Cats that suffer from FLUTD or feline lower urinary tract disease need special food that doesn’t promote the formation of stones. Low magnesium cat food is recommended to protect your cat from FLUTD and boost the urinary tract’s health. In this article, we’ll suggest the best cat food options to help you find the right diet for your feline baby.
Table of Contents
In a Hurry? Here’s a Summary of Our Top Picks:
| Image | Product | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Hill’s Pet Nutrition C/D MultiCare Urinary Care Chicken & Vegetable Stew Canned Cat Food | Best Overall | Check Price |
 | Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food Urinary & Hairball Control | Runner-Up | Check Price |
 | IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Adult Urinary Tract Health Dry Cat Food | Best Budget Choice | Check Price |
Reviews of the Best Low Magnesium Cat Food
The following premium foods are rich in nutrients that support the immune system’s functions, so your kitty can resist various infections. At the same time, they’re low in minerals like magnesium that contribute to the formation of stones that affect the urinary tract.
1. Hill’s Pet Nutrition C/D MultiCare Urinary Care Chicken & Vegetable Stew Canned Cat Food – Best Overall
This clinically-tested prescription urinary cat food is designed to reduce the risk of FLUTD as it controls the amount of minerals in your cat’s diet while lowering the PH level of the urinary tract to prevent the formation of struvite crystals and stones. The food contains bite-size, gently cooked real chicken to provide your cat with all the needed proteins to support the health of muscles and bones.
Hill’s prescription diet cat food formula promotes better digestion thanks to the high-quality combination of chicken and vegetables in this stew. The texture of the stew contains the needed hydration if your cat is reluctant to drink enough food.
If your cat is suffering from acute renal failure, this will be an excellent choice, as it’s easy to digest. It also dissolves struvite crystals in several days. However, it’s more expensive than other food types, so it might not be the best option if you have multiple cats in the house. Here are some c/d wet cat food alternatives you can also consider.
What We Like
- Clinically-tested wet food
- Lowers the PH level and prevents the recurrence of stones
- A high-quality combination of chicken and vegetables to promote better digestion
- Provides your cat with the needed hydration
- Dissolves struvite crystals
What We Don’t Like
- More expensive than other food types
2. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food Urinary & Hairball Control – Runner Up
When your cat eats this dry food, you will start to see an improvement in various annoying symptoms. The formula is designed to lower the urinary tract’s PH level and provide a low amount of dietary magnesium to protect your feline baby from FLUTD, struvite crystals, and stones. Moreover, the formula contains natural fibers to reduce the formation of hairballs.
The first ingredient of this dry food is real chicken, which is easy to digest and supports the formation of lean muscles. It contains antioxidants that improve the function of the immune system and fatty acids with vitamin E to improve the condition of the skin and coat, so your kitty will feel good.
Unlike other formulas, this one doesn’t contain chicken by-products. If your cat has a sensitive stomach, it might throw up when it eats this food.
What We Like
- Dry food formula to control the PH level of the urinary tract
- Contains essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
- High-quality protein to promote the growth of lean muscles
- Contains fibers to prevent the formation of hairballs
- Doesn’t contain chicken by-products
What We Don’t Like
- Your cat might throw up
3. IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Adult Urinary Tract Health Dry Cat Food – Best Budget Choice
This affordable dry food formula is made using real chicken, and the formula is designed to lower the PH level of the urinary tract. It’s completely balanced with zero fillers that can harm your kitty’s health.
With real chicken as the first ingredient, the formula will support the growth of lean muscles. It contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to improve the condition of the coat and skin.
Vitamin E will boost the functions of the immune system to keep your cat healthy. The formula also contains potassium and calcium to keep your cat’s heart healthy, without increasing the risk of struvite crystals or stones.
Your cat will have better teeth when it eats this dry food because it reduces the build-up of plaque. The formula isn’t grain-free, so it might not suit your cat if it’s allergic to grains. The low fiber content can cause constipation if your furry baby has digestive problems.
What We Like
- Real chicken dry food to lower the PH level of the urinary tract
- Rich in potassium and calcium to keep the heart healthy
- Contains fatty acids to boost the condition of the skin and coat
- Keeps the teeth healthy to reduce the formation of plaque
What We Don’t Like
- The formula isn’t grain-free
- Low-fiber content can cause constipation
Related: Top 5 W/D Cat Food Equivalents
4. Purina Pro Plan Focus Urinary Tract Health Adult Wet Food
This unique food is designed to lower the PH of the urinary tract, providing low dietary magnesium to protect your kitty from FLUTD and recurring struvite crystals and stones. The first ingredient is whitefish, which provides your cat with all the needed proteins to keep the muscles healthy.
