Last updated Apr 17, 2023
Hill’s Pet Nutrition is one of the most well-respected brands in the pet food industry. You’d be hard-pressed to find a vet’s office or animal shelter that’s not stocked with a supply of Hill’s Prescription Diet or Science Diet. But behind the prestige, is Hill’s a nourishing, safe choice for your cat? Find out in our unbiased Hill’s cat food review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Hill’s on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Hill’s and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Here’s how it rates in each of those six key areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 6/10
- Ingredient Quality – 6/10
- Product Variety – 9/10
- Price – 6/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 4/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
We give Hill’s cat food a 39 out of 60 rating or a B- grade.
About Hill’s
The company dates back to 1907, when Burton Hill opened up a rendering facility in Topeka, Kansas. Hill Rendering Works became the city of Topeka’s contract rendering facility and eventually added on a milling division. Along with the ability to manufacture animal feed, the company earned a new name—the Hill Packing Company.
In the late 1940s, the Hill Packing Company partnered with Dr. Mark L. Morris, a veterinarian known for formulating some of the world’s first clinical veterinary diets. The Hill Packing Company was contracted to manufacture the original formulation of Canine k/d, Dr. Morris’ diet for dogs with kidney disease.
Morris and Hill’s partnership evolved over the years and eventually became known as Hill’s Pet Nutrition. The company added on new lines, including the ever-popular Hill’s Science Diet.
In 1976, Hill’s Pet Nutrition was purchased by the Colgate-Palmolive company. Hill’s Pet Nutrition products are now sold in 86 countries around the world.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Hill’s Pet Nutrition has a robust research and development department. More than 220 veterinarians, food scientists, technicians, and Ph.D nutritionists work to develop Hill’s products.
The Hill’s Pet Nutrition Center in Topeka, Kansas is considered a world-class research facility and helps Hill’s maintain its status as a leading authority on animal nutrition.
Hill’s says that they only accept ingredients that meet their stringent quality standards. Each ingredient is examined to ensure its safety and nutritional adequacy. Most of Hill’s ingredients are sourced from North America, Europe, and New Zealand.
Hill’s cat food is manufactured in company-owned facilities located in the United States.
Has Hill’s Cat Food Been Recalled?
The following is a summary of the Hill’s cat and dog food recalls issued over the years.
2019
In early 2019, Hills issued a recall of canned dog foods from the Science Diet and Prescription Diet lines. due to dangerously high levels of vitamin D. Excessive Vitamin D causes blood calcium levels to soar, leading to organ failure and potentially, death. This recall came two months after a series of vitamin D-related recalls affected other pet food brands, but Hill’s says they’re not aware of a connection. In light of this recall, Hill’s says they are strengthening their quality check protocol and demanding more stringent regulations from their supplier.
Following the recall, a class action suit was filed against Hill’s Pet Nutrition for selling food that contained “excessive and dangerous” levels of vitamin D.
2015
In November, the company initiated a market withdrawal of several varieties of Science Diet dog food due to labeling issues.
2014
Potential salmonella contamination prompted Hill’s to recall 62 bags of Science Diet dog food in California, Hawaii, and Nevada.
2007
In April of 2007, Hill’s Science Diet was one of many pet food brands recalled due to melamine contamination.
February 2019—Hill’s is Sued Over “Prescription Diet” Claims
In February of 2019, a Kansas dog food consumer named Stevie Kucharski-Berger sued Hill’s for violating the Kansas Restraint of Trade Act and the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.
According to the plaintiff, Hill’s prescription diets do not require FDA approval or a prescription under Kansas or federal law. Because there’s nothing in the foods that legally requires a prescription, the suit argues, Hill’s’ use of the prescription diet name and the Rx prescription symbol is “false, misleading and contrary to law”. The suit accuses Hill’s of operating what Berger’s lawyer calls a “fake pharmacy” to justify the high costs of their prescription diets.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Hill’s Offer?
