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8 Best Low Fiber Cat Foods in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Ed Malaker

By Ed Malaker

british short-haired cat eating dry cat food Too much fiber in your cat’s diet can lead to an upset stomach and even diarrhea and vomiting. However, several brands are available, and many contain ingredients that don’t promote good health, so it can be challenging to find a brand suitable for your pet. We’ve selected several brands to review for you so you can see the difference between them. We’ll give you the pros and cons of each so you can see the difference between them. We’ll also tell you if our cat liked it, and we’ve even included a short buyer’s guide to help you know what to look for if you continue shopping.

Keep reading while we look at fiber, protein, artificial colors, chemical preservatives, and more to help you make an informed purchase.

Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.

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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food
  • An excellent source of animal protein
  • Carbohydrate content is very low
  • Good for digestion, high in moisture
  • Budget Buy
    Second place
    Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food
  • Lifesource Bits
  • Less packaging
  • Sensitive stomach formula
  • Third place
    Hill’s Science Diet Adult Indoor Cat Food Hill’s Science Diet Adult Indoor Cat Food
  • Low calorie
  • Omega fats
  • Real fruits and vegetables
  • CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Dry Cat Food CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Dry Cat Food
  • High protein
  • No artificial colors or preservatives
  • No chicken by-product, corn, or soy
  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Dry Cat Food Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Dry Cat Food
  • Omega fats
  • High protein
  • High calories
  • The 8 Best Low Fiber Cat Foods

    1. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription Service– Best Overall

    smalls premium human grade fresh cat food with kittens

    First Ingredient: Chicken, turkey or cow
    Fiber: 0.5%

    Human-grade cat food is available from Smalls, according to meal plans which are fully customized for your cat. To receive a custom meal plan and start your subscription, you complete a questionnaire about your cat and receive ice-cold recipes shipped right to your door every month. All their recipes are nutritionally balanced and complete per AAFCO guidelines, no matter which fresh recipe you choose for your kitty.

    Though Smalls’ subscription model isn’t for everyone, there’s a lot to like about the concept of custom cat food meal plans, quality ingredients, and food that meets the needs of carnivorous cats. Smalls cat food is the best overall low-fiber option because it is made with high-quality ingredients and specifically designed to meet your cat’s nutritional needs.

    Small’s wholesome, human-grade cat food is available in several flavors. They offer chicken, turkey, beef, and fish in smooth or ground textures. This food is easy for cats to digest, and it also contains important vitamins and minerals that help keep cats healthy. Their low-fiber, moisture-rich recipes are perfect for cats who need a hydrating, carbohydrate-restricted diet, such as those with urinary tract problems. The food is also grain-free, which is beneficial for cats who are allergic to cereals.

    Pros
    • An excellent source of animal protein
    • Carbohydrate content is very low
    • Cats love the taste of this food
    • Good for digestion, high in moisture
    Cons
    • The subscription model is not for everyone

    2. Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food, Chicken & Brown Rice – Best Value

    Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food, Chicken & Brown Rice

    First Ingredient: Deboned chicken
    Fiber: 3.5%
    Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food is our pick as the best low fiber cat food for the money. It uses less packaging, so it’s better for the environment. It uses a sensitive stomach formula that will give your cat diarrhea, and Lifesource Bits provide vitamins and minerals that can help boost your pet’s immune system. The downside we experienced while reviewing Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach was that some of our cats wouldn’t eat it.
    Pros
    • Less packaging
    • Sensitive stomach formula
    • Lifesource Bits
    Cons
    • Not very palatable

    3. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Indoor Cat Food

    Hill’s Science Diet Adult Indoor Cat Food

    First Ingredient: Chicken
    Fiber: 6%

    Hill’s Science Diet Adult Indoor Cat Food is another good choice low fiber cat food, and it provides your cat with helpful omega fats that can help promote a shiny coat and healthy skin. Real fruits ad vegetables boost your cat’s immune system helping it to fight off disease. It’s very low calorie at only 319 calories per cup, so it shouldn’t contribute to weight gain. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Indoor Cat Food is one of the highest quality foods you can buy, and besides the high cost, the only problem we had with it was that the fiber is a little higher than we would like at 6% and the kibble is quite large, and some cats might not like it.

    Pros
    • Omega fats
    • Real fruits and vegetables
    • Low calorie
    Cons
    • Large kibble

    4. CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Dry Cat Food

    CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Dry Cat Food

    First Ingredient: Chicken
    Fiber: 4%
    CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Dry Cat Food is a great choice for kittens. It has no chicken by-product, corn, or soy ingredients that add fiber and might contribute to weight gain. It features chicken as its first ingredient, which helps it provide your cat with 40% protein per serving. The only downside to CRAVE was that some of our cats didn’t like and it can be challenging to get them to eat it, even when we introduce it slowly.
    Pros
    • No chicken by-product, corn, or soy
    • High protein
    • No artificial colors or preservatives
    Cons
    • Not very palatable

