The 12 Best Weight Loss Foods For Cats, With Guidance From Veterinarians

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

A diet specially formulated for weight management can help cats lose weight safely and effectively. The best weight loss foods for cats are typically lower in calories and fat than standard formulas, but they deliver more nutrients per serving. Many also contain extra fiber to help cats feel full even when they're eating fewer calories.

To choose the foods for this guide, we asked veterinarians what factors matter most when selecting food for overweight cats. Based on their insights, our top picks include Hill's Science Diet Perfect Weight Roasted Vegetable and Chicken Medley wet food and Royal Canin Weight Care Adult Dry Cat Food. Both are formulated with ingredients that support fat metabolism and help cats feel fuller for longer.

All of the foods featured in this guide meet or exceed the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards and align with the Global Nutrition Guidelines published by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), benchmarks endorsed by the veterinarians we consulted.

It's also helpful to understand factors that cause cats to gain weight, such as aging, decreased mobility, excessive calorie consumption, and limited mental and physical exercise. Spaying or neutering is critical for overall health, but it can also lead to gradual weight gain. If your cat is overweight, your veterinarian can determine their daily calorie requirements and recommend an appropriate weight management diet. Proper portion control is also key for weight loss and maintenance. However, simply feeding your cat less can be dangerous. Smaller portions may not provide all the nutrients your cat needs, says Dr. Mark Freeman, a veterinarian and clinical associate professor of community practice at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

Read more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and researches pet products.

Highlights for the best weight loss foods for cats

Best overall wet: Hill's Science Diet Perfect Weight Roasted Vegetable and Chicken Medley - See at Chewy

Best overall dry: Royal Canin Weight Care Adult Dry Cat Food - See at Chewy

Best budget wet: Blue Buffalo True Solutions Weight Control Chicken Recipe - See at Chewy

Best budget dry: Purina One +Plus High Protein Chicken - See at Chewy

Best for seniors: Iams Proactive Health Healthy Senior Chicken Recipe - See at Chewy

Best wet overall

Wet food contains 75% to 78% moisture, which is significantly more than the 10% to 12% found in dry food. This difference matters because cats typically obtain most of their hydration from their food rather than drinking water, says Dr. Debra Zoran, a small animal internist, nutritionist, and professor at Texas A&M University. What's more, the high water content in canned food can help cats feel fuller, even when they're eating fewer calories.

Because wet and dry cat foods vary so widely in moisture content, you'll need to convert the wet food values to a dry matter basis to compare their nutritional content. This process involves removing all the moisture from a wet food and calculating nutritional values based on the remaining solids. We've contacted the manufacturers of all our picks for the best cat foods to obtain nutritional information on a dry matter basis. If you'd like to compare dry foods with wet foods not included here, you can follow the instructions from the Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University, call the food manufacturer, or ask your veterinarian for guidance.

Our picks for the best wet cat food for weight loss include added fiber from ingredients such as powdered cellulose. Extra fiber can help your cat feel satisfied longer, which may reduce begging between meals. These formulas also contain L-carnitine, an amino acid that helps the body burn fat for energy and may aid in weight loss.

Best dry overall

Your veterinarian might recommend dry food with added salt for weight control. While salt might seem like an unusual ingredient, Freeman says pet food manufacturers use salt to encourage cats to drink more water. "It's another mechanism to help pets feel full and reduce food consumption," he says.

Calorie control also plays a major role in weight loss. Even so, cat treats are still important for bonding with your cat and rewarding them, says Dr. Julie Churchill, a veterinary nutritionist and professor of nutrition at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She recommends setting aside a portion of your cat's kibble for treats. This way, you can give your cat a few small pieces of a complete and balanced food without disrupting their diet.

