Cats are generally exceptionally hardy animals, but even the strongest cats need a little extra support sometimes. Whether your cat is an orphaned kitten or an adult recovering from an illness or prepping for breeding or show, weight gain supplementation can help get your cat where it needs to be. We’ve put together reviews of the best of the best supplements to help your cat gain weight and reach a healthier place overall. Keep in mind that if you have any concerns about your cat’s weight or health status, you should always check with your veterinarian to make sure any supplements you choose are appropriate for your cat.
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Rating
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Product
Details
Best Overall
Thomas Labs Mega Cal Supplement
Supports overall health
Can be mixed into most foods and liquids
Great for convalescing, pregnant, lactating, and show cats
The best overall cat weight gain supplement is the Thomas Labs Mega Cal High Calorie Liquid Cat & Dog Supplement, which contains 27.9 kcal/tsp with 0.18% protein and 38.23% fat. It has essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to support your cat’s overall health. It’s beef flavored for maximum palatability and since it’s a liquid, you can mix it into a variety of foods and liquids if your kitty won’t eat it on its own. It’s great for providing nutritional support to underweight, pregnant, lactating, and show cats. It’s intended to be fed in conjunction with a healthy, balanced diet. Since this is a liquid, it can get messy and may be prone to spilling. It also needs to be shaken well before use to ensure the nutrients are evenly distributed.
Pros
9 kcal/tsp
23% fat
Essential nutrients to support overall health
Palatable beef flavor
Liquid can be mixed into most foods and liquids
Great for convalescing, pregnant, lactating, and show cats
Cons
May be messy
Must be shaken well to distribute nutrients evenly
The best cat weight gain supplement for the money is the Vetoquinol Nutri-Cal Gel High Calorie Supplement for Cats & Dogs. This gel supplement has 28 kcal/tsp, 0.2% protein, and 30% fat. It’s a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as other nutrients. This supplement is malt and molasses flavored, making it highly palatable for even the pickiest cats. It’s a good option for cats with low blood sugar or those recovering from injury or illness. This gel consistency is quite sticky and thick, which can make it difficult to manage. It’s also difficult to force feed to cats that are refusing to eat it.
Pros
28 kcal/tsp
30% fat
Good source of fatty acids and nutrients
Malt and molasses flavor is palatable to most cats
Good option for raising blood sugar quickly
Best value
Cons
May be difficult to mix into food or liquids
Sticky consistency is difficult to force feed if needed
The premium pick for supplements to help cats gain weight is the Wysong Mother’s Milk Supplement. This powdered supplement is made to replace breast milk for kittens and puppies, so it is rich in all the nutrients that nursing babies need, like antibodies, proteins, and fats. It consists of 49% protein and 17% fat to support growth and weight gain. Milk protein is the first ingredient, and the taste is made to replicate that of milk for kitties.
Although formulated for babies, this supplement is a great option for sick and elderly cats that may need a little extra nutritional support. The calorie content for this food is unlisted, which can make it difficult to track how many calories your cat is getting in a day. This can be fed as a powder sprinkled onto food for adult cats.
Pros
Made with the nutrient needs of kittens and puppies in mind
Rich in antibodies, proteins, fats, and other nutrients
49% protein and 17% fat
Milk protein is the first ingredient
Palatable flavor replicates breast milk for animals
PetAg KMR Powder Milk Supplement for Kittens is one of the top milk replacers on the market for kittens. The first ingredient is casein, which is a protein found in mammalian breast milk. This supplement is made with 33.3 kcal/tsp, 42% protein, and 25% fat, as well with live beneficial bacteria to support gut health. It’s available in four package sizes from 6 ounces to 5 pounds, making it a good option no matter how many cats or kittens you’re feeding. It can be used in its powder form to top dress food for show, convalescing, sick, and recovering cats. Some people who have used this product have had difficulty getting it to fully mix into liquid, so getting the powder lumps mixed out may be difficult.
Pros
Best option for kittens
3 kcal/tsp
42% protein and 25% fat
Includes beneficial bacteria to support digestive health
The Tomlyn Nutri-Cal Gel High Calorie Supplement for cats is a malt flavored gel supplement with 28 kcal/tsp. It also 0.2% protein and 30% fat. It’s rich in omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids, as well as other vital nutrients. Although it’s made to be highly palatable, it is thick and sticky, making it difficult to mix into foods or force feed if needed. This supplement can help quickly improve low blood sugar and uses corn syrup as its first ingredient. By improving blood sugar levels, this supplement also helps increase the appetite, helping your cat get back to maximum health.
