Last updated May 31, 2024
We’ve taken a close look at Royal Canin and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, product variety, price, ingredient quality, customer experience, and recall history.
Overall, we give Royal Canin a C grade.
It receives high marks for product variety, and some of its veterinary diets have a reputation for treating specific health conditions, but for regular feeding, you could find much more carnivore-appropriate foods at a lower price.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Royal Canin on What Matters
We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 6/10
- Ingredient Quality – 5/10
- Product Variety – 8/10
- Price – 6/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 5/10
Overall Score: 6.3/10
In total, we give Royal Canin cat food a 6.3/10 rating or a C grade.
Royal Canin Cat Food Explained
About Royal Canin
The story of Royal Canin starts all the way back in the 1960’s with a veterinary surgeon named Jean Cathary. At the time, Cathary was operating a veterinary practice in Aimargues, a village in the Gard region of southern France.
Troubled by the scourge of skin and coat conditions in local pets, Cathary started experimenting with homemade foods as a nutritional solution. After trying out several recipes and baking them in an oven in his garage, Cathary found that a cereal-based recipe consistently helped alleviate the skin and coat issues plaguing the village’s animals.
It was such a success that Cathary trademarked the food “Royal Canin” and shuttered his veterinary practice. It was time to go into the pet food business.
The newly branded Royal Canin imported an extruder from the United States and quickly became one of Europe’s pioneering pet food companies. They were the first manufacturer of dry pet food in France and the first European company to use an extruder.
In 1972, the brand was sold to the Guyomarc’h Group and immediately blasted through Europe, with subsidiaries popping up in Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Germany, and Denmark. After almost three decades of expansion, a bank buyout, and time on the Paris stock exchange, the company was sold to Mars, Incorporated in July of 2001.
Today, Royal Canin is a global company with distribution and production facilities all over the world, though its worldwide headquarters are still in Aimargues, France. This brand is easily one of the most commonly recommended brands by veterinarians for both general use and veterinary issues.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Royal Canin sources ingredients from around the world and doesn’t release information about countries of origin or specific suppliers. Their products are manufactured in company-owned manufacturing facilities dotting the globe. Royal Canin factory locations include the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Russia, China, South Africa, Argentina, Poland, and the UK.
All of these manufacturing facilities are owned by Mars, Incorporated. Royal Canin also owns several research facilities located around the world where they employ full-time veterinary nutritionists to assist in the formulation of their foods.
Recall History
Royal Canin has been recalled three times over the past 15 years or so.
The most recent recall took place in 2007 when the company announced a voluntary recall of eight Sensible Choice dry dog foods and seven Kasco dry dog and cat food products.
The recall was issued when Royal Canin learned that their foods contained trace amounts of a melamine derivative from tainted rice protein concentrate. Earlier that year, they recalled several other products due to melamine contamination, including Veterinary Diet feline hypoallergenic.
In 2006, the company issued a recall of several cat and dog food products due to excess levels of vitamin D3. This recall affected products that were sold exclusively by veterinary practices and resulted from reports of numerous dogs and cats becoming ill after consuming the product.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Royal Canin Offer?
Royal Canin currently sells over 100 different varieties of cat food. While they do offer traditional cat food recipes, many of their products are formulated for specific health issues like urinary tract health or digestive care. Royal Canin is also one of a few cat food brands that offers recipes marketed for specific cat breeds like Persians and Maine Coons.
Royal Canin offers a number of recipes that are formulated, or at least marketed, for specific life stages, body sizes, as well lifestyles as well. Their foods are available in both wet and dry types. In terms of their wet foods, there are a number of different textures and consistencies to choose from.
Across the Royal Canin lineup, there is a common theme: nutrients over ingredients. They don’t provide a lot of information about where their ingredients are sourced, but Royal Canin does formulate and manufacture all of their own products.
Royal Canin Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
All nutritional information in this table and hereafter is taken from the manufacturer’s guaranteed analysis. Exact nutritional percentages are not available.
All calculated values are determined using these minimum and maximum published values and may differ from actual values. Royal Canin is the ultimate authority on their products, so please contact the company for more nutritional information.
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Feline Urinary Care Adult Dry Cat Food | Dry | $6.44 per lb | B- |
| Digest Sensitive Chunks in Gravy | Wet | $0.58 per oz | B- |
| Feline Health Nutrition Adult Instinctive Thin Slices in Gravy | Wet | $0.60 per oz | B- |
#1 Feline Urinary Care Adult Dry Cat Food
This recipe belongs to Royal Canin’s Care line which sits somewhere between a prescription veterinary diet and a regular non-therapeutic diet. It is formulated to support urinary tract health by supporting healthy mineral balance in your cat’s urine and encouraging your cat to drink more water.
Ironically, it’s a dry food, so it doesn’t contribute the moisture your cat needs to maintain good urinary tract health.
Unlike some foods that contain acidifiers to prevent struvite crystals but fail to address calcium oxalate crystals, this food was developed to increase urine output and reduce both struvite and calcium oxalate crystals. Note that a high-moisture diet would also increase urine output without flooding your cat’s body with carbohydrates.
The food’s first ingredient is corn, followed by wheat gluten, chicken meal, and a mix of plant ingredients, including brewers rice, corn gluten, and wheat. A combination of chicken fat, vegetable oil, and fish oil serves as the food’s primary fat sources.
With the use of heavy doses of low-value plant ingredients, this isn’t the highest-value ingredient list nor the most species-appropriate for your carnivore.
While it doesn’t tick the boxes you’d usually look for in a cat food, this type of diet is sometimes the only solution for cats with recurrent urinary tract disease. The good news is this formula doesn’t require a prescription to purchase, but it is still similarly priced to a veterinary diet.
Ingredients
Corn, Wheat Gluten, Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Rice Hulls, Pea Fiber, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Calcium Sulfate, Grain Distillers Dried Yeast, Egg Product, Vegetable Oil, Fish Oil, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Sodium Pyrophosphate, Dl-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Vitamins [Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source Of Vitamin E), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin A Acetate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement], Trace Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite], Marigold Extract (Tagetes Erecta L.), Rosemary Extract, Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Egg Product, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Corn, Wheat Gluten, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Cats like the way the food tastes
- May be able to help some cats with urinary tract disease
- Doesn’t contain artificial colors or flavors
Cons
- Low moisture content
- Very high in carbohydrates
- Primarily made from plant ingredients
#2 Royal Canin Digest Sensitive Chunks in Gravy Canned Cat Food
This wet food recipe is formulated for cats with sensitive digestion and sold in 3-ounce pouches. This formula is primarily chicken- and pork-based, though several of the main ingredients are by-products rather than whole sources of either protein.
Royal Canin suggests this food helps support your cat’s digestive system function and reduce fecal odor through the use of highly digestible proteins. Though this recipe does include a significant number of animal proteins, there are still a few low-value plant-based ingredients like wheat flour, powdered cellulose, and wheat gluten.
Overall, this formula does appear to be primarily meat-based but it certainly isn’t the highest quality recipe of its kind on the market. Certain questionable ingredients detract from the recipe’s overall quality and, perhaps because it’s sold in pouches, it is fairly expensive.
Ingredients
Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken By-Products, Pork By-Products, Chicken, Pork Liver, Wheat Flour, Pork Digest, Pork Plasma, Powdered Cellulose, Wheat Gluten, Natural Flavors, Sodium Silico Aluminate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Taurine, Carob Bean Gum, Choline Chloride, Caramel, Vitamins [Cholecalciferol (Source Of Vitamin D3), DL-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source Of Vitamin E), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Niacin Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement], Sodium Carbonate, Trace Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate].
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Pork Liver, Pork Plasma
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Wheat Flour, Powdered Cellulose, Wheat Gluten
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from animal ingredients
- May help some cats with digestive health issues
- Most cats seem to like the food
- Free from artificial colors and flavors
Cons
- Relatively high in carbohydrates
- Contains animal by-products
#3 Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Adult Instinctive Thin Slices in Gravy
While it’s not universally one of the most popular Royal Canin foods, I’ve selected this wet cat food recipe as an example of one of the company’s non-prescription diets.
This canned recipe is made for generally healthy adult cats and, according to Royal Canin, was created with the “optimal balance between proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to support long-term palatability and work as the perfect nutritional complement to kibble”.
The formed meat slices are composed of a slurry of by-products and other cuts of meat, containing pork by-products, chicken by-products, chicken liver, pork liver, and salmon. These ingredients represent the food’s primary protein sources.
In addition to these meat ingredients, the food contains wheat flour, wheat gluten, gelatin, powdered cellulose, modified cornstarch, and carrageenan. While none of these ingredients are nutritionally essential, carrageenan stands out as particularly questionable. This seaweed-derived thickener may contribute to inflammation and is potentially carcinogenic, making it an ingredient worth avoiding.
On a dry matter basis, the food is approximately 61% protein, 11.9% fat, and 27.1% carbohydrate. It’s a high-protein, high-carbohydrate, and relatively low-fat product.
Ingredients
Water Sufficient For Processing, Pork By-Products, Chicken By-Products, Chicken Liver, Pork Liver, Salmon, Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Gelatin, Pork Plasma, Powdered Cellulose, Natural Flavors, Modified Corn Starch, Calcium Sulfate, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Carrageenan, Taurine, Vitamins [Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source Of Vitamin E), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Niacin Supplement, Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement], Trace Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Choline Chloride.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Liver, Pork Liver, Salmon, Pork Plasma
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Powdered Cellulose, Modified Corn Starch, Carageenan
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from animal ingredients
- Relatively low in carbohydrate content
- Doesn’t contain artificial colors or flavors
Cons
- Expensive compared to similar options
- Contains carrageenan as a thickener
- Contains wheat gluten as a high-protein plant additive
What Do Customers Think of Royal Canin Cat Food?
Royal Canin is one of the world’s most popular and most well-respected pet food brands. Along with Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Royal Canin is the food most often recommended by veterinarians. Some say that Royal Canin veterinary diets save lives.
Generally, customers like Royal Canin, and their cats like it, too. Royal Canin doesn’t get a lot of negative reviews.
That said, a number of customers have recently reported that their cats became sick after eating Royal Canin’s Urinary SO recipe.
