Here, we have reviews of several different brands of specialty cat food for IBD so you can see the differences between them. We also share a short buyer’s guide so you will know what to look for if you continue to shop.
Keep reading as we look at these foods’ protein, fiber, omega fats, and other ingredients to help you make an informed purchase.
Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s case.
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A Quick Glance at Our Favorites in 2025
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Best Overall
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Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription |
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Budget Buy
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Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dry Cat Food |
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Hill’s Prescription Skin/Food Dry Cat Food |
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Stella & Chewy’s Rabbit Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food |
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Ziwi Peak Venison Canned Cat Food |
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The 8 Best Cat Foods for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
1. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription — Best Overall
| Protein: | 15.5% |
| Type: | Fresh, wet |
If your cat has been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), you know that the right diet is critical for them. Your cat’s food should help reduce inflammation, heal the stomach lining, and regenerate the gut flora.
Since cats with IBD have a much harder time digesting food and absorbing essential nutrients, you need to find food that is easy to digest. It’s even thought that diet alone can help some cats with IBD. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription is an excellent food for IBD, specifically the Fresh Other Ground Bird recipe. Most food allergies and sensitivities are triggered by beef, chicken, and dairy, so it’s important to have food that doesn’t have these ingredients.
The formula of this recipe contains fresh, whole turkey as the main ingredient, followed by chicken liver, which adds to the high protein level of this food. It has fresh vegetables, such as kale, green beans, and peas, which will give your cat extra nutrients. It’s also moisture-rich.
Smalls sends the food to your door frozen to retain the freshness, and since it is subscription-based, it will show up when you need it. The food is human-grade, so combine the high-quality proteins with the increased moisture, and you end up with a highly digestible food for your cat. This makes it the best overall cat food for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
However, there are two things to keep in mind. First, it’s quite expensive. Second, if your cat has an allergy to chicken, there is only one recipe that does not contain chicken, the beef one. But both of these ingredients are foods that cats might be allergic to.
- Fresh turkey as the main ingredient
- Added vegetables for essential nutrients
- Human-grade ingredients
- The subscription service sends it to your door
- No artificial ingredients
- Expensive
2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food — Budget Buy
| Protein: | 40% |
| Type: | Dry |
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food is our pick as the best cat food for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for the money. It contains de-boned salmon as its first ingredient, which helps provide the 40% protein that your cat will receive in each portion. This brand also provides omega fat, which help reduce swelling and promote a shiny coat. Real fruits and vegetables provide plenty of important vitamins and minerals that can help boost the immune system.
The only problem is that some cats don’t like it. The kibble is also quite small and better suited to kittens.
- De-boned salmon as first ingredient
- Omega fats
- Real fruits and vegetables
- Some cats don’t like it
- Small kibble
3. Hill’s Prescription Diet d/d Skin/Food Sensitivities Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food
| Protein: | 27% |
| Type: | Dry |
Hill’s Prescription Diet d/d Skin/Food Sensitivities Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food is a great premium choice food for cats with IBD. It features pea protein as the first ingredient, so it is the perfect choice for cats that might be allergic to chicken or turkey. The venison ingredient helps provide the taurine that your cat requires, and there are helpful omega fats in the ingredients.
The downside to Hill’s Prescription Diet is that it doesn’t have as much protein as some other brands, and the fat content is higher. It is also expensive.
- Pea protein as first ingredient
- Contains venison
- Omega fatty acids
- Lower in protein
- Expensive
4. Stella & Chewy’s Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
| Protein: | 44% |
| Type: | Dry |
Stella & Chewy’s Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food features raw ground rabbit meat and bone as the first ingredient, which provides your pet with 44% protein per serving. It’s a low-calorie food at only 131 calories per serving, and it receives minimal processing for the most natural complete meal possible. Stella & Chewy sources all its ingredients ethically, and most cats like it.
Stella & Chewy’s downside is that you need to soak the food in water before serving it. Some customers also noticed a bad odor coming from it that didn’t bother the cats but was unpleasant in the kitchen.
- Rabbit as first ingredient
- Low calorie
- Minimal processing
- Ethically sourced ingredients
- Requires soaking in water
- Bad odor
5. ZIWI Peak Venison Recipe Canned Cat Food
| Protein: | 10% |
| Type: | Wet |
ZIWI Peak Venison Recipe Canned Cat Food features free-range venison as its first ingredient, and meat, organs, and mussels make up 96% of the ingredients. This grain-free recipe provides your pet with a complete and balanced meal that includes the essential nutrient taurine.
The downside to Ziwi Peak Venison is that some cats don’t like it, and it has a bad smell that can lead to bad breath in your cat.
- Venison first ingredient
- Grain-free recipe
- Free-range meat
- Some cats don’t like it
- Bad smell
6. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Feline Formula Dry Cat Food
| Protein: | 50% |
| Type: | Dry |
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Feline Formula Dry Cat Food is a great cat food for cats with IBD. It uses a special formula that enables it to be digested completely by your cat, and it provides your pet with 50% protein per serving for plenty of energy and the building blocks for strong muscle. The patented formula also helps defend against struvite and oxalate crystals. Most cats like this food, and it seems to help the ones with IBD.
