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Your cat’s gut microbiome may be in trouble. More fiber might be the answer. That’s why I’m sharing everything you need to know about getting the best high fiber cat food.
In this article, we’re going to review the following high fiber foods for cats:
- Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Dry Cat Food
- Weruva Cats in the Kitchen – Funk In The Trunk Chicken in Pumpkin Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
- Iams ProActive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Dry Cat Food
- Wellness CORE Grain-Free Indoor Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe Canned Cat Food
- Hill’s Science Diet Adult 11+ Indoor Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
- Primal Venison Nuggets Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Cat Food
- Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete Chicken with Lentils & Salmon Recipe Natural Dry Cat Food
All About High Fiber Food for Cats
Many mainstream cat foods contain low fiber, poor-quality fiber or some combination of the two. That can leave your cat yowling in discomfort. Let’s talk about why switching to a high fiber cat food can make a world of difference.
Why Do Some Cats Need High Fiber Food?
Fiber is important to cats for all the same reasons it’s important to humans. Did you know that around 80% of your immune system is actually housed in your gut? That’s why allowing bad bacteria to overtake good bacteria in the gut microbiome can leave you sluggish, gassy and ill.
A cat’s microbiome also contains millions of microbes that are essential for digestion, healthy immune function and more. Allowing the microbiome to get out of balance can create serious health issues for your cat. For years, it was believed that fiber wasn’t important for cats because they are “mostly” carnivores. That was a mistake.
Both soluble (digestible) and insoluble (indigestible) fiber help to build up levels of “good bacteria” in the feline microbiome. They also help to keep cats regular. Lack of fiber is linked with sickness.
Many cat owners simply assume that things like hard stools, horrible hairballs and “extra weight” are all normal for cats. In reality, they are often signs that something is “off” within a cat’s digestive system.
How High in Fiber Cat Food Helps Cats
High fiber cat food can’t solve every feline health problem. However, it’s a good place to start if your cat appears to have digestive issues. High fiber cat foods can be helpful if your cat is struggling with:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Hard, painful stools
- Hairballs
- Diabetes
- Obesity
Fiber-rich foods can shield cats from gastrointestinal distress and disease. It’s as simple as the fact that fiber regulates the motility of the digestive tract to help manage your cat’s water balance to create healthy stools instead of allowing imbalances that create constipation and diarrhea. In addition, fiber helps the large intestine and colon stay nourished.
One of the big questions may cat owners have has to do with how fiber is connected with hairballs. While more fiber can’t necessarily stop a cat from having hairballs, it may provide some hairball control.
Your cat is going to ingest fur. It simply goes along with the self-bathing rituals that cats use to stay clean and hygienic. Brushing your cat regularly can drastically reduce hairballs. Fiber may also help.
That’s because insoluble fiber sources actually help to sweep your cat’s fur through her digestive tract without getting stuck.
High Fiber Diets and Diabetes
First, it’s important to say that diabetes is something that should be managed in collaboration with your cat’s veterinarian. This isn’t advice to try to cure your cat’s diabetes by simply switching to new food! However, it’s important to know about fiber’s role in helping to manage the condition.
“For some cats, fiber may be helpful in controlling blood sugar,” according to the Clinical Nutrition Team at the Tufts University Veterinary School of Medicine. The same evidence also suggests that fiber may offer benefits for overweight cats by helping them to feel full for longer periods of time without ingesting more calories. The benefits of fiber for weight loss in humans are similar.
How to Choose the Best Cat Food High in Fiber
Making any diet switch for your cat is intimidating. Luckily, knowing the core “quality factors” to look for will make it easier to choose a food with quality fiber. The big thing to remember is that you don’t want to focus on “just” fiber.
Good digestive health really comes down to an amalgam of factors that work together. While fiber is a big part of the total picture, getting digestion in balance is about much more than dumping a bunch of fiber into your cat’s bowl. It’s all about how fiber interacts without nutrients to nourish the digestive tract.
Protein
Protein’s role in digestive health cannot be understated. Protein provides the energy and nourishment needed for the digestive system to operate smoothly. What should you be looking for when reading labels? Prioritize animal-sourced protein types as some of the first ingredients. It’s even better if you see an animal-based protein as the first ingredient.
As obligate carnivores, cats thrive when they eat diets that consist mostly of meat. Under normal circumstances, an option like beef is great for cats. However, beef is actually harder to digest than poultry and fish. That’s why you generally see poultry and fish used in high fiber cat foods. It’s the same when you’re shopping for cat food for sensitive stomachs.