Hill’s has several lines of cat food, including Hill’s Science Diet, Hill’s Prescription Diet, Hill’s Healthy Advantage, and Hill’s Ideal Balance.
- Science Diet emphasizes scientifically-formulated recipes that utilize what Hill’s describes as “biology-based nutrition” for all stages of cats’ lives.
- Hill’s Prescription Diet is only available with a veterinarian’s prescription. Recipes in this line target health conditions and special needs, including IBD, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, urinary tract health.
- Hill’s Healthy Advantage is exclusively sold through veterinarians. While Hill’s Prescription Diet foods target single health conditions, each food in this line addresses five essential health factors—immunity, weight management, urinary health, digestion, and skin and coat health.
- The Ideal Balance line is made with natural ingredients and, according to Hill’s, is perfectly balanced.
Hill’s Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care with Chicken Canned | Wet | $0.37 per oz | B |
| Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare with Chicken Dry | Dry | $0.26 per lb | C |
| Hill’s Science Diet Adult Indoor Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food | Dry | $0.14 per lb | C |
#1 Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care with Chicken Canned Cat Food Review
Pork by-products appear to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
This popular Hill’s recipe targets one of the most common conditions affecting cats—urinary tract disease. According to Hill’s, this prescription food reduces the recurrence of most common urinary tract disease symptoms by 89%. It addresses multiple types of urinary tract disease, including stones and infection. The company claims that the food dissolves struvite stones in as few as 7 days or an average of 27 days. In addition to dissolving existing stones and reducing recurrence, it’s also touted as a preventative. Hill’s says this diet can prevent both struvite and calcium oxalate stones.
How does Hill’s c/d achieve all of these benefits for cats with urinary tract disease? It has controlled levels of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus to reduce stone formation. Its acidity promotes a healthy urine pH.
The first ingredient in the food is pork by-products. In addition to any organ meats included in the pork by-products, the food contains pork liver. Though chicken appears in the name, chicken is not the primary protein source in this food and is the fourth ingredient on the list.
The food contains several plant ingredients, including brewers rice, corn starch, and soybean meal. It has two types of animal-sourced fat—chicken fat and fish oil both appear on the ingredient list. The food’s thickened with guar gum.
It’s supplemented with Dl-methionine as an acidifier and chicken liver flavor for added palatability.
The food has 163 calories in each 5.5-ounce can or 29 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Pork By-Products, Water, Pork Liver, Chicken, Brewers Rice, Corn Starch, Soybean Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Chicken Fat, Fish Oil, Calcium Sulfate, Guar Gum, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dicalcium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, Iodized Salt, Potassium Citrate, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, minerals (Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate), Beta-Carotene.
Ingredients We Liked: Pork Liver, Chicken Chicken Fat, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Brewers Rice, Corn Starch, Soybean Meal
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from animal ingredients
- Formulated to improve urinary tract health
- Rich in protein
Cons
- Relatively high in carbohydrates
#2 Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care with Chicken Dry Cat Food Review
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
This Prescription Diet recipe is the dry equivalent of the c/d canned food above. Like the canned recipe, this recipe is formulated to support urinary health. According to Hill’s, it can lower the recurrence of most symptoms by 89% and it can promote healthy urine pH levels.
Like many other dry cat foods, this food is plant-based. Chicken is the first ingredient, followed by whole grain corn, corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, and brewers rice.
The food contains pork fat, soybean oil, and fish oil as sources of fat. In addition to the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids typically added to make pet food nutritionally complete, the food contains Dl-methionine as an acidifier.
Overall, this dry food has low-to-moderate protein content, moderate fat, and high carbohydrate content.
This food contains 349 calories in each cup.
