Usually, when a veterinarian is talking about a cat’s weight, it’s because they need to lose a pound or two. While obesity is prevalent amongst domestic cats, being underweight can be problematic, too. If your vet has suggested feeding your kitty a high-calorie diet to help them gain some weight, you’re probably not quite sure where to begin. Unfortunately, it’s not always as simple as giving them bigger portions.
Today, we’re going to take a look at ten of the best high-calorie cat foods for owners looking to help their kitties put on some pounds. Keep reading to find our reviews of these 10 foods as well as information about weight gain diets.
Chicken, Chicken Liver, Green Beans, Water Sufficient For Processing, Dried Yeast, Kale
Protein content:
48% (dry matter basis)
Fat content:
31% (dry matter basis)
Calories:
200 kcal/5.0 oz
Having your cat healthily gain weight is essential. While all the recipes on our list are recommended and highly rated, we have Smalls Fresh Food Ground Bird Recipe as the best overall choice. Fresh food is becoming increasingly popular among cat owners, so if you are interested, the Ground Bird Recipe is quite popular. The first ingredients are human-grade chicken and chicken liver, which are full of healthy fats and protein that will safely promote weight gain. The other ingredients include green beans and kale, which add vitamins and minerals to your cat’s diet.
With fresh food, careful handling is a must. Additionally, Smalls is a bit on the expensive side, as is the case with most fresh foods.
Pros
High fat and protein content
First two ingredients are chicken and chicken liver
This formula consists of a ton of protein, as the first four ingredients are animal protein sources. The food actually contains 83% animal-based proteins, which is pretty impressive.
This product contains a unique probiotic strain to support your cat’s gastrointestinal health and a good dose of omega fatty acids to nourish their skin and coat.
Its disk-shaped kibble has a unique texture and taste that most cats enjoy. It’s also quite small, which can be a pro or con, depending on your cat’s preferences.
This food also has a powerful smell. This can be enticing for your kitty, but if you’re scent-sensitive, you may want to approach it with caution.
Pros
High in protein
Promotes gastrointestinal health
Unique texture and taste
Cons
Kibble may be too small for adult cats
Very strong scent
3. Hill’s Prescription Diet a/d Urgent Care with Chicken Wet Dog & Cat Food
This highly digestible and very palatable food is designed for cats (and dogs) recovering from surgery, illnesses, or injuries. Its unique blend of ingredients can help stimulate a low appetite and get pets on the path to healing. Its energy-dense formula is also rich in potassium to help avoid depletion. It also contains clinically proven antioxidants to promote immune system health and healing.
The food is smooth, soft, moist and easily digestible, however it is only meant for intermittent use, not long-term feeding. So, if your cat needs a nutritional boost for weight gain, Hill’s a/d may be an option but should not be their sole food source for the long term.
You would need a prescription from your veterinarian to order this product online.
Pros
Highly digestible formula
Very palatable
Promotes immune system health
Cons
Requires a prescription
Expensive
4. Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Kitten Dry Cat Food – Best for Kittens
If you have a picky kitten on your hands, you need high-quality kitten-specific food to promote weight gain.
The Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Kitten Dry Cat Food is specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of growing kittens. It contains a blend of antioxidants and vitamins your young cat needs for their immune system and overall health. It includes a mixture of digestible proteins, fibers, and prebiotics to promote digestive health.
The kibble texture is easy for young cats to chew and is perfectly sized for their tiny mouths and emerging teeth.
This food may also be safe for adult cats to eat as long as you get the thumbs-up from your veterinarian before feeding it to them.
This food can be quite expensive.
Pros
Designed specifically to meet a kitten’s nutritional needs
Contains antioxidants for immune system support
Made with highly digestible proteins
Texture and size are easy for kittens to navigate
Cons
May be expensive
5. Solid Gold Indigo Moon with Chicken & Eggs Grain-Free High Protein Dry Cat Food
The Purina Pro Plan Prime Plus Adult 7+ Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Cat Food offers a high-protein formula with real chicken as its first ingredient. Protein is essential for supporting lean muscle mass and can be particularly beneficial for older cats who may be beginning to lose muscle.
This high-calorie food contains nutrients like vitamin A and taurine to promote eye health and live probiotics to support digestion.
