Senior dry food
Description
A dry food formulated for the changing nutritional needs of cats generally from about 7-10 years of age onward, commonly featuring adjusted calorie density (since many senior cats become less active, though some paradoxically need MORE calories due to reduced digestive efficiency or early kidney changes), added joint-support ingredients like glucosamine and chondroitin, and sometimes modified phosphorus levels as a general precaution given kidney disease's prevalence in older cats.
Suitable For
Cats generally from 7-10 years and older, though the right time to transition varies by individual — some senior cats do better staying on adult maintenance food longer, particularly if they're losing rather than gaining weight, which is itself worth a veterinary conversation rather than assumed to need a senior formula automatically.
Cautions
Unexplained weight loss in a senior cat is a common early sign of several serious conditions (hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes, cancer) and should prompt veterinary evaluation rather than simply switching foods to address it — a "senior formula" is a reasonable general nutritional adjustment, not a response to an actual symptom that needs diagnosis.