Best cat food for seniors to support your ageing feline friend

IAMS is known for providing high-quality nutritional food to support your cat's later years. This senior collection is easy to chew with its soft and tender meaty and fishy chunks and it contains quality animal protein for strong muscles, taurine for a healthy heart and eyes, plus other vitamins and minerals to help maintain strong bones.

If you have a cat that is quite fussy, this multipack offers them the best of both worlds with both a meaty recipe in the form of chicken and a fishy one of wild tuna and herring served up in a tasty gravy that is sure to get your kitty purring at mealtimes. There are no artificial flavours, colours or fillers added to this recipe and there's no added sugar either.

Some cat owners thought this food was a little fiddly to get out of the packet and found that the chunks could get stuck in the corners. That aside, this food is ranked highly in most other areas, including scent, portion size, ingredient quality and value for money.

Hill's Science Mature Adult Cat Food helps to support those older cats with their heart health, kidneys, and bladder. As our cats get older, we want them to get as many nutrients as possible, and this cat food for seniors gives the best balance of taste and nutrition.

It's enriched with vitamins C and E and it has Omega 3 and 6 added that will help to keep their fur and skin looking in tip-top condition. It is also packed with high-quality protein to your older kitty's muscles nice and lean as they enter their twilight years.

Various sugars are listed as an ingredient in both the chicken and ocean fish recipes included in this multipack, which can make your kitty pile on the pounds if you're not strict with their diet. If your senior kitty is carrying a bit more weight as they get older, this can then have an effect on their joints, which are already a little bit weaker due to their age. It does come recommended by vets as it provides the perfect balance of taste and nutrition, plus it's easily digestible so it's gentle on senior cats who may have a more sensitive tum.

Purina dry cat food is well-loved by many cats and kittens, but this senior dry food for cats is specifically formulated for ageing cats, with special attention being paid to natural defences and heart and kidney functions, thanks to the added vitamins E & C.

For the price, you get four, 3kg bags of dry cat food so it should definitely last you a while. What's so special about this food is that it includes a unique nutritional formula called Purina ONE Bifensis, which is made with good bacteria that will support your cat's natural defences as they get older.

It is recommended that you feed this dry food alongside wet food so that will be an extra expense that you need to take into account, but that will mean this 12kg total of food should last you even longer.

Scrumbles dry senior cat food is wheat-free and packed full of protein - making it a great choice for senior cats who may have allergies to wheat and also need their muscles building up as they get older.

Made in the UK and Ireland, this food is hypoallergenic to support a healthy, glossy coat and healthy urinary tract. It also has a gut-friendly recipe with added probiotics to make it easy to digest and sensitive on stomachs.

We love that this food has such a high amount of protein in it. In fact, 75 per cent of the overall composition of this food is made up of chicken; dehydrated chicken, freshly prepared chicken, chicken fat and chicken stock if you want to be precise. Chicken is a common allergen in cats so this won't be the right food for your kitty if they have an allergy, intolerance or sensitivity to chicken.

As you’d expect from an ageing cat, they might not be able to chew their food as easily as they used to, with missing teeth and other dental problems being a common issue with older kitties. This Lily’s Kitchen Smooth Paté has a nice and soft texture so it’s easier for senior moggies to chow down.

Lily’s Kitchen is renowned for using only natural ingredients Lily's Kitchen Smooth Paté with Chicken & Cod for Mature Cats is no different. It is made using proper chicken, cod, shrimp and pork alongside minerals, salmon oil and algae and that’s it – no artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives, just quality ingredients.

This recipe is also a grain-free one, so a great option for moggies with a grain sensitivity. Although, please bear in mind that it is made in a factory where grains are handled so there is a very small chance that traces could potentially be found in the food, so whether this is an issue or not will all depend on how severe your kitty’s allergy, intolerance or sensitivity is.

If you’re after a wet food that should last you for ages, The Felix As Good As It Looks 7+ Mixed Cat Food is a good choice. It includes 120, 100g sachets (which is a bigger amount than some of the other wet food pouches we’ve included on our list) of meaty chunks in a succulent jelly, which makes this food incredibly hydrating as well as tasty.

The pouches are packed full of irresistible ingredients and flavours, including beef, salmon, chicken and tuna that your moggy won’t be able to get enough of during their later years. Each of the four recipes in the bulk-buy multipack includes added minerals and vitamins D and E that will support your cat’s health and wellbeing during their later years of life.

With only four per cent of the ingredients being meat, this recipe isn’t as packed with protein as others we’ve included but if your cat is a fussy one and doesn’t seem as interested in eating as they used to be, the recipes will ensure they’re still eating a good amount of food as they enter into their twilight years with customers finding the scent alone drives their kitty to the bowl at mealtimes. It is also rated highly by customers for being a decent portion size and great value for money.

If you're after a natural solution to your cat turning its nose up at its normal food, Applaws Senior creates food that is one hundred per cent natural - made from the finest cuts of meat and fish.

It contains natural strips of chicken and fish, which should appeal to more fussy seniors, and it's made with no artificial additives so you can be sure your kitty is eating quality ingredients as they get older. All three of the recipes are rich in Omega-3 and 6, which are known for being beneficial to coat and skin health so by eating this food, it should help keep their fur looking and feeling nice and soft.

Although there are three recipes per pack, there are only two tins of each included in this multipack so depending on how much you feed your kitty per day, you will get through this pack of six very quickly. It may not last you as long as some of the other wet food options on this list, but you will have peace of mind knowing that each tin is packed with natural and high-quality ingredients.

If your cat isn’t interested in their food, try a tasty wet food with a good texture, like Thrive Cat Food Complete. It’s 75 per cent shredded chicken in a broth with essential vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy. Warming it up can make it more tempting by bringing out the smell which cats love. Chicken provides taurine, essential for cats' health.

Cats are obligate carnivores, so they need meat to survive. A simple chicken meal can help them regain their appetite and provide a source of quality protein, especially if they’re feeling unwell. The broth also adds extra hydration. Thrive suggests combining this wet food with their kibble for a balanced diet, as dry food is also great for dental health.

Customers say this food has helped even sick cats eat well and smells surprisingly pleasant. However, the small tins may need supplementing with other foods to ensure a complete, cost-effective diet. The recommended number of tins per day is 2-3.

Pro Plan Sterilised Senior 7+ Dry Cat Food is a complete and balanced food for cats over seven years old. It is specially formulated to support immune, kidney and digestive health, plus help to maintain a healthy weight in sterilised senior cats. Made with high-quality ingredients, such as turkey, it offers a taste cats enjoy. LONGEVIS® is a patented blend to support a long and healthy life, with prebiotics to support gut health.

Customer reviews praise this food for helping to keep their senior cat healthy and happy with a glossy coat. Note that this dry cat food contains gluten and cereals, which may not suit cats with sensitive digestion.