Moisture
If your cat’s digestion is out of whack, you can probably bet that some hydration issues are in the mix. Your cat may be dehydrated for a number of reasons. First, constant diarrhea may be leaving your cat dehydrated. Even a cat with hard stools can still be dehydrated because the same water imbalance within the digestive tract that is leaving them with hard stools is also preventing proper hydration. Finally, your cat’s current cat food may simply be lacking the moisture levels needed to keep your cat hydrated.
Prebiotics
Prebiotic fibers are amazing for bringing the microbiome back into balance. In fact, probiotics aren’t as effective unless they have prebiotics there to nourish them as they try to repopulate the gut to battle bad bacteria. Look for natural prebiotic sources like chicory root, flaxseed, yucca and psyllium husk to know that a cat food is filled with fuel for feeding the good bacteria populating your cat’s gut!
Have the Conversation With Your Vet
Understand that changing your cat’s diet can be tricky. If your cat is suffering from extreme digestive distress, you might not want to simply play around with food swaps. It’s possible that your cat is suffering from a disease, obstruction or infection within the digestive system. Seeing a vet first is always the solution to rule out a serious problem.
Once you’ve ruled out an emergency, it’s time to start looking around for the best high fiber cat food to give to your cat. Take a look at reviews of seven great options to help your cat lap up more fiber!
FAQ
What Are Some Signs Your Cat Needs More Fiber?
Many cat owners don’t realize that both diarrhea and constipation are signs that your cat isn’t getting enough fiber. That’s because both are caused by water imbalances within the GI tract. Other possible signs that your cat is lacking fiber include aggressive hairballs, obesity and lack of appetite.
Is Too Much Fiber Bad for a Cat?
Yes, too much fiber can be harmful to a cat. When it comes to nutrition, the truth is that too much of anything can be bad if it throws off the natural balance of your cat’s digestive system. The problem that you can run into with fiber is that high fiber levels can sometimes make it difficult for your cat to digest the other nutrients that are in the food. As a result, your cat may become deficient in various vitamins and nutrients due to a lack of absorption.
How Much Fiber Does a Cat Need?
Cats with normal fiber needs generally do well with a diet containing 1.4% to 3.5% crude fiber. The maximum fiber content recommended for cats is 10%.
Will High Fiber Cat Food Give My Cat Diarrhea?
Quality high fiber cat food shouldn’t give your cat diarrhea. However, suddenly shifting to a new food with higher fiber content could potentially cause some digestive changes as your cat’s system adjusts to try to absorb the new fiber sources. Cat owners can consider slowly introducing a new high fiber cat food by mixing it into a cat’s existing food in higher and higher amounts gradually over time before making a complete swap.
How Can I Give My Cat More Fiber?
Fiber sources should never come from “human” and “table” foods. Attempting to give your cat fruits, vegetables or grains that are rich in fiber can actually make the feline gut microbiome even more unbalanced. The only way to safely introduce more fiber into your cat’s diet is to purchase a high fiber cat food.
Do You Need a Vet’s Prescription for this Kind of Cat Food?
Not at all! While some prescription foods are available, cat owners don’t always have to go through their veterinarians. Multiple cat food brands offer high fiber cat foods that are both easy to find and very affordable.
Will More Fiber Help My Cat Lose Weight?
There are many factors that can contribute to feline obesity. This can include a lack of physical activity, overeating, thyroid issues and certain diseases. However, diets that are high in fiber are often recommended by veterinarians for weight control.
Reviews of the Best High Fiber Cat Foods
1. Best for Nourishing the GI Tract: Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Dry Cat Food
This cat food does so much more than just add fiber to your cat’s diet. The recipe carefully balances soluble and insoluble fibers for optimal intestinal movement. It’s packed with those all-important prebiotics that help to feed the healthy bacteria in your cat’s gut. You can see natural fiber sources like chicory root and psyllium husk seed right on the ingredient list.
In addition to introducing fiber, this cat food helps to nourish your cat’s GI tract with powerhouse ingredients like omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA from fish oil. The recipe also contains easily digestible proteins for good stool quality.
The 4.7% max crude fiber in this recipe is in a nice zone just beyond the 1.5% to 3.5% that’s needed for cats without special fiber needs. In addition, the 29% crude protein means that your cat is getting tons of nutrition from real protein instead of from carbohydrates and fillers that can leave them backed up.
Pros:
- Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA from fish oil nourish the digestive tract beautifully.
- Great mix of soluble and insoluble fibers.
- Great for promoting healthy stools.
Cons:
- Requires vet approval for purchase.