The downside to the Purina Pro Plan brand is that it is quite expensive and is a little high in calories, so you will need to watch the portion size once your pet starts to feel better.
- Special formula for total digestibility
- Helps defend against struvite and oxalate crystals
- Most cats like it
- Expensive
- High in calories
- Based on soy protein and poultry by-products meals
7. Hound & Gatos 98% Turkey & Liver Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
| Protein: | 10% |
| Type: | Wet |
Hound & Gatos 98% Turkey & Liver Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food features turkey as its first ingredient, and as the name suggests, 98% of the ingredients are meat proteins that simulate your cat’s natural diet. There are no chemicals or artificial preservatives, and there are no grains.
The downside to Hound & Gatos is that it can be challenging to get your cat to eat it. In fact, most cats seemed to like this brand the least of all the ones on this list.
- Turkey first ingredient
- 98% meat ingredients
- No chemicals or artificial colors
- Many cats don’t like it
8. GO! SOLUTIONS Sensitivities – Duck Recipe – Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food
| Protein: | 31% |
| Type: | Dry |
GO! SOLUTIONS Sensitivities – Duck Recipe – Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food features de-boned duck as its first ingredient to help provide your pet with 31% protein per meal. Flaxseed adds important omega fats to your pet’s diet, which will promote a healthy and shiny coat. Each serving provides your pet with a complete meal that doesn’t contain any chemical preservatives.
The downside to GO! SOLUTIONS is that some cats won’t eat it, and there are chicken ingredients, so if you are using this brand to avoid allergies, you may need to choose something else.
- De-boned duck first ingredient
- Omega fat
- Complete meal
- Some cats won’t eat it
- Chicken ingredients
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Food for Cats With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
What Is IBD in Cats?
Inflammatory bowel disease is a gastrointestinal disorder that can have a range of causes, but many experts believe food sensitivities to certain proteins, food additives, artificial colors and preservatives, milk, eggs, and wheat can trigger it. It can cause diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, gas, abdominal pain, and other signs.
What Kind of Food Should I Choose?
Unfortunately, since there are many possible causes and triggers of IBD, you might need to try several different brands before you find one that does not trigger your cat’s allergies. We recommend choosing a limited-ingredient brand so it is easy to keep track of the ingredients you are switching out, making it possible to identify the exact component causing the problem.
Wet Food vs. Dry Food
Wet food’s moisture content better resembles the diet of a carnivore animal. However, without the bones and hard parts, scraping the cat’s teeth is not as effective. Wet food can stick to your pet’s teeth, leading to dental problems. We recommend a mixture of dry food and wet food because the crunchy kibble helps scrape away plaque and tartar from your pet’s teeth, slowing the progression of dental disease.
While your cat is sick, we recommend feeding whichever food they like that doesn’t trigger their IBD.
- NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...
- WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...
- CHEW-SAFE MATERIALS - Kittens and cats love chewing on silicone and soft rubber - but it's a choking...
Whether you are an avid kibble supporter, favor wet food, or dabble between the two, opting for the right cat bowl to serve it in is key! The Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is equipped with features like shallow dishes for whisker relief, slight elevation to promote good posture and digestion, and removable stainless steel bowls for easy cleaning. Its modern design is spill-proof and has a wide tray on the base meant to catch anything that falls from your kitty's mouth or out of the bowl. Click here to find out if the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is right for you.
At PangoVet, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
- Do you want to know how various cat foods stack up against one another? Read the Best Cat Foods (Updated)
High-quality cat food is an important part of fostering a long and healthy life for your cat but the right cat food and water dish will promote good posture, offer whisker relief, and aid in good digestion. The Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is our favorite bowl since it offers all of the above and is beautifully crafted to meet modern home stylings. The wide tray design catches any food and water spills and the entire setup is dishwasher safe. Learn more about the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl here. At PangoVet, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Our Cat Foods for IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) Selection Process
The cat foods we reviewed in this article were chosen by PangoVet’s writers and editors, in collaboration with our experienced veterinary team, based on personal experience with the product, knowledge and expertise about the pet’s care needs, brand reputation, and reviews across multiple retail outlets from other customers that have purchased and used the product. The combination of these factors allows us to gather a wide range of information to help you choose only the best cat foods and ensure you have the most accurate information about these products to promote proper care, health, and well-being of your beloved pets.
Why Trust PangoVet?
PangoVet’s licensed and experienced veterinarians have a knowledge base that extends to all kinds of pets—furry, scaly, and feathered—and want only the best for pets of all shapes and sizes. We also have experienced writers and editors who are pet owners with a variety of different pets, and we love our pets as much as you do. We recognize pets as part of our family. We make sure to only choose products from reputable brands highly rated by customers as well as products that we have personal experience with, to ensure that every cat foods featured in this review is high-quality and safe for your pets.
Final Thoughts
When choosing food for IBD, we highly recommend our pick for the best overall. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food features a special formula geared to the needs of your cat that digests easily without bothering your pet’s stomach. It can also help prevent the formation of stones in the kidney and bladder. Our pick for the best value is another great choice. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food features de-boned salmon as its first ingredient and real fruits and vegetables.
Featured Image Credit: Sharaf Maksumov, Shutterstock
