantage Dry Cat Food. It’s high in fibre to slow digestion and low in fat to prevent weight gain in indoor cats. The best value cat food for diarrhea in Australia is Purina Friskies Seafood Sensations. This food offers quality ingredients at a more affordable price than many other brands. Our premium recommendation is Orijen Original. Orijen cat foods are meat-rich recipes with extra protein that your cat needs. For kittens, we recommend Purina ONE Healthy Kitten wet food. It is formulated for growing kittens but provides extra moisture for those struggling with stomach upset. Our vet’s choice recommendation is Purina ONE Sensitive Skin & Stomach. This food is specifically designed to solve stomach concerns in cats and is veterinary recommended without being a prescription food.
See also: 8 Best Cat Foods for Picky Cats in Australia — Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: sweetlouise, Pixabay