Ingredients
Chicken, Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Brewers Rice, Pork Fat, Chicken Meal, Egg Product, Pork Flavor, Soybean Oil, Fish Oil, Lactic Acid, L-Lysine, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Potassium Citrate, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Iodized Salt, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Pork Fat, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Brewers Rice
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Many reviewers say this food helped to improve their cats’ urinary tract health
- Free of artificial additives
Cons
- High in carbohydrates
- Dry food is correlated to increased risk of urinary tract disease
#3 Hill’s Science Diet Adult Indoor Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food Review
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
This Hill’s Science Diet recipe is formulated for cats who live indoors. Like most indoor cat foods, it has relatively high levels of fiber to support healthy digestion, along with what the company describes as an “exclusive blend of omega-6 fatty acids” to nourish the skin and coat.
The food’s first ingredient is chicken, followed by whole wheat, corn gluten meal, and powdered cellulose. These ingredients are primarily sources of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, respectively. Chicken fat is added as a species-appropriate source of fat, along with soybean oil and fish oil.
To improve the food’s palatability, the recipe contains chicken liver flavor and natural flavor.
At the end of the ingredient list is a series of fruits and vegetables, including trace amounts of green peas, apples, cranberries, carrots, and broccoli.
There are 319 calories in each cup of this dry cat food.
Ingredients
Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Powdered Cellulose, Chicken Fat, Wheat Gluten, Chicken Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Calcium Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Green Peas, Apples, Cranberries, Carrots, Broccoli, Beta-Carotene.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Pork Fat
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Gluten, Soybean Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Cats seem to love the food’s flavor
- Free of vaguely-named animal by-products
- Free of potentially harmful additives
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- Expensive
What Do Customers Think of Hill’s Cat Food?
Hill’s is one of the most respected brands in the pet food industry. It’s a staple in veterinary offices and animal shelters. The fact of the brand’s esteem has attracted some of its most vehement criticism. As we saw in the 2019 lawsuit initiated by a Kansas consumer, some feel that Hill’s food is given more respect than it deserves and uses that reputation to justify its high prices.
Positive Reviews
“My 17 year old cat has been eating this all his life (except for the first four months fraught with UTIs). Not only has he been free of urinary infections, he also is a picture of health with gorgeous teeth that have never needed to be cleaned.” – Kipling, reviewing Hill’s Prescription Diet Multicare Urinary Care c/d Dry Cat Food
“Our gal had bladder stones and was slotted for surgery when my vet suggested we try this food first. IF it didn’t work we needed to explore surgery. I started feeding my Phoebe the food and 8 weeks later…. NO STONES! Yup, i feed her both the wet and dry food exclusively and the stones disintegrated! No surgery for my gal, she will remain on this diet for life so we don’t encounter the issue again. 🙂 Again, Thank YOU Chewy for having the option to order and ship directly to my front door!” – OMCRescue, reviewing Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care with Chicken Canned Cat Food
Negative Reviews
“I have purchased Hill’s in the past but not this particular kind, the nuggets are larger and my furry friends don’t like it. They are very picky and since it’s their food, I’d rather go with smaller pieces. No fault of product.” – Edwin, reviewing Hill’s Science Diet Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food
“Though I thoroughly enjoyed having my food delivered to my door, my cat essentially went into starvation mode because he disliked the food so severely. He would painstakingly meow until we gave him other food and when we did not, he would just lay next to his bowl. I read the ingredients for this food and although it is advertised as chicken, the first ingredient is pork. Now I’m stuck with all this cat food my cat REFUSES to eat. Such a disappointment food wise and it seems this is the only choice for urinary care.” – WestbrooksReview, reviewing Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care with Chicken Canned Cat Food
How Much Does Hill’s Cat Food Cost?
Hill’s cat food ranges from moderately-priced to expensive. If your cat weighs 10 lbs, it would cost roughly $3.05 per day to feed them Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d canned food and about $3.63 for Hill’s Ideal Balance canned.
Like most cat food companies, Hill’s charges less for their dry foods. The Hill’s Prescription diet kibble mentioned in the product reviews above would cost about $0.52 per day.
Overall, Is Hill’s a Good Choice?
Hill’s is built on a foundation of industry-leading nutrition research, giving it the ability to create recipes formulated for specific health conditions and dietary needs.
