Hypoallergenic Food for Cats

The purpose of feeding a hypoallergenic diet to a cat is to determine whether or not the cat has a food allergy or intolerance. The diet is fed for a specific length of time, typically not more than 12 weeks. If the cat improves while eating the test diet and a food allergy or intolerance is therefore diagnosed, it is best for the cat to continue eating the hypoallergenic diet for life.

  1. Novel Protein/Carbohydrate Diets

    • This approach utilizes a diet with novel protein and carbohydrate sources--meaning proteins and carbohydrates that the cat has never before eaten. This way, the cat will not have had a chance to mount an allergic response to these ingredients in the past. Most novel protein/carbohydrate diets are prescription diets, but there are a few over-the-counter diets that can be used. Examples of protein sources in some of these diets are venison, duck, rabbit and even kangaroo. Carbohydrate sources include peas, rice and potatoes.

    Hydrolyzed Protein Diets

    • This is a newer approach to hypoallergenic diets. A conventional protein is used, but the protein source is broken down into such small molecules that the immune system cannot recognize them and mount an immune response. These types of diets can work just as well as novel protein/carbohydrate diets, but the latter appear to be more palatable to most cats.

    Homemade Diets

    • For a variety of reasons, some cat owners prefer to prepare homemade diets. They may go this route because they want their cat to eat food that is less processed, or perhaps their cat refused to eat any of the commercially-prepared hypoallergenic diets. Regardless of the reason, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist should always be consulted before attempting to make a homemade diet. This is very important to ensure that a homemade diet is nutritionally complete and balanced.