Cat food for diabetic cats

Updated November 10, 2011

Highlights:

Purina DM is what the vet recommended for my diabetic cat. It's expensive and not sold in stores. I suspect 'over-the-counter' cat food supplemented with lean meat would work just as well.
High-protein cat food tends to be fish-based.
Corn is the main ingredient in many dry cat foods, so their high carbohydrate content is not surprising.
Pretty much everything 'in gravy' or 'with gravy' or 'with sauce' is high in carbs.
Canned food meant for kittens is usually low in carbs but often high in fat. (The same seems to be true of human baby food!)
Friskies Selects Indoor, an expensive cat food, is also high in carbs; perhaps due to the brown rice or barley.
Fancy Feast Tender Beef, Chunky Chicken, and Salmon & Shrimp all have the exact same nutritional composition? Really? What are the odds? (Also Friskies tuna, with and without egg...and nearly all of the Nine Lives products listed here. What's going on?)

All boxes under '% calories from' will be green if the following conditions are met:

Walmart - Special Kitty

	Analysis from label						% calories from
Flavor	Min. protein	Min. fat	Max. fiber	Max. moisture	Max. ash	Carbs. by difference	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Savory Salmon Entree	12	3	1.5	78	3.5
Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Entree	13	2	1.5	78	3.7
Cod, Sole & Shrimp Entree	13	2	1.5	78	3.5
Chunky Chicken Entree	11	4	1.5	78	3.5
Tuna & Shrimp Entree	18	2	1	78	4
Chicken Recipe for Kittens	10.5	6	1.5	78	3.25
Turkey Dinner for Kittens	11	6	1.5	78	3
Mixed Grill for Kittens	11	6	1.5	78	3
Savory Turkey & Cheese Dinner in Gravy ("High in Protein")	9	3	1	82	2
Mini Shreds Turkey Entree in Gravy	10	2	1	82	3

	Analysis from label						% calories from
Flavor	Min. protein	Min. fat	Max. fiber	Max. moisture	Max. ash	Carbs. by difference	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Feast	13	2	1.5	78	3.7
Gourmet Seafood Feast	13	3	1.5	78	3.5
Seafood Feast Classic	12	3	1.5	78	3.5
Savory Salmon Feast	12	4	1.5	78	3.5
(Kitten) Tender Ocean Whitefish Feast	12	4	1.5	78	3.5
Tender Beef Feast Classic	11	4	1.5	78	3.5
Chunky Chicken Feast	11	4	1.5	78	3.5
Salmon & Shrimp Feast Classic	11	4	1.5	78	3.5
(Flaked) Fish & Shrimp Feast	17.5	2	1.5	78	3
Flaked Tuna Feast	14	5	1.5	78	3.5
Flaked Trout Feast	14	4	1.5	78	3.7
(Kitten) Tender Turkey Feast	11	6	1.5	78	3.5
Turkey & Giblets Feast Classic	11	5	1.5	78	3
Tender Liver & Chicken Feast	11	5	1.5	78	3
Tender Beef & Liver Feast	10.5	5	1.5	78	3.5
Gourmet Chicken Feast/ Chicken Feast Classic	11	5	1.5	78	3
Cod, Sole & Shrimp Feast	12	2	1.5	78	3.5
Gourmet Salmon & Shrimp Feast	11	3	1.5	78	3.5