With no formal investigation and Royal Canin remaining adamant that there’s nothing wrong with the food, it’s hard to gauge the legitimacy of these complaints. That said, we do feel a responsibility to cover the issue. These reports appear on Consumer Affairs and have reached the comment section of this article, making them particularly hard to ignore.
So, what do the reports say?
Most complaints involve cats experiencing digestive distress—vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes lethargy and other symptoms—after eating the Royal Canin formula.
For example, Lia of Lachine, Quebec wrote on Consumer Affairs that two of their cats became sick after eating Royal Canin’s Urinary SO formula. A week after their first cat fell ill, Lisa says that “our other cat begins to vomit and have diarrhea after eating his food. Both cats were lethargic, vomiting and overall, not doing very well. After spending over $4000 bringing our cats in to try and figure out what was going on, we realized it must be from their food.”
Lia’s conclusion wasn’t confirmed by a vet or laboratory—again, all of this remains purely speculative—but their experience seems to align with that of other reviewers on Consumer Affairs.
Kat of Cornwall, Ontario said that her cat “was vomiting the RC food every time I fed him after feeding him the food for about 2 months which worried me.”
While some reports come from new Royal Canin customers, others are long-time Royal Canin buyers who’ve noticed a change.
Lori of Leominster, Massachusetts wrote on January 27th, 2020 that “My 12 to (sic) cat has been on Royal Canin urinary SO since he was 4. The past year he has been sick after eating it and now he wont eat the wet food at all from most recent case purchased. I don’t know what to do.”
While some claim that these issues coincided with a formula change around January of 2020, similar complaints date back to early 2019. Although these reports are unsettling and worth paying attention to, we haven’t been able to find any confirmation that Royal Canin’s Urinary SO food is making cats sick. Again, thousands of people feed their cats Royal Canin without complaint and the majority of customer reviews are positive on Chewy and other retail sites.
Overall, these reports are inconclusive and don’t provide any compelling evidence against the safety of Royal Canin cat food.
Royal Canin performs routine testing of their products and has not identified any quality or safety issues. Given the company’s history of quality control, there’s no reason to believe that there’s any reason for concern.
While it doesn’t appear that there’s any significant health risk, we advise caution and will continue to monitor the situation.
To get an idea of what customers are saying about Royal Canin, here are a few reviews selected from several popular recipes listed on Amazon and Chewy.
Positive Reviews
“My vet prescribed this food for my Lucas after he was diagnosed with stones in his urinary track and was very sick. He has been eating this food since and has his issue has been under control. Food is expensive but worth it.” – Fmc008, reviewing Royal Canin Urinary SO Moderate Calorie
“…The switch to this food was nothing short of amazing. Sure, my geriatric cat did not suddenly turn into a kitten, but she’s no longer needing eye drops for the glaucoma, supplements for the arthritis, and her urine output is much reduced (better kidney function). We also have a 2 year old cat that also eats the same food. He LOVES it, too. A win all around.” – L.A.H, reviewing Royal Canin Feline Nutrition Indoor Cat Food
Negative Reviews
“I am absolutely shocked that this food is supposedly manufactured by a veterinarian. I would never take my cats to the person that designed this dry food. I bought the food since my cat is having urinary tract problems only to see that the food only has 6% crude protein and that the rest is pure filler and not even grain free filler but filled with Corn, Corn Meal and rice. So basically, this food will take the urinary crystals out of the cats pee but will provide the cat nutrition to the equivalent of a bag of Doritos. Cats CAN NOT DIGEST CORN; a cat eating corn is like a human being eating cardboard so why would a veterinary health formula be made of such garbage. Going to get my money back.” – Alexandra Lebron, reviewing Royal Canin Urinary SO Moderate Calorie
“Gave it two stars because my vet confirmed this was a great brand for cats and my guy loved it but it seemed to give him indigestion or gas. He threw up way more than I was comfortable with on this. I took him to the vet in a panic and had x-rays and bloodwork done only to find out he was perfectly healthy. As soon as I changed his food the problems went away.” – Amazon Customer, reviewing Royal Canin Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food
How Much Does Royal Canin Cat Food Cost?
Your expenses will vary depending which type of Royal Canin food you purchase. In general, however, Royal Canin foods are a bit pricier than others with similar ingredient lists.
For example, Royal Canin’s popular Urinary SO dry cat food costs about $0.70 per ounce, adding up to a daily feeding cost of around $0.90 per day for an average cat. That places it on the lower end of the premium price spectrum.
The wet version of the same recipe—Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Loaf in Sauce—costs $0.60 per ounce and would cost about $4.60 per day if feeding a 10-lb cat.
Moving away from prescription diets, Royal Canin’s Adult Instinctive Thin Slices in Gravy recipe is, oddly, more expensive than some of the recipes in the Veterinary Diet Line. At over $0.65 per ounce, this food would cost about $5.50 each day if feeding a typical cat.
Why Is Royal Canin Cat Food So Expensive?
Many Royal Canin foods are considerably higher-priced than other products with similar ingredient lists. After decades as one of the two brands that are recommended most often by veterinarians, Royal Canin has a reputation that justifies its price.
It’s one of the few brands that offer condition-specific products, which makes Royal Canin easy to recommend to frustrated patients and has earned it a place in veterinarian offices around the world. This lends the brand status and respect that goes beyond the veterinary line.
Overall, Is Royal Canin a Good Choice?
Some people think that humans don’t fully understand how whole foods nourish the body. It’s impossible to break down food into macronutrients and micronutrients and assume that a synthetic reproduction and reassembly of those components will have the same benefits as the natural composition of a freshly killed rabbit.
Another school of thought believes that foods are no more than the sum of the parts that humans understand. They are bundles of amino acids, fats, starches, minerals, trace metals. They can be broken down and recreated under controlled conditions. According to this thought system, an ingredient list isn’t where you get the important information about food. The nutrient analysis is what matters.
Royal Canin appeals to those in the second category, saying that “we need to focus on the nutrients our pets need for optimal health, not on the ingredients.”
So, let’s ignore the fact that Royal Canin foods contain bogeyman ingredients like corn gluten meal, wheat gluten, and cornmeal. Let’s focus on the nutrients instead. Royal Canin foods still aren’t ideal nutrition for most cats, who are metabolically adapted for higher metabolism of proteins and lower utilization of starches.
When other foods don’t provide the results you need, Royal Canin foods may be able to help your cat feel better. For general nutrition, however, Royal Canin cat food is overpriced and under-nourishing.
Royal Canin may be able to help sick cats, but it floods their bodies with carbohydrate-heavy plants, low-value proteins, and increases their chances of developing the chronic problems that necessitate Royal Canin’s big-ticket prescription diets. Too much plant protein may contribute to kidney disease. Dry diets may increase a cat’s chance of developing lower urinary tract disease.
In a Royal Canin world, developing these illnesses means that it’s time to switch to another specially formulated prescription diet. In reality, a simple meat-based, hydrating diet might have prevented the problems in the first place.
Where Is Royal Canin Cat Food Sold?
Royal Canin cat food is widely distributed in pet specialty retailers and veterinary hospitals around the world. Use Royal Canin’s store finder to find a retail location near you. You can also purchase it online through retailers like Chewy and Amazon.
Please notify your customer base that many cats and dogs are having issues on Royal Canin SO food. The pets become ill with vomiting and diarrhea and many have died. I am have finally got Royal canin to star an investigation but need pet owners having issues with Royal Canin food to call Royal Canin. Unfortunatley my cat passed away yesterday but we can stop others from having the same issue if we get the word out.
Thank you.
Hi Linda,
First off, I’m sorry to hear about your cat’s death. I imagine you must feel distraught and disgusted.
I’ll definitely be doing some more research and keeping up with the story as more information comes to light. For now, anyone reading this can learn more from the reports on Consumer Affairs:
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/royal_canin.html
Thanks for sharing this, Linda. It’s much appreciated.
Take care,
Mallory
Just wondering if this is since they changed the wet food packaging from the green label, as my cat has been fine for over a year (other than getting older – 14 nearly 15) and since they have changed to the gold label she has really struggled to eat any of it – managed to find some old stock green labels and she has gone back to eating that however I will have to change to another food {cant have her not eating)
The Urinary S/O biscuits have not been a problem with either of my two cats for the past 12 years. (Its just one cat we have had to put onto wet food pouches – green label urinary s/o)
Fact: Royal canin literally has only made changes to packaging, the formulas are still the same (3/2020)
If you read other posts here, you see that Royal Canin HAS admitted formulation changes. In Australian they even openly say reformulation is an ongoing process.
https://www.petcircle.com.au/discover/royal-canin-vet-changes
I am currently contacting them about recent changes because two of my indoor cats have developed diarrhea shortly after I bought a new packet of the same gastrointestinal formula they have been eating for years, and that’s been the ONLY change in their diet.
I have been feeding my 3 cats and now 2 of my cats are very Ill, and the 3rd is not himself. I was told and it’s on the bag that the food has S/O index I was using the gastro low calorie, the vet and the company saying the food was good for gastro and urinary.
But it’s lies!! I was told tonight that food a little amount of S/O
I am MAD! My cats may not pull though and have vets bills plus I have spent 333.00+ on the food.
I need to talk with someone!
Hello Tanya,
First off, I hope your cats are feeling better. In my opinion, prescription foods are rarely the best choice for cats with gastrointestinal issues. There’s no guarantee that a prescription diet will cure or treat GI problems or any health concern, regardless of what’s on the label.
Do you suspect that the food made your cats sick? In addition to telling other cat guardians, reporting the issue to both Royal Canin and the FDA is the best way to make sure that your complaint is heard and addressed.
The FDA explains how to report a pet food complaint: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/report-problem/how-report-pet-food-complaint
Wishing you all the best,
Mallory
Are you a vet? Or a pet nutritionist? I find this website to be biast and a load of crap. You probably recommend blue Buffalo which kills animals.
No, I’m not. I attempted to provide a clear, unbiased review of Royal Canin, and we reviewed Blue Buffalo according to the same standards.
We don’t need to be vets or nutritionists to see that RC is extremely overrated and overpriced. The carb quantity and quality in their food is just criminal. All you have to do is read the ingredients on the back of the packages.
Also, hope you read the Blue Buffalo review. That will teach you to not say that this site or any other is full of “bias and a load of crap” without any evidence to back up your opinion.
