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After going through loads of research (and buying different foods), we found Purina Pro Plan Urinary Tract Health Wet Cat Food to be the best low ash cat food for its effectiveness and palatability.
- Reduces urinary pH
- Low magnesium
- Made with real animal protein
- Contains taurine and omega 6 fatty acids
- Commercially available
- Variety pack for picky eaters
This started when a friend with an older male cat was concerned about ash in her cat’s food, and was worried it was contributing to potential urinary tract problems in Simba.
Since I’ve guided my own cat through dietary and litter box issues, I started thinking about how to help cats like Simba, and what my own Maine Coon might need in the future should this problem arise.
But the best for us may not be the best for you. Maybe your cat requires a hairball care diet or loves dry food. That’s why I’ve included low ash cat food in a variety of different categories.
While I am not veterinarian, I am excited to offer practical advice after putting into the time learning this. Make sure to bring any questions after reading to your vet to make the best decision for your cat.
These are the products we review in this article (not all shown):
- Chicken, Salmon, Seabass, Ahi & more flavors
- 10% Ash Content
- 80.00% min Protein by Dry Matter Basis
Forza10 Active Urinary Dry Food
- Anchovy flavor
- 7% Ash Content
- 30.43% min Protein by Dry Matter Basis
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Wet Food
- Pork flavor
- Low magnesium
- Prevents bladder crystal formation before it starts
- 55.26% Protein by Dry Matter Basis
Feline Natural Grain-Free Freeze Dried Food
- Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Chicken & Lamb, & more flavors
- 8% Ash Content
- 52.17% min Protein by Dry Matter Basis
Purina ONE Urinary Tract Health Formula Wet Food
- Chicken, Beef & Liver flavors
- 6.2% Ash Content
- 45.45% min Protein by Dry Matter Basis
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Dry Food
- Chicken flavor
- 35.33% Protein by Dry Matter Basis
- Low magnesium, low ash
- Active management of urinary crystals
- Overall Best Low Ash Wet Cat Food
- Runner Up Wet
- Best Low Ash Dry Cat Food
- Popular Prescription Low Ash Can Cat Food
- Premium Freeze Dried
- Best High Protein Low Ash
- Low Ash Low Magnesium
- Low Ash Urinary Cat Food for Male
- Urinary and Hairball Control Canned Cat Food
- Urinary and Weight Control
- All About Low Ash Cat Food
- Why Is There Ash in Cat Food?
- What Does Low Ash in Cat Food Mean?
- So Does Ash in Cat Food Cause Crystals?
- What Kind of Cats Benefit From Low Ash Cat Food?
- Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease and Ash
- What’s the Best Diet for a Cat With Urinary Problems?
- Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Low Ash Cat Food
All cat foods included on this list meet the standard AAFCO nutrient profile guidelines for cats. Always consult with your veterinarian before making changes to your cat’s diet.
Some foods reviewed are non prescription and available commercially, others require a vet’s prescription.
Best Low Ash Wet Cat Food
- Lowers pH levels to reduce bladder crystals
- A specialty food cats enjoy eating
- Variety pack for picky eaters
- First 5 Ingredients: Meat by-products, water, chicken-by-products, beef, chicken
- Guaranteed Analysis: 12% Crude Protein, 3.5% Crude Fat, 0.2% Crude Fiber, 78% Moisture, 0.05% Taurine, 1.5% Ash, 0.024% Magnesium
- Caloric Content: 32.9 kcal/ounce
- Life stage: Adult
Yes, our best low ash wet cat food is a mainstream, commercially available wet food from Purina. Don’t laugh – for most cats, this is a good all around pick. Simba approves!
Purina employs knowledge about causes of urinary tract problems in cats and keeps dietary magnesium to a minimum. Thus, Purina Pro Plan Urinary Tract Health High Protein Wet Cat Food is designed to lower pH levels to reduce the occurrences of bladder crystals.
This food provides low ash without cutting out any essential minerals that your cat needs to thrive. In fact, it contains 25 essential vitamins and minerals that are critical for feline health.
The high moisture content also makes me happy because even cats with low desire to lap up water will get decent hydration.
