Soft food for cats with sensitive gums

A 16-year-old with hypersensitive gums is a real challenge — texture matters enormously at that age, and anything that causes pain at the bowl means they simply stop eating, which is dangerous for a senior cat. Cats are obligate carnivores with fairly exacting nutritional needs, and most commercial foods don't fully address them — especially for geriatric cats whose kidneys and digestion are already working harder. Wet food is generally the right call here both for softness and for hydration, which becomes critical for kidney health as cats age. To point you in the right direction: is it the gums themselves that are the main issue, or is there underlying dental disease too? And what are you currently feeding her?

That makes a lot of sense. Felix As Good As It Looks has a fairly firm, chunky texture — fine for most cats but genuinely uncomfortable for sensitive or reduced-tooth mouths. She's telling you clearly by leaving the chunks. What you want is something smooth or pâté-style, so there's nothing to chew or navigate around sore gum tissue. Given her age and the joint issues you mentioned, nutrition quality really matters now too — she needs good protein, controlled phosphorus for kidney support, and ideally added joint support. What's her weight like — is she holding steady or has she been losing?

Half a kilo at her size is worth keeping an eye on, but the vet's right that some lean-down is expected in very senior cats. The priority now is making food easy and appealing enough that she actually eats full portions — that matters more than anything else. My recommendation is Royal Canin Ageing 12+ in gravy. It comes in a smooth mousse or a very soft loaf format — nothing for tender gums to work against — and it's specifically formulated for cats over 12, with controlled phosphorus to protect kidney function, antioxidants for immune support, and a protein and fat balance that helps maintain weight in older cats. It's widely trusted by vets and it's available in multipacks on Amazon UK. The gravy version tends to go down better than the mousse for cats who've been on wet food all their lives, so I'd try that first.

Definitely do it gradually — senior cats can be very set in their ways and an abrupt switch can put them off entirely, which is the last thing you want when she's already eating less. Over about five to seven days, mix an increasing ratio of the new food into what she's used to: start at roughly a quarter new to three-quarters old, then go half and half by day three or four, and finish the week mostly on the new food. If she stalls at any point, slow down rather than pushing through. Warming the food very slightly — just to body temperature — can also help with palatability, especially for older cats whose sense of smell has faded a little. Once she's settled on Royal Canin Ageing 12+, you should see her clearing the bowl more consistently within a couple of weeks.

Good plan. She's lucky to have someone paying close attention at her age — these small adjustments make a real difference to comfort and quality of life. If she takes to it well, it's worth sticking with as her main food going forward. And if her appetite drops noticeably or she starts refusing meals altogether, that's worth flagging to the vet fairly promptly in a cat her age.