Best food for senior cat with sensitive stomach

Digestive sensitivity in cats is often down to food intolerance rather than a true allergy, and limited-ingredient or novel-protein diets tend to be the most effective fix. That said, in older cats — especially those pushing 15 — poor stool consistency is frequently less about the protein source and more about the gut simply becoming less efficient at breaking food down. Can you tell me a bit more: is it loose stools, occasional vomiting, or both? How long has this been going on, and what are you currently feeding?

Three months of loose stools in a 15-year-old cat is worth taking seriously — has your vet ruled out anything like hyperthyroidism or inflammatory bowel disease? Those are common culprits at her age and can look exactly like a food problem. Assuming she's had a recent check and it's been put down to diet, the next question is whether the Whiskas senior pouches are her only food, or is there any dry food or treats in the mix too?

Good — that gives us something to work with. James Wellbeloved is actually a reasonable food, but the combination of a grain-free dry and standard Whiskas pouches can sometimes create inconsistency in older guts that just need more predictability. At 15, her digestive enzymes are less effective than they used to be, so the priority is highly digestible protein and a controlled fat level rather than novelty ingredients. I'd switch her entirely to Royal Canin Ageing 12+ wet food in gravy. It's specifically formulated for cats over 12, with highly digestible proteins, adapted fat levels, and added prebiotics — all of which directly address what you're seeing. It's not glamorous, but it's one of the most consistently effective foods for exactly this kind of age-related digestive decline.

I'd drop the dry food for at least four to six weeks while you're trialling the Royal Canin, otherwise it's hard to tell what's working. Once her stools are consistently firm and well-formed, you could cautiously reintroduce a small amount of dry — but honestly, at her age, wet-only tends to be better for digestion and kidney support anyway. Transition her over about a week by mixing increasing amounts of the new food with the old to avoid a sudden change making things temporarily worse.

Yes, it's widely available — Amazon UK stocks it in bulk boxes of 85g pouches which works out reasonably economical for a daily wet-food diet. Search for Royal Canin Ageing 12+ in Gravy and you'll find it easily. Give it a full four weeks before judging — digestive improvements in older cats tend to be gradual rather than overnight.