The 8 Best Cat Foods for Urinary Health in 2025

This prescription-only urinary health formula was developed by nutritionists and veterinarians and has been clinically shown to help eliminate symptoms and signs of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and create ideal pH levels in urine. It contains omega-3 fatty acids to curb inflammation in the urinary tract as well as controlled levels of minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium to minimize buildup that can result in the formation of calcium oxalate stones and struvite crystals. 

We like this food because it can do the hard work, like dissolving struvite crystals in as little as a week (though it takes about four weeks on average)—sometimes negating the need for surgical intervention—but is balanced and gentle enough to be fed to your cat for the rest of its life. It helps that it’s available in multiple flavors, giving you and your cat more dietary flexibility. There are also both dry and wet food formulations.

_{Key Ingredients: Chicken, whole grain corn, corn gluten meal (dry) | Balance: 349 kcal/cup; crude protein 30% min, phosphorus 0.5-.0.9%, magnesium 0.04-0.9% (dry) | Texture: Kibble, stew | Flavor: Chicken, ocean fish (dry); chicken and vegetable, tuna and vegetable, ocean fish (wet)}

If you’re looking for a high-quality non-prescription food to help with your cat’s urinary issues, this Purina Pro Plan wet food is a well-liked option among cats and owners. The ocean whitefish flavor appeals to cats, even fussy cats that may put their nose up at other targeted diet foods, but there are a handful of flavors to choose from, giving your cat a nice flavor variety.

This food reduces urinary pH and offers a high-moisture meal that’s low in magnesium, but it does have a higher ash content than we’d typically like. We like that there are no artificial colors or preservatives, and it’s AAFCO-approved, so you can feed it as your cat’s only food. It’s also available as dry food, but since this is a non-prescription formula, we would rather reap the benefits of the extra moisture content from the wet food. 

_{Key Ingredients: Ocean whitefish, meat by-products, chicken | Balance: 171.6kcal/can; crude protein 10% min; ash 2.8%; phosphorus 0.33-1.44%; magnesium 0.024%; moisture 78% max | Texture: Paté | Flavor: Ocean whitefish (salmon, beef and chicken, and turkey and giblets also available)}

Weruva’s Frisky Fishin’ Friends Variety Pack isn’t officially designated as cat food for urinary health, but it manages to meet the criteria for general urinary support. The 12 percent minimum protein content and average moisture content of 83 percent are higher than some of the other targeted diet picks on this list, and the primary ingredients for each can are real fish and water (not fish meals, grains, or starch). You’ll also get low phosphorus and magnesium content which helps to reduce the likelihood of developing crystals and stones from mineral buildup—all of which makes this food a solid pick for cat parents focused on maintaining urinary health in cats without any current urinary issues or risk factors. 

We don’t recommend this food for cats with urinary problems or kidney disease since it’s not specifically formulated for these issues. It’s also got a very low fat content, which is great for cats who need a bit of weight control but unhelpful for cats with kidney issues. Additionally, we’ve chosen the fish variety pack because the fish ingredients also contain natural omega-3s, which can help with inflammation, but they can smell fishy, and not all cats prefer fish. 

_{Key Ingredients: Primary fish, water for processing, fish | Balance: 93-116 kcal/can; crude protein 12% min; phosphorus 0.20-.0.23%; magnesium 0.024%; moisture 82-84% max | Texture: Chunks in gravy | Flavor: Asian Fusion (tuna and shirasu), Mack & Jack (mackerel and skipjack), Mideast Feast (tilapia), Polynesian BBQ (red bigeye)} 

If your cat’s kidney tests come back irregular or reflective of chronic kidney disease, your vet is likely to prescribe Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d. Formulated by vets and nutritionists to meet the specific needs of cats with CKD, you’ll get a combination of prebiotics to help keep your cat’s gut and immune system strong, thus slowing disease progression, and added amino acids and high protein levels to ensure your cat is building and keeping muscle. Low phosphorus and magnesium levels also help to maintain urine pH and reduce mineral buildup to prevent struvite and calcium oxalate crystals from forming or returning.

One downside is the high carb content from grain-heavy ingredients. While it’s also available in wet for better hydration, cats tend to eat the dry version better.

