Allergy-Free Cat Food

Many cats are allergic to commercial cat food. Cat food allergies cause cats to severely itch; they often scratch so hard that they pull out hair or make themselves bleed, according to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. Fortunately, your vet can prescribe a hypoallergenic diet that resolves most food allergy problems.

  1. Symptoms of Food Allergy

    • If your cat continually scratches, she may have a food allergy. Many cats who have food allergies are also highly allergic to flea bites; Mar Vista Animal Medical Center recommends resolving flea issues before allergy testing.

    Protein and Food Allergy

    • Food allergies are caused by the inability of the cat's body to process certain proteins. If the cat eats a type of protein he is allergic to, his immune system considers the protein to be a foreign invader and attacks it. The resulting inflammation causes itching. Severe allergies can also cause stomach problems or attack of vital organs. Allergy-free food attempts to correct this problem by using proteins the cat is not allergic to.

    Types of Allergy Free Food

    • Many veterinarians recommend a novel protein diet. This type of allergy-free food exposes your cat to proteins she is not used to eating. The cat will not be allergic to these foods because she has not been exposed to them before. Mar Vista Animal Medical Center recommends using cat foods that contain duck and pea protein.

      If a novel diet does not work for your cat, your vet can prescribe hypoallergenic food that contains hydrolyzed proteins. These allergy-free foods contain proteins your cat may be allergic to, but breaks them down into such small molecules that your cat will not react to them.

    Trial Diet Procedure

    • If you choose to use the novel protein diet, you must give your cat the allergy-free food for a period of at least 14 days. During this time, do not allow him to eat anything other than the prescribed food. Your vet can prescribe treats made from allergy-free foods; do not give your cat regular treats during the trial. If your cat appears to stop itching, you can reintroduce her old food after the trial diet. If itching returns, it confirms she has a pet allergy. Mar Vista Animal Medical Center says that if your cat appears healthy after the trial diet, you can continue to feed her allergy-free food for as long as you want.

    What to Do if Allergy-Free Food Does Not Help

    • If your cat continues to itch after the trial period, bring him back to the vet. He may have an airborne allergy, which requires medication to resolve. Your vet may also want to perform a biopsy or other tests to rule out more serious conditions such as skin cancer.