Best overall cat food
Purina Pro Plan
Purina Pro Plan Adult Chicken & Rice Dry Cat Food
4.8
🏆 Best Overall Cat Food
Tradeoff: By-product meal in the ingredient list — nutritionally sound, but it puts some owners off.
Cat Health & Vet Care
Cats are unhelpfully good at masking illness, so the useful signals are small and behavioral: hiding more, sleeping somewhere new, grooming less or over-grooming one spot, eating slowly, jumping less, or a change in what the litter box looks like. The box is the best diagnostic instrument in the house.
Start here
- Two situations are emergencies rather than appointments: a male cat straining in the box without producing urine, which can turn life-threatening within hours, and any laboured or open-mouthed breathing.
- A cat that stops eating needs attention quickly — days, not weeks.
- Watch the litter box for volume, frequency, consistency and blood. Changes there usually precede any other visible symptom.
- Indoor cats still need parasite prevention, and they still get dental disease.
- Bloodwork as a cat ages is what finds gradual kidney and thyroid changes while they are still manageable.
Learn
20 guides on health, grouped by what you're trying to work out.
Warning signs & emergencies
What cannot wait, the behavioral changes that matter, and how to tell pain in an animal that hides it.
- Cat Breathing Problems: Why Panting Is an EmergencyHealthy cats do not pant. Open-mouthed or laboured breathing means an emergency vet now — here is how to recognise it and what to do while you travel.4 min read
- Cat Straining in the Litter Box: When It's an EmergencyA cat straining to urinate without producing urine is a life-threatening emergency, especially in males. Here's how to tell, and what to do right now.5 min read
- Cat Symptoms: What Means Right Now, Today, or This WeekA triage table for cat owners — which symptoms mean an emergency vet tonight, which mean a same-day call, and which can wait for a normal appointment.4 min read
- How Cats Hide Illness and Pain (And What to Watch Instead)Cats mask pain until they cannot anymore. Here are the quiet changes that show up first, and the ones that mean you call a vet today.4 min read
Preventive care
Vaccines, parasites, dental care, weight, and what senior bloodwork is looking for.
- Cat Vaccines: What an Indoor Cat Needs vs an Outdoor CatCore vaccines protect every cat, indoor included. Here is what changes when a cat goes outside, and why the schedule is your vet's call, not a checklist.4 min read
- How Often Does a Cat Need a Vet Checkup?Healthy adult cats are usually seen once a year and senior cats twice, but the interval shifts with age and health. Here is what each visit is actually for.4 min read
- Parasite Prevention for Cats: What Indoor Cats Still NeedFleas, worms and ticks reach indoor cats too. Here is what year-round parasite prevention actually covers, and why the product choice is your vet's call.4 min read
- Senior Cat Bloodwork Explained: What the Panel Is Looking ForA senior cat blood and urine panel screens for kidney disease, thyroid trouble and diabetes before symptoms show. Here is what each part is actually testing.4 min read
Common conditions
Kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, urinary problems, hairballs, fleas, and over-grooming.
- Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats: Signs, Staging and CareChronic kidney disease is common in older cats and often silent until late. Here are the early signs, what staging means, and what management actually involves.4 min read
- Dental Disease and Resorptive Lesions in CatsMost cats have some degree of dental disease by middle age, and resorptive lesions are a common, painful cause vets check for at every exam.5 min read
- Diabetes in Cats: Signs and What Management Looks LikeFeline diabetes causes excess thirst, urination and weight loss despite eating. Here's how it's diagnosed, and what day-to-day management actually involves.4 min read
- Hyperthyroidism in Cats: Why an Older Cat Eats More and Loses WeightAn older cat that is hungry, vocal and losing weight is the classic hyperthyroid picture. Here are the signs, how it is diagnosed, and the treatment options.4 min read
What the litter box tells you
Reading volume, frequency, consistency and blood — and which changes mean call today.
- Blood in Cat Urine: FLUTD and Cystitis ExplainedBlood in a cat's urine is almost always a vet-same-day issue, and cystitis is the most common cause. Here's how it's diagnosed and what raises the stakes.3 min read
- Cat Constipation: What Healthy Stool Looks Like and When to WorryHealthy cat stool is firm, segmented and easy to scoop. Here's what constipation looks like, common causes, and how to tell it apart from a urinary emergency.5 min read
- Cat Diarrhea: When It's Urgent and When to Just WatchMost cat diarrhea is mild and short-lived, but some signs mean same-day or emergency care. Here's how to tell the difference and what usually helps.5 min read
- What Your Cat's Litter Box Output Tells YouClump size, frequency and colour in the litter box are some of the earliest health signals a cat gives. Here's what normal looks like and what to flag.5 min read
Vet costs & insurance
Routine and emergency costs, how pet insurance works for cats, and whether it is worth it.