If your cat hasn’t been eating well, their skin and coat may be suffering, too. This food is made with New Zealand green mussels, an ingredient exclusive to New Zealand. These mussels provide a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids to promote skin, coat and even joint health.
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Formula Natural Dry Cat Food is a protein-rich, high-calorie food made with real turkey and chicken. It contains flaxseed and salmon oil, which provide a dose of omega-3 fatty acids to support your cat’s skin and coat health. The inclusion of cranberries and other antioxidants may help support immunity.
The kibble is small and round shaped, which can be challenging for some cats to eat. Additionally, the food smells very strong, which can be unpleasant when serving it to your pet.
Pros
High in protein
Made with real turkey and chicken
Contains omega-3s for skin and coat health
Cons
Kibble may be too small for some cats
Very strong smell
9. Wysong Epigen 90 Starch-Free Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog & Cat Food
Chicken Meal, Organic Chicken, Meat Protein Isolate, Chicken Fat, Gelatin
Protein content:
63.0% min
Fat content:
16.0% min
Calories:
447 kcal/120g cup
Wysong Epigen 90 Starch-Free Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog & Cat Food is an ultra-high protein kibble that offers a starch-free diet more like what your kitty’s ancestors ate. It contains omega-3s for skin and coat health and boasts a natural flavor that most cats enjoy. The formula also contains probiotics for digestive support.
It’s made with domestically sourced ingredients, so you can feel good about knowing where your cat’s food components come from.
The kibble is roughly the size of a chickpea, which may make it difficult for some cats to eat. Unless you subscribe to auto-ship, this food can be pretty pricey as it’s only available in five-pound bags.
Pros
High in protein
Omega 3s for coat health
Cons
Very expensive
Kibble may be too big for some cats
10. Blue Buffalo True Solutions Fab Feline Natural Indoor Cat Formula Adult Dry Cat Food
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Barley
Protein content:
36.0% min
Fat content:
20.0% min
Calories:
446 kcal/cup
The Blue Buffalo True Solutions Fab Feline Natural Indoor Cat Formula Adult Dry Cat Food contains high-quality protein and prebiotic fiber for optimal digestion. It’s made with real chicken and contains Blue Buffalo’s antioxidant-rich LifeSource Bits. These bits include a blend of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals like omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, taurine, and vitamin B12.
This food can be quite pricey, especially if you’re not taking advantage of auto-ship discounts. Additionally, the kibble may be too small for some cats to eat.
Pros
Made with real protein
Can promote digestive health
Contains antioxidants
Cons
Expensive
Kibble can be hard to eat
Buyer’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know About High-Calorie Cat Foods
How to Choose the Best High-Calorie Food
As easy as it would be to just increase your underweight kitty’s portion sizes, this isn’t typically the best way to help them gain weight.
Determine the Cause
Determining why your cat is underweight should be your first concern. There are many potential reasons including kidney disease, diabetes, dental disease, cancer, and gastrointestinal conditions. Once your vet has run some tests and has a better idea of why your cat is underweight, you can create an action plan to help your pet gain weight.
Image Credit: TarasBeletskiy, Shutterstock
Follow the Recommended Diet
If your veterinarian has suggested a particular diet to help treat your kitty’s illness, follow it to a T. Diets created to address specific concerns are formulated to contain the right balance of macronutrients and micronutrients to both gain healthy weight and address disease-related issues.
Find a Food That Your Cat Likes
If your veterinarian hasn’t suggested a particular diet, you’ll need to focus on finding a food that your kitty not only enjoys eating but tolerates well. Unfortunately, this often does require some trial and error, so you may need to try a few different foods and brands before finding one that works for you and your kitty.
Ensure the Food Is Nutritionally Complete
Unfortunately, finding a food your cat likes and tolerates isn’t the only consideration you need to think about when choosing a weight gain food. You’ll need to ensure the food you buy is nutritionally complete, too. As obligate carnivores, cats must eat animal products as the majority of their food. Look for the AAFCO seal of approval to make sure the food of choice meets a cat’s nutritional requirements.
How to Help Your Cat Gain Weight
Addressing underlying health issues and choosing the right food is only part of the battle in feline weight gain. Here are some tips on encouraging your kitty to gain weight healthily.