While Hill’s can be a good choice for cats with health issues, it’s not the strongest candidate for a healthy cat’s daily diet. Though Hill’s says that corn, wheat, and other high-carbohydrate plant ingredients are nutritious for cats, others disagree. Whether you’re shopping for wet or dry food, Hill’s cat food tends to contain large amounts of plant ingredients that don’t fit into a carnivorous diet plan.
Where Is Hill’s Cat Food Sold?
Hill’s is sold in veterinary offices and “above-average” pet retail stores around the world. You can buy it online through Chewy, Amazon, and other retailers that sell pet food.
Hills science diet cd is garbage food. Vet recommended and after two years my cat is having diarrhea and vomiting. I have no doubts it is the food because I changed foods and no more diarrhea/vomiting. I fear that the food may have done organ damage and will take him in to be evaluated. He’s indoor only. I should have done my homework but I trusted my vet. I now know better.
Hi
I just fed this to my cat and she vomited after1 hour. What food did you change too, please.
My cat has pancreatitis! Excruciating pain! Gave him opioid ( buprenex) for 3 days! Now on hills prescription I/d chicken & vegetable stew 2.9oz can! He is doing fabulous on this food! One problem: when you peel back the label to read the ingredients the words blend in with the paper! U CANT READ IT!!! Please put the wording in black letters so we could read it!
Don’t buy this food they don’t tell tell you about the animal cruelty that goes on behind the scenes. Really really bad.
If you go to their website you can see them. But if you are used to glamour ingredients you won’t like them! But it’s the nutrients that matter. Not ingredients!
What brand of food did you switch too? I have been feeding my cat Hills Science Diet since she was a kitten. Just wondering if there is healthier food.
Thanks for reporting your experience. I have often doubted listening to the vets, who are trained to sell Hills Science Diet. I put my cats on diet Hills dry food at the direction of my vet, and my boy cat had an eruption near his anus due to pushing so hard to get the food out.
Same here, we trusted our vet… Literally my cat’s kidney failure has seemed to begin to un-fail after simply educating ourselves on what foods are actually good. F**** hills and f**** the vets that sell that expensive bull*****
My kittens are on the hills science kitten food and have the worst stinky farts, and stinking trays.
Cant wait to change their food. One kitten really doesnt want to eat it at all.
Pure muck for their little tummies.
Massively expensive for a good case of the runs!!
Let them keep going on it in case they needed to settle. But after a month I’m moving on!
Hate it!
Ditto, Shona. Im switching soon as well. I am already putting other dry food out to get my kitten to start eating that and off of the Hills Science kitten dry and wet food. Thanks for reporting!
Same here! Stinky farts on the dry food and wet food, and will only lick the gravy off the wet. I can’t even give the wet stuff away because no one I know wants it. Disappointing!
We were happy with Hills for a while but the last two cases we got of Hills Urinary Care C/D were a soupy mess. It appears they’ve significantly upped the water content. Enhanced profit margin? “Prescription” diet is an absurdly overpriced scam to begin with.
Agreed!
Both my cats are sick from Hills … One is a oral food.. the other is kitten for the younger.. avoid this brand at all costs. I can confirm its hills food causing problems . Both adult and kitten are sick and refusing to eat, have diarrhea and are vomiting.. both fed separately and monitored during feeding times. 2 separate foods.
I wish I would of known better… Now my cats are really sick
My thirteen year old male does not like this food. What percentage of mixing c/d with his favorite food will give him any benefit?
Darcy, that’s a question best posed to your veterinarian or the staff at Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Unfortunately, we’re unable to tell you what amount of c/d mixed into your cat’s regular food will provide benefits.
If I may, as a former Hills vet rep who trained vets on these diets! The problem with mixing depends on what you mix. The CD is restricting the minerals your cats stones are made of and producing a urine pH of 6.2 to 6.4 to prohibit stones. If you feed a diet that’s excessive in minerals and doesn’t control the pH, we could have problems! Check the lab results that Cats has done and look for the lowest calcium, phosphorus and sodium. The lower mineral content actually indicates the actual quality and purity of the meat sources too! I wouldn’t mix more than 10%, but your vet had a line to call Hills and talk to a board certified nutritionist about your cat! They are the best!
