Kirsten McCarthy / cats.com
The best hypoallergenic cat food is simple, streamlined, and contains anti-inflammatory ingredients for improved skin, coat, and digestive health.
Vital Essentials is our top pick for the best hypoallergenic cat food. While we’ve selected the rabbit variety, there are numerous single-protein formulas to choose from. But every cat is different, so a food that is hypoallergenic for one cat might not be for another.
In this guide, we’ll discuss what makes a cat food hypoallergenic and provide our recommendations for best products on the market for cats with food allergies.
At a Glance: Best Hypoallergenic Cat Food to Buy
Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Mini Patties Entree Cat Food
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Very straightforward, simple ingredient list
- Herring oil as a source of soothing omega-3 fatty acids
RAWZ 96% Turkey & Turkey Liver Pate Canned Cat Food
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Limited list of digestible ingredients
Smalls Smooth Cow Fresh Cat Food
- Beef is the only source of animal protein
- Easily digestible with a smooth texture
- Low in carbohydrates
Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken Recipe in Chicken Consomme
- Rich in animal protein and moisture
- Completely free from fish ingredients
- Simple recipe is highly digestible
Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
- High in species-appropriate animal protein
- Relatively low in carbohydrates
- Very nutrient-dense
Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Lamb Cat Food
- Made with a novel source of animal protein
- Contains muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Rich in animal-sourced omega-3 fatty acids
Go! Solutions Sensitivities Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Duck Pate
- Rich in digestible animal protein
- Good source of hydrating moisture
- Limited list of ingredients
Wellness CORE 95% Turkey Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
- Made with a single protein source
- Turkey is a novel protein for some cats
- Easily digestible, short list of ingredients
Raised Right Turkey & Pumpkin Pate for Adult Cats
- Turkey is the sole source of protein
- Relies on animal-sourced fat
- Low carbohydrate content
Why Trust Cats.com
Terms like “hypoallergenic” can be misleading and confusing, so we’ve done the research to define it. In addition to consulting with our team of veterinary experts, we’ve spent countless hours analyzing product labels, researching brands, and reading customer reviews to determine the best cat food on the market for cats with allergies.
Our team of veterinary experts provides additional informative support as well as their professional opinion on what makes a great cat food product. Here’s the full methodology behind our cat food ratings.
Our Veterinary Advisors:
- Dr. Sarah Wooten, DVM, CVJ
- Dr. Chris Vanderhoof, DVM, MPH
- Dr. Sarah Reidenbach, DVM
- Dr. Chyrle Bonk, DVM
- Dr. Jamie Whittenburg, DVM
- Dr. Albert Ahn, DVM
- Dr. Elizabeth Youens, DVM
The Top 9 Best Hypoallergenic Foods for Cats With Allergies
Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Mini Patties Entree Cat Food is our top pick for the best hypoallergenic cat food on the market. This freeze-dried food has a simple, meat-based recipe with herring oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids to help reduce inflammation and control itchiness.
While this Vital Essentials recipe is our top pick, it might not be the ideal choice for your cat. Every cat is unique, so we’ve included a range of options, broken down by food type, price category, and other considerations.
What to Consider When Shopping for Hypoallergenic Cat Food
Diets featuring hydrolyzed proteins are the only truly hypoallergenic foods on the market; hydrolyzed proteins have been chemically broken down with water (hydrolysis) to avoid triggering an allergic reaction. However, diets with hydrolyzed proteins are not right for every cat.
Instead of shopping exclusively for so-called hypoallergenic foods, the key is finding a food that works for your cat’s unique allergic situation. Your options fall into several key categories.
Also Read: Allergies in Cats: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments
Novel Protein Foods
Novel proteins don’t have to be exotic, odd, or expensive. Whether or not any given protein source is novel is determined by the eater, not the seller. For example, lamb-based foods are frequently marketed as novel protein diets, but if a cat has eaten only lamb-based food, chicken will be a novel protein for that cat.
Limited Ingredient Diets
Limited-ingredient food is a cornerstone of feeding a cat with allergies. Whether you’re creating an elimination diet to identify your cat’s allergies or accommodating the cat who’s allergic to everything, a limited-ingredient diet makes it easy to control what’s going into your cat’s body.
Not all limited-ingredient foods are the same, but they should all have characteristics that protect against an allergic reaction. They should be free of animal by-products and mystery meals that contain a nameless slurry of proteins. They should contain one primary high-quality protein source like chicken, turkey, or rabbit.
Hydrolyzed Foods
Perhaps the only true hypoallergenic cat food is the hydrolyzed diet. These foods are made with proteins that have undergone hydrolysis, as described above. Hydrolyzed foods are typically available with a prescription only.
Though they may prevent allergic reactions, hydrolyzed diets are flawed. They usually don’t taste great, are made from low-quality ingredients, and they’re usually more expensive than other foods of similar nutritional quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What food is best for cats with allergies?
The best food for a cat with allergies is one that doesn’t contain the ingredient (or ingredients) your cat is allergic to. If you’re not sure what that is, you’ll need to use an elimination diet to find out. Once you’ve identified the allergen, stick with a limited ingredient diet that meets your cat’s nutritional needs and doesn’t include the offending allergen.
Does hypoallergenic cat food really work?
It depends. Food allergies are just one type of allergies known to affect cats. If your cat’s allergies are caused by something in the environment, a change of diet might not help. If food is the problem, switching to a diet free from the thing your cat is allergic to should resolve the issue.
What ingredient in cat food causes allergies?
Food allergies are typically triggered by proteins in the food. While it’s possible for cats to develop allergies to grains and dairy, the most common food allergens for cats are beef, fish, and chicken. In some cases, cats develop allergies to more than one ingredient.
