Cat food for sensitive stomachs on a budget

Digestive sensitivity in cats is usually down to food intolerance rather than a true allergy — and the chronic gas you're describing, alongside soft stools, is a classic sign that something in the current diet isn't agreeing with your cat. Limited-ingredient or novel-protein foods tend to work best because they reduce the number of potential triggers. To point you in the right direction: what symptoms are you seeing most — is it mainly the gas, the soft stools, or both? How long has this been going on? And what are you currently feeding him?

That makes a lot of sense as a cause. Discount store cat foods tend to cycle through different protein sources and include a lot of fillers — cereals, various meat derivatives — which means his gut is dealing with a constantly changing mix of ingredients. For a cat with ongoing digestive issues, that's exactly the wrong approach. The good news is you don't need to spend a fortune to fix this. Can I ask: is he indoor-only, and is he a good weight for his size? And are you open to wet food, dry, or a mix?

That's really helpful. Given the chronic gas, the soft stools, and the fact that he's carrying a bit of extra weight, I'd focus on a single-protein, limited-ingredient wet food as his main meal and use a high-meat-content dry food in much smaller amounts than you're probably using now. The dry food is likely contributing to both the digestive issues and the weight — cats don't regulate well on kibble-heavy diets. My recommendation is Natures Menu Country Hunter wet pouches — the single-protein varieties like chicken or salmon. They're grain-free, the ingredient list is short and clear, and they're available on Amazon UK for around £1 per pouch or less in multipacks. Pair that with just a small amount of Applaws dry food as a topper if he needs something crunchy. The consistency of the protein source is what's going to make the difference here.

Yes — always transition gradually over about ten days. Start by mixing roughly 25% new food with 75% old, then increase the new food every few days. With digestive issues it's tempting to switch fast, but a sudden change can actually make the gas and loose stools worse in the short term. If you do it gradually, most cats with food intolerance show clear improvement within three to four weeks. The gas is often the first thing to settle down. If things aren't better after a month on a consistent single-protein diet, that's worth raising with your vet — but in my experience, diet change alone resolves this kind of presentation most of the time.