Hi, I’ve been researching dry cat food because I just adopted a year and a half old cat from Haven Humane in Tedding CA. They sent us home with a bag of Hills prescription urinary diet dry food. They feed all the cats with this. Supposedly this type is “calming” as well. So, I looked on Consumer Reports and there are a lot of 2020 BAD reviews. I didn’t know if you had time to read them, or the desire, but I wanted to pass that along.
My cats were switched to the cd diet and within a month hospitalized for kidney failure. They are only 2 years old. The vet told me the most likely cause was Hill’s food.
Vet sold us Hill’s Metabolic for my one fat cat but said it was safe for all. I took one to the vet who was straining to urinate yesterday ($300). This morning I got up and another one was straining to pee on rugs and the kitchen counter. Got her in a litter pan and she is urinating very little and it is bloody. The third one that ate it went in my room and urinated on the floor. The 2 cats that chose not to eat it are fine. I am beside myself. If you choose to feed Hill’s keep a close eye on your babies.
I had a similar experience with my male cat and he strained often and eventually hemoraged next to his anus. Big vet bill and I am so sorry I put him through that. They did NOT like that food either.
I just got back from the vet because my cat was straining and had blood in her urine! She also had high blood glucose. Thankyou for your post! She has never done this before. Now i have to chuck about $100 worth of Hill’s food just purchased to save y cat!!!
It is heartbreaking to read these stories. My 21 year old cat passed away from kidney failure in 2006. It was caused by hyperthyroidism. She ate Hills c/d dry for 15 years no problem. My current cat likes wet and dry food. For dry it is Hills, wet is usually Blue. I’ve noticed some changes in quality of the wet food. Some cans are more watery and Blue is an expensive brand. There seem to be supply issues too. Never know what will be on the shelf. I think it could be a 2020 thing. Production quality and distribution issues. Surprised about Hills though. Sorry for the sick kitties and hope they are doing better.
We switched to Hill’s because of food allergies.
Been using Hill’s for some time. One of our babies start vomiting every day ( the eldest) , where as the others not so bad… We just started a new brand and hope and pray that the problem are solved.
Hi Riana, in addition to the dietary change, you may want to have your eldest kitty checked to ensure that they are in good health. Wishing you all the best!
My cat had urinary issues and had been to the vet multiple times because of it. We even tried taking her to an ER Vet hospital.Once she started with Hills diet (she likes the dry food but not the wet) her bladder issues are back to normal.There is no perfect cat food.You just have to find what works best for your cat.
Please do your research before giving your kitten or cat any hills products. Veterinarians get a kick back for pushing this food. If you research what should be in a cat food and what should not be, you can harm your cat by feeding them hills. The first 3 to 5 ingredients should be named meats, NOT rice or corn or wheat or gluten. There should NOT be any unnamed meat by-products. Please study up on cat food ingredients. This is one of the worst cat foods you can give your cat
Hello Keith,
Most of these comments I just toss out because they’re anecdotal and do not affect my decision to either yes/no feed my cat Hills and yours almost makes that list. Can you please provide links to scientific studies, or literature on the ingredients of cat food and what is best for a cat as you’ve suggested that we should do? You mention some things which seem intuitive but there’s no links to back it up. Why is it exactly that Hills is ‘one of the worst’?
Thanks,
Well thanks for saying that Keith! I was a Hills veterinary rep for 34 years and I believe they are the best. More board certified nutritionists and chemists than any other company. No company has spent close to the millions of dollars on research for feline nutrition. Most of what we know about nutrition came from Hills or funded by Hills! They started the Morris Animal Foundation! They recently successfully mapped out the feline genome and thought worth millions, donated it to the foundation free. Fir 44 years I saw urinary stones dissolved, cats live years with kidney disease, diabetic cats go into remission, and arthritic cats have relief. And vets see it every day too! Perhaps looking at the reviews at chewy might shed some light! And no, no kick backs to vets. That’s a lie.
