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Cats can be notoriously picky eaters, and many owners rely on cat food toppers to ramp up their cats’ interest in food. Cat food toppers are also a smart way to hide supplements or medicines cats may otherwise dislike the taste of or flat-out refuse to eat. “Meal toppers can be beneficial for a cat’s health in several ways,” says Dr. Gabrielle Fadl, medical director at Bond Vet in New York City. “They can provide additional nutrients, such as protein and moisture, which can be especially helpful for cats prone to dehydration or those requiring a more protein-rich diet.”
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Whether you’re dealing with a frequent fussy eater or just looking for a way to temporarily tempt at mealtime, this three-flavor Fancy Food Classic Broths Variety Pack is a great place to start. Cat-friendly fishy flavors (tuna, shrimp, and whitefish; tuna, anchovies, and whitefish; and salmon and vegetables) can quickly coax even the pickiest of eaters into finishing their bowls.
We also like using it as a clever mix-in for medication and an easy way to add moisture to our cats’ diet. Plus, leftovers can easily be refrigerated in the pouch.
This topper has a moderate calorie content of 18 calories per pouch. If you’re using it regularly, you’ll need to adjust your cat’s meal portions to account for the extra calories. There are no artificial colors or preservatives.
You can feel good about this topper’s protein-first ingredient list, too. The salmon flavor contains tomato and spinach, while the two tuna-based flavors contain carrots. All flavors contain guar gum and tapioca, which work as a filler and can upset some cat tummies.
These seafood-flavored pouches do have a fairly strong fish scent—great for cats, but not as loved by owners adverse to fishy smells. Still, it can be a small price to pay for a reliable topper that’s low in fat and high in moisture, especially if your cat has a habit of turning its nose up when it’s time for dinner.
Adds hydration to diet
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Instinct Raw Boost Mixers give your cat the benefits of a raw food diet without having to switch your cat’s usual food. Each pack of this freeze-dried meal topper contains 12 ounces of nutrient-dense whole protein, including organ meat and ground bones.
These soft, chewy pieces of raw kibble can entice even the pickiest of eaters and come with health benefits that range from improved digestion to skin and coat quality. Along with a cage-free chicken variety, we like that it’s also available in farm-raised rabbit (contains pork), making it a go-to pick for pet parents needing a meal topper with alternative proteins.
Ingredients are free from gluten, soy, potato, and artificial preservatives and colors, but they do include non-GMO fruits and vegetables as fillers. This is a very high-protein and high-fat meal topper with a fair amount of calories, so you’ll want to adjust your cat’s daily meals so as not to overfeed.
Two flavors: chicken and rabbit
How We Picked
Why I’m the Expert
Katherine Alex Beaven is a lifelong cat owner who has turned to meal toppers when faced with fussy eaters or to help mask bad-tasting medicines. For this story, Alex also turned to veterinarian Gabrielle Fadl for expert medical advice and tips.
What to Look For in Cat Food Toppers
Calorie Content
Don’t forget to check the calorie content of your cat’s meal topper. Cat meal toppers add extra calories to your cat’s daily nutritional intake, which can lead to obesity. Make sure the overall calories of your topper don’t significantly contribute to your cat’s daily calories.
As a good rule of thumb, meal toppers should not exceed more than 10 percent of your cat’s daily calorie intake. If you feed your cat treats, the combined calories of the daily meal toppers and treats should not be more than 10 percent of your cat’s total caloric intake.
Feeding Frequency
Dr. Fadl warns that cat food toppers should be used in moderation. She also says they shouldn’t be used as a primary source of nutrition but rather as an occasional addition to your cat’s regular meals.
Feeding meal toppers with every meal or in large quantities can lead to dietary imbalances, obesity, and nutritional deficiencies, she explains. They also lack the essential nutrients a cat needs for balanced nutrition. “Always use them as a complement to your cat’s main diet.”
Ingredients
When picking out the best meal topper for your cat, look for high-quality ingredients. Dr. Fadl recommends checking labels for toppers that list real meat or fish within the primary ingredients. She also says to avoid toppers that contain excessive fillers, artificial additives, or by-products, explaining that these are usually less nutritious and less appealing for cats.
Dr. Fadl also says that “If your cat has known food allergies or sensitivities, you should check the ingredient list to avoid any allergens they might react to. Opt for meal toppers that cater to your cat’s dietary restrictions.”
