Chronic kidney disease is the most common disease of aging cats. Dietary management is the primary evidence-based intervention that slows progression and improves quality of life.
Chronic kidney disease in cats represents one of the most important welfare management challenges in senior cat care. The disease is progressive but its progression can be meaningfully slowed through careful dietary management, blood pressure control, and hydration support. Welfare quality — appetite, energy, social engagement — is a critical endpoint alongside biochemical markers. A cat with stable CKD who is eating well and engaged with their environment has good welfare; a cat with better kidney values but no appetite and lethargy does not. Quality of life is the north star of CKD management.