Wheat free cat food
Wheat-free cat food avoids wheat specifically as an ingredient, whether that's whole wheat, wheat flour or wheat gluten, replacing it with an alternative starch source such as potato, rice or maize. It's a narrower requirement than grain-free, which excludes all cereal grains rather than wheat alone, and the two get confused fairly often.
Wheat-free versus grain-free
Grain-free excludes every cereal grain — wheat, maize, rice, oats, barley — while wheat-free is specifically about wheat and nothing else. A food using rice or maize as its starch source is wheat-free without being grain-free, and it's usually a cheaper way to avoid wheat specifically than paying for a fully grain-free recipe if wheat itself, rather than grains generally, is the actual concern.
Our grain-free recipes, including James Wellbeloved's Grain Free Adult Dry Cat Food Turkey and Burns Adult/Senior Cat Sensitive Grain Free Duck & Potato, are wheat-free as a straightforward consequence of being grain-free — both use potato as the starch source instead of any cereal grain, wheat included.
Why owners look for it
Wheat is sometimes suspected as a trigger in cats showing digestive upset or skin irritation, though a confirmed wheat allergy in cats is genuinely uncommon — food sensitivities in cats are more often to a specific protein, like chicken or beef, than to wheat or grains generally. Wheat-free is still a reasonable thing to try if you suspect it, just not a certainty.
Some owners simply prefer to avoid wheat as a general dietary choice, in the same way some people do for themselves, without a specific medical reason. That's a perfectly reasonable preference to shop around, and there's no downside to a genuinely well-formulated wheat-free or grain-free recipe for a cat with no wheat sensitivity either.
What to check on the label
Look at the ingredients list rather than trusting a front-of-pack claim — 'wheat-free' should mean no wheat, wheat flour, wheat gluten or wheat bran anywhere in the list, not just absent from the first few ingredients. Some recipes use the term loosely, so checking the full list is worth the extra minute.
If you're changing your cat's food because of suspected sensitivity symptoms rather than simple preference, make the change gradually over about a week, and mention persistent symptoms to your vet rather than working through different wheat-free options indefinitely on your own. A gradual switch, mixing increasing amounts of the new food into the old, also reduces the chance of an upset stomach that has nothing to do with wheat at all, and simply comes from changing diet too quickly.
Without it, and in stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Sensor Cat Water Fountain 2.5L
A 2.5L cat fountain that flows when your cat approaches, keeping water fresh and tempting. A clear level window shows when to refill, and the generous tank meets one cat's needs for several days.
From£43.99
Scratch-Resistant Stretch Sofa Cushion Cover
A stretchy jacquard-knit cover that hugs individual sofa cushions to protect them from cat claws and fur. The non-slip, all-season fabric fits most seats and is machine washable for easy care. Sold per cushion size.
From£12.99
Leucillin Antiseptic Skincare Spray for Cats & Dogs
A versatile, alcohol-free antiseptic spray that cleans, soothes, and helps protect your pet's skin from bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
From£16.49
Pressure-Activated Pet Cooling Mat
Press down, feel the cool — this pressure-activated mat absorbs body heat and stays up to 10°C cooler than the room, with no freezing required.
From£34.99
Multi-Layered Felt Cat Cave Bed for All Seasons, Coffee or Beige
A cave bed built up in layers of dense felt, which insulates through winter and breathes rather than trapping heat in summer, offered in coffee brown or beige.
£27.99
Scratch-Resistant Jacquard Sofa Throw
A woven bohemian-pattern sofa throw that drapes over your settee to shield it from cat claws, fur and everyday wear. Tasselled edges and a tightly knit jacquard weave add a decorative, cosy finish. Machine washable.
From£23.99
Window-Mounted Sisal Cat Scratching Post
A suction-mounted pair of sisal columns that gives a cat a proper vertical scratch and stretch on a window or smooth wall, with no drilling and no floor space used.
From£52.99
Absorbent Cotton Gauze Swabs for Pets – Pack of 100
Highly absorbent, low-lint cotton gauze swabs produced in clean conditions — a practical first-aid essential available in three size and ply combinations.
From£4.49
Smart App-Controlled Automatic Pet Feeder
A smart automatic feeder with a clear food hopper, removable stainless steel bowl and app control. Schedule timed portions, record feeding plans and check in remotely, keeping mealtimes steady while you are away.
From£56.99
Palm Tree Cat Tree With Sisal Post And Bowl Bed
A playful palm-tree cat tree with a sisal scratching trunk, dangling teaser pompoms and a clear space-capsule bowl bed below. Compact at around 44cm wide, it gives cats a spot to scratch, perch and snooze.
From£7.99
Iron-Framed Radiator Hammock Cat Bed with Washable Faux Fur Cover
A metal-framed hammock that hooks over a radiator, lined with a removable machine-washable faux fur sleeve, for cats and small pets up to 5kg, in four plain colours.
£21.99
Automatic Cat Water Fountain
A clear automatic pet water fountain with a tap-style spout that circulates fresh, filtered water to encourage your cat to drink. The near-silent pump and large transparent tank let you check water levels at a glance.
£44.99
Common questions
- Is wheat bad for cats generally?
- Not for most cats. Wheat is a perfectly digestible ingredient for the majority of cats, and confirmed wheat allergies are genuinely uncommon. Digestive issues attributed to wheat are more often caused by a specific protein or an unrelated problem, which is worth ruling out with your vet if symptoms persist.
- Is wheat-free the same as grain-free?
- No, grain-free is broader — it excludes all cereal grains, not just wheat. A grain-free food is automatically wheat-free, but a food can be wheat-free without being grain-free, for example by using rice or maize instead of wheat specifically.
- What ingredients replace wheat in cat food?
- Potato, rice, maize and pea are all common alternative starch sources used instead of wheat in cat food. Which one a particular recipe uses depends on the brand and whether it's marketed as grain-free or simply wheat-free.
- Should I switch my cat to wheat-free food without a vet's advice?
- For a healthy cat with no symptoms, it's a reasonable preference to try on your own. If you're switching because of ongoing digestive or skin symptoms, though, it's worth mentioning to your vet first, since the cause may not be wheat at all.
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.