2. Best for Clean Nutrition: Weruva Cats in the Kitchen – Funk In The Trunk Chicken in Pumpkin Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
It’s hard not to be impressed by a wet food that lists chicken broth, chicken, tuna and pumpkin as the first four ingredients. The poultry-based protein in this recipe comes only from cage-free chickens. The nutrition is so clean in this recipe!
I really like this wet food as an easy way to transition your cat to a high-fiber diet because its enticing, aromatic flavor makes it a great topper. Simply add a little over whatever your cat is already eating to let the switch begin.
Overall, this recipe offers a nice balance of various vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The ingredient list is extremely clean because you aren’t getting any grains of fillers that are going to interfere with the benefits of all of the animal-based and plant-based protein and fiber. I especially like the use of broth to give this food rich, thick moisture content because cats suffering with digestive issues are often a little dehydrated.
Pros:
- Filled with satisfying, nutritious chicken broth, chicken, tuna and pumpkin.
- No vet approval needed.
- No starches.
- No grains.
- Free of gluten.
- Free of carrageenan.
- Enticing aroma and flavor make transitioning easy.
- Can be used as a topper.
Cons:
- 10% max crude protein is a little low.
- Not as strong on prebiotics as other options.
3. Best for Hairball Control: Iams ProActive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Dry Cat Food
Designed to smooth out digestion to help fur pass through the GI tract without problems, this recipe offers good nutrition at a price that makes it a budget option compared to similar prescription cat foods. In addition, the 30% minimum crude protein in this food makes it a top pick for weight control by helping your cat to get energy from a lean source. This food also scores points for using real chicken as the first ingredient!
This food is really great for busting hairballs because it has one of the highest crude fiber concentrations on the list. With 8.3% max crude fiber, this food can really help to transform the way that your cat’s digestive tract manages fur.
While this recipe does contain some grains, it is overall a very clean recipe with no filler. It’s a very filling, nutritious food that puts all the right pieces in place to help your cat stay full, satisfied and full of energy while helping to smooth out blockages that have been making your cat miserable.
Pros:
- No vet approval needed.
- Exceptional quality for the price.
- 30% crude protein with real chicken as the first ingredient.
- 8.3% crude fiber without a prescription is amazing!
Cons:
- Contains some grains.
4. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Indoor Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe Canned Cat Food
This enticing pâté boasts real chicken as its first ingredient. While many cat foods chase an animal-based protein with grains or fillers, this one keeps going strong with chicken liver, chicken broth, turkey broth, chicken meal and real turkey rounding out its first line of ingredients! The recipe also uses natural sources of fiber like peas, flaxseed, chicory root, alfalfa and yucca to naturally nourish your cat’s digestive health.
This recipe also throws in healthy jewels like EPA and DHA omegas, antioxidant-rich cranberries and balanced minerals. The rich pâté texture of this wet food is hard for cats to resist. As a result, this can be used as both a main dish and topper while you’re helping your cat get accustomed to a new food.
It’s really easy to see how the ingredients in this food are so gentle on a cat’s stomach. I also like that the recipe puts together such a great medley of ingredients without relying on any grains or fillers. The use of chicken and turkey broth for moisture helps to keep the food very succulent. In fact, the 78% moisture content is among the highest you can get.
Pros:
- Real chicken is the first ingredient.
- High moisture.
- No grains.
- Contains natural prebiotic fibers from plants.
- Pâté flavor is very enticing for cats.
- No vet approval needed.
Cons:
- 11% crude protein is on the lower end.
- 2 percent crude fiber isn’t the highest.
5. Hill’s Science Diet Adult 11+ Indoor Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
Offering up real chicken as the first ingredient, this cat food provides a filling, tasty way to give your cat more fiber without your cat noticing a drastic dietary change. This food more than earns its place on the list due to the fact that it maxes out at 10% crude fiber. However, I will say that the presence of whole grain wheat and corn gluten meal closely following chicken on the ingredient list isn’t ideal.
While this food goes a little heavy on the grains, the recipe is balanced with the use of naturally fiber-rich gems like green peas, apples, cranberries, carrots, broccoli and beet pulp. The recipe also features nutritious sources of animal fat and protein like fish oil, chicken liver and chicken fat. Its 29.5% crude protein places it near the top for natural, easily digestible protein.
The ultra-high fiber content makes this food a winning choice for a cat struggling with hairballs. In addition, its well-rounded recipe does a great job of bringing together antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are crucial for eye, heart, kidney and joint health for cats of all stages in life. While I did cite the somewhat heavy use of grains in this recipe as a cause of concerns, it’s important to balance out that complaint by pointing out that this food is free of all artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.