As a long trusted brand, Purina knows how to create a specialty food cats enjoy. Fluffy should not be punished with a bland diet for urinary tract issues.
Many purchasers comment that after many attempts at other low ash foods, including prescription ones, this is finally the one their picky eater cats chose. This is also the reason for the variety pack – just more choices for choosy kittys.
Because after all, what good is the most appropriate food if it’s not eaten? And Purina really works at preventing future urinary tract issues!
While I don’t love seeing meat by-products in the first ingredient, the efficacy and palatability of the food makes up for it.
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 10/10
- Ingredient Quality: 8/10
- Flavor Variety: 10/10
- Price: 9/10
- Overall Score: 9.25
What We Liked:
- High-protein
- Low-magnesium
- Low ash
- Flavors liked by most cats
- Variety pack
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains meat by-products
Runner Up Wet
- Prevent urinary tract problems
- Quality and super clean ingredients
- Actual pieces of chicken you can see
- First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, chicken broth, sunflower seed oil, tricalcium phosphate, taurine
- Guaranteed Analysis: 16% Crude Protein, 2.6% Crude Fat, 0% Crude Fiber, 80% Moisture, 1% Ash
- Caloric Content: 147 kcal/can
- Life stage: Adult and kitten
Tiki Cat Luau Wet Food is simply a quality cat food – the natural ingredients and nutrient breakdown are so clean. And at just 1% ash, it is perfect for cats wanting to prevent urinary tract problems.
Real chicken is the first ingredient, and it’s not in ground up into a mush either. It is actual pieces of chicken you can see, in a tasty consomme. Basically, it’s human quality ingredients but made for cats.
I love that it’s grain-free with no fillers, no preservatives, or by-products. In fact, it’s so clean that Tiki Cat is suitable for not only low ash diets, but low phosphorous, diabetes management, and hypoallergenic food.
The healthy, hearty stock is great for providing that essential moisture I talk about so much.
Cat owners rave that this is one of the best cat foods out there, and any cat would agree with its high protein, low fat, low carb composition.
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 10/10
- Ingredient Quality: 10/10
- Flavor Variety: 8/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall Score: 9
What We Liked:
- Extremely high protein, super clean
- Low ash
- Low phosphorous
- Low sodium, grain-free, high moisture
What We Didn’t Like:
- Healthy recipe not for all cats
Best Low Ash Dry Cat Food
- Prevents crystal formation and renal blockages
- Contains natural ingredients support your cat's urinary tract
- Supports eye, brain, skin, and coat health with omega-3 fatty acids
- First 5 Ingredients: Rice, anchovy meal, hydrolyzed potato protein, hydrolyzed fish protein, vegetable oil
- Guaranteed Analysis: 28% Crude Protein, 15.5% Crude Fat, 2.0% Crude Fiber, 8% Moisture, 7% Ash, 0.05% Magnesium
- Caloric Content: 443 kcal/cup
- Life stage: Adult
If you’re looking for therapeutic dry food to assist with chronic urinary tract issues in your cat, Forza10 Active Urinary Dry Cat Food is a fantastic choice.
Forza10 develops science backed, veterinarian created recipes that are free of corn, wheat, soy, GMOs and other artificial ingredients.
This dry low ash cat food is formulated with low magnesium and acidifying properties to create the right pH balance in the urinary tract for preventing crystal formation and renal blockages.
It uses super ingredients like Icelandic anchovy, cranberry extract, dried dandelion, and dried clover to support your cat’s urinary tract. It’s like giving your cat an ancient herbal remedy in a bowl!
I also appreciate that this cat food offers those all-important omega-3 fatty acids to support eye, brain, skin, and coat health. Cats love the unique anchovy base as well.
Many purchasers totally recommend this if you have a picky eater cat on a urinary diet. They also liked how Forza10 food can be eaten by all pets, not just those on a specialty diet – it’s so convenient!