If you can’t spell, I can’t take you seriously.
Yes I agree and Royal Canin SO recently changed their formula and many cats are getting sick from this food! Many are dieing and my 12 year old cat is one of them!! He has been on Urinary SO dry for 9 years and never a problem till Jan. 2020!!! Many are commenting with a batch number and warning not to feed to your cat! Well that is the batch number on our bag!! This has to be looked into before a whole lot more cats die!!! This is unbelievable especially the price for this food and that we TRUST these Companies to provide safe foods for our pets who are our precious family members! We are their VOICE!
OMG My cat is losing weight !!!! been on this food for a years now. I just spent $1600.00 trying to find out what’s wrong with him !!!! Cant get a answer on what’s going with him !!!! What is the batch on the food????? My cat is 14 He’s lost 3 pounds in 3 months !!!
Hi Stephanie,
We recommend that you contact Royal Canin to let them know about your experience. If possible, be sure to mention the expiration date of the last food your cat ate. If possible, it’s also a good idea to save a sample of your cat’s food along with its packaging. If you decide to investigate further, you may submit that sample to a lab for testing. Information from the package will also help you and others to understand what’s happening.
Contact Royal Canin here:
https://www.royalcanin.com/us/contact-us
Best,
Mallory
I contacted Royal Canin and left a formal complaint, Gave them all the information on the bag including the expiration date. I have saved a sample of the food. I have also left a review on the consumer affairs website about Royal Canin. Ever since they changed to the gold bag, nothing but problems. I took away the Urinary SO food immediately and changed to another brand ! I have 4 cats. Since I changed the food, the vomiting has stopped completely and so has the diarrhea !! I also told my Vet about what I found online.
My cat had tape worms when she was losing weight
Hi Stephenie, could you tell me the food you switched to? I’ve been feeding royal canin for many years but with thy the recent huge increase in prices I know I can find better for less. I breed sphynx and royal canin has always offered breeders to buy large bags and pay less then retail however not the case anymore and I have also has issues with 25 percent of my cats puking and soft stool every since they changes the packaging and the formula. Since using royal canin I’ve been through two formula changes but with this last change they never fully got over it. If you could let me know what you changes to it would be appritiated.
Hi I now use Simply Nourish from Pet Smart. I have 4 cats. They all like it. I tried a few different foods with high protein and grain free, this is the one they liked. The puking has stopped, with the exception of hairballs.
Could you ease help me? My cat is 16 years old and has been diagnosed with kidney disease. The vet has recommended Royal Caninr renal food. I’ve tried this with my cat and since starting this food has had co start diarrhea. Do you happen to know if this is a known side effect of this cat food?
Any change in diet can cause diarrhea, and if it continues, I’d recommend looking into which ingredients are different between the RC and your cat’s previous diet. Wishing you all the best!
Hi Kristen,
I have a sphynx and have been feeding Nulo but my cat developped trouble with some proteins so now I’m on Go! Duck limited diet.
Acana, Froom are what most sphynx ownets feed their cat here.0
Royal canin has not changed the formulas at all, only the packaging. If you cat is getting sick it is due to other reasons.
Yes They Have !!!!!! Compare the Green bag with the gold bag……I called Royal Canin and they said on the phone that they have changed the Ingredients !!!!!!!
So My cat of 14 years passed away august 24/2020….He had kidney failure. I am heart broken. I believe it was this damn food !!!! This food is poison !!!! How many animals have to die before they do something !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stephanie, I’m sorry to hear about your loss. It’s impossible to say at this point whether or not the Royal Canin food played a role in your cat’s kidney failure, but if you see evidence that the two were connected, I would recommend talking to your veterinarian for more insights. Wishing you all the best.
This is nonsense. Royal Canin has admitted, more openly in some countries than others, that many of their products are undergoing frequent reformulation. They even tell you to introduce the new packet of the same food to your cat GRADUALLY.
Actually THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR FORMULA WITH A FEW OF THEIR PRODUCTs .
They have said so themselves on their website.
Hi I am going through the same thing with my big boy ,he’s now in the hospital with bladder issues,blockages and ECT…. What have royal canin done with their urniary so food ,it smells and looks spoiled. I have 3 cats and none of them would eat it and if they did someone was vomiting,they have been on this food for a long time with no previous issues til the past year or two. My big boy was also hospitalized last March 2020 with bladder issues and vomiting ecttt. Also during the summer he had bladder /blockages issues again if you go on chewey website any royal canin food that’s for urinary,renal, gastorial is temporary unavailable, That’s all forms of. These types of food even. treats. I find that very suspicious !!!! There is definitely something going on with the food. Every review is the same.health problems something needs to be done! my other two are going to be checked next week. What do we need to do this food is tainted
Hi Linda my cat has also been very poorly after being told by the vet to change her food to royal cabin URINARY. It has cost a fortune in vets bills since my cat has developed diarrhoea and vomiting for the last 6months.
Lots of tests done. Only to be told that it may be worth changing her food again as it may be an food allergy. I tried lots of other wet food but kept her on URINARY dry. Then I stopped that too. Diarrhoea has stopped within 2 days. Finally my cat can enjoy life again. I’m so glad I found your post. This confirms what I knew has made her so ill for so long.
I hope others will read this and think twice before using this food on advice from the professionals that we put our trust in.
Regards
Janice
I have the same problem. I just reported it to FDA and BBB. My cat has been on Royal Canin Urinary SO. Quality is inconsistent and sometimes he hesitates to eat it. But this time is a tainted batch. 2 x after ingesting the food, the cat completely changed behaviors, retreats into corners, and refuses to feed, interact, or purr. Acting very sick, lethargic, inactive, isolated when literally right before eating it he was fine, active, playful, and purring. He
was hesitant to eat the food this morning despite being very hungry–as if he could detect that something was “off”. I warmed his food a little to make it more enticing anso he ate most of it after that. Then immediately the behaviors started. He is sick.
Have you noticed anything else since posting this?
I’ve been giving my cat Royal Canin, but I don’t believe his stomach agrees with it at all. He’s been having diarrhea and bad gas. Gonna stop this brand. Thank you for the warning!
New message: I found out This pet food is manufactured in China they own Royal Canine! That explains everything!
Hi, my 14 year old cat has enjoyed the Urinary S/O (Green label) soft food, for over a year now and enjoyed it. It has recently changed its packaging (gold label)and was not meant to have changed the ingredients HOWEVER she refuses to eat the new packaged (yet the same stuff inside the package) food. Either I have an ultra intelligent cat – that knows her colours and doesnt like gold – or there is some ingredient that has actually changed. {I managed to get some remaining green label packages and she has gone back to eating it and I would like to know WHAT CHANGED} Would like some feedback as I will have to move her over to some other food when the final packets run out – thanks
Hi Catherine,
That’s puzzling!
I contacted Royal Canin and asked about your experience. The person on the phone confirmed that the S/O packaging change did coincide with formulation changes, but without knowing which recipe you’re feeding, she wasn’t able to give any definitive answers. She did mention that they’ve changed their sodium source and mentioned that the morsels in gravy recipes have a new consistency.
So…something has definitely changed, but we still don’t know exactly what or why your cat’s rejecting it. You may be able to get more information by contacting Royal Canin and providing specific details about your experience.
If you don’t find solutions there, you may need to switch to a new food. This article on the best cat food for urinary tract health might be able to help you make a decision:
https://cats.com/best-cat-food-urinary-tract-health
Thanks for sharing your experience and hope you find more answers soon!
Best,
Mallory
Stressing my boy is on Urinary so anxiety both wet and dry, he was having issues, now he is good eating this for approximately 7 months, now all this. Paying premium prices for what exactly?
Glad to hear you’ve found a product that works well for your cat, Catherine!
My female Maine Coon, adopted as a kitten in 2005, has never been a pukey kitty. She never ate royal canin food before. Since my vet recommended a switch from grain free diets, she has been put on 100% royal canin food. And she is throwing up.
So can you please enlighten me, at the expense level of her royal canin diet, why I am now cleaning up puke? Could it be connected, by any chance , to the wheat gluten content of this diet that may well be more expensive than what I eat myself?
How divorced from the welfare of the cats you feed are you, royal canin? How much profit is enough for you to remove an unhealthy ingredient from the top three on the list?
I had my cat on Oral Care dry food, along with various wet Royal Canin foods. He much liked the Instinctive formula. However, he too threw up a lot. I was worried and he was on the thin side of normal too. The vet said to monitor it and suggested if it persists to perform tests. Well, I did some research, noting the consistency and colour of the vomit to be consistent with the dry. In my reading I found most cats do not chew dry food, so the large kibble of Oral Care wasn’t good for him. I’ve changed his food and the vomiting stopped. However, I now have been told he’s on the bigger side of normal as he’s eating and keeping it down. I can’t win! I now have to use a low calorie food and be even more diligent with portion control!
When I left a message for my vet asking which royal canin food I should feed Niki, she said one without wheat gluten. The ONLY foods royal canin currently sells without wheat gluten are the foods to determine food allergies.
Thanks, royal canin, for picking my pocket while giving my cat indigestible food.
Looking at the comments that preceded mine, I am seeing a pattern, one that my vet described when I discussed wheat gluten with her. She said cats seem to do well with corn gluten but wheat gluten makes them throw up. Why are you doing this to cats? Is wheat gluten that much cheaper and your profit margin so much better that you at royal canin think it’s a decent trade for the lives of the animals we have entrusted you with?
I’m disgusted.
I tried Royal Canin Neutered Satuety Balancefor my cat as vet suggested some kind of food that helps not to be overweight. I fed it only sometimes and sometimes mixed with purine kibble. The 1.5 kg packet has nearly gone. Today though I’ve fed him only the Royal Canin and this evening he seemed not to want it. Finally he ate some and vomited it up after a yowl of distress.
We had 4 cats eating Royal Canin Urinary SO for most of their lives since 2 of them, siblings had UTI problems that were chronic and the food seemed to help. ( something called Tinkle Tonic- really helped) as the cats reached the age of 14 years one by one they all got sick and died. 2 of cancer, 1 of a stroke and the last of upper respiratory treated with a strong antibiotic cipro related that made her deathly ill. None of these dear cats got to get old looking or acting- just sick and then gone. I have seen cats live longer on Cheap cat food. But our foods are all poisoned with Monsanto’s Round up especially the grains so that is what many of us are facing. Illnesses in our 50-60s…. beware of this food!