Feed Smaller Meals
A cat’s stomach is smaller than you might think – roughly the size of a ping-pong ball. This means that the average cat can only hold around two to four tablespoons of food at a time. It is, therefore, completely normal if your cat isn’t interested in scarfing down a whole lot of food all at once.
Instead, try offering them smaller, more frequent meals. Additionally, this type of feeding schedule is generally better tolerated by cats with sensitive tummies and can reduce the risk of vomiting after eating, too.
Heat Their Meal
Cats are attracted to food that smells good to them. This is partly why most kitties seem to prefer wet food over kibble – it smells very strong. Warming up your underweight cat’s wet food can make it more aromatic and enticing.
Heat their wet food in your microwave for just a few seconds. Do a finger test or use a thermometer to make sure it’s not too hot. The last thing you want to do is burn your kitty’s mouth or esophagus.
Give Them Privacy
Cats are usually social animals, but they do cherish some moments of privacy. I know you want to monitor your kitty to make sure they’re eating, but hovering over them can stress them out and make them less likely to eat at all.
Image Credit: Art_Volkusha, Shutterstock
Consider High-Calorie Meal Toppers
While your cat’s food should be the main component of their diet, high-calorie meal toppers can be a great way to encourage them to eat while also adding calories. They typically come in gel or powder format and may even offer other benefits, such as stimulating their appetite.
We recommend speaking with your veterinary team to find a good quality, high-calorie meal topper that will benefit your kitty based on their specific needs.
Consider Appetite Stimulants
There are two types of appetite stimulants for cats – prescription medication and natural options.
Your veterinarian can prescribe an appetite stimulant to help your pet feel the urge to eat. There are several options, and some of them even come in a transdermal gel form, which is typically much simpler to administer than pills. However, appetite stimulants may not be ideal for cats with kidney or liver disease, so follow the instructions of your veterinarian.
According to PetMD, catnip can be a natural appetite stimulant that can also help reduce anxiety and pain. If your cat’s inappetence is being caused by anxiety, it may be worth giving catnip a shot. Fresh catnip is more potent, but you can also find dried and spray forms.
Acupuncture is another way to increase your kitty’s appetite. According to the Veterinary Information Network, acupuncture is particularly effective in cats and can be used to treat numerous conditions, including lower urinary tract disease, arthritis, and even asthma. It can also be used to reduce fevers and stimulate the appetite.
Keep Tabs on Their Weight
It’s essential to keep a close eye on your cat’s weight when you’re actively trying to help them gain or lose some pounds. Weigh them once a week and jot down their weight so you can keep tabs on how successful their new diet is. If they’re not gaining weight or are losing weight every weigh-in, it’s best to have them examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible.
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How We Determined This List of High-Calorie Cat Foods for Weight Gain
All the cat foods reviewed in this article were chosen by our writers, editors, and team of experienced veterinary professionals to ensure that they are safe and meet the care needs of your pet. When choosing which cat foods to feature, we took into account brand reputation, personal and hands-on experience, reviews from other customers, and of course, feedback from our beloved pets, to make sure to bring you only the best of the best. We at PangoVet want to give you only the best products to choose from in our reviews, to ensure that they meet your pets’ needs for optimal health and well-being.
Why Trust PangoVet?
We are a team of experienced veterinarians, writers, and editors who are pet owners ourselves, so we understand how important your pets and the products they use and consume are to you. Whether you are caring for a furry, scaly, or feathered friend, we make sure that you have honest and unbiased reviews of the top cat foods on the market, so you can make an informed decision.
We hope our reviews and buying guide have shed some light on the importance of choosing the right high-calorie food for your kitty needing to gain weight. If you’re still not quite sure if you’re on the right track, we highly recommend speaking with your veterinarian.
Chantelle's two great passions in life are writing and animals. Growing up on the Canadian prairies, she was always surrounded by animals, and as an adult, she shares her home with five cats, two guinea pigs, and a bearded dragon. Alongside her husband and child, Chantelle takes pride in being an exceptional pet parent , even investing in wall-mounted cat shelves to create an indoor jungle gym for their feline friends. When she's not cuddling her cats or capturing their funny moments on camera, Chantelle loves exploring the Rocky Mountains, rewatching her favorite shows on Netflix, and diving into random reading topics.