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 10/10
- Ingredient Quality: 9/10
- Flavor Variety: 8/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall Score: 8.75
What We Liked:
- Low ash
- Low magnesium
- Contains nutraceuticals
- No corn, wheat, soy, artificial ingredients
What We Didn’t Like:
- Price
Popular Prescription Low Ash Can Cat Food
- Extremely popular low ash and magesium cat food
- Reduces existing stones and prevent new ones
- Designed to increase urine volume
- First 5 Ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, pork by-products, pork liver, chicken by-products, chicken liver
- Guaranteed Analysis: 10.5% Crude Protein, 2.5% Crude Fat, 2.0% Crude Fiber, 81% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 119 kcal/5.1-oz can
- Life stage: Adult
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO is a super popular low ash cat food and any list would not be complete without it.
It’s designed to increase urine volume and change its chemistry to reduce saturation with crystals, and also uses controlled magnesium levels to reduce existing stones and prevent new ones.
The ultra-high moisture content makes it clear that this cat food means business when it comes to helping to prevent dehydration issues that could contribute to crystal formations.
I don’t love that it goes a little heavy on meat by-products and wheat. But as a medicated food designed with a mission, it accomplishes it like nothing else.
Plenty of cat owners share that this food diluted crystals and essentially saved their cats life. The soft loaf in sauce also tends to be a hit with most cats.
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 10/10
- Ingredient Quality: 8/10
- Flavor Variety: 7/10
- Price: 10/10
- Overall Score: 8.75
What We Liked:
- High protein
- Low magnesium
- Prevents bladder crystal formation before it starts
- Appealing texture
What We Didn’t Like:
- Price
- Contains wheat and by-products
Premium Freeze Dried & High Protein
- Premium, raw freeze dried food
- Incredible 98% meat, organs, mussells worth of healthy protein& fat
- No grain and plants to cause urinary tract disease & crystals
- First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, lamb heart, lamb kidney, lamb liver, lamb blood
- Guaranteed Analysis: 48% Crude Protein, 31% Crude Fat, 1% Crude Fiber, 8% Moisture, 0.52% Taurine
- Caloric Content: 185 kcal/cup
- Life stage: Adult
Instead of ash causing urinary issues, many people feel that canned food with unnaturally high grain and plants is the real culprit behind FLUTD and crystals.
That is why this premium, raw freeze dried food is on my list. Instead of canned or packaged food, pet owners who fed a raw diet reduced occurrences of urinary crystals.
Feline Natural Grain-Free Freeze Dried Cat Food is top pick for any cat and packs an incredible 98% meat, organs, and mussel worth of healthy protein and fat. That’s it!
You’re getting awesome species-specific nutrition without the use of grains, gluten, dairy, rice, soy, or other fillers. Basically, this stuff is some of the best you can buy on the market.
What I like about this minimally processed raw food is that you have options and can feed it mixed with water as a meal, or be used as a topper on existing wet food.
Cat owners share that their cats are so happy to eat this raw food after rejecting so many other brands. This is a true premium pick with a price to match.
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 9/10
- Ingredient Quality: 10/10
- Flavor Variety: 10/10
- Price: 7/10
- Overall Score: 9.0
What We Liked:
- Very high protein
- Contains quality meat, organs, blood, bone
- Low ash naturally
- No grains, dairy, rice, soy, potato, fillers
- All cats can eat this, not specific low ash formula
What We Didn’t Like:
- Price
Also Great
- The little sibling of my top pick, with many of the same benefits
- Affordable and convenient to feed along with prescription food
- For long term maintenance
- First 5 Ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, meat by-products, poultry by-products, beef, liver
- Guaranteed Analysis: 10% Crude Protein, 7% Crude Fat, 0.5% Crude Fiber, 78% Moisture, 0.05% Taurine, 2.9% Ash, 0.024% Magnesium
- Caloric Content: 47 kcal/serving
- Life stage: Adult
This is the little sibling of my top pick, Purina Pro Plan Urinary Tract Health, and offers many of the same benefits. They both are great tasting, commercially available foods that lowers the pH of urine.
The difference is that Purina Pro Plan uses slightly higher quality ingredients.
With that being said, Purine ONE is still a tasty option that offers the added benefit of being low ash and helping to manage pH levels. It uses real beef and chicken and skips soy, wheat, or corn.
The moisture content on this wet food is great and the ash is also respectable low as it should be. I am not a huge fan of the by-products, but thousands of happy cat owners make up for it.
You must keep in mind this non-prescription cat food is not designed to treat serious crystal buildups. This is more about long term maintenance – proactive care requires a prescription.