You absolutely right 100%
Thank you for sharing but what is a good alternative to Royal Canin Urinary SO?
Hey Martha, you might appreciate our article on the best cat food for urinary tract disease. https://cats.com/best-cat-food-urinary-tract-health
I have two cats who have been on Royal Canin Urinary SO and have loved it and been fine for years. Recently opened a new bag (the gold packaging…used to be green) and my two cats over the course of 2 weeks have stopped eating it, have diarrhea and were throwing up…they are lethargic and not themselves. Called RC and gave them the batch number and they said they would test it and reply back. That was two days ago (January 3, 2020). Not sure how long that will take but I am not confident they will return my call with any info or responsibility. The lady on the phone was nice, but said there was nothing wrong with the food. I told her I was seeing lots of complaints about it online and she said, “Well, sir, you know with social media lots of people say a lot of things…” I honestly do get that, a lot of people get very brave behind a keyboard, but there is a pattern and a LOT of people are having issues…and that’s just those of us who take the time to write/post. I asked her if I truly was the FIRST person to call with a complaint and she said YES. I can’t believe that. Everyone having issues needs to post reviews but ALSO CALL RC and complain. I’m very worried about my cats. And I don’t think RC will own up to anything. Meanwhile, I’m about to be neck deep in vet bills. My cats are indoor cats only. We don’t feed them table food or anything else but this expensive prescription food. We have switched prescriptions to HIlls Science Diet’s version of the same thing and they are barely eating that. It’s like they are scared to eat because that causes pain. The pet food industry is a scam…they know we love our pets and will do almost anything for them ($$) and they exploit that. It’s big business and they have too much at stake to admit anything unless forced to do so. My vet said that they have to have “a certain number of complaints” before they are required by law to report it. Please write your reviews and call RC. The batch number on my bag in question – 07MAR2021 19250001 RFT F1 07:12. I returned the bag to PetSmart and they gave me a full refund…but I saved some of it in the event this needs to be tested by an independent source. If enough of us have problems perhaps a class action lawsuit is in order? Please help to put RC (and the pet food industry) on notice. This is unacceptable and inhumane and very irresponsible. To say I’m mad is a gross understatement.
Hi Ben,
Thanks for commenting.
In addition to sharing your experience with Royal Canin and other pet guardians, you may wish to report a complaint to the FDA. Here’s the FDA’s guide to making a pet food complaint: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/report-problem/how-report-pet-food-complaint
I hope your cats are feeling better.
Best,
Mallory
Yes this has happened to my cat as well but he died on Feb. 13th. We purchased anew bag on Jan.1st. and he starting throwing up. Lots of vet visits and tests and meds. And sleepness nights and even paid to give subq fluids at home! Cat was very healthy and NEVER SICK till eating this new firmula of Urinary SO! Many are posting the batch number and saying do not feed this to your cat!! Ifound this out after my cat died!!! Royal Canin needs to test this food immediately!!! There is somethi g toxic in their new formula!!!!
Hello Debra,
I’m sorry to hear about your cat’s death. In addition to sharing your experience with other cat guardians here, you may want to submit a complaint to both Royal Canin and the FDA.
Royal Canin contact: https://www.royalcanin.com/us/contact-us
Report a pet food complaint to the FDA: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/report-problem/how-report-pet-food-complaint
Best,
Mallory
I can’t believe all the complaints regarding RC Urinary SO wet cat AND dog food. Sometime in July or August of 2020, my cat started to vomit and it increased from once every 2 weeks to several times a week. He never vomits. He eats anything but at times would smell it, cover it walk away but would eventually eat it. 1000’s in vet bill’s. His tests showed possible pancreatitis. He’s still eating this food but has so many problems now. He’s losing the hair on his ears and is constantly biting his belly, legs and paws, so more bald spots. The vet is stumped and now thinks he may be allergic to the food, he was fine before July 2020. Now he’s having leaking from his eyes and still vomits but not as often. I better see the vet immediately to discuss this. This many complaints, something is seriously wrong. How many people have sick cats not linking the issues to the food? My poor cat. Vet can’t find anything wrong with him!!!
TAKE HIM OFF THIS FOOD!
PLEASE!!!
Do you have any updates on this? I wish I had seen this sooner. My cat experienced the same exact thing around the same exact time after being put on this food, though it was the dry formula. He used to be overweight and lost almost 8 pounds in 2 years. His weight loss started from the time he was prescribed this food. I eventually took him off, despite the vet’s recommendation to keep him on it. He was also diagnosed with possible pancreatitis after he was on this food. He also started pulling out his hair in clumps, stopped grooming, his coat looks terrible, has eye discharge… He is now on a different food, and has not lost anymore weight, but the other symptoms persist.
Thanks for sharing. I want to immediately discontinue Royal Canin Urinary SO but sounds like the alternative Hill’s is no better. What would be good to feed cats prone to urinary crystals?
I had two cats, eight years of age. Last year one cat had tartar build up on her teeth, so the vet professionally cleaned them. After the cleaning the vet suggested that I switch their food to Hill’s Prescription Diet ORAL Care dry kibble. One cat became lethargic in December after eating this food for two months, then in January she became very ill. Vet said she had a fever, and antibodies were very low. She vomited several times a day, then refused to eat the Hill’s Oral Care kibble. It smelled sour! The freshness date said good until Feb. 2021. I switched them to the Royal Canin i/d digestive dry cat food, but sadly she died after two weeks of treatment with antibiotics and Zantac and an appetite stimulant meds. My other cat has been sick for two weeks now – lethargic, vomiting. I exchanged bags (different batch lot number) of the Royal Canin i/d digestive dry cat food but this new bag also smells sour! I think Royal Canin and Hill’s Prescription Diet cat foods are toxic. Cats should not vomit daily! I’ve spent $3,000 in vet bills!
My Bengal ( he had a blockage surgery and has to be on urinary diet food now ) and muted gray calico has stopped eating prescription Royal Canin S/O wet ( loaf ) entirely. I thought I was insane to think I was the only one out there thinking my cats were the only two rejecting their food since they went from the green label to the gold label. The formula has changed! The texture has changed, there’s displeasing odor about the food ( no, it’s not spoiled ), the gravy used to look like gravy and now it looks like some gray glob “stuff” from a kid’s science project. I buy six cases of this food a month at $60.00 a case only to have my cats now not touch it!?! They both get sick off Purina urinary and Hills. I’m ticked off at Royal Canin because I have cats that aren’t receiving healthy nutrition anymore, and cans upon cans of nasty food that I spent hundreds of dollars on laying around my home. I don’t know what to feed my kitties. I tried Core Wellness they seemed to like it, but I’m worried the Bengal will have issues with crystals again. 🙁
The new formula killed one of my cats, and the other is vomiting almost daily. All that started after the first of the year.
My Cat also got sick from the new formula! He was on the Weight care food for years and when I purchased his last bag I noticed the shape of the kibble was different. I assumed it was a cosmetic change as nowhere in the bag did it say it was a new formula but that same day I noticed my cat throwing up. He’s sensitive to food changes like many cats, and now I don’t know what to do since I can’t properly transition him to a different brand. I purchased a different Brand of high quality wet food and am hoping it being lighter in his stomach will be enough for him to handle the transition. He’s doing better now but I’m still keeping an eye on him. When I went to the Petco reviews there were comments from Royal Canin employees insisting it was just a cosmetic change below every review warning customers of the formula change. This is NOT a coincidence. I contacted them on their website with my story, but I highly doubt they’ll own up to is unless regular media picks it up.
Hi I live in Australia and I have read these reviews and I feel for you. I have been having problems too. My cats were all healthy in August 2020 and they do not have a medical history of either chronic vomiting or diarrhoea. They are also of different ages both males and a female and come from different breeders around Australia. They were on RC light weight care biscuit and satchets without any issues for over 4 years. In August the biscuit changed. I queried the change on FB and was assured by RC that the new biscuit should not cause digestive issues. Well one month later I was at the vet with my first cat with terrible diarrhoea I did not suspect the food at the time. However within weeks all 7 of my cats became ill. Blood urine and facael tests came back negative. Then at the end of the year I had not one but 5 of my cats diagnosed with IBD via ultra sound. I contacted RC who did an internal investigation and said it was not the food as it did not fit my timeline with the change to the food coming from South Korea. They also stated that the nutritional composition had not changed but it has. I have screen shots of both the old and new biscuit and the nutritional composition has clearly changed. In addition they have also included wheat gluten. I sent a 17 page document in response. They are getting an independent vet to look at my case. well he is not independent. He appears as an author on RC website. I also found a news article about RC going into partnership with a New Zealand university where this vet is based and he was quoted in the article thanking RC for their support. I thought the word independent meant having no direct links with a situation.I am also not allowed to correspond with him and I will only get the report once RC have seen it first. Shame on you RC when you say that you are here for the health of our pets. Your support was to offer me more RC food. My complaint then went to their leadership team who ultimately said the food was not to blame. So far I have spent over $10,000 at the vets. I have taken them all off Royal Canin and they are now on Ziwi Peak Venison. 4 cats have recovered with 3 on medication that we are slowly weaning off. The only thing that changed in our house has been the food.
Hi Lynne,
I firstly want to say that I hope your kitties are getting better and recovering well.
Secondly…I’m absolutely bloody terrified! I came across this ‘product review’ while searching for the most appropriate product for my cat. She’s almost one and it’s time for her to transition from the RC kitten formula to something more suitable. As you can imagine I’m HORRIFIED and disgusted after reading that so many loving pet owners have experienced such truly heartbreaking situations! My jaw was on the floor that so many people have seen the exact same symptoms in their cats yet RC are ignorant to their pleas.
I too am in Australia and I was hoping that you would be so kind as to give me some advice or point me in the right direction for getting some quality food.
I am unfortunately unemployed and even though I have comprehensive pet insurance, it would absolutely, totally DESTROY ME if my Mip got ill and I couldn’t afford to pay for treatment!!
I feel blessed that I even came across this article.