In each serving, your cat will receive several vitamins and minerals, in addition to taurine, an essential amino acid that supports the functions of the immune system. The texture will tempt even the pickiest eaters to try this food, as it provides all the healthy nutrients. Moreover, the food contains a suitable amount of water to keep your feline baby well-hydrated.
There are several flavors available if your kitty isn’t fond of the whitefish’s taste. It’s not suitable for kittens and contains added color, so you need to consider that.
What We Like
- Whitefish-based food
- Contains enough water to keep your kitty well-hydrated
- Provides your cat with several vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to keep your cat healthy
- Low magnesium diet that lowers the PH level of the urinary tract
- Several flavors are available
What We Don’t Like
- Some flavors contain meat by-products
- It contains added color
5. Royal Canin Feline Urinary SO Moderate Calorie Dry
This dry food formula is designed to increase the volume of urine to lower the saturation of urine with calcium oxalate. As a result, the formula will help your cat get rid of struvite crystals and prevent the formation of future ones.
With Relative Supersaturation or RSS methodology, this diet will predict the crystallization potential to keep your cat healthy. The formula contains proteins from chicken and grains that promote better digestion.
The food contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to keep the muscles and bones healthy. The formula will also boost the immune system to help your cat fight off infections.
It contains 9% fewer calories than other dry food formulas, so it’s suitable for adult and senior cats, especially if they aren’t active. It will help you maintain the weight of your cats and prevent obesity. However, this formula contains chicken by-product meal and is more expensive than other food formulas.
What We Like
- Dry food formula to increase the volume of urine
- Can help manage struvite crystals
- Includes healthy vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support the immune system and keep the body healthy
- Can help you manage your cat’s weight
What We Don’t Like
- More expensive than other formulas
- Contains a chicken by-product meal
What are Struvite Crystals and What are Their Symptoms?
Struvite crystals are made of several minerals like magnesium and phosphate. They normally happen in urine, but sometimes they combine to form bigger stones that affect the urinary tract. If not treated, these stones should be surgically removed. You can tell that your cat is suffering from these stones if they show these symptoms.
- Your cat urinates frequently.
- Urination outside the litter box is common.
- Your cat might produce crying sounds when it’s urinating due to pain and discomfort.
- There might be blood in the urine.
- The cat has a poor appetite.
Why Should You Feed Your Cat Low Magnesium Cat Food?
Feeding your cat low magnesium cat food will help reduce the amount of minerals in the urine. It maintains an adequate PH level in the urinary tract to prevent the fluctuations in the urine PH level that causes urinary tract infections.
Magnesium is an essential nutrient that supports the health of your cat. However, when fed in excess, magnesium can cause cardiac problems, paralysis, and even death. Moreover, magnesium contributes to the formation of struvite crystals and bladder stones that can affect your cat’s health.
FAQs
Is magnesium bad for cats?
No, it’s a necessary nutrient. Magnesium is needed to protect your cat from cramps, heart arrhythmia, and seizures. However, high levels of magnesium can lead to the formation of crystals and stones.
Will the wrong type of food cause crystals and stones in the urinary tract?
Cat food formulas contain several essential minerals. Some formulas are specifically designed for cats with urinary tract issues, so they have a lower content of minerals, especially magnesium, that contributes to the formation of crystals and stones.
Wrap Up
Low magnesium cat food will help keep the urinary tract healthy by reducing the risk of FLUTD and preventing the formation of crystals and bladder stones. We chose Hill’s Pet Nutrition C/D MultiCare Urinary Care Chicken & Vegetable Stew Canned Cat Food as our top choice because it contains a high content of proteins that support the formation of healthy lean muscles to keep your cat healthy.
If your cat doesn’t like this food, you can check out the other options on our list. Cats are picky eaters, but you will definitely find a high-quality formula that appeals to your feline baby.
I’ve been living with cats since 2008 and I can confidently say I have more feline friends than humans lol. I currently live with 5 cats in different life stages; two of them are less than one year old, one is 2-ish years old and the oldest two are 9-ish years old. I’ve developed a strong bond with cats over the years and I’m eager to share my experience through this blog. You can learn more about my cats here.