How can I tell if my cat is allergic to their food?
While some cats develop digestive symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting related to food allergies, the most common signs are recurrent skin problems. Food allergies often manifest as skin inflammation, itchy skin, dry or dull coat, recurring ear infections, and hair loss.
This is great! Thanks for doing the research for us! My itchy cat thanks you, too.
Joey, thank you for stopping by! All the best to you and your (hopefully soon-to-be-less-itchy) kitty.
Hello my cat has scabs all over her backside. The Vet thinks it’s an allergy. She was eating Pure Vita chicken or Turkey, which she loved, but the Vet said to nix the poultry. I tried rabbit, that was a no go. Tried bison and she’s not a fan. I just bought Open Farms whitefish which she seems to enjoy, but you don’t cover it. Any thoughts? Ps she doesn’t like wet food, she just licks off the sauce. Ty in advance
Hi Karen, thanks for commenting! I took a look at Open Farms’ Whitefish recipe and it looks like a relatively good choice in terms of ingredient quality and simplicity—the latter being beneficial for your cat’s possibly-allergic reactions. That said, it is, like most grain-free dry foods, relatively high in carbohydrates and plant protein, neither of which appear to be particularly nutritious additions to your cat’s diet.
My senior cat unfortunately developed little bumpy sores which I decided were due to chicken allergy, as she was fed exclusively Hill’s Science Diet for years at the rescue where she lived. I put her on Natrue’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dry Cat Food, and waited twelve weeks, as advised by, well, the internet. Everything cleared up, so I briefly re-introduced her to turkey and duck for about a week, and the sores flared right back up. We are now about 8 weeks back exclusive on the rabbit and it’s clearing up again. On Chewy there are many reviews saying it helped their kitty too.
One of my two cats has developed a food allergy and vomits after eating the food he’s been on for 4 years: Hill’s Science Diet chicken recipe dry food. The vet has us transition to Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA hydrolyzed formula, which my other cat has now developed an allergy to, and has started trying to scratch his face off. They are both very food-motivated so the chip-access feeders wouldn’t work, they’d go nuts smelling a different food from the other’s bowl. What can you recommend?
Hi Cami, thanks for the comment. It’s interesting that your other cat has developed an allergy to hydrolyzed food—generally, these foods should be hypoallergenic. Have you confirmed with your vet that this is actually an allergic reaction to the food? Regardless, I would consider feeding the cats in separate rooms at alternating times to avoid the issue of one being too interested in another’s food. This is more a matter of strategy than just getting a different product, I think. This website has a few potential solutions, and the comment section should also give you some ideas. https://www.catfooddispensersreviews.com/how-to-stop-a-cat-from-eating-the-other-cats-food/
Hope this helps to ease some of your frustration! Good luck with everything. – Mallory
Have a cat and her nose stays raw in the summer but this winter she’s all healed up.she won’t stay in the house and the vet says she’s allergic to grass. I changed her food to a freeze dried food. Doñt know if this will help during summer or not.any reccomendations?
Hey there. If your cat’s allergic to grass, the best way to help is avoiding grass. 🙂
However, the right diet may be able to help by reducing the inflammatory response, and a lot of freeze-dried foods will do a good job of this. You can also think about adding an anti-inflammatory supplement like fish or krill oil. Hope this helps!
Hello, my cat has ibd so looking for a good wet and dry food. I’ve looked at Kakin and cool cat club. Could you suggest a good food for a cat with diarrhoea?
Many thanks
Hi Debbie, thanks for commenting! We have some recommendations specifically for cats with diarrhea here.
My 8 yr old cat has been diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel disease. Ive tried the diet switch, baby food, boiled chicken, Blue basics and now Steroids. He continues to throw up. Any suggestions on a good cat food?
Soni, that’s such a frustrating situation. I can’t give you much more information than what we’ve already written in our article on the best cat food for IBD. I hope you find it helpful and are able to relieve your kitty’s stomach issues.
Hi there, thank you for the amazing tips in all categories !
Our cat is 11 years old and since last year seams to have developped a chicken allergy .
She is also overweight and since the vet put her on the Royal Canin ANallergenic dry and the Duck wet food she gained
a lot of weight . I am desperately looking for a wet canned food with less calories and suited for her allergy .
Any suggestions ? Thank you !!!!
Dana, Koha Pet offers a great selection of foods well suited to cats with allergies, including some with lower calorie content. I’d recommend checking them out!
Thank you so much Mallory, we actually just started to introduce the Koha Rabbit au Jus and crossing fingers.
Would you advise for or against the Turkey Stew, for our chicken allergic cat or is it too risky ( too close to chicken ) ??
We are in canada and sadly, we do not have the whole range of Koha products yet. Hoping for more in the future .
Many thanks !
I need a hydrolyzed cat food that doesn’t have chicken, turkey or any foul. Purina Pro ha resulted in an inner ear, middle ear infection that was Undiagnosed and proceeded into a brain stem abscess.
Or a limited ingredient food without any chicken, turkey, foul etc.
Need something else besides blue Buffalo hf, no one likes that and another cat may be allergic to it.
Please help.
Thank you very much
Elena
Hi Elena, apologies for the delay in response! It looks like Farmina has a fish-based hydrolyzed cat food, though they note it’s intended to be used as an elimination diet for 3-8 weeks. Here’s a link to that product:
We also have a list of chicken-free cat foods where you might find some non-prescription options to consider. Best of luck to you and your cats!
Thank you very much! I had actually found Farmina Vet Life and started them last month. I will check the other link for other Foods.
Thank you very much!
Elena
Glad to hear it! Let us know how it goes 🙂