Our picks for the best dry cat food for weight loss include both soluble and insoluble fiber sources, such as beet pulp, oats, psyllium seed husk, and inulin, which is derived from chicory root or Jerusalem artichoke. Soluble fibers absorb water and form a gel in the stomach, slowing digestion and increasing feelings of fullness. Insoluble fibers add bulk to stool and promote a healthy digestive system. These foods also contain fish oil, a source of omega-3 fatty acids that can help reduce inflammation and improve joint health. This may help ease joint pain caused by stress on the joints associated with carrying excess weight.

Best budget wet

Along with added moisture, many wet cat foods contain carbohydrate sources that can help your cat lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. For instance, Tufts University says complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and whole corn are more fiber-rich than other carbohydrates. They can help your cat feel full for longer. Our experts recommend whole, complex carbohydrates over processed carbohydrates such as flour and meals. This is because cats use more energy to break whole carbs down, says Dr. Korinn Saker, a retired veterinary nutritionist who was associate professor of clinical nutrition at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Our budget picks for the best affordable cat food for weight loss include fiber to help your cat feel full and L-carnitine to help them burn fat. If wet food still feels too pricey (it tends to be more expensive per serving than dry food), you can ask your vet for help creating a meal plan that mixes wet and dry food. Zoran says she offers her cats wet food to keep them hydrated, but also incorporates a small amount of dry food in feeder puzzles. This helps slow her cats' eating by making them work for their food, which can help them feel more satisfied and promote weight loss. You can learn more about the differences between canned food and kibble in our wet vs. dry cat food explainer.

Best budget dry

Budget dry food is a good option for cat owners looking for an affordable way to help their cat lose weight. Both budget and premium weight loss cat foods may contain cost-effective protein sources like meat byproducts and byproduct meals. These are secondary ingredients from the human food industry, but they meet the nutritional requirements for pets set by the AAFCO. Our experts agree that byproducts and meals make good protein sources for cats.

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need animal-based proteins for essential amino acids like taurine. Budget dry cat foods can meet your cat's dietary needs as long as proteins in the form of whole meat, meat meal, or byproducts come first on the ingredient list.

Our budget picks for the best weight loss foods for cats are low in calories and fat, like our other recommendations in this guide. They contain proteins such as chicken, chicken byproduct meal, and turkey meal. Our pick from Purina also contains L-lysine, an amino acid that supports the immune system and may boost a cat's resistance to certain viruses.

Best for seniors

Senior cats are more likely to develop health problems, especially if they are overweight. Churchill says maintaining a healthy weight can add years to a pet's life, improve their quality of life, and delay many chronic diseases that occur with aging.

When choosing among the best senior cat foods, it's important to work with your veterinarian to determine your pet's specific needs. Some cats may require a diet with lower levels of phosphorus, sodium, or protein, while others may benefit from a high-protein diet. Many senior cat foods, such as the ones below, also contain ingredients like fish oil, glucosamine, and chondroitin that can help improve mobility and reduce inflammation. Our senior picks also contain cranberries and blueberries. These ingredients provide antioxidants, which can help keep a cat's liver, kidneys, and brain healthy.

What to look for in cat foods for weight loss

When shopping for the best weight loss foods for cats, you'll want to consider the following criteria:

AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement for adult maintenance or all life stages: The AAFCO is a nonprofit organization that provides nutritional guidelines for pet food. An AAFCO statement indicates that a food meets the nutritional needs of cats based on their life stage. You can confirm a cat food is nutritionally complete and balanced for "adult maintenance" or "all life stages" if it has an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement on the label.

Keep in mind that cat food will only meet your cat's nutritional needs when served in the right portions. Giving your cat a smaller portion could lead to a nutritional deficiency, while overfeeding them may lead to weight gain, especially if they don't get much activity.

Growing kittens need more calories and nutrients than adult cats so we recommend the best kitten foods for young felines. Therefore, weight management foods don't make a good choice for kittens, even if the food is labeled for "all life stages." If you have any concerns about your kitten's weight, consult a vet before you change their diet or feed them smaller portions. As your cat nears their first birthday, your vet can evaluate their weight and how many calories they should consume daily.

