Senior farm cat moving indoors: diet advice

A farm cat moving indoors at nine is a bigger shift than it sounds — their activity level is about to drop considerably, and their diet really does need to reflect that. Senior cats generally do better with higher protein, lower phosphorus, and plenty of wet food for hydration. But the right choice depends on where your cat is health-wise and what they're used to eating. How old are they exactly, do they have any known health conditions, and what have they been eating out on the farm?

That free-choice dry kibble plus hunting is actually a high-calorie, high-activity lifestyle — so yes, you're right to think about this now. Indoors she won't be burning anywhere near the same energy, and dry food left out all day will almost certainly lead to weight gain. The other thing worth knowing is that dry-only diets can cause low-grade dehydration in cats, which becomes more of a concern as they age and kidney function naturally starts to decline. Can I ask — is she used to wet food at all, or has it always been dry?

Honestly, some cats take to it straight away and some take a bit of coaxing — but it's very much worth introducing now before any health issues make it urgent. The approach that works best is mixing a small amount of wet into her dry food and gradually shifting the ratio over a couple of weeks. For a cat in her position — nine years old, healthy but about to become much more sedentary — I'd recommend Purina Pro Plan Senior 7+ Chicken wet food in pouches. It's a high-protein, complete wet food formulated for senior cats, with controlled phosphorus levels that support kidney health long-term. The chicken variety tends to be one of the more palatable options for cats new to wet food, and the texture is smooth enough that reluctant cats usually come around to it. You'd feed her two to three pouches a day and remove the free-choice dry completely, which also helps you monitor how much she's actually eating.

For a cat transitioning to indoor life with a weight risk, I'd lean toward phasing dry out entirely rather than keeping it as a top-up — mostly because dry food is very calorie-dense and it's easy to lose track of portions when you're feeding both. If you do keep a small amount, measure it precisely rather than free-feeding. But honestly, she'll do better long-term on wet only. Good hydration is one of the best things you can do for a cat's kidneys as they age, and it's much easier to achieve through food than through getting a cat to drink more water.

That sounds like a solid plan. Take two to three weeks with the transition if she's resistant — rushing it can cause stomach upset and put her off wet food altogether. If she's still turning her nose up after a few weeks, try warming the pouch slightly in warm water before serving, which brings out the smell and usually helps. She's at a great age to get the diet right before any age-related issues appear, so you're doing the sensible thing getting ahead of it.