Pros:
- Real chicken is the first ingredient.
- 10% crude fiber is the highest possible recommendation.
- Great source of easily digestible protein.
- Packed with natural antioxidants from real fruits and vegetables.
- No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
- Classic flavor and texture that cats love.
- Great price for the fiber and protein levels.
Cons:
- Goes a little heavy on the grains and meals.
6. Primal Venison Nuggets Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Cat Food
This is a really innovative option that allows you to give your cat all the benefits of a “raw” diet without the need to chop and grind in your own kitchen. While a raw diet is often recommended to help heal the gut when a cat has digestive issues, serving up a raw diet means preparing and storing raw meats for every single meal. Explaining how these nuggets work takes just a minute!
Primal’s freeze-dried formulas allow you to enjoy a raw recipe that remains fresh by removing the moisture. Simply grab one of the bricks when it’s time to feed your cat! Next, add water to rehydrate the brick. You can gently mash up the moistened food with a fork to create soft, enticing entrée for your cat!
It’s also fine to feed these freeze-dried pieces to your cat just as they are if you prefer. Some cat owners take advantage of the enticing flavor and aroma to simply use these nuggets as toppers as part of a complete diet.
While the concept of these nuggets is neat, the nutritional breakdown is even neater! In fact, this food is almost unmatched when it comes to providing premium ingredients. The first five ingredients are venison, venison hearts, ground venison bones, venison livers and organic pumpkin seeds! Those protein powerhouses are then followed up with natural ingredients like organic cranberries, organic blueberries, organic kale, organic kelp, organic squash, organic alfalfa, organic ginger and cod liver oil. This recipe even throws in some organic apple cider vinegar for its prebiotic benefits!
There is absolutely zero filler in these nuggets! All of that venison offers tons of easily digestible protein for your cat to enjoy. In fact, the crude protein in this food is an unbeatable 54%. The recipe’s 7% max crude fiber also places it near the top among all cat foods. Ultimately, there’s not a cleaner way to give your cat so much fiber and protein.
Pros:
- Packed with tons of natural protein from venison.
- No filler!
- Filled with fruits, vegetables and fish oil.
- Strong probiotic and prebiotic qualities.
- A great way to get close to a raw diet without hassles.
Cons:
- It can be hard to know if your cat will like/tolerate venison ahead of time.
7. Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete Chicken with Lentils & Salmon Recipe Natural Dry Cat Food
This food uses real chicken as the first ingredient before sprinkling in prebiotic powerhouses like flaxseed, cranberries, blueberries, pumpkin and beet pulp. There’s also some salmon to infuse some healthy omega-3 oils. The lentil and brewer’s rice help to make this food very palatable and filling for cats.
The 34% crude protein definitely impresses. The 8% crude fiber is also very high for such an affordable cat food. Overall, the recipe does a great job of blending protein from chicken with a long list of “superfoods” that help to nourish the digestive system.
Pros:
- Real chicken is the first ingredient.
- Tasty and palatable for cats.
- Packs in tons of fruits and seeds that are known superfoods.
- Great prebiotic sources.
- 34% crude protein is impressive.
- 8% crude fiber is amazing for a mainstream, non-prescription cat food.
Cons:
- Ingredients like chicken meal and corn gluten meal can count as fillers.
The Fiber-Rich Roundup
My pick for the best high fiber cat food is Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Dry Cat Food. This is a vet-recommended food that provides the balance cats need when healing their microbiomes after rocky digestive health. I love the balance of soluble and insoluble fibers that can help to make real changes using a science-backed understanding of how to fix a cat’s microbiome. In addition, the 29% crude protein combined with 4.7% crude fiber creates a real “sweet spot” where you’re not taking your cat to any extremes.
If you can’t get your hands on Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Dry Cat Food, my list of the best fiber-rich picks for cats should still have plenty to offer you! The key thing to remember is to read beyond the fiber content because healing and supporting the digestive tract comes down to restoring balance using protein, robust probiotics and natural prebiotics! Lastly, don’t ignore acute digestive problems in your cat! Chronic diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, lethargy and suspicious-looking stools are all reasons to see a vet before deciding that a change of diet is enough!
Brian is a proud cat parent and animal enthusiast who lives in the Northwestern United States with two cats. In his spare time, Brian likes traveling around with his pets, exploring new places, and writing. Sharing what he learned over the years of cat ownership brings him joy, and the cats teach him something new every day.