Yep. I agree.
My kittens refuse to eat the Hills kitten wet food. Not sure why because they happily ate everything else I fed them but thought this might be a healthier option but it’s not a healthier option if they just don’t eat. Will have to swap food again when this is finished. Also box only contains two flavours , chicken and beef. Relatively low protein content which I find strange. Recommended by my vet too.
I am ecstatic with the results of the thyroid test I got from the vet after a month on Hill’s Y/D canned cat food. Winston had a 6 out of 4, “off the charts” thyroid # a month ago. For my 14 year old cat, this food worked! Came home today with #s in normal range. Winston was allergic to the thyroid meds and the iodine radiation was not an option. This food was the final choice left to us. I am jumping up and down inside, I am so pleased!!!
Hi Janelle,
That is great news! Does Winston like this food? How much does he weigh and how much have you been feeding him per day? Have you fed him EXCLUSIVELY Y/D? My cat Cosette has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and I chose the ‘food option’ for treatment as iodine radiation was also not an option, I was too afraid of it, and I had also had concerns about the medication… I was not told that my cat could be allergic to the meds, only about some potential side effects I deemed too risky & dangerous to try those meds… so we opted for the ‘natural’ option…a cat has got to eat anyway… 🙂 I fed Y/D, both dry and wet and in the beginning and her numbers were almost halved but now she is not eating enough and syringe feeding of the wet version is uncomfortable for both of us… 🙁 Once Winston’s numbers are in range do you have to keep feeding him Y/D only?! I was told that even a blade of grass should be avoided…
I did the same thing with my 15 yr old hyperthyroid cat. She stopped eating it except tablespoon a day nearly starved herself. Had to take her to vet get appetite boosting meds I am convinced this food was killing her. She never liked it from the beginning. Now going to be forced to give medication for thyroid . And also hills recently changed the formula and made larger kibble. Cats with bad teeth older cats don’t like large hard kibble. I received a case of what I feel was spoiled dry crumbly food . Yes hills refunded me but I am very suspicious about what they have done to the food. Wishing I would have immediately got the iodine shot now my cat prob not a candidate
Has any one used K/D wet and dry cat food? My cats liver seems to have been affected, Could it be from thsi ?
Hi Lynda,
I have used K/D both dry and wet for two of my cats who had ckd… Nikki for 2 years and 4 months from the dire diagnosis, the other for less than a year (Maurice had an underlying condition-upper respiratory- that we believe affected his fighting chances against the ckd…)
I don’t think K/D affected their liver but ckd is an evil disease that affects a cat in so many ways that it is difficult to say whether some of the side-effects & consequences are specifically due to the disease or because of the food…
They both developed high BP, and anemia so we treated those but liver levels were not a concern…
There are other kidney disease prescription food options/from other brands, Royal Canin Vet Diets (Renal Support E) and Purina Pro Plan Vet Diets/ NF, perhaps you can talk to your veterinarian to try those for your kitty. Good Luck!
Read the ingredients on a bag of Hill’s i/d:
Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Powdered Cellulose, Dried Chicken, Chicken Liver Flavor
This is comparable to a handful of grocery store brands. Corn Gluten Meal causes problems for a lot. Think of it as the feline high fructose corn syrup. This food is 29% carbohydrate — not good.
The fact that it is by prescription only is ridiculous, just another thing to make people think it is special and worth the exaggerated price. Since vets are able to sell it right from their office, they make a bundle on it and so does Hill’s.
There is a site called catinfo.com put together by a veterinarian who has researched all types of food. There is even a downloadable data base with lots of information.
She gives alternatives to Hill’s at least with Struvite Crystals
I have a bag of Hill’s I/D for cats and the ingredients are:
Chicken, Cracked Pearled Barley, Corn gluten meal, Brewers Rice, Pork Fat, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Egg Product, Chicken Liver Flavor……..etc.