    5. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Dry Cat Food

    Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Dry Cat Food

    First Ingredient: Chicken by-product
    Fiber: 7.4%
    Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Dry Cat Food is a highly respected brand known for its high-end cat foods. This version provides your cat with 30% protein and omega fats. It’s a high-calorie food that allows your pet to eat smaller portions, so there is less risk of a digestive issue. The downside to Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Dry Cat Food is that it is quite expensive and features chicken by-products as its first ingredient instead of whole meat like chicken, turkey, or salmon.
    Pros
    • High protein
    • Omega fats
    • High calories
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Chicken by-product

    6. Instinct Grain Free Dry Cat Food

    Instinct Grain Free Dry Cat Food

    First Ingredient: Chicken
    Fiber: 3%

    Instinct Grain Free Dry Cat Food is another good pick as the best low fiber cat food for cats. It features chicken as the first ingredient and contains no grains like corn or wheat that add fiber to your pet’s diet. It features chicken as the first ingredient, so your pet will get plenty of high-quality protein, and real fruits and vegetables will provide your pet with important vitamins and minerals. It also contains raw meat ingredients that help replicate your pet’s natural diet.

    Pros
    • Grain-free
    • Raw ingredients
    • Real fruits and vegetables
    Cons
    • Not very palatable

    7. Iams ProActive Health Kitten Dry Cat Food

    Iams ProActive Health Kitten Dry Cat Food

    First Ingredient: Chicken
    Fiber: 3%
    Iams ProActive Health Kitten Dry Cat Food is a popular brand that you can find easily in most grocery stores, and this brand has only three percent fiber which should be suitable for most low fiber diets. It also contains omega fats that will help promote a shiny coat and healthy skin and B vitamins for energy and alertness. This variety also features real chicken as its first ingredient, which helps provide taurine, an essential nutrient in a cat’s diet. What we didn’t like about Iams ProActive Health Kitten Dry Cat Food is that it contains a lot of corn ingredients as well as chicken by-product, which are ingredients we usually avoid.
    Pros
    • Omega fats
    • B Vitamins
    • Taurine
    Cons
    • Chicken by-product
    • Corn

    8. Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Dry Cat Food

    Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Dry Cat Food

    First Ingredient: Chicken
    Fiber: 3%
    Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Dry Cat Food is another cat food that’s easy to find in your local grocery store. It features real chicken as its first ingredient, and salmon provides omega fats which help promote a shiny coat. The real chicken and other ingredients provide your cat with 34% protein for plenty of energy in the building blocks for strong muscle. The Downside to Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Dry Cat Food is that a tie in corn, and there are other ingredients we like to avoid as well, like chicken by-product meal.
    Pros
    • Chicken
    • Omega fats
    • High protein
    Cons
    • Corn ingredients
    • Chicken by-product meal

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    Buyer’s Guide: Choosing Best Low Fiber Cat Foods

    Fiber Content

    When choosing a low fiber cat food, the first thing we recommend doing is looking at the package near where the ingredients are. There should be some other facts as well, like protein fiber and fat content.  If your vet gave you a number to stay below, it would be easy to check it here. Otherwise, we recommend keeping fiber content below 8% if your cat suffers from frequent diarrhea or vomiting due to a high-fiber diet.

    Wet Food vs Dry Food

    We recommend serving your cat dry cat food as often as possible because it helps clean their teeth by scraping away tartar and plaque as your cat crunches. On the other hand, Wet food can stick to your cats’ teeth, creating an environment well suited to the growth of bacteria.  However, you can find brands of wet food that contain nothing but real meat like chicken or turkey, which more closely resembles the cat’s natural diet. Wet cat food is also very rich, and cats seem to enjoy it more, so it can be a great way to get a stubborn cat eating again.

    Regardless of the type of food your feline companion prefers, finding a bowl that is sure to keep the mess contained can be tough. Our Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl features a wide tray designed to ensure that all food stays exactly where it should—inside the bowl and off the floor. The whisker-friendly bowls fit securely into the PP plastic base and are low and wide to prevent whisker fatigue. Its contemporary style will fit seamlessly into any home and it is completely dishwasher safe. 

    Hepper 360 Cat Feeder, Stainless Steel, Anti-Chew...
    • NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...
    • WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...

    Ingredients

    When choosing a low fiber cat food for your pet, it is best to choose grain-free brands because most grains can add fiber to the giant, and the cat doesn’t need them because it’s a strict carnivore. A small number of fruits and vegetables can add vitamins and minerals that help provide your cat with a complete meal, but it is better to avoid highly processed and genetically modified ingredients like corn, soy, and wheat. Other helpful ingredients that we recommend looking for include Omega fats that can help reduce swelling, improve coat shine, and help with brain and eye development. Probiotics and prebiotics can help strengthen your pet’s natural gut bacteria to help provide more efficient digestion with less frequent bouts of constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting. hepper cat paw divider

    Conclusion

    When choosing your next low fiber cat food, we highly recommend our pick for the best overall – Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food, which is grain-free and has very little fiber. Primary ingredients are real animal proteins and vegetables that help provide important vitamins and minerals that your cat needs. Another smart choice is our pick for the best value. Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food is inexpensive, has very little fiber, and is easy to find at most grocery stores. We hope you have enjoyed reading over this short guide, and I have found a few brands you’d like to try. If we have helped your cat feel a little better, please share this guide to low-fiber cat foods on Facebook and Twitter.


    Featured Image Credit: Chendongshan, Shutterstock

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