I lost my Maine Coon cat a year ago due to RC SO. I contacted RC and they denied it was caused by the food. They were rude and insensitive. Blamed the death on me accusing me of not taking care of my cat. This is a money hungry company. They should be held accountable for their low-grade food they pass as high quality. I switched my other Maine Coon to Fussie Cat and it changed her life. (She did not eat the RC). RC truly does not care about animals, at all!
This is scaring me now. How long was your cat on Royal Canin Urinary SO? Mine has been on it since September…about 6 months
This is not about a cat but about my dog. She did great on royal canin hypoallergenic for three years. Last year I bought a new bag (new formula) and she became ill . I noted the difference in the bag and contact Royal Canin right away. They assured me no changes had been made and something else had to be causing my dog to be so ill. The vet and even an internal vet checked her out, they say she is the most healthy dog in the world! Over $ 2.500 in vet bills but worse my baby having to go through all the tests 🙁 a few months later I noticed other reviews people saying the formula in fact had changed. Called RC again and the admitted some small changes in nutrionals. And this is where it gets interesting, after many phonecalls I managed to get my hands on a bag of food with the old formala and my dog is back to her old self! Done a lot of research but still no answers. The only thing I can think of is that the fact that they added potassium chloride to the food causes the symptoms. Type on google potassium chloride bad for dogs. Im at my wits end. As long as I dont know which ingredient is causing the symptoms I cant help my baby girl. By now RC told me they will no longer answer my questions. They also said I was the only one with a complaint while I found thousands of bad reviews!
Our cat Tabby had crystals and bloody urine about 3 years ago. The vet put her on SO Royal canin soft food. She did better for those years. But this year since after the switch to the gold can label, she has lost 3 lbs and is throwing up and has diarrhea. We took her to the vet last week and he checked her blood work and it was fine. She continues to throw up and have diarrhea and has refused to eat the new cat food. We can’t figure out what is wrong with her after spending $350 for her vet bill last week.
Royal Canin Gastrointestinal resolved my cat’s constipation; I was able to stop her meds for this and she’s been doing fine for a year. She’s a little tired of the flavor, so I alternate now or mix it with something she likes currently. Still doing fine, litter-box wise.
Royal Canin Fiber Response has been a life-saver (literally) for my cat for several years…until they changed the formula a couple months ago . Since then, he has been hospitalized twice. This new formula is terrible and refuses to eat it. I understand from my vet that I I am one just example of her patients for which she is now frantically looking for an alternative because Royal Canin destroyed a good thing. I can only guess this was a way for them to save a dollar because they certainly didn’t improve the formula. Not to mention they can’t get their story straight… each of us have gotten responses from, “yes, we changed the formula in all our veterinary cat brands and we have no plans of changing it back” to we only changed the bag” with a mix of responses claiming minimal ingredient changes in between. So sad because I would have recommended Royal Canin to anyone…. before now.
I have a cat who is almost 21 years old. She has been on royal canin rabbit since she was 14 due to food allergies. She loves it and I’m convinced is part of the reasons why she has lived as long as she has. She still LOVES to eat and gobbles up nearly two cans a day in her old age. Not sure why all the negative reviews and accusations. I’m in the healthcare field and able to perform research myself. With the exception of a few shortages in recent years and some have smelled spoiled (and thrown out), overall no complaints.
my kitten’s breeder used Royal Canin kitten so I bought a bag. I also have three other cats on a grain free premium cat food. We never had any issues, my cats are not picky, healthy and had several other brands in the past – they will eat about anything! The kittens started to throw up a few days after bringing them home so they went to the ER – received fluids and meds but tested negative for parasites and Parvo and the vet couldn’t;t find anything wrong… after another week they started really smelly diarrhea … again … trip to vet who recommended that we’ll only feed the kitten food ( the reasoning was that the kittens might be sick from eating our other cats food and the food transitioning??) … 24 hours later and ALL 5 cats had the most stinky diarrhea- yuck! Our adults have never been sick and never had a food reaction … just strange! We gave it a few days but the kittens kept loosing weight and the adults refused to eat so we simply switched them all to the grain free adult food and … with a day or two everyone had normal poop and . … The kittens are gaining weight on the adult food and seem 100% healthy now … If a food makes 5 cats sick ( with no known food allergies ) – I can reasonably assume that this food is no good !… It is no wonder … the kitten food consists of by- product meal, rice and grain products and fillers! . Royal Canin should be ashamed of selling such low quality ingredient at premium prices!
Hi Flybear,
I live in Australia, so I’m thinking that potentially the product that I purchased was from a different part of the world, maybe?
I brought RC kitten formula (April 2021) after reading an article about how many cat foods are full of junk like by-products and ‘fillers’ which I don’t even truly understand what that is! So obviously it’s not something that I want my beloved pet eating. After getting some veterinary advice I brought a 4kg bag of the RC kitten and I (extremely thankfully!) haven’t had any issues regarding the food. But after reading the published article and the comments, I’m horrified! I asked for advice from a professional to get away from these nasties, not to just change brand’s and give her the same nasties only at three times the price!
Now I’m genuinely scared. I don’t know what to do. Make my own food? One person even mentioned that ‘Hills’ food had continued to make their cat ill, in very much the same way that RC had.
These are supposedly the two top pet food’s recommended by veterinarians.
What is a responsible pet owner to do?
It’s very disconcerting.
Its a great food because its the most vet recommended and highly regarded, Trolls target it online keep using it
I was thinking the same thing. I’m thinking all these responses are from the author herself to try to stray ppl away from this particular cat food.
I realize it would be difficult to convince you of this, but I can assure you that this did not happen—we have no reason to distort perceptions of any brand by posting “fake” comments. We post honest and impartial reviews of brands to the best of our ability, and the intention of the comment section is to provide a platform for people to share their experiences.
My cats have been on the fiber response diet for years now and it absolutely changed the life of the cat who was chronically constipated. Fur is thicker than its ever been, no more miliary dermatitis, energy like a cat ten years younger. But in the past month or so, they’ve both had issues with gas. No parasites, no infections, just stinky LOUD gas when in the litter box. I really don’t want to stress them out changing their food, or risk a recurrence of constipation, but their gas issues are really upsetting.
I’m pretty certain that Royal Canin Urinary S/O was was the cause of my cats having stinky diarrhea, constipation, URI and lethargy. Not sure if it’s because of the recent formula change I’ve heard about from other people complaining online or if it has to do with supply chain disruption from the pandemic, but since they changed to the golden packaging my cats went from eating regularly to poorly, to dull rough coats and then these various maladies. Soon as I switched to a different brand of food most of these issues noticeably stopped, and when I let one of them try eating some again she had diarrhea the next day. Seeing others online experiencing similar problems encourage me to write down my experience, Royal Canin seriously needs to investigate to see if something’s up with their ingredients before more cats get sick.
My cat has been on Royal Canin (Digest Sensitive, and over the past 2 years switched to Adult Instinctive as she is getting older) cat food for the past 6 years, both dry and wet food. She always has a non-empty bowl of dry food, and gets fed morning and night wet food. No other reason than the vet recommended Royal Canin, and it was about the time that Blue Buffalo got bough out which I had been feeding her the previous 5 years. Over the past year, she has been throwing up more and more often. It started on a monthly basis and I thought she was just getting into things. It started to occur more frequently, weekly, daily, and then she stopped eating the food I bought. I buy them in 24 packs, so I thought it may have been a bad batch, so I bought some more. She wouldn’t eat it any more, and she was being aggressive about trying to get table food like I have never seen before, and like she was starving. During the past year she has dropped about 5lbs, and was so skinny you could feel her bones, she had diarrhea all the time and was pooping up a storm. On a whim I switch to a non-Royal Canin brand(, and its been two weeks, she has not thrown up once, and she has gained some weight. She also eats all her food, and has seemed to return back to her normal self. Im 100% convinced there has been a change in the ingredients of Royal Canin over the past 1-2yrs which was negatively affecting my cat.
Thanks Chris for sharing this. My 13 year cat has been on the digestive dry and hairball wet for a few years. He started to refuse to eat the hairball wet even when i warmed it up. So I switched to the hairball dry and digestive wet a month ago. He was fine for about 2 weeks and is now vomitting at least once if not three times a day. the pet store that i get the food from says there is just manufacturing problems, changing the can sizes. I had suspicions, but after yesterday and last night with the vomitting, I too believe now that something isn’t right with the formula. what pet food did you switch to?
Can someone please tell me what new foods exactly you switched your cat on, I have a 9 month old kitten that recently been having diarrhea on and off and puked a bit today, he’s not very fond of eating the royal canin development kitten wet food or purina kitten wet food at all… but the royal canin dry gastrointestinal one he seems to like…. but I’m still not sure if I’m doing anything right. And I’m also not sure if he even has any allergies because he’s new to the family and a stray.
I want him to at least like some wet food and dry altogether and not having these stool changes … the puking is very rare tho as he tends to eat really fast at times ….
I guess I’ve been a fortunate one. I’ve been feeding my cat(s) both Royal Canin dry and wet foods and haven’t had a single issue with them since I started in 2014. I lost one to cancer in 2018–but he’d been on the prescription urinary diet which
I’m sure lengthened his life since he’d been diagnosed with failing kidneys.
My current chocolate calico has been eating the adult instinctive dry and wet since I rescued him in 2016 and even though she’s at least 7 years old, she acts like a kitten and scarfs up her meals. The only time she vomits is when she
gets a hair ball, which isn’t diet related.
I’m sorry to see so many people who’s cats have suffered with this diet.
Thanks for sharing your experience with Royal Canin, Steven.
Hi Steven,
May I ask what region of the world your in?
I only ask because, in-between doing thing’s with my own pet and household duties I’ve been reading this thread for two or so hours. Not kidding. And I feel like I may have possibly found a pattern of some sort.
I apologise if I’ve made you feel any sort of discomfort by asking this, but this many people, experiencing the same problem with the same product? They’re not being overprotective pet owners, there’s something not right.
This lady posting this crap is not a vet and is trying to stray ppl away from good cat food. The other comments are just trolls….my cats live mars products and are super healthy. Go by what your vet tells you do not endanger your animals due to some random on line giving you information that’s unfounded.