More We Recommend
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Best Broth: Open Farm Harvest Chicken Bone Broth uses humanely farmed chickens without hormones, antibiotics, or steroids. Natural collagen and chicken flavor are pulled from chicken bones simmered for 10 hours. Pouring out a portion of this savory chicken bone broth over wet or dry food is an easy, tasty way to add appealing flavor and moisture to your cat’s diet.
Each pouch holds 12 ounces of this liquid gold, and the recommended serving size is two tablespoons per 10 pounds of body weight. We love the resealable, easy-pour spout that makes it easy to dispense and securely store in the fridge between meals. Additional non-GMO ingredients include extras like carrots, pumpkin, and cinnamon, which are unnecessary but have inherent anti-inflammatory and digestive support.
Three flavors: chicken, turkey, and beef
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Best Calming: This meal-topper powder contains a probiotic strain that has been shown to encourage calm behavior. Like humans, a cat’s gut health can sometimes affect its mood. The Purina Pro Plan Calming Care Probiotics serves as a behavioral supplement when sprinkled over your cat’s food for at least six weeks.
It works by helping to tone down the production of cortisol, a stress hormone, which can be the catalyst behind a cat’s aggressive, anxious, or antisocial behavior. According to Purina, there is a guaranteed level of microorganisms in each pouch to help your cat stay calm (though the types and levels are not disclosed). Adding liver flavor helps make it more palatable, though the powder is best mixed up and dished with wet food since it cannot be absorbed by dry kibble.
Liver-flavored
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Best Low-Calorie: Indaba Churu Lickable Treats have a long-standing reputation as a top cat treat, but these squeezable tubes can also double as a sneaky meal topper. At around six calories per tube, we like that using a Churu treat meal topper doesn’t require us to count calories or recalculate regular meal portions.
These low-calorie, high-moisture toppers are an ideal meal topper for the occasional fussy eater, kitties on weight-control diets, and cats that need frequent appetite stimulation. We love that you can dish out partial portions and refrigerate the rest until the next meal—or serve as a between-meal treat.
But be warned: Some cats have been known to just lick up the treat topper and leave their food, so you may want to consider mixing it in before serving. Part of what makes these treats so appealing is their creamy consistency, which, unfortunately, is the result of using tapioca starch.
Approximately six calories per serving
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Best Probiotic: Cat probiotics come in many forms, and our favorite probiotic food topper is Zesty Paws Probiotic Powder for Cats. The pumpkin-flavored powder comes in pre-measured sachets, making it easy to dispense and convenient for travel. Along with inulin and yeast extract (Saccharomyces boulardii), each sachet contains over 400 million CFU of the clinically studied DE111 probiotic strain, known as Bacillus subtilis, which supports gut and immune health in cats.
It mixes easily into kitty’s favorite wet food, though the powder doesn’t quite adhere as well to dry food, making it harder to incorporate evenly. Some pet parents have had better luck mixing it in their cat’s bowl with both wet and dry food. We should note that some finicky cats might be turned off by the pumpkin flavor; however, cats generally find it appealing.
Pre-measured sachets
FAQ
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How do I stimulate my cat’s appetite?
“Meal toppers can be a great way to stimulate a cat’s appetite,” says Dr. Fadl. “They can also add variety to the cat’s diet, potentially preventing boredom or food allergies by introducing new flavors.” Meal toppers come in several forms, from freeze-dried meats or broths to powders and specialized cat treats.
In most cases, cat food toppers will either be mixed into your cat’s food or poured directly on top. Some cats love their meal toppers so much that pet parents will use them on their own as occasional treats, too.
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Are cat food toppers healthy?
As with almost everything, there are positives and negatives to adding meal toppers to your cat’s diet. “Meal toppers can be beneficial for a cat’s health in several ways,” says Dr. Fadl. “They can provide additional nutrients, such as protein and moisture, which can be especially helpful for cats prone to dehydration or those requiring a more protein-rich diet. They can also add variety to the cat’s diet, potentially preventing boredom or food allergies by introducing new flavors.”
According to Dr. Fadl, some potential negatives to cat food toppers are that they can add excessive amounts of salt or calories to your cat’s diet, which can have adverse effects on your feline’s overall health.
Why Trust The Spruce Pets?
K. Alex Beaven is a lifelong cat owner and currently in service to her leash-trained cat, @hellomisterbo. Alex has also written stories for The Spruce Pets on The Best Kitten Foods, Best Bone Broth for Cats, and Best Lickable Cat Treats.
For this story, Alex consulted with Dr. Gabrielle Fadl, medical director for Bond Vet, for expert medical advice and tips on how and when to use a cat food topper.
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