Best cat food for weight gain to entice poorly or fussy eaters

Pro Plan Veterinary Diets CN Convalescence is a nutritionally dense wet food with high fat, protein, vitamins and minerals, plus antioxidants to support recovery. It contains a higher proportion of protein and fat in a highly digestible form, aiding recovery, repairing and restoring healthy body condition. In addition, it contains vitamin E, zinc and arginin to support skin and immune system recovery.

This wet food has a mousse texture that is easy-to-eat. Be aware of the feeding guidelines. Just one can a day is enough, plus 1/4 more if your cat is over 6kg. It's also a temporary food and you should switch back to regular cat food once your pet has regained its normal body condition.

This food has helped build up cats (and dogs) recovering from surgery. Customers say it's a good option if your pet is convalescing and can't eat too much.

Exigent means urgent, and this Royal Canin Protein Exigent Adult Dry Cat Food has a high protein content (more than 40 per cent) that's designed to entice cats to eat. In addition, this kibble contains a balance of carbs and fats to help a cat regain their ideal body condition. Plus, this complete food contains vitamins and minerals to support an adult cat's urinary system.

Reviews say this kibble successfully got picky eaters to chow down. But, for a minority of cats, it wasn't appealing. Given the price point, it's worth trying a small bag first to see if it suits your cat.

Royal Canin recommends that this kibble be combined with Royal Canin Instinctive Adult Cat Food, which is a wet food comprising of thin meaty slices in gravy.

Help a cat gain and maintain a healthy weight post-trauma or surgery with Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Recovery. It's energy-dense, so a cat doesn't need to eat much of it to get their calories. Therefore, it puts less stress on their digestive system. It can be mixed with water to make it a liquid paste that can be given through a syringe. The ingredients list may raise eyebrows, but it's intended to deliver intensive nutrition to a dangerously underweight cat.

This is an Amazon's Choice recommended product. Customers say this high-calorie cat food is very palatable, and it stimulates their cat's appetite after illness. Reviews say that they mixed the pâté with a little warm water and their cats either lapped it up or received it through a syringe.

Hill's Prescription Diet a/d Restorative Care is a nutrient-dense food that gives a convalescing cat essential vitamins and calories for healthy weight gain. It contains easy-to-digest and high energy ingredients, including turkey liver, chicken, maize and fish oil, to help nourish and stimulate the appetite of a poorly cat. In addition, it has essential vitamins, minerals and omega fatty acids.

Customer reviews confirm that this high-calorie food effectively entices extremely unwell animals to eat. It's helped restore seriously ill cats to health. A review comments that this was the only food a cat at their end-of-life could eat, and it gave them extra time with their owners. Vets recommend this food, which can be mixed into a liquid and given as a soup through a syringe.

Note that dietetic food should only be given on the advice of your vet.

Recoactiv Recovery Immune is a tasty tonic for your cat that nourishes them with vital animal protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. It can help stimulate their appetite or be given to a cat with mouth and throat problems. This liquid food helps cats recover from malnutrition, post-surgery, or if a cat refuses to eat solid food. It has a palatable taste and is high-calorie to put goodness and strength back into an ailing cat. This liquid feed can be given on its own or with food.

Customer reviews are positive, and they say this liquid feed has brought their pets back from the brink. However, it is expensive, and one review said it cost a lot of money to nurse a litter of kittens on it.

Give a poorly cat care and the right nourishment regain their strength and vitality with Royal Canin Kitten Dry Cat Food. This kitten food has been effective in getting fussy adult cats to eat. The nutrient-dense kibble is available in various sizes, from 400g up to 10kg. Royal Canin's article on how to help a cat gain weight advises that cats have a more sensitive digestive system that doesn't cope well with a varied diet. Therefore, you must gradually transition a cat to new food. In addition to choosing a complete food with the right balance of essential nutrients, the ingredients should be highly digestible to prevent a stomach upset. This kibble has been specially formulated to support and nourish kittens, so the ingredients are tailored to be energy-dense yet gentle on a cat's digestive system.

Kittens and kittens-at-heart love this food and customers say it been much better for their cat than other brands. A review comments that the kibble improved the odour and quality of their cat's stools. So, if you're looking for a good value for money food to help a cat reach a healthy weight, this is one to try.