Many purchasers express that they are relieved they could find an affordable, low ash cat food like this for urinary care management without having to deal with expensive prescription food.
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 10/10
- Ingredient Quality: 7/10
- Flavor Variety: 10/10
- Price: 9/10
- Overall Score: 9.0
What We Liked:
- High-protein
- Low magnesium
- Low ash
- Price
- Variety pack
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains by-products
Low Ash & Low Magnesium
- Dilutes urinary crystals
- Low ash & low magnesium
- Kibble version of my popular prescription pick
- First 5 Ingredients: Chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, corn, corn gluten meal, chicken fat
- Guaranteed Analysis: 32.5% Crude Protein, 13% Crude Fat, 4% Crude Fiber, 6% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 315 kcal/cup
- Life stage: Adult
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Dry Food is the kibble version of my popular prescription pick and an awesome low ash low magnesium choice.
I’m especially impressed by the 32.5% crude protein on this food! Like the wet food above, this kibble from Royal Canin is designed to dilute struvite crystals by increasing urine volume.
There’s a lot of goodness packed into this food, though I admit that I’m not thrilled when I see wheat as an ingredient. But this is a medicated veterinary diet, with a clear function, so that should comes first.
And although wet food for serious crystal issues is ideal, I know this dry version can be supplemental or the choice of cats who must have their crunchies!
Plenty of cat owners have shared stories documenting miraculous reversals of bladder stones with this prescription low ash cat food.
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 10/10
- Ingredient Quality: 7/10
- Flavor Variety: 7/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall Score: 8
What We Liked:
- High protein
- Low magnesium
- Low ash
- Active management of struvite and calcium oxalate crystals
What We Didn’t Like:
- Price
- Contains by-products and grains
Low Ash Urinary Cat Food for Male
- Targets stone and crystal formation and FLUTD
- Prevents new struvite and calcium oxalate crystals from forming
- Prescription only
- First 5 Ingredients: Pork by-products, water, pork liver, chicken, brewers rice
- Guaranteed Analysis: 8.5% Crude Protein, 3.5% Crude Fat, 1% Crude Fiber
- Caloric Content: 163 kcal/5.5-oz can
- Life stage: Adult
Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care Wet Cat Food is a great choice for male cats needing a urinary cat food designed to target stone and crystal formation and FLUTD.
With lowered percentages of phosphorous, magnesium, and calcium, it reduces recurrence of urinary issues by 89%. Once you start with this diet, you should expect to see stones dissolving within 27 days.
Next it, also prevents new struvite and calcium oxalate crystals from ever forming. This Hills wet food means business – it treats the urinary condition as well as works for maintenance, too.
I like the high omega-3 fatty acid content in this formula because it lets me know the recipe offers well-rounded health support for organs, immune systems, and skin and fur health.
Real organ meat, liver, and chicken are in the ingredients. Overall, I think you’ll discover that your cat enjoys this succulent food with a very classic chicken flavor.
The impression from other cat owners is that cats generally like the odor, flavor, and texture of this low ash cat food, and owners love having their healthy kitty back!
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 10/10
- Ingredient Quality: 9/10
- Flavor Variety: 7/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall Score: 8.5
What We Liked:
- Low magnesium
- Low phosphorous
- Low calcium
- Prevention and long term maintenance of urinary crystals
What We Didn’t Like:
- Price
- Contains by-products
Urinary and Hairball Control Dry Cat Food
- Helps reduce hairballs with natural fiber
- Fights or feline lower urinary tract infections and crystals
- Good for long term maintenance, if veterinarian approved
- First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, whole grain wheat, corn gluten meal, pork fat, powdered cellulose
- Guaranteed Analysis: 29.5% Crude Protein, 16% Crude Fat, 9.3% Crude Fiber
- Caloric Content: 1327 kcal/cup
- Life stage: Adult
With so many cats suffering from urinary issues and hairballs simultaneously, it’s no wonder Hills formulated their commercially available Hill’s Science Diet Urinary Hairball Control Dry Cat Food.
With real chicken as the first ingredient, we are off to a nice start on the ingredient list! This is actually refreshing because often in veterinary foods, there are by products and filler that accompany the active ingredient.
