If your beloved cat has been diagnosed with feline leukemia, our hearts are with you. It is heartbreaking for every pet parent to learn that their pet suffers from a potentially fatal illness. But aside from following the recommendations and treatment offered by your veterinarian, there are some things you can do to support your cat’s overall health and well-being.
One of those things you can manage is the diet of your pet. This “treatment” is not a panacea, but it will help boost your cat’s immune system by providing a healthy number of essential antioxidants, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Our product reviews will help you find the right foods for your cat’s needs. Here are the six best options we found for cats with feline leukemia.
A Glance at Our Winners in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Purina Pro Plan Chicken & Turkey Cat Food
Made with real chicken and turkey
Great for appetite stimulation
Low in carbs
Check Price
Best Value
Iams ProActive Protein Cat Food
Packed with essential nutrients
High-quality protein
Contains prebiotics
Check Price
Premium Choice
PureBites Wild Skipjack Cat Food
Has only two ingredients
Great option for kitties on a restrictive diet
Contains protein in its purest form
Check Price
Best for Kittens
Hill’s Science Diet Dry Kitten Food
Recommended by vets
Clinically proven antioxidants and vitamins C y E
Support immune system development
Check Price
Blue Buffalo Protein Grain Free Cat Food
High protein
Ingredients rich in antioxidants and vitamins
Great for hairball control
Check Price
The 6 Best Foods for Cats with Feline Leukemia
A cat that suffers from feline leukemia needs food that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and low in carbohydrates. Purina Pro Plan is our best overall option because this mouthwatering wet food fulfills all of these criteria while being recommended by vets. It also helps stimulate the appetite of kitties, which is greatly appreciated by cat owners concerned about the nutrition of their sick cats. The antioxidants in this wet food are also excellent for promoting the feline immune system. However, for all the goodness of this food, some cats just don’t like it, much to the chagrin of their well-meaning owners.
First ingredients: Chicken or turkey, wheat gluten, liver
Protein: 11% min
Fat: 2% min
Moisture: 80% max
Check Price on Chewy
High-quality protein
Packed with essential nutrients for a healthy immune system
Made with real chicken and turkey
Great for appetite stimulation
Low in carbs
- High-quality protein
- Packed with essential nutrients for a healthy immune system
- Made with real chicken and turkey
- Great for appetite stimulation
- Low in carbs
Some picky cats don’t like it
- Some picky cats don’t like it
Caring for your sick pet shouldn’t cost you all of your money. That’s why we investigated a great value option: the Iams ProActive Health High Protein Chicken and Salmon Recipe won us over. The high concentration of protein helps support the muscles of the less active feline and maintains optimal heart health. As for them, prebiotics and beet pulp work wonders for your cat’s digestive health. This is not a grain-free option, however, and cats with allergies or other intolerances will not benefit from it.
First ingredients: Chicken, chicken by-product meal, corn grits
Protein: 38% min
Fat: 18% min
Moisture: 10% max
Packed with essential nutrients
High-quality protein
Contains prebiotics
Budget-friendly
- Packed with essential nutrients
- High-quality protein
- Contains prebiotics
- Budget-friendly
Not a grain-free option
- Not a grain-free option
PureBites Mixers is a real treat for the sick cat, even if you only use it as a topper to make their dry food more appealing. The list of ingredients is as simple as it gets: tuna and water. You won’t find any traces of corn, wheat, by-product flour, or those artificial flavors you don’t want to see on foods for a sick kitty. It is, therefore, a great option for cats who must follow a restrictive diet, as directed by your veterinarian. But it’s definitely not a good choice if you are on a budget or are concerned about the tuna population in our oceans.
First ingredients: Tuna, water
Protein: 13% min
Fat: 1% min
Moisture: 85% max
Has only two ingredients
Contains protein in its purest form
Great option for kitties on a restrictive diet
Can be used as a topper
- Has only two ingredients
- Contains protein in its purest form
- Great option for kitties on a restrictive diet
- Can be used as a topper
Very expensive in the long run
Not tuna-friendly
- Very expensive in the long run
- Not tuna-friendly
Unfortunately, kittens are not immune to contracting the feline leukemia virus. Indeed, they can contract the disease in their mother’s womb or through her milk. This is why there is no age limit to start giving a diet that reinforces the immune system of your little feline. And with Hill’s Science Diet Kitten Chicken Recipe, it’s hard to go wrong. This highly recommended vet brand has ingredients like antioxidants and vitamins C and E that have been clinically proven to boost the kitten’s developing immune system. This option is expensive, although you may have the opportunity to switch to a cheaper option once your kitten has reached adulthood.
First ingredients: Chicken, brown rice, wheat gluten
Protein: 33% min
Fat: 9% min
Moisture: Max 8%
Recommended by vets
Support immune system development
Clinically proven antioxidants and vitamins C y E
High-quality protein
- Recommended by vets
- Support immune system development
- Clinically proven antioxidants and vitamins C y E
- High-quality protein
Expensive
- Expensive
Blue Buffalo is a well-established brand that has delighted many pet owners, as well as their furry companions. A cat with feline leukemia will benefit from this high-protein formula which is also grain-free: this is great for lowering the overall carbohydrate content. However, the ingredient list is not stellar, as it contains chicken meal, tapioca starch, potato starch, and fish meal. That doesn’t make it a bad option, it’s just that for the relatively high price tag, one would expect more “whole foods” in the main ingredients. However, it does contain added vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, to support cats with weakened immune systems.
First ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, tapioca starch
Protein: 36% min
Fat: 12% min
Moisture: 9% max
High protein
Ingredients rich in antioxidants and vitamins
Great for hairball control
Contains no corn, wheat, or soy
- High protein
- Ingredients rich in antioxidants and vitamins
- Great for hairball control
- Contains no corn, wheat, or soy
Pricey
Contains tapioca starch
- Pricey
- Contains tapioca starch
Rachael Ray Nutrish is an excellent dry kibble option for indoor cats; the ingredient list contains real chicken, which provides a good source of protein for your feline. Lentils are also a great source of protein while being low in fat and high in fiber, which is perfect for your cat to maintain a healthy weight. However, what caught our attention is the addition of cranberries, berries very rich in antioxidants, one of the main attributes of which is to support the immune system of the cat. The guaranteed analysis also meets the standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). However, the kibbles contain corn gluten meal, which does not make them a grain-free option. Additionally, some buyers have reported that their cats are not fans of this product at all.
First ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, brewers rice
Protein: 34% min
Fat: 12% min
Moisture: 9% max
Rich in antioxidants to support the immune system
Meet the AAFCO standards
Good for sensitive stomachs
Affordable
- Rich in antioxidants to support the immune system
- Meet the AAFCO standards
- Good for sensitive stomachs
- Affordable
Contains corn gluten meal
Might not work for all cats
- Contains corn gluten meal
- Might not work for all cats
Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Food for Cats with Feline Leukemia
What Is Feline Leukemia?
Like AIDS in humans, feline leukemia (FeLV) is caused by a retrovirus. This virus infects the white blood cells of cats and induces immunosuppression. The immunocompromised cat is then more likely to catch all kinds of infections.
Unfortunately, the virus can also cause cancer of the lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) in addition to causing disorders in the cells of the bone marrow and blood. The disease is, therefore, potentially fatal.
What Are the Symptoms of Feline Leukemia?
This disease produces very variable symptoms, sometimes subtle. The affected cat may show non-specific symptoms such as decreased appetite, depression, general discomfort, and fever. You may also notice weight loss, swollen glands, diarrhea or chronic loose stools, respiratory and eye problems such as rhinitis, sinusitis, conjunctivitis, and various infections such as gingivitis, dental infections, and abscess.
In addition, in the long term, cancer and blood disorders can also create all kinds of various symptoms.
Gone are the days when you have to mop up water spills after your pet goes for a drink. With the Hepper Nom Nom Bowl, you’ll never have to worry about water spills again.
Two stainless steel bowls sit inside a wide tray to catch every little dribble that falls from your pet’s mouth. Your furry friend might not be the cleanest drinker, but now they don’t have to be! Click here to purchase your own and say goodbye to water spills for good.
At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
How Is Feline Leukemia Transmitted?
The virus is transmitted between cats mainly through saliva, but also through all other body fluids or secretions such as urine, nasal secretions, and even breast milk! Usually, adult cats become infected when virus particles enter their mouths or noses, but sometimes transmission takes place during gestation, via the mother’s uterus.
Because this virus is quickly eliminated once in the environment, close feline relationships are required for transmission to take place. Thus, cats that live together are more at risk.
A cat at risk of being infected with this virus will be:
Usually, an adult, often unsterilized, goes outside and has contact with other cats. Of course, unneutered males who go outside tend to fight or bite each other and hang out with unspayed females too! But these are not the only ones.
In fact, very social cats living together or having close contact with each other such as mutual grooming, sharing food and water bowls, and litter boxes, are at greater risk of infection. Finally, kittens born to a FeLV-positive mother are definitely at risk of contracting the virus too.
How To Treat Feline Leukemia?
At present, there is no treatment capable of completely eradicating feline leukosis; this virus causes the death of nine out of ten infected cats within four years. On the other hand, the treatment protocol consists of taking charge of the pathologies, infections, and dysfunctions that result from viral leukemia. This support is therefore adapted on a case-by-case basis. This goes for example by:
- Rehydration
- Appropriate diet
- Blood transfusion
- Chemotherapy
At the same time, the animal must not be in contact with other cats in order to limit the risks of contamination for them.
Unfortunately, even after treatment, the cat remains infected with the FeLV virus. But the latter can remain dormant as long as the cat’s immune system is strong enough. Conversely, infected cats with weak immune systems end up getting sick, and for eight in ten of them, the outcome is fatal within a few months or at most three years.
How To Prevent Your Cat from Contracting Feline Leukemia?
- Keep your cat in the house, out of contact with other cats. Have any new kitty that you want to adopt tested before even presenting it to your other felines.
- Have your cat vaccinated annually against feline leukemia if he goes outdoors or lives with other cats.
- Get your new kitten vaccinated against feline leukemia whether he will go outside or not.
- Before buying a cat from a breeder, make sure its parents have been tested.
Final Thoughts
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is the second leading cause of death in cats after trauma. Since the virus suppresses the cat’s immune system, much like AIDS, it can predispose cats to deadly infections.
The key here is therefore to strengthen the immune system of the cat, since there is no treatment to date, other than the vaccine, to contain this fatal virus. The food choices we have presented to you, while not magical, help support your pet’s immune system. Purina Pro Plan Chicken & Turkey Favorites and Iams ProActive Health High Protein are, respectively, the best overall option and value for money that we have found. In any case, do not hesitate to seek the advice of your veterinarian, because your kitty’s diet is not to be neglected.
Featured Image Credit: Veera, Shutterstock