While I agree that a handful of worrying comments online are not enough to justify discontinuing the use of a given food or brand, I would not describe the people sharing their experiences as “trolls”. Most people who feed Royal Canin and other Mars products have positive experiences, just like you have, but these negative experiences are a valid part of the conversation. There’s no concerted effort at All About Cats to push people to feed one type of food. We always recommend that you continue independent research and discussion with your vet rather than relying exclusively on our reviews or the comments on them.
Hello, I Just read these reviews on Royal Cannin, Ive been giving my cat this since she was 2 months old, she hasnt had any issues. But I would like to know what would be the best cat food for my adult persian cat? Shes Going to turn 5 soon.
Hi Anam, thank you for commenting. Some will disagree, but I don’t generally see much value in a breed-specific diet or even modifying your cat’s diet based on their breed in any way. A great diet will have everything that a cat, Persian or Sphynx, needs to be at their best. You might appreciate the recommendations here: https://cats.com/best-cat-food
We have an approximately 7 yr. old rescue cat who appeared healthy other than occasional vomiting. His vomiting began increasing late last year to the point where it was 2 or 3 times a day so I took him to the vet in March. He received some weekly B12 shots which helped some but then didn’t. His urine sample showed he had crystals and he was put on the Royal Canin SO diet. He liked the dry food. The wet food labelled “loaf” he refused but does eat the chicken morsels in gravy. In the past 2 weeks his urine output has doubled and we noticed he is drinking more water. I am calling the vet today as I don’t know if it’s a result of the crystals dissolving or him becoming diabetic. He has only vomited twice since starting on the SO diet – once a miniscule amount of liquid and once shortly after eating dry food. I have concerns with some of the ingredients in the SO dry food; are there any alternatives?
Hi Barbara, I would recommend continuing to consult with your vet for more information on this issue and to find out whether or not the increased drinking and urination is linked to the new food. Other than that, you might appreciate some of the recommendations on our list of the best cat food for urinary health.
Thank you. I will check these out. I also found a new line of Purina wet food lower in magnesium for urinary problems too. I mixed some in with the RC SO wet food and he ate it but the vet tech I spoke with said I should not use it. Well….he went in to have his urine re-checked. I asked them to check his weight and he has lost 2 lbs. Vet tech told me could be due to the food since it’s probably lower in carbs. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. That food is high in carbs! They called and said no crystals but he now has sugar in his urine and they need to draw his blood to check for diabetes but guess they aren’t TOO concerned since I couldn’t get him in for a week for the blood draw. I stopped giving him the dry food. Also recently he is having difficulty jumping up on things, especially our bed. It seems something is off with his back legs although he walks ok. Now the last 2 days his urine output is markedly decreased although he still drinks water. I have found others on line whose cats developed diabetes after being on Royal Canin SO diets and am no searching for alternatives.
Hi, Barbara. I just discovered this forum and commented above on Lisa Wilson’s post. In addition to the hair pulling, eye discharge, vomiting, possible pancreatitis, etc. reported by Lisa that my cat has also experienced, and the severe weight loss and poor stool and coat quality I reported on Lisa’s post, he also has experienced hind limb weakness and has trouble jumping since he was put on this food, which still persists years later. Do you have any updates since your last post?
My 14 year old boy has been on Royal Canin’s gastrointestinal canned food for about a year. My vet put him on this food after he was having trouble with bowel movements. He went days without a bowel movement and was in great pain. One emergency vet suggested an operation that would’ve cost me about $1000 and no guarantee. After switching his food, his entire demeanor changed. It was like he was two years old again. He became more playful, and his bowel problems went away completely. I believe Royal Canin saved his life.
Hi. I’ve slowly over the past 2 months, transitioned my 9 month kitten to Royal Canine, both wet and dry food. He is healthy. His coat is glossy and his poo’s are good. Bright eye’s and a bushy tailed, he seems strong and a contented kitty.
Hope my comment is shown
It is!
Hi Mallory,
I’m really not big on reading ratings. In fact I almost never do. But as I said in one ‘reply’ I feel blessed that I’d come across this article, and INDEED I do!!
I don’t know if you personally moderate the comments and replies, but I assure you, me making comments and asking questions is absolutely legitimate.
My Russian blue, Mip, is EVERYTHING to me and I would happily forward a picture to help prove that I’m not some weird person, trolling or making up something fantastical.
There are to many people, to many stories and experiences to simply be ignored. And that’s just on this feed!
I’m in total and absolute shock! If these were humans being talked about, eating something, becoming violently ill and degrading away over month’s for no accountable reason, then passing away, the world world be up in arms! It’d be a media sensation. It’d make more headlines than covid!!
But because it’s ‘only’ peoples pets? It’s ignored.
This is truly the first I’ve ever heard of it, although my pet is not quite one, so I acknowledge that looking into or researching anything pet related hasn’t been something that I’ve done a great deal of.
But as the owner of a domestic cat I can genuinely say, I’m scared Mallory.
If this many people have come across your article and shared their stories, imagine just how many other’s there are that have gone through the same heartbreaking days week’s and month’s. Watching their little and sometimes not so little four legged buddies go (usually) from being happy, healthy, energetic and loving to gastrointestinal issues, extreme weight loss, behavioural changes and problems along with the financial impact. That alone is a can of worms in relation to the shock it could make on these people and their ENTIRE LIFE!
I’ve read stories here where veterinary bills have started from around $300, (I believe that was from an American, for me as an Australian is $400) right up to over $10 000.
As much as I’ve said Mallory I’m kind of lost for words.
You have a platform and can help these people. Me even. I am beyond doubt confused in relation to feeding my almost adult cat. I feel lost and very let down. As I’m sure that my fellow responsible pet owners (whom purchased RC at the ridiculous price its sold for) do too.
Sincerely and regards
Dannielle.
Hi Dannielle, thank you for your comment. I appreciate you sharing your experience and emphasizing how important it is to use the platform we’ve established to spread the word about issues affecting cats. This is a valuable comment, and I’ll see what I can do. Thank you.
Best,
Mallory
Hi Mallory, I left a reply to Chris from February 2021, but realized I should just ask you directly – how has the research into any changes to the cat food been going? As I replied to Chris, my cat had been on the digestive sensitive/hairball food for quite a few years with good results. Then last year occasional vomitting (liquid, not hairball) started happening again. This year he started to refuse to eat the hairball wet even when I warmed it up. The pet store told me there were supply/manufacturing issues and they were looking at changing the size of can, etc. At this time, I changed to digestive wet and hairball dry. This worked for a few weeks and now his vomitting is worse. I, like Chris, now believe that something in the formula has changed. I was worried about this issue due to covid maybe making companies cut corners, etc. And I worry that there is no regulation on pet food. What have you been finding?
Thank You
Hello Cindy, apologies for the late reply! I’m afraid that I haven’t looked further into the potential changes in Royal Canin cat food and don’t know anything more than what you’ve seen in the comments on this article. While there is regulation in cat food, the United States is not known for the most stringent pet food reuglatory standards (although your email address suggests that you may be in Canada). Thanks for sharing your experience—it certainly sounds like there are valid reasons to worry about Royal Canin cat food, but it’s very hard to make a final statement on it at this time. As always, I would recommend filing a cat food complaint with the appropriate regulatory authority and also notifying the company, as these kinds of complaints are among the first steps in ensuring that we stay safe if there is, indeed, a problem at hand. Thank you again!
Been using S/O never had issues, My cat had problems before switching hes never been sick since amazing food all my cats use RC all doing great, as for certain people here claiming its killing animals, lol they appear on other brands claiming the same, people are so pitiful they will trash all brands and push the one they use get a life
Hi Ryan, thanks for sharing your experience with Royal Canin—you’re not alone. Many people love and trust this food, and there’s no objective evidence that there’s anything wrong with Royal Canin Urinary S/O food. That said, whether they’re right or wrong, people are entitled to talk about their experiences with their cat’s food. Again, the jury is still out on whether there is any merit to these complaints, and we value everyone’s experience.
My cats have been on Royal Canin S/O urinary for over 10 years. Suddenly, they have changed. The smell is of chemicals and not biscuits, and the size is larger and colour is lighter. The cats were not interested in it anymore. Royal Canin sent me out a substitute packet. The smell is still there and I dont like it, it does not smell good or like biscuits. My cats are not so keen on it still. They sent me out another packet! ($70 each).
They told me the only difference is that they are now being made in Korea.
I then noticed all the reviews for Royal Canin do not come up on a google search yet funnily enough On Royal Canin website all the reviews on this particular biscuits brand are so negative ! all damming reviews and recent. Many saying that their cats have been on it for years and now the cats are not doing well on it.
Something is definitely not right. I am going to put my cats on raw 24/7 human grade meat…as I don’t think any biscuits are good.
Hi Louise, thank you for sharing your experience and observations.
Recovery cat food is the only food I can feed my sick cat. I’m on a very limited budget, and they have just recently increased the price of the food, along with making the cans smaller in quantity. So now I am paying more, getting less, and can no longer afford to feed my cat. When I called, all they could come up with was blaming the vets for the price. They did not take an responsibility for what they are doing, and simply don’t care that they are making it impossible for the average senior to be able to afford a cat. Royal Canine DOES NOT CARE. PROFIT OVER ANYTHING ELSE. I’m being put in the position of having to surrender my 14 year old cat to a shelter. I am so disappointed that a company that ‘claims’ to have our best interests, really don’t.
Hi Anita, thanks for sharing your experience and observations on this price increase. I would encourage you to ask your veterinarian if there may be another product that comes close to the Recovery product you’ve been feeding thus far. Another option is supplementing the food with another product that’s a bit cheaper. I hope you can figure something out.
Hello Mallory
Hope you’re doing well.
I have been doing some research of my own for the change in cat food brands for my 1.5 year old Persian cat. Ever since he was a kitten, he has been eating the Royal Canin Dry Food; starting from the kitten version and now the adult version. He was also eating the Regular Fit/ Fit 32 for a while. The veterinary clinic he has been going to ever since he was a kitten also recommended me RC when I first asked them to recommend cat food for him.