	Analysis from label						% calories from
Flavor	Min. protein	Min. fat	Max. fiber	Max. moisture	Max. ash	Carbs. by difference	Protein	Fat	Carbs
(Flaked) With Tuna & Egg In Sauce	12	3	1	78	3.8
Flaked With Tuna In Sauce	12	3	1	78	3.8
Poultry Platter	10	5	1	78	3.5
Supreme Supper (Classic Pate)	10	5	1	78	3.5
Beef & Liver Entree	10	7	0.5	78	2.8
Liver & Chicken Dinner (Classic Pate)	10	5	1	78	3
Mixed Grill (Classic Pate)	10	5	1	78	3
Country Style Dinner	10	5	1	78	3
Salmon Dinner (Classic Pate)	10	5	1	78	3
Turkey & Giblets Dinner (Classic Pate)	10	5	1	78	3
Ocean Whitefish Dinner (Classic Pate, Special Diet)	10	6.5	0.5	78	0.8
Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Dinner (Classic Pate)	11	4	1	78	3.5
Mariner's Catch (Classic Pate)	11	3	1	78	3.5
With Ocean Whitefish & Tuna In Sauce (Savory Shreds)	9	3	1	82	2
Meaty Bits Gourmet Grill	11	2.5	1	78	2.5
Meaty Bits Chicken Dinner in Gravy	11	2.5	1	78	2.5
Meaty Bits With Beef in Gravy	11	2.5	1	78	2.5
(Selects Indoor) Homestyle Turkey Dinner with Brown Rice & Garden Greens	8	2	1.5	78	2.5
(Selects Indoor) Braised Beef Dinner with Barley & Garden Greens	8	2	1.5	78	2.5

	Analysis from label						% calories from
Flavor	Min. protein	Min. fat	Max. fiber	Max. moisture	Max. ash	Carbs. by difference	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Super Supper	9	4.5	1	78	4
Turkey & Giblet Dinner	9	4.5	1	78	4
Daily Essentials Chicken & Tuna Dinner	9	4.5	1	78	3.5
Daily Essentials Chicken Dinner	9	4.5	1	78	4
Daily Essentials Ocean Whitefish Dinner	9	4.5	1	78	4
Daily Essentials Super Supper	9	4.5	1	78	4

	Analysis from label						% calories from
Flavor	Min. protein	Min. fat	Max. fiber	Max. moisture	Max. ash	Carbs. by difference	Protein	Fat	Carbs
(all)	8	3	1	84

	Analysis from label						% calories from
Flavor	Min. protein	Min. fat	Max. fiber	Max. moisture	Max. ash	Carbs. by difference	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Premium Gourmet Flaked Tuna Dinner	12	3	1.5	78	3.5
Premium Gourmet Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Dinner	13	2	1.5	78	3.7
Premium Gourmet Tender Beef Dinner	11	4	1.5	78	3.5
Premium Gourmet Liver & Chicken Dinner	11	5	1.5	78	2.5
Mixed Grill	10	6	1.5	78	2.7
Premium Gourmet Turkey & Giblets Dinner	11	5	1.5	78	3
Premium Gourmet Chicken Dinner	11	5	1.5	78	3
Salmon Dinner	10	5	1.5	78	2.7

	Analysis from label						% calories from
Flavor	Min. protein	Min. fat	Max. fiber	Max. moisture	Max. ash	Carbs. by difference	Protein	Fat	Carbs
GOURMET CAT FOOD Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Dinner	13	2	1.5	78	3.7
GOURMET CAT FOOD Turkey & Giblets Dinner	11	5	1.5	78	3
GOURMET CAT FOOD Chicken Dinner	11	5	1.5	78	3
GOURMET CAT FOOD Turkey & Giblets Dinner	11	5	1.5	78	3.5
BASICS With Tuna	9	5.5	1.5	78	3.5
BASICS With Chicken	9	5.5	1.5	78	3.5
4 FLAVOR VARIETY PACK 3-oz pouches (all flavors)	8	4	1	82	3

	Analysis from label						% calories from
Flavor	Min. protein	Min. fat	Max. fiber	Max. moisture	Max. ash	Carbs. by difference	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Purina Cat Chow - Complete Formula	34	13	4.5	12
Friskies - Party Mix	26	9	4	11
Meow Mix	31	11	4	12

	Analysis from label						% calories from
Flavor	Min. protein	Min. fat	Max. fiber	Max. moisture	Max. ash	Carbs. by difference	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Gerber's 2nd Foods - Chicken & Chicken Gravy (baby food)	11.3	9.8	0	76.1
Twin Pet - With Chicken	9	5.5	1	78	3
Purina - Whisker Lickin's	23	8	3	30
Pounce cat treats - Seafood Medley Flavor	15	7	1.5	35
Purina DM	12.5	4.5	2	77

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Data on this page compiled by Chris Giese ( http://my.execpc.com/~geezer/)