_{Key Ingredients: Chicken, brown rice, corn gluten meal | Balance: 521 kcal/cup; crude protein 25.5% min; phosphorus 0.54%; magnesium 0.078%; moisture 8% max | Texture: Kibble | Flavor: Chicken}

A prescription diet is often the best food to feed any cats with ongoing serious urinary tract health issues, but it’s not the only option. Whether you’re taking a preventative path or looking to maintain support for your cat’s urinary health, IAMS Proactive Health Adult Urinary Tract Health is an impressive budget option that works to keep your cat’s urine levels at a lower pH.

We like that the first ingredient in this dry food is chicken, which sometimes isn’t even the case with expensive prescription diets, and that it has a decent moisture maximum of 10 percent. Cats also seem to enjoy this tasty chicken flavor, though it can take some picky eaters a bit to get used to. While this product is gluten-free (another hard find among many prescription diets), it’s not grain-free and may cause stomach upset in some cats who aren’t used to consuming grains. 

_{Key Ingredients: Chicken, chicken by-product meal, whole grain corn | Balance: 387 kcal/cup; crude protein 32% min; magnesium 0.1%; moisture 10% max | Texture: Kibble | Flavor: Chicken}

These Zesty Paws Cranberry Bladder Bites for Cats are an easy way to feel good about the treats you’re giving your cat, particularly if they are seniors or have a history of bladder stones or kidney problems. The potent cranberry concentrate and D-mannose ingredients help to block negative bacteria from adhering to the walls of your cat’s urinary tract, while ingredients like probiotics and vitamin B6 support the immune system. It also contains L-arginine, an amino acid that functions as a precursor to nitrous oxide in kidney function; cats with chronic renal failure often have low levels of L-arginine.

We appreciate that you don’t need a prescription for these treats, but wish they were a bit smaller. The heart-shaped treats are about as big as a nickel and can be difficult for some cats to take down. They’re also in bacon flavor, a weird choice for cats.

_{Key Ingredients: Cane molasses, citric acid, dried cheese | Balance: Not listed | Texture: Chewy | Flavor: Bacon} 

Senior cats are the most at risk for renal disease, and some estimate that approximately half of all cats over 15 will be affected with chronic kidney disease. We like that BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet K+M not only contains controlled levels of minerals and protein to help support aging kidneys, but it also supports older cats’ joints with cartilage compound ingredients. It’s also one of the few that doesn’t include meat meals or grains, focusing instead on high-quality ingredients (though the dry food does have pea protein).

This formula is also AAFCO-approved as a complete source of nutrition, so you don’t have to worry about supplemental feeding. The chicken flavor is well-tolerated by cats, which is great for those usually picky senior eaters. You may want to add extra moisture into your cat’s diet, even if feeding the wet version. 

_{Key Ingredients: Deboned chicken, peas, pea starch (dry); chicken, chicken broth, water (wet) | Balance: 425 kcal/cup; crude protein 26% min; phosphorus 0.4-0.7%; magnesium 0.12% max; moisture 9% max (dry); 153 kcal/can; crude protein min. 4.5%; phosphorus 0.08-0.2%; ash 2% max; moisture 78% max (wet) | Texture: Kibble, paté | Flavor: Chicken}

For cat parents in search of an alternative to Hill’s Science Diet, Farmina VetLife Urinary ST Management Feline Wet Cat Food is a top choice among veterinarians and also comes highly recommended in the cat food forum on Reddit. The prescription-only science-backed recipe is formulated specifically to promote a healthy urinary pH level to prevent struvite formation and help treat idiopathic cystitis by increasing water intake.

The food is made with regionally sourced human-grade ingredients that are free of GMOs, including free-range chicken, sweet potatoes, sardines, tuna, chicken liver, and eggs. This formula also contains chelated minerals for optimized absorption. As with all cat foods, this one may not appeal to some felines.

_{Key Ingredients: Chicken, sweet potatoes, hydrolyzed fish, sardine, tuna, chicken liver, eggs, herring oil, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), quinoa seed | Balance: 87.3 kcal/can; crude protein 8.5% min; magnesium 0.019%; phosphorus 0.17%; ash 3.00% max; moisture 78.00% max | Texture: Not listed | Flavor: Chicken and fish}