Vetiq Nutri-Vit Plus is a high-calorie nutritional supplement. It can help stimulate a poorly cat's appetite and aid weight gain. This paste is aimed at cats and kittens (12+ weeks) who need extra energy and nutrition, usually due to recovery from illness. Though it might also be used on fussy eaters who are off their food, older cats and growing kittens may also benefit from this supplement for an energy boost.

The portion size is very small, just a 1/4 teaspoon for cats under 2.5kg and 1/2 teaspoon for cats over 2.5kg. You can spread it on their paws for them to lick or add it to food. The paste is fortified with vitamins and minerals to boost their immune system while being an easily digestible energy source.

Customer reviews say that this paste has effectively stimulated the appetite of their unwell pet. It has helped a rescue cat have vitality and fortified a kitten that was the runt of the litter. Also, it helped an old cat start eating normally again.

Be aware that it's a rather smelly and sticky paste, but this encourages cats to lick it off their paws. Then, reviews say, it's pretty miraculous how it restores their appetite.

If your cat has been showing a lack of interest in their food, it may be worth trying a palatable wet cat food that has an appealing texture. Thrive Cat Food Complete Food is an ideal and convenient option. It is simply shredded chicken in a tasty broth, plus added vitamins and minerals that cats need in order to stay healthy. Try warming it up to get aromas going, as this will be particularly enticing to cats. Chicken is a source of taurine which is essential for maintaining cats' body functions.

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need meat in order to survive. Plus, their digestive system doesn't cope with an overly varied diet. So, a simple chicken meal is a top way to tempt a poorly cat back to regular eating. In addition, the broth will give a cat extra hydration. Thrive recommend pairing this wet food with their range of kibble to get the full benefit of a balanced diet. Remember, dry cat food is extremely beneficial for keeping teeth in good condition.

Customer reviews say this food has helped quite unwell cats eat and enjoy their food. It also smells good, which is a novelty for cat food! Be aware that they are small tins and will ultimately need supplementing with other food to be cost-effective and give your cat a complete diet.

A tasty wet cat food with an appealing texture is one way to entice a fussy, traumatised or unwell cat to eat. More so, if you gently warm the food so it releases an aroma it will be even more irresistible as cats are guided by their nose. Wellness Core contains tuna and salmon, so it is rich in omega fatty acids. Plus, there are a variety of Tender Cuts flavours to choose from. It's a complete wet cat food that's grain-free and all-natural.

This is an Amazon's Choice recommended product. Customers say that this food has been a winner with their picky cats. Some reviews highlight just how sensitive cats can be to the texture of their food; the gravy in this wet cat food is much preferred by their pets, in comparison to jelly and pâté.

It's worth trying a small pack to see if it appeals to your cat before making a larger purchase, as some pets turned their noses up at it – just no pleasing some!

Cats are smell-orientated when it comes to eating. Using a strong-smelling food, such as fish, can appeal to them. Applaws Multipack Chicken and Fish Selection in Broth is a simple wet cat food, that could be warmed the food up slightly to increase the aroma at entice a cat to eat. The tuna flavour contains 75 per cent tuna fillet. The portion size is perfect for giving small and frequent meals to aid gradual weight gain.

This is a popular brand, with over 9,000 reviews rating Applaws 4.5 out of 5. It's also an Amazon's Choice recommended product. Customers say that while this food is slightly more expensive than competitors – the quality is clear – and their cats love it. However, it is not a complete food. Therefore, it's important to supplement your cat's diet with sources of essential vitamins, minerals, fats and antioxidants.

One of the reasons a cat may have lost weight is due to an intolerance to the food they've been eating. Choosing a quality hypoallergenic food, such as Scrumbles With 75% Chicken and Fresh Salmon, will help to restore their gut biome and vitality. It contains probiotics to promote good digestive health and with one billion healthy bacteria in a bag, this will improve their ability to absorb nutrients.

Typically, dry cat food can be higher in carbohydrates, but Scrumbles has a very high proportion of protein – with chicken, freshly prepared salmon and extra salmon oil for Omega 3 – which will help restore a cat's wellness.

Customers say this kibble smells much better than previous brands they've tried. It has helped their cats overcome allergies and restored glossy, healthy-looking fur. However, some fussy felines simply didn't want to try it, therefore it's best to buy a small bag or sample to ensure it's to your cat's liking.