Cat food has come a long way in recent years. Just 10 to 15 years ago, your basic pet food choice for your cat — other than flavoring — was an adult or kitten formula. Today, dietary options abound. There are diets for overweight cats, diabetic felines, multi-cat households, cats with allergies, cats with sensitive stomachs, particular breeds, better coat and skin, improved dental health, hairball prevention and urinary tract health.

“There is a diversity in cat foods that are on the market right now, and this is a reflection of the understanding that cats are individuals and have different needs,” says Andrea J. Fascetti, a veterinarian and associate professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.

These new diets are a positive development, says George C. Fahey Jr., a professor of animal sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“Some formulas may be better for one animal than another,” he says. “That difference may be based on the physiological life stage of the cat, what kind of environment it lives in, its physical health or whether it’s genetically predisposed to certain problems.”

Fahey estimates that thousands of niche cat diets exist in the market today. As researchers learn more about cats’ dietary needs, others are sure to be developed in the years ahead. Here are today’s “hottest” areas.

**For the full article, pick up the November issue of CAT FANCY.**

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