I want to mention that during his 1.5 years of eating RC, he has never really faced any digestive or vomiting issues. According to me, he enjoys eating it a lot. Except for a few common colds during the winter season, he hasn’t fell ill due to RC. His blood tests + KFT AND LFT tests before his neutering were also all okay. However, I have been skeptical about Royal Canin since the beginning and was always looking for better options for him. I read a lot and gained knowledge about how plant-based protein is not good for cats. I also learned about grain-free food benefits, how carbohydrates and fat content plays an important role in the diet. Unfortunately, here in India, there are not a lot of exceptionally good brands when it comes to Cat Food. Royal Canin and Whiskas dominate the market here.
I finally did found out about this one brand called Arden Grange and based on my research, it has a healthy composition and nutritional value. Even though he hasn’t faced any serious issues yet while eating RC Dry Food, I am concerned about his future health. Please help me make a sound decision. Let me know if you want any additional information about him, I’d be happy to oblige.
Thank you for your time.
Hi Sakshi, while Arden Grange cat food does look like a relatively good choice, I also wouldn’t be too swift to switch your cat off of the Royal Canin. As you said, he has been healthy on it throughout his life, and we know that this company puts a lot of money into R&D. Arden Grange, however, seems to be primarily focusing on the grain-free concept, which doesn’t mean all that much nutritionally. Yes, there are a lot of complaints about Royal Canin, but to date, I’ve not been able to find any substantial evidence that there is something wrong with the Urinary S/O food, much less their other formulations. Given the limitations of the India cat food market (from what I understand about it), this is one of the better options available.
I’m a breeder of Ragdolls in the UK.
All my cats and kittens have been healthy and happy Neil this year.
I have lost a whole litter of kittens except one. They were all doing great nail they started eating royal canin kitten. All but one ate it, all but one died, aged 8weeks old.
Same with another litter 6 out of 8 died, all except 2 ate the oral canin, all died the same way.
This has to be a criminal act by royal canin. But who can afford to take on this big company? No one.
Hi Joanne, thanks for sharing your experience. I’m sorry you lost almost an entire litter—have you talked with a vet about this? This incident demands further investigation.
Hi, I’ve lost more than one litter. All kittens doing fine until weaning. The only ones that survived are the ones that wouldn’t eat RC.
9 kittens in total I’ve lost. It’s affected me so much I’ve stopped breeding. I had the heart breaking task of having to tell the new owners their kittens had died, you can’t imagine how that felt.
Yes I spoke to my vet, a vet who promotes RC.
I was told this happens sometimes and I have to accept it being a breeder, it will happen. I was told there was nothing they could do.
My daughter took one to her vets and was told more or less the same.
Hi,
Ever since the early to late spring my cat has been acting very strange. She has symptoms that are very similar to hyperesthesia syndrome. For no apparent reason she will start to bite and lick at herself and run from place to place in the house as if she is trying to run away from what is bothering her. She sometimes flicks her tail and her back will “ripple” as well. She will not even sleep in her many cat beds in the house but lays beside them. She only seems to find comfort with her condo. She has never been outside in her life and we have no other pets in the house. She has a gorgeous coat and no apparent skin problems. This is the same time that Royal Canin changed their packaging of their canned food which she has been on for years. Have they changed their recipe or perhaps the type of material the can is made of that could be causing this behavior? I do not want to start her on psyc meds if not warranted? I hate seeing her like this. Thank you
Hi Pam, thanks for commenting. Unfortunately, I can’t say whether or not the Royal Canin may have played a role in this, but I would advise taking your cat in to see a vet. They can check for any identifiable issues, and if you’re able to rule out other conditions, I would proceed as if she has hyperesthesia. You may also think about trying a different diet to be on the safe side. I know this wasn’t a direct answer, but I hope it was at least a little bit helpful. Thank you again for stopping by.
Fuku my 10 year old cat became healthier when I shifted to Royal Canin urinary. he has been hospitalized for serious conditions twice ( we thought he would die) when he was 3 or 4 years old but since I shifted to Royal Canin, he has become a beautiful, healthy and playful cat that he is ( people can’t believe he is 10 years old) without anymore unnecessary vet visits for being sick! just vet visits to make sure he is okay. Thank you Royal Canin.
And I have 3 Himalayan cats, ( used to be 4 Himalayans but the father died last year, very sad story) and they are all also happy with the Persian cat diet. They haven’t gotten sick of the food…Now and then they also love the intense beauty wet food as topping. I think they are fine FORTUNATELY:-)
Our cat Tabby had crystals and bloody urine about 3 years ago. The vet put her on SO Royal canin soft food. She did better for those years. But this year since after the switch to the gold can label, she has lost 3 lbs and is throwing up and has diarrhea. We took her to the vet last week and he checked her blood work and it was fine. She continues to throw up and have diarrhea and has refused to eat the new cat food. We can’t figure out what is wrong with her after spending $350 for her vet bill last week.
I give my cat royal canin cat food, I must say this is the best cat food brand.
Right now I am in a dire situation with my two Maine Coon cats, 10 and 6 years old, who have always eaten the canned Royal Canin Adult Instinctive Sliced. The product is so unique that I am spending a lot of money trying different canned foods as substitutes, without success. There is a shortage of Royal Canin products at this time, and even though I was able to clean out all the stock in the area pet stores a few months ago, my supply is steadily depleting without any mention of when Royal Canin will be up and running again. I live in Canada, so could you suggest any products that might satisfy my two big demanding felines? Thank you!
Bev, unfortunately, I don’t have enough familiarity with this product to give a recommendation. Here’s a link to a Reddit thread from someone who seems to be in the same position. If that doesn’t provide any useful information, perhaps you could contact someone from Royal Canin who would have more knowledge of the product and best alternatives.
Hello Mallory
What would you suggest as the best overall dry cat food please ?
Hi Edith, here’s our article on the best dry cat food on the market. Thanks for stopping by!
Help!! I don’t like royal canin , but since my cat has seen the vets since a kitten ,they are sponsored by royal canin and advised to take it. I had my cat on wet Royal canin, tje digest made him vomit even more, as I educated myself about cat foods I wanted to ween him off it, tried all healthy brands but he refused to eat or it didn’t suite him () he js obsessed with the hairball Royal canin wet food likes the taste and gravy, I want him on a healthy wet food but can’t find something nearest to the royal canin hairball gravy wet food. Please give me suggestions as these reviews have confirmed my concerns
Hi Nadia,
Did you have a look at our round up of recommend wet cat foods:
https://cats.com/reviews/best-canned-cat-food
Hope this helps:)
hi, does anyone have any negative experience with royal canin’s hydrolised protein food? my cat has been experiencing irritating skin issues and has been scratching neck and temple area. the vet suspected allergies and prescribed us the HP food for 8-12 weeks. after 8 weeks of eating nothing but this particular diet, things did not change and skin issues persisted. this is when the real problems started. after switching to her regular food (royal canin’s renal, both wet and dry which she liked very much) she outright rejected it, especially the dry food to the point of only drinking water and vomiting yellowish substance, apparently a gallbladder fluid from drinking so much fluids on an empty stomach. i’ve now tried 5-6 different foods and nothing seems to stick. she might eat it the first day, then reject it the next, and the only time she seems to eat anything is at the end of the day after basically starving herself the whole day. she’s lost a lot weight and is lethargic most of the time. she’s the polar opposite of how she used to be before we started this cursed diet. on top of everything, her stool is very hard and quite small, and now i’m fearing constipation due to lack of proper/regular ingestion. i’ve read somewhere that adverse effects of hydrolised diet could be bitterness in taste which would explain her distaste for food. is there any truth to this? i’m furious that after spending a hefty sum on vets and foods, my cat is in worse condition she’s ever been in. i’ve tried consulting with vets again but they seem absolutely clueless and now are suggesting depression medication which is just ridiculous. the only logical explanation to me is that this food has caused loss of taste and i fear now that by the time she regains it, it will be too late. i’m at the end of my wits so hearing any feedback would be great.
Hi Jasmin, thanks for sharing this experience. Unfortunately, I can’t comment directly on your cat’s experience, but I hope some other readers will be able to provide insights. – Mallory
I use hydrolised protein formula sine my cat was a kitten due to terrible stomach issues, he still chews his legs and scratches his temples as well. He has struvite crystals and need to put him on a different diet, now I am freaking out, I want him on a good diet but am at a loss, but to answer your question in 4 yrs he only throws up a light yellowish liquid once every few months. I am sorry you are going thru this and hopefully your cat will find an alternative to her medical issues quickly
Yes, I’ve had issues recently with the RC Hydrolyzed Protein dry cat food. They have changed the formula (Sep 2023) without any notice and it caused upset stomach, constipation, & lethargy. I knew it was the food because as soon as I stopped feeding it to her she improved and has been fine since.
Hello everyone, i am Italian so English is not my native language, please be patient and forgive me for any possible grammar mistakes. I had to pur down one of my cat 2 weeks ago, he started to be lethargic and have seizure on Christmas night, the Vet diagnosis was Idiopatic epilepsy, we spent almost 2.000€ in examination, we tried all, including very invasive examination (Magnetic Resonance, liquid from his brain liquor was also collected and analyzed in a vet tech lab…) everything came back negative, i now spent hours reading about Royal Canin URINARY food and i noticed i started to gave this exact food (dry and wet pouches) 2 weeks prior the start of the Epilepsy!!! Unfortunately my cat’s health got so bad that we had to put him down the night between 23th and 24th January 2022. He was only 8 years old and we loved him to the moon and back, to say we are heartbroken is an understatement, i will write a complaint to Royal Canin Italy and let Royal Canin Europe knows about this sad situation, while i do NOT have evidences that all this was caused by the food itself, now i am really concerned. Thank u for listen to my story, Claudia from Italy.
I’m sorry about the loss of your cat, and I appreciate you sharing this story. Take care.
Customer service w a nutritionist w Royal Canine is a complete joke! Wasted literally hrs & never did get the help/answer I needed!! VERY UNPROFESSIONAL!!
Yikes, that sounds frustrating. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I actually have a different gripe in that Royal canin is the ONLY food I can feed one of our cats. One cat has the worst IBS, like a permanent case of it. The vet can only suggest giving Royal canin. (Prior to this, we always fed limited ingredient brands like Natural Balance or Instinct). Its been years and our cat has ‘less watery’ stools now, but not totally cured. I have not seen this cat have a ‘normal’ movement in YEARS. At best we get a playdough mess in the box. But, those results are better than pre-RC, where this little guy would SQUIRT all over the box, outside the box, etc.