- Budgeting for a Senior Cat With a Chronic ConditionManaging a chronic condition in an older cat is an ongoing cost with a predictable shape — recurring bloodwork, diet and medication — not a single bill.4 min read
- Budgeting for Routine Cat Care: What to Expect Year to YearRoutine cat care follows a predictable yearly rhythm of exams, vaccines and screening — here's what that budget covers and how it shifts by age.4 min read
- Pet Insurance for Cats: What It Covers and When It Pays OffCat insurance can offset accidents, illness and sometimes wellness care, but the value depends on the policy. What to check before you buy.4 min read
- What Drives an Emergency Vet Bill for CatsEmergency vet costs come from a few predictable line items: exam, diagnostics, treatment, hospitalization. What makes up the bill and what to ask.5 min read
Gear for health
Researched picks from the categories this section covers.
Best for daily brushing
Virbac
Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste, Poultry (2.5 oz)
4.7
🪥 Best for Daily Brushing
Tradeoff: The best toothpaste here, and only useful if you can get a brush in the mouth.
Best indoor cat food
Hill's Science Diet
Hill's Science Diet Adult Indoor Chicken Dry Cat Food
4.6
🏠 Best Indoor Cat Food
Tradeoff: Premium pricing for a mainstream ingredient list — you're paying for the QA.
Best high-protein cat food
Instinct
Instinct Original Raw Coated Chicken Dry Cat Food
4.6
💪 Best High-Protein Cat Food
Tradeoff: Rich enough that a fast switch causes digestive upset — transition over 7-10 days.
Best premium wet cat food
Purina Pro Plan
Purina Pro Plan Seafood Favorites Wet Cat Food
4.6
🥫 Best Premium Wet Cat Food
Tradeoff: Every recipe in the pack is fish — rotate in poultry separately.
Best for sensitive cats
Hill's Science Diet
Hill's Science Diet Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food
4.5
🩹 Best for Sensitive Cats
Tradeoff: It's a sensitivity formula, not a hypoallergenic one — chicken is still the protein.
What to know about health
The subtle signs cats hide, when to call the vet, and preventive care that pays off. Cats are unhelpfully good at masking illness, so the useful signals are small and behavioral: hiding more, sleeping somewhere new, grooming less or over-grooming one spot, eating more slowly, jumping less, or a change in what the litter box looks like. The box is the best diagnostic instrument in the house — volume, frequency, consistency, and blood all show up there first. Two situations are emergencies rather than appointments: a male cat straining in the box without producing urine, which can turn life-threatening within hours, and any laboured or open-mouthed breathing. A cat that stops eating needs attention quickly too. The preventive care that repays itself: dental disease caught before it becomes extractions, weight kept down, parasite prevention even for indoor cats, and bloodwork as a cat ages, so gradual kidney and thyroid changes are found while they are still manageable.
Health questions owners ask
When is a cat problem an emergency?
Go now for a cat straining in the litter box without producing urine — this is most common in males and can become fatal within hours — and for any open-mouthed or laboured breathing, which cats do not do unless something is badly wrong. Collapse, seizures, suspected poisoning, and a cat that has not eaten for two days also need same-day attention.
How do I know if my cat is in pain?
Cats rarely cry out. Look for hiding, sleeping in unusual places, reduced jumping, a hunched posture, over-grooming one area, a scruffy coat from grooming less, eating more slowly, or new irritability when handled. Any of these persisting more than a day or two is worth a call.
Do indoor cats need vaccinations and parasite prevention?
Yes to both, though the specific protocol should come from your vet based on where you live and your cat's exposure. Fleas arrive on other pets, on shoes, and through windows, and core vaccines protect against diseases that do not require another cat to be present. Indoor-only lowers risk; it does not remove it.
Why is my cat throwing up?
Occasional hairballs are common in long-haired cats and largely a grooming issue. Vomiting more than about once a month, vomiting that comes with weight loss, lethargy, or diarrhea, or any repeated vomiting in a short period is not routine and deserves a vet visit — it is a common early sign of several treatable conditions.