Cat food for loose stools
Loose stools in an otherwise well cat sometimes settle with a simple, easily digestible diet given time, but this is a symptom worth taking seriously rather than managing indefinitely through food alone — persistent, worsening or bloody diarrhoea, or a cat who seems unwell, needs a vet before anything else.
When diet might be the whole picture
A sudden food change, a new treat that did not agree with your cat, or a brief bout after something eaten outside the home can all cause short-lived loose stools that settle on their own within a day or two once the trigger has passed. In these cases, a plain, easily digestible diet for a short period can help things settle.
Some cats also have an ongoing sensitivity to a particular ingredient, and a food built around a single named protein and simpler ingredient list can make a genuine difference for these individuals, once other causes have been ruled out by a vet.
What to look for in a food
A complete cat food with a clear, simple ingredient list and a named single protein source is a reasonable starting point once your vet has confirmed there is no underlying medical cause needing specific treatment. Introduce any new food gradually over several days rather than switching overnight, which itself can cause loose stools regardless of the food's quality.
Some owners find a wet food easier on a sensitive stomach than dry, simply because of the higher moisture content, though this varies between individual cats. A probiotic or digestive support supplement designed for cats can also be worth discussing with your vet as an addition alongside diet, particularly for a cat prone to recurring digestive upset.
When it needs a vet, not a new food
See a vet before trying to manage loose stools through diet alone if they persist beyond a couple of days, if there is blood or mucus, if your cat seems lethargic, is vomiting, off their food, or losing weight, or if the diarrhoea is severe or watery.
A vet can rule out causes that diet cannot fix — parasites, infection, an underlying illness — and can recommend a specific therapeutic diet if one is genuinely needed, which is a different and more targeted thing than simply switching to a shop-bought sensitive food. Bringing a fresh stool sample to the appointment, where possible, can also speed up getting an answer for your cat.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Whiskas 1+ Salmon Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete salmon dry food for adult cats in a practical 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Whiskas Kitten Chicken Dry Cat Food
Complete chicken dry food for kittens, available in several bag sizes
From£3.19
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Adult Dry Cat Food Turkey
A grain-free turkey dry food for adult cats, with potato rather than rice or wheat for carbohydrate
£24.65
James Wellbeloved Kitten Dry Cat Food Fish
Single-protein fish dry food for growing kittens, excluding common allergens
£21.79
James Wellbeloved Senior Dry Cat Food Turkey
A single-source turkey dry food for senior cats, formulated with added joint-care ingredients
From£21.79
James Wellbeloved Light Adult Dry Cat Food Fish
A lower-calorie fish dry food for adult cats managing their weight, with joint-support ingredients
£24.65
Whiskas 1+ Lamb Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete lamb dry food for adult cats in a practical 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Whiskas 7+ Chicken Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete chicken dry food for senior cats aged 7+ in an 800G bag
£6.09
Purina One Kitten Chicken
Chicken kitten food with added DHA, and a feeding guide from 6 weeks to a year
From£6.65
Purina One Sensitive Cat Turkey
A complete dry food for cats with sensitive digestion, built around turkey
£19.29
One Purina One Light Cat Chicken
A weight-management dry cat food with chicken, 37% protein and reduced fat for cats watching their weight
From£6.65
Simpsons Cat 90 10 Meat Fish
A high-meat dry food for cats, built from 90% animal ingredients across five sources
From£16.45
Common questions
- How long should I try a new food before seeing a vet?
- If a simple diet change has not made a difference within a few days, or if symptoms are getting worse rather than better at any point, see a vet rather than continuing to experiment with food. Persistent diarrhoea should always be checked.
- Should I switch my cat's food gradually or all at once?
- Always gradually, over five to seven days, mixing increasing amounts of the new food with the old. Switching abruptly is itself a common cause of loose stools, even when the new food is perfectly suitable.
- Can wet food help with loose stools?
- Some cats do better on wet food's higher moisture content, though it depends on the individual cat and the underlying cause. It is not a guaranteed fix, and persistent symptoms still need a vet's input regardless of food format.
- Is a grain-free diet better for loose stools?
- Not necessarily — there is no strong general evidence that grain-free diets resolve digestive upset for most cats, and a genuine sensitivity is more often to a specific protein than to grain itself. A vet can help identify what your cat is actually reacting to.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.