Pros
28 kcal/tsp
30% fat
Good source of fatty acids and nutrients
Highly palatable
Good option for raising blood sugar quickly
Cons
May be difficult to mix into food or liquids
Sticky consistency is difficult to force feed if needed
The Under the Weather Ready Cal High Calorie Food Nutritional Gel Cat Supplement has 28 kcal/tsp, 0.6% protein, and 18.5% fat. It comes in an easy-dose syringe and is a good option to rapidly raise blood sugar levels and improve appetite. It contains nine vitamins, seven minerals, and omega fatty acids in a malt and fish-flavored gel. The dial-a-dose syringe guarantees accurate dosing, ensuring your kitty gets the right amount of product to support weight gain. It’s thick and sticky, making it difficult to force feed and mix into foods and liquids. This supplement is made to be highly palatable, but some cats don’t care for the flavor and may refuse to eat it.
Pros
28 kcal/tsp
5% fat
Good option for raising blood sugar quickly
Good source of fatty acids and nutrients
Dial-a-dose syringe makes for easy dosing
Cons
May be difficult to mix into food or liquids
Sticky consistency is difficult to force feed if needed
The Petz Kitchen Holistic Super Food Broth One & Done Daily Greens Support Beef Flavor Concentrate Powder is a nice option for ensuring your cat gets all the nutrients necessary to support healthy weight gain, growth, and development. It has 14 kcal/tsp, making it lower in calories than most other options, but it does contain 40% protein and 11% fat. It contains omega fatty acids, digestive enzymes, superfoods, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. This supplement may help improve appetite and digestive health, as well as reduce inflammation, improve cognitive function, and support the immune system. This product comes at a premium price.
Pros
40% protein
Good source of fatty acids and nutrients
Contains digestive enzymes to support gut health
May help reduce inflammation and improve cognitive function
Cons
Lower in calories than most weight gain supplements
The Wapiti Labs Strength with Elk Velvet Antler is a unique supplement that features a proprietary blend of elk velvet antler and herbs. This product supports muscle tone, strength, energy, and overall vitality with a combination of traditional herbs. It may also help support normal function of the kidneys and liver. It’s formulated to support cats from kitten to senior. This formula is highly concentrated, so a little goes a long way, making it easier to hide in food if needed. The nutritional information for this supplement is unlisted, so it’s not a good option for counting calories or keeping track of fat and protein intake. It’s a premium priced product, even with its concentrated formulation.
The Richard’s Organics Nutrient Paste Cat Supplement is a tuna-flavored paste that has 26 kcal/tsp, 4.44% protein, and 33.85% fat. It contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as vitamins and antioxidants. It’s fortified with taurine to ensure your cat is receiving all necessary nutrients. This paste is very thick and may be difficult to squeeze out of the tube. It can also be difficult to mix into food or liquid. It has a strong smell that may be unappetizing to more finicky cats. This supplement comes at a premium price.
Pros
26 kcal/tsp
85% fat
Good source of fatty acids and nutrients
Cons
Thick and difficult to squeeze out of the tube
May be difficult to mix into food or liquids
Strong smell may be unappealing to some cats
Premium price
Buyer’s Guide
Why Does My Cat Need a Weight Gain Supplement?
Not all cats need a weight gain supplement, even underweight cat. These supplements are typically formulated with sick or injured cats in mind, like kittens with failure to thrive, underweight strays, and cats recovering from major surgery. Weight gain supplements are also sometimes given to show cats to support a healthy coat, weight, and overall appearance. Pregnant and lactating queens can benefit from weight gain supplements because they provide a quick, easy source of calories and energy that may not be being met with diet alone. It’s important to remember that these are supplements and are not intended to replace food, but to supplement it. The exception to this is kitten formulas, which are formulated to replace breast milk. However, they should still be used in conjunction with food in kittens that are old enough to begin weaning. Before starting any supplementation, a vet should be consulted. This is especially important if your cat is ill or injured and needs extra support for recovery.