Guaranteed analysis and nutrient profiles: The guaranteed analysis on a pet food label shows the percentages of important nutrients, including protein, fat, fiber, and other essential vitamins and minerals. Food for adult cats, including seniors, must have a minimum of 26% protein and 9% fat. Our experts say it's important to carefully examine the guaranteed analysis of protein, fat, and fiber percentages to ensure the recipe meets your cat's needs. The best weight loss foods for cats generally contain low to moderate fat and high fiber.

Ingredients list: The ingredients on a pet food label appear in order of weight. As obligate carnivores, cats must eat diets made up of animal-based proteins. So, animal proteins in the form of whole meat, meat meal, or animal byproducts should appear first on the ingredients list of any cat food. To add fiber to your cat's diet and keep them feeling full between meals, opt for recipes with whole complex carbohydrates such as whole corn, whole brown rice, oats, and inulin. Sources of inulin you may notice on cat food labels include chicory root and, less commonly, Jerusalem artichoke.

Expert formulations: Expert formulation is even more important when it comes to weight loss diets since the best weight loss foods for cats are developed to provide more nutrients per serving, with fewer calories. We only recommend food from brands that employ a full-time board-certified veterinary nutritionist or a PhD-level animal nutritionist. This helps ensure your cat's food meets nutritional recommendations and includes the right ingredients for cats. It also aligns with the WSAVA guidelines and our experts' guidance.

Manufacturing standards: We expect commercial cat food brands to be transparent about their quality control measures. This means providing information about the types of tests they conduct, how often they test, and the results of those tests. If this information doesn't appear on a pet food company's website, brand representatives should provide the information upon request.

Calorie content: The calorie content of cat food is listed in kilocalories (kcals). Weight management foods generally have fewer calories per serving but are nutrient-dense to meet nutritional needs. However, the calorie needs of adult cats can vary depending on their age, ideal weight, and overall health. Our experts emphasize the importance of switching to a weight management diet instead of just giving your cat less food. Your vet can recommend the best weight loss cat foods and the right portion size for your cat. When a pet is only a little overweight — 10% to 15% — a successful approach to weight loss may involve switching to a lower-calorie food and adjusting treats and snacks, combined with increased exercise, Churchill says. Pets more than 15% heavier than their ideal weight are considered obese and may benefit from a prescription weight loss diet.

Vets can use a scale and the body condition scoring (BCS) system to assess your cat's weight and body fat. Your vet will consider your cat's lifestyle, ideal weight, and overall health to recommend the ideal number of daily calories your cat should eat. You can ask your vet to teach you how to use the BCS system to check your cat's body fat at home between wellness visits. Churchill says that frequent monitoring of your cat's weight is important since it allows veterinarians to fine-tune caloric intake and ensure that weight loss stays safe and healthy. She adds that cats should lose weight gradually, at a rate of 1% to 2% of their body weight per week.

How we selected the best weight loss foods for cats

To pick the best weight loss foods for cats, we consulted four veterinarians, including three specializing in animal nutrition. Our experts didn't recommend specific foods, but they helped us determine what makes an effective weight loss food and how to ensure your cat loses weight in a safe and healthy way.

Dr. Debra Zoran is a small animal internist, nutritionist, and professor of small animal clinical sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.

Dr. Korinn Saker is a board-certified veterinarian and a retired professor of clinical nutrition at the College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University.

Dr. Julie Churchill is a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and a professor of nutrition at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Mark Freeman is a board-certified veterinarian and clinical associate professor of community practice at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

We also consulted guidelines and recommendations from the AAFCO, the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, and other publications and organizations linked in this guide.

Meet the expert behind this guide

Janelle Leeson, pet nutrition reporter: I've covered feline health and nutrition for Reviews since 2023, combining in-depth research with expert insight to help cat guardians make informed decisions. For this guide, I reviewed scientific literature on feline obesity and weight management, interviewed veterinarians about what makes a diet effective for weight management, compared the nutrient profiles and ingredient lists of more than 40 formulas, and applied rigorous, vet-informed criteria to every recommendation. My reporting is rooted in credible sources, objective comparisons, and a passion for helping cats thrive.