Whats killing me about all this is how is this the ONLY food I can feed our cat? There has to be an alternative, or something similar? And the particular food we buy, the price just keeps going up. In 1 month it jumped from $80 per case to $96.
Some cases are certainly tougher than others and what it really comes down to is finding the food that works for YOUR cat. It sounds like the Royal Canin is working at the moment, though the price certainly seems to be a concern. Which specific recipe are you feeding your cat? I may be able to help you find something similar from a different brand.
My cat also reacts to Royal Canin. Both Urinary SO wet food pouches and Renal wet food pouches.
He was born in 2007 and fed exclusively on Royal Canin wet and dry from 2012 to 2019. Originally the Beauty formula then, from 2017 the S/O formula. He would frequently vomit the food back up but I always thought that was hairball related. When they changed the formula in 2019, he started to get terrible diarrhoea and was very sick. I took him off the Royal Canin completely and swapped to a high quality wet food only diet. Not only did the vomiting stop, his overall health improved and we have never had further issues with crystals.
Early this year he was diagnosed with early stage renal failure and the Royal Canin chicken pouches were the only renal diet he would follow. I kept him on a wet food only diet again. Within 2 months of eating Royal Canin Renal he started to get diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea. To test his tolerance, I took him off the Royal Canin for a week (symptoms ceased immediately) and then gradually reintroduced a tiny amount each day. His tolerance limit was 1 packet a day. I have repeated this test four times and each time his tolerance limit reduces. He currently cannot eat more than a quarter of a packet in a 24 hr period without becoming very sick with diarrhoea and vomiting.
I only carried out these tests because he loves the taste of Royal Canin and to convince the vets that he is intolerant to the product. I obviously won’t be subjecting him to Royal Canin any longer.
I am sharing my experience for other people’s information and am not requesting any advice. Thank you.
Hi Robyn, thank you for sharing your experience with Royal Canin food.
When we adopted our first cat, I was given a small bag of Royal Canin dry food. Not knowing anything about pets I stuck with Royal Canin wet and dry foods at a very Hi cost to us, but at this price$$$ I wondered? why Royal Canin was never in any top reviews that I see? Well now I know, It’s just way overpriced and not much if any different than the rest at one third the price of Royal Canin. It started with me checking into it when the last batch I got my cat’s, Thay seemed not to like it much, I think something changed? and then everybody was out of stock after that and was forced to get different brands and noticed that it was 6 one way & 1/2 dozen the other, but now I am spending way less money$$$ for Cat food and my Cat’s or healthy & happy. So, I’ve given up on Royal Canin because of their way overprice $$$ It’s a waste of $$$ and just NOT worth it.
Hi Nathan, thanks for sharing your experience with Royal Canin and decision to move on to a cheaper food.
Royal Canin is trying to kill my cat! First, it was the Renal+Hydrolized Protein dry food that made her super sick. Now I’m finding pieces of hard plastic in her wet food (Renal Support E)!! Or possibly metal, because it pops real loud when I warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds. I’ve been feeding her Royal Canin for about two years and she’s been in and out of hospitals with diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, not eating… and each time the doctors come up with nothing.
That’s very concerning, Julia. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Mallory….i rescued a 2 year old khao manee about 4 years ago…took it to the vet to get him checked out….got the works done,blood tests,everything …was told he had a gum disease?,was shown a few pics with a cat with a half of a face and he said id have to watch his diet the rest of his life…he did extractly what you’d pridict…he sold me on prescription food. Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein HP…..i’m from detroit and couldn’t for the life of me figure out why i needed a script for cat food….id ask and get a dazed look back ….so can i take this stuff and go make crack?…..prescription?……all i got was lame excuses……..he did tell me to use fortiflora powder and we do…..snowball calls them sprinkles….he’s doing great,a little overweight but we’re working on that…..but a 7 pound bag is now $72.00…..so i went to youtube and watched you…..sure did open my eyes…..i knew it was a scam…….ordered Dr. Elseys clean protein today….going to give it a try………question?……am i doing anything wrong?…….i know to go slow when changing over….gave him store bought one time and he went from a white cat to a light brown cat if you know what i mean……really just wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge ……snowball says meow
Hi Mark, thanks for the message! The question about making crack from your cat’s food was funny—well said. Since your vet suggested a hydrolyzed protein diet and the storebought food seemed to upset his stomach, I would suspect that he may have food allergies or sensitivities. The cleanprotein food may not be irritating, but if it is, I would opt for a single-protein diet like one of the options listed here. Hope this helps, and I wish you and Snowball all the best!
Royal Canin hypoallergenic cat food killed my cat. He went into kidney failure. This was one of the foods that china put ingredients ie melamine ( plastic) to fake protein levels. I have never gotten over this. Canada is way ahead of US for safe foods. I cant believe that after all those pets that died…that pet foods companies do not put where they get their ingredients from.
Two days ago my 8 month old cat was put on the Royal Canine gastrointestinal kibble and wet food. I’d had him on rice, pumpkin, and chicken and yogurt for his chronic soft stools.
While the situation was improving I decided to take her into the vet for an exam and analysis of a stool sample. The results are not yet back from the lab, but I’ll tell you one thing, my cat is off that food. I was shocked to read the first highest ingredient was chicken by-product meal. This has zero nutritional value. The use of beets and corn are also unacceptable. Both contain sugar. And the use of gluten along with cellulose creates a kitty Frankebsence food. Damn it, if you’re going to manufacturer, have the cat in mind. Stuff your lobbyists and produce a healthy product.
Urinary SO helped my two cats’ bladder problems, but gave them constipation – one severely. Please tell customers to feed dry in conjunction with canned. I read it too late in small type on website’s pages.
Hi Mallory,
Our cat had been eating orijen original flavors about a year. Vet prescribed RC Urinary SO since March, 2022 due to some crystals in her urine. She had uti in February and August this year. She was hospitalized for days due to recurring infection and kidney number is very high. Days later her numbers and cbc are normal, but there’s white and red blood cell in her urine. I started to think Urinary SO is the reason that she gets sick since it contains salt and high carbohydrate. I read a statement “A low-protein, high-carb diet can make their urine too alkaline, which is a fertile ground for bacterial infections”
Do you recommend our cat to try different food?
Hello Megan, thanks for being here. The Urinary SO food is intended to give your cat a healthy urine pH, not an extremely alkaline pH. An infection should not result from this kind of diet. The claim you read is, in my opinion, an exaggeration, and it does not describe what happens to most cats on this type of diet. You mentioned that your cat had very high kidney numbers. Are you sure that your cat does not have kidney disease? Recurring urinary tract infections are common in cats with kidney issues because their dilute urine is too bacteria-friendly. Your vet may prescribe an antibiotic, and you can consider using D-mannose as an antibacterial supplement. I would talk with the vet about those kidney values and whether or not kidney disease may be involved.
Thanks for your fast reply. In the mid of August her kidney number was above the last stage of Ckd, so she was in hospital for days and the numbers are similar. Her number is way better after we took her home for 3 days, and we tried kidney diet with omega 3 supplement and phosphate binder. A week later her BUN and phosphorus are all normal. There’s only white and red blood cell in her urine. Vet thinks once she finished all antibiotic should be clear. She said it might be AKI and ask us to stopped phosphate binder. We are not sure what food she should be having now.
Do you think D-mannose would work on staphylococcus pseudintermedius? Sophie has been having recurrent infection with staphylococcus pseudintermedius.
Hi Megan,
Unfortunately Mallory no longer works at cats.com, to answer your question, It seems like D-mannose is specifically effective against certain types of bacteria that cause urinary tract infections, particularly Escherichia coli (E. coli) not skin related infections. So not likely to be effective. You can also post your question on our cat health forum and one of our vets will reply directly there. https://cats.com/community/forums
Aren’t practically all pet foods in Canada produced by the same company of Mars incorporated?
Mars Petcare, Incorporated makes the bulk of pet food revenue in the world, so it’s both Canada and the United States!
My cat Lucy was on RC Urinary SO for about 3 years, after switching from Hill c/d Urinary Stress. I have no proof, but feel this food may have been her downfall. She had to be on urinary food for her crystal issue. But this food is full of cheap fillers that cats shouldnt be eating and I regret not looking into the ingredients or websites like this one sooner. She passed away a week ago, from a very aggressive cancer that she hid until the last day. The vet said it was rare – cancer in all of her spine bones, and her spleen. She was only 12.
Royal Canin has recently changed the formula for the Feline Hydrolyzed Protein dry diet. My cat is on this diet as she cannot eat anything else without having intestinal bleeding. The new formula made her sick even though I was able to mix 1/2 old formula with 1/2 new formula. The appearance of the bag was different but the vet said, same product just different packaging. Luckily I checked the contents and found it was different so I notified the vet of the change. When I checked the RC reviews, I saw there are quite a few that are negative, ie. greasy smell & feel to it, cats won’t eat it, & causing vomiting and diarrhea in others. I called vet clinics in town looking for the old formula and found a few who also commented that some of their pet patients were showing the same symptoms. I contacted RC to inform them and their response was they would not consider going back to the old formula. RC recommended I return the bag to the clinic and send them the best before date in case there is an issue with the Batch, which I did. Would be interested to know how many cats have been negatively impacted by the new formula. The company is not telling the vets of the prescription food changes, so the info isn’t getting passed down to the pet parents, which means we aren’t getting to transition our cats onto the new formula slowly in order to avoid gastrointestinal upsets. By the time a cat gets to the point where hydrolyzed soy is all it can eat, the cat is pretty sensitive to any dietary changes.
Thanks for sharing, Margaret. Lack of communication from a pet food company is definitely frustrating. Hopefully you and your vet can find another hydrolyzed formula that works for your cat. If you can’t find any of the old formula at local clinics to help with the transition, maybe there’s an online community group you could post a request to?
This.. I have had an incredibly hard time getting my cat to eat the new bag of food and this might explain why!
My cat Sunny has been on prescription dry and wet for two years and a few months ago changed from Hills z/d to Royal Canin HP S/O. Dry. Five days vomiting I just cancelled Chewy 7.7 lb bag and will go back to Royal Canin hydrolyzed P/R