I'm wondering what people think about senior cat food. I used to feed my cat Whiskas tins but now he's over the age of 8 years I've started him on senior food but it's only available in pouches or small tins and hence is much more expensive.

Also, he's constantly hungry. I should be feeding him three pouches a day but he's eating at least four and always asking for more food. I'm wondering is senior food is really necessary or is it a money-making ploy? I can't see why it's not available in regular size tins at the same cost as adult cat food. Seems like a case of ageism to me !

Hi

My cats are still pretty young and I don't often buy wet food, except as a change, I give my cats mostly dry food. I have noticed that many brands now, even the high quality ones like Hills or James Wellbeloved are marketing foods for the more mature cat lol. I personally think (and I could be wrong here) that they are a bit of a gimmick and they are more expensive in some cases, so I suspect you might be right about it being a profit thing.

 I would say that if your cat is fit and healthy then unless suggested by a vet there is probably no real need to put him on senior food. I know as cats age many become less active and therefore need less food as otherwise they put on weight, but this can be done by adjusting the amount you give rather than buying a special one. I know one of our regular posters is a vet so hopefully she will give her expert advice, but I think that unless your cat has any health issues you can give him his usual food. His happiness is more important than worrying about senior food, cats did without such things years ago.  

Senior food is usually actually higher in calories than the adult food as most elderly cats lose weight rather than getting fatter. It should have restricted protein levels and higher quality protein to take the strain off ageing liver and kidneys. Improvements in nutrition are one of the main reasons cats now live much longer on average than they did in times past. As to when a cat becomes 'senior' ideas vary - but somewhere between 8-10 yrs.

I'm not a fan of wet food - it's mostly very expensive water and it's bad for teeth. All the big food companies produce dry senior foods that will be a more economical way of feeding - give the pouches as a treat if you must!

I'm concerned that you say your cat has an increased appetite - is he also losing weight? You need to get him to your vet to be checked out - it could be an early sign of an overactive thyroid or diabetes, both of which are treatable, both of which will cause serious problems if left undiagnosed.

Jen xx

Thanks for your reply. He's not losing weight - in fact he has put on weight which was one of the reasons I switched to senior food (I thought maybe that senior food was lower in calories).

He does have dried food from the vet to help keep his teeth and gums in good condition. He's only 8 so maybe I don't have to start senior food until a little bit later and might consider a dry food as his main diet as you suggested.

His main problem is that he's greedy so I'm gradually going to try to cut down the amount he's eating !

Might be better to look for a low-calorie food until he's the correct weight then - that will give him more volume of food but fewer calories - might stop the begging! Don't bother with 'light' diets, they are only about 10% restricted in calories so ok to maintain ideal weight in a greedy cat but not to lose weight. Speak to your vet about what his weight should be and whether he needs a diet food. The 'prescription' diets can be bought on the internet etc, though supermarkets etc don't stock them, you don't need an actual prescription, but they should be used on advice from your vet or vet nurse.

It also helps to give small frequent meals, both so the tummy isn't empty for too long and because eating and digesting a meal uses up some calories in itself.

The other advantage of dry food is you can make him work for it a bit - hide it around the house, put some in a paper bag for him to work out how to get it, use a kitty kong...

HTH Good luck.