The ingredients in previous post must be from another type of food, or the company has changed the ingredients. I’ve often found ingredients listed online not to be correct. One needs to go to the Company’s site for more accurate info.
P.S. If you have a cat with struvite crystals your best bet will be to feed him/her wet food only. Water, water, water, water is what a cat at risk of developing stones or crystals needs and lots of it. So quick feeding dry and feed wet only.
The researcher whose site I mentioned earlier says “The worst wet food is better for your cat than the best dry food.”
My vet put my kitty on cranberry pills for this problem and so far, after a year, he’s not had any more urinary problems. I use Nature’s Bounty cranberry softgels which the vet instructed me to do and I give one pill in the morning and one in the evening. To do this the easy way, I wrap the small pill in some cream cheese and my kitty thinks he’s getting a treat. So far, this is working very well.
One way to get this product is by ordering online from Swanson.com or you can call them toll free at: 1-800-437-4148 and they can send you a catalog. The bottle contains 250 small softgels which will last a long time.
Best wishes for success!
See, that isn’t always the case. My cat was on wet food for years. We tried many different brands, good quality ones, no grain no gluten/fillers/etc, adding water, etc. he still had issues. But he has been skiing well on the cd urinary + stress in ways we couldn’t get him to with just a wet food only diet. Before we tried supplements, waterf fountains, and all that jazz. It must be doing something right with his anxiety and urinary issues. He’s been happier and having less issues.
Caitlyn, I was a vet rep for Hills for 34 years. This was my favorite diet to train vets on! It it, in my opinion, the perfect feline diet! The L tryptophan and hydrolyzed casein does miracles for anxiety and FIC cats! The restricted minerals and urine pH perfect for struvite crystals but also for older cats from calcium oxalate stones and kidney disease! But if you just look at the ingredients and don’t understand why they are used, you’ll pass on the food. Marketing makes it hard but you are awesome!
My cat has been on CD Stress Urinary Care for 6 years. He has never had any issues. My kitten gets into his food frequently and again no problems. He has the occasional hair ball but vomits nearly daily if we feed him hairball treats. So if you’re blaming the food think about the treats you’re feeding your pet just in case you’re are blaming the wrong item. Also aged pets develop many issues. So to blame the food is ridiculous without doing bloodwork and bloodwork still wouldn’t tell you if it’s the food or just due to age.
Hi Joni, great points. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for your voice of reason. XD
You can’t read the label in the back of the can when you peel it! Put the letters in blue or black so we as consumers an read it!!!!!!
Hi Bob, that’s a good observation. Thank you for sharing. I’d encourage you to also bring this suggestion directly to Hill’s: https://www.hillspet.com/contact-us
My 11 yr old male cat has pancreatitis. Different foods weren’t working! Put him on hills prescription science diet canned with chicken and vegetable stew and now he’s doing great! Also have him on Phytomaxx CBD oil!
I’ve used Hills Science Diet CD for 3 of my cats over the years who had kidney failure or cystitis. My current cats are 12 and 13. One has had pancreatitis and cystitis, so I’ve fed them CD for most of their lives. In the past two years, one of my cats vomits a lot. In addition, I’ve had 4 bags of cat food where they won’t touch it. If it was one, I could understand. But when I open a new bag and neither one will touch it, you have to ask why. After 4 bags of this in almost 2 years, I’m done with Hill’s. Called them and they deny anything is going on. I’m going to switch to another urinary diet for my cats. Now that I’ve read other people have had the same experience, I know it’s not all in my mind. They’ve had lawsuits regarding their dog food and also canned catfood. Shame on Hill’s. I’m done with them!
Hi Barbara, thanks for sharing your experience and observations!
I’ll add my experience with Hills CD dry and canned food. My one male cat had crystal blockage and after a few trips to the ER, catheters and flushes, we were told to use Hills CD. I’ve got 4 cats all of varying size, age and food tastes and NONE of them will even touch any of this Hills CD food. In particular the canned CD. It’s absolute muck. I’m not sure it even IS cat food.