Weight loss cat food FAQs

What is the best food for cats to lose weight?

The best cat foods for weight loss are specially formulated and specifically labeled "weight management," "weight loss," or "healthy weight." These formulas are typically lower in calories and fat while providing more nutrients per serving than regular cat food. However, there's no single best food for overweight cats. The right diet for your cat depends on factors such as their age, ideal weight, overall health, and individual needs. Before making changes to your cat's diet, it's important to talk with your veterinarian, who can recommend an appropriate formula and help you develop a safe, effective weight loss plan tailored to your cat.

Is wet or dry cat food better for weight loss?

Both wet and dry cat food can help support weight loss, but wet food is often the better choice. It contains fewer calories per bite and more moisture, helping cats feel satiated. Many wet formulas also include complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice or whole-grain corn, which take longer to digest.

Dr. Liza Cahn, a veterinarian and consultant for Embrace Pet Insurance, says dry food is usually more calorie-dense, which makes it easier for cats to overeat, especially if they're free-fed. The carbohydrates in kibble often come from processed flours and meals, which may not promote lasting fullness. However, a lower-calorie, high-fiber dry food can still support weight loss when portions are measured carefully. No matter which type you choose, regular exercise through play and enrichment is key to effective weight management.

What is the best way for an indoor cat to lose weight?

Successful weight loss in cats comes down to three factors: a balanced diet, portion control, and regular exercise. Feeding a weight management food is important, but how much you feed your cat matters just as much. Freeman stresses the importance of portion control. He and his team provide pet parents with a carefully calibrated measuring cup for portioning food. Churchill recommends using a kitchen scale to measure portions accurately. Keep in mind that treats also contribute to your cat's daily calories. Because treats are typically empty calories, which means they're not complete and balanced, Churchill recommends giving your cat a small portion of their meal as a reward instead. Exercise is especially important for indoor cats, as it helps burn calories and prevent boredom. Churchill recommends using puzzle feeders, and all of our experts agree that cat trees and perches can help encourage activity.

How much should I feed a cat that needs to lose weight?

Your veterinarian can determine the appropriate your cat's ideal calorie intake based on their age, health, and body condition. As a starting point, the Pet Nutrition Alliance Calorie Calculator can estimate your cat's daily calorie needs based on their current and ideal weight. For obese cats (15% to 20% over their ideal weight), Churchill says simply feeding less of their regular diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies. In these cases, your vet may recommend a therapeutic weight loss diet.

How long should it take a cat to lose weight?

Cats should lose weight slowly, about 1% to 2% of their body weight per week, Churchill says. Gradual weight loss helps prevent health issues such as muscle loss and hepatic lipidosis, a potentially fatal condition. Hepatic lipidosis, also called fatty liver disease, can occur when a cat's food intake decreases so rapidly that they enter a state of anorexia. The body responds by sending fat stores to the liver. Because the liver can't process such large amounts of fat, it builds up in liver cells, causing irreversible damage. While roughly 90% of cases stem from underlying conditions such as kidney disease, cancer, or diabetes, rapid calorie restriction can also cause fatty liver disease, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. At the same time, obesity also increases a cat's risk of developing this condition.

Do slow feeders help cats lose weight?

Slow feeders can be a helpful tool for weight loss in cats. Slow feeders and food puzzles encourage cats to mimic natural hunting and foraging behaviors, providing mental stimulation and reducing boredom that can lead to extra eating or begging. Some slow feeders and puzzles, such as the Catit Senses Food Tree, promote physical activity by requiring cats to sit up, reach, or circle the feeder to get food. Others, like kibble-dispensing balls, motivate cats to push the toy to release food. Even when using slow feeders and puzzles, it's still important to measure portions carefully to avoid overfeeding.