Natural fiber works for smoothing out digestion and helps reduce hairballs. Lower magnesium aids with helping a cat fight off bladder or feline lower urinary tract infections and crystals.
I also like all the vitamin C, vitamin E, and antioxidants in this food that simply support a cat’s health. I wish this food didn’t have the grains and oils that it does, but this partly unavoidable with dry food.
However, cat owners say their fluffy friends tolerate it well and it really does work to reduce hairballs and manages urinary tract health and infections. Overall, this is a super well recommended pick,
Some purchasers have also raved that this food replaces the more expensive Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care Cat Food for long term maintenance in their cat. Always check with a veterinarian, though.
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 10/10
- Ingredient Quality: 8/10
- Flavor Variety: 7/10
- Price: 9/10
- Overall Score: 8.5
What We Liked:
- Low magnesium
- High-protein, high fiber
- Manages chronic hairballs and urinary issues
- Commercially available
What We Didn’t Like:
- Price
- Kibble pieces on the larger size
Urinary and Weight Control
- Promotes a healthy weight and satiety
- Stops struvite and calcium oxalate crystals from forming
- Prescription only
- First 5 Ingredients: Brewers Rice, corn gluten meal, powdered cellulose, wheat gluten, chicken meal
- Guaranteed Analysis: 34% Crude Protein, 10% Crude Fat, 16% Crude Fiber, 0.05% Magnesium
- Caloric Content: 289 kcal/cup
- Life stage: Adult
If Fluffy is in need of weight management and a urinary health focused diet, Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare + Metabolic Dry Cat Food is a wonderful pick.
It offers a filling 34% dry protein by volume and combines it with fiber from fruits and veggies to promote a healthy weight and satiety. The fiber will probably decrease hairballs too.
All the while, this food has controlled levels of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous that stop struvite and calcium oxalate crystals from ever forming.
This is a prescription food that requires a chat with your vet, and tons of other cat owners talk about reversing common signs of urinary tract issues after switching!
The general consensus is that cat owners are surprised by just how quickly even picky cats take to this dry food. The ingredient list is not the cleanest with meals and wheat, but as a medicated food, it really works!
Rating Breakdown:
- Low Ash Formula: 10/10
- Ingredient Quality: 8/10
- Flavor Variety: 7/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall Score: 8.25
What We Liked:
- Low magnesium, calcium, phosphorus
- High fiber
- Manages weight plus urinary health
- Flavor appreciated by most cats
What We Didn’t Like:
- Price
- Contains meals and grains
All About Low Ash Cat Food
I couldn’t believe that I had been a cat owner for so many years without ever hearing about ash in cat food before. My first reaction was that ash in cat food must be some kind of contamination issue.
Nope! After doing my research, I now understand what ash in cat food is really all about: beneficial minerals.
Why Is There Ash in Cat Food?
Why would cat food makers add ash to food that’s intended for cats?
The truth is that they don’t. Ash isn’t actually some kind of filler that brands add to cat food. Ash in cat food is the measure of all of the essential minerals in a cat food recipe. Yes, that means that the ash in cat food can actually be some of the good minerals that your cat needs to thrive. This includes:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Silicon
- Sulfur
- Other trace minerals
Food manufacturers measure mineral content by burning food to measure the inorganic materials left behind from the fat, protein, and carbs.
Most ash in cat food comes from bones, tendons, and cartilage. Generally, pure animal meat does not create ash. However, most meals used in cat food do create ash because they are often mixed with bone.
Ash can also be created if synthetic additives are added to food.
Cat guardians know that high-protein foods that use real meat as the first ingredient without much filler are the best choices for cat diets. When it comes to low ash content, this two aspects are even more important than ever.
What Does Low Ash in Cat Food Mean?
What does “low ash” cat food in look like in practice?
Low Magnesium
Low ash cat food is generally lower in magnesium.
You don’t want to cut magnesium from your cat’s diet because magnesium is actually an essential mineral. However, lowering it can help to potentially reduce bladder issues in your cat.
I’ll go into the connection between magnesium and the formation of struvite crystals in the next section. What you should know for right now is that I’ve seen most experts recommend crude magnesium levels around 0.12% for low magnesium cat food.
