People who love cats often say their bonds form because of the cat’s uncanny ability to understand human emotions. This same acute feline awareness can also make cats more sensitive to their environments. Luckily, the right diet can help even everything out.

Cats may be finicky by nature, but they don’t have to be finicky because of their diets. Nutrition can solve a lot of the problems of the fussy cat, including digestive upset, diarrhea and picky food preferences. If your cat has a sensitive stomach, look for diets that include:

• High rice content because rice is the most digestible carbohydrate source.
• Fructo-oligosaccharides and micronized beet pulp to promote balanced intestinal flora.
• Savory taste and different textures to appeal to fussy appetites.

For some cats, extra sensitivity shows in the coat. Excessive dandruff or a dry, lackluster coat can be a sign of a nutritional need that’s not being met.

For these cats, look for a diet that balances key vitamins and promotes a healthier skin barrier through chelated trace elements and amino acids. Neutralizing the free radicals that are responsible for cell damage is another important nutritional element. With the right diet, these sensitive cats can develop soft, glossy coats. Of course, the transformation won’t happen overnight. Usually it takes at least four to six weeks to start seeing the results of any new feeding program.

Royal Canin has diets tailor-made for extra sensitive cats – addressing digestion, skin and dental problems. Visit our Product Selector to learn more.

Hairballs are more than gross. They can be life threatening. In serious cases, hair can lodge in the cat’s digestive tract and cause intestinal blockage. In less severe cases, hairballs can cause vomiting or constipation.

Two types of cats are predisposed to hairball problems – naturally "low-excretor" cats who have food-retaining pockets in their intestines and semi- and long-haired cats with more coat to swallow.

You can help a hairball-prone cat with nutrition. The right diet can actually help prevent hairball formation in the first place by stimulating hair elimination in the digestive tract. Royal Canin Intense Hairball 34 promotes that elimination while providing micronutrients to nourish the coat.

The cat’s life expectancy has grown with ours. As cats receive better healthcare and nutrition, their average lifespan has reached 14 years – with 20-somethings not uncommon.

The nutritional needs of geriatric cats differ from those of younger animals since older cats are more prone to health problems including chronic renal failure, oral health problems, tumors, bone and muscle degeneration, cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Luckily for the cat, most of these issues can be minimized through diet.

If your cat is 10 years or older, you should talk to your veterinarian about a diet developed exclusively for senior cats. Look for a mature diet that features:

• Increased antioxidants to boost a weakening immune system.
• Increased calories and digestibility to counter declining absorption.
• Increased palatability to offset a reduced appetite.
• Softer kibble for cats that have trouble chewing.