Wet or Dry Food
Dry food naturally has higher ash content than wet food. Generally, a dry food with less than 8% ash is considered a low ash food. Wet food with less than 2% is considered a low ash food.
Main Takeaway
Cat food manufacturers aren’t actually required to provide an ash percentage on labels. That means that it’s easy to stay in the dark.
Luckily, you can look at the percentages of some key minerals on cat food labels to get a feel for ash content even if it’s not posted.
Generally, low ash means that you’re getting a high-quality food simply because it will contain a higher ratio of protein to bone.
Many low-quality foods have ash percentages of 10% or more. You definitely want to keep it lower than that when sourcing low ash food for your cat.
So Does Ash in Cat Food Cause Crystals?
This is considered a myth by most pet experts. However, that doesn’t mean that low ash isn’t important.
Elevated pH levels caused by high-ash diets stemming from high plant and grain content can contribute to crystal formations. In addition, high magnesium levels can also be dangerous for cats.
What Kind of Cats Benefit From Low Ash Cat Food?
You might consider a low ash cat diet when your cats are suffering from:
- Urinary tract issues
- Renal problems
- Health issues tied to age
Additionally, male cats can benefit from low ash cat food specifically because they have narrower urethras that can make blockages caused by bladder crystals lethal.
It’s important to have a conversation with your vet about this one because a cat with a delicate health situation may not appreciate a sudden diet swap.
Remember that low ash food are a specialty diet, and not for other cats or pets. If a naughty housemate is getting to this food before Fluffy, consider a microchip cat feeder or dogproofing the food bowl.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease and Ash
Get ready for some controversy!
It was (and is) a commonly held belief that ash has negative affects on urinary tract health.
Scientists believed for decades that ash in cat food causes struvite crystals that block a cat’s urethra. These bladder stones can result in harmful bacterial infections.
But other researchers challenged the “bladder stone” theory.” They instead believe that the real cause of feline lower urinary tract disease is actually the use of grains and vegetable content in cat food.
These grains create more alkaline urine with a higher pH level. This higher pH level is what causes struvite crystals to form.
It’s also believed that magnesium plays a big role in contributing to feline lower urinary tract disease. However, magnesium only seems to be an issue when urine pH levels are already elevated.
It turns out that a pH of 7.5 can be enough for crystals to form regardless of magnesium intake.
What’s the Best Diet for a Cat With Urinary Problems?
My advice for the best diet for a cat with urinary problems is similar to my advice on the best diet for all cats. It’s all about quality protein that’s served up in a higher ratio compared to other ingredients. A diet focused on urinary tract health should include:
High protein from a natural, whole animal-based protein.
A focus on wet food over kibble because wet food offers better moisture content with fewer grain-based and bone-based fillers.
- Reduced grain content
- Reduced vegetable content
- High moisture
Any of the great options above will work if you’re seeking the best low ash cat food.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Low Ash Cat Food
What is an acceptable level of ash in cat food?
Keeping ash below 10% is recommended. Wet food should ideally be below 2% ash. The desired maximum jumps up to 8% for dry food.
However, cat food brands aren’t actually required to post their ash levels on labels. You might have to do the mineral math using crude content information in order to see if ash is a problem.
Luckily, many brands offer special formulas with low ash levels that are ideal when searching for the best urinary cat food.
Does wet cat food have ash?
Yes, wet cat food will contain at least trace amounts of ash. It’s essentially impossible to get rid of all ash in cat food because minerals leave behind ash content.
My review list above includes some options for the best cat food for urinary health that are wet foods containing just 1% ash.
What food causes crystals in cats?
Minerals, grains, and vegetables can all contribute to the formation of struvite crystals in cats. However, the crystals actually form as a result of high pH levels caused by these foods.
Urinary cat food with low ash, low magnesium, and low mineral content can help to keep pH levels balanced to help prevent bladder crystals in cats.
I’m Gary Hu, a proud cat dad to a 15 lb Maine Coon. Have taken care of outdoor and indoor cats for over 10 years, and learned tons on behavior, habits, health, and products. I help new Maine Coon (or any other cat) parents with common questions and issues based on real, practical experience.