In addition to the canned no one will eat, the dry, for some reason is large as dog food. The cats will often gag trying to get some of it down.
What’s with Hills? I just don’t understand. I’m convinced they never once put any of this in front of a cat. I’m fully convinced it’s pure dog food just relabeled for cats.
Interesting observations—thank you for sharing.
Hi all, I will add my experience. I lost my Maine Coon to complications from diabetes after a lifetime of eating Science Diet dry food, recommend by our vet. Moved to a different state for a few years and new vet encouraged us to try and transition her off the food…she would not hear of it. Even though she was 15 I still feel she could have lived longer had we been able to make the switch.
For those of you wondering, the high carb content and use of corn as filler is the reason she developed diabetes – a cheap ingredient with no nutritional value for cats. A high glycemic vegetable that just kept raising her blood sugar level. Sure she loved it – she was addicted. Food filled with glutens, wheat, corn…garbage ingredients packaged to look like they are backed by science. NOT.
Hills donates a lot of money to veterinarian research….hence the “recommended” by vets label. Unless you are feeding a cow the food, I would steer clear. So many better options.
Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts, Roberta.
What brand of cat food are you feeding to your cat? I have indoor Maine coon mix that I have been feeding Sciece Diet too since she was a kitten. She will be 3 in February. We want to take care of our furbabies
I’ve been one to say I’d never feed Hill’s but I have a Maine Coon that is around 12 years old (took him in as a stray years ago) and after dealing with weekly bouts of vomiting followed by diarrhea this past year I decided to try a prescription diet. Wet food has always been his main diet so I tried several premium wet food brands before trying HIll’s I/D, but the same weekly episodes continued to happen.
Since he’s food motivated and loves dry, he accepted the Hill’s I/D Dry with no problems but I find he eats much less than he used to. That is a good thing since he’s overweight, but I’m watching him carefully to make sure he doesn’t start dropping weight too fast.
I supplement with Weruva canned (Mideast Feast and Luau) and he seems to be content and less agitated. No more demanding food every 4 hours, yowling as he walks down the hall, and his stools are normal…..something I rarely saw.
He is healthy otherwise. Has been vet checked and x-rays and blood tests were all normal.
Thank you RCH for sharing your experience and one other name we coul search or try. I wanted to try wet supplement to my kitten, she was a stray cat, and doesn’t like the dry food very much, but I read all the Hills review and the Royal canine review and I’m scared now. Sincerally, in Latinamerica we have few options 😮💨.
Feeding is soooo difficult. The more I read and research the more confusing it becomes. one of my two cats just got home from vet with Pancreatitis. Of course the Vet gave me some Hills ID with chicken but told me it’s temporary just to get him through the healing. No suggestions on where to go from there. He does not like any food that contains fish oil or fish.
Reviews go all over the chart. I read here many very bad reviews about Hills and the breeder I got my one cat from 12 years ago said under no circumstances feed any Hills. The funny part is there are 300+ positive reviews for ID on Chewy. I would expect there to be some bad ones out of that many and there are but it seems any more that food choices are a gamble for both animals and even humans. I am convinced all the health issues people and animals are having these days have a big chunk of food causes.
I was feeding Royal Canin Hairball wet and dry but they are out of stock everywhere so forced to go to something else. One cat is incredibly picky. I have tried so many foods in the past. This time I picked Blue Buffalo Tastefulls Chicken, going against all my grain of stepping out of the high quality sort of foods. Within a couple of weeks boom – pancreatitis in one cat.
Soooo where to turn to quickly?
I think you’ll find that the Hill’s I/D works well during the healing process. As for diets to feed after that, I would recommend reading our article on the best cat food for pancreatitis—there are a number of options there that I think could work well.
Replying to my comment above…. I had to stop feeding the canned food since his stools became too soft and smelly. I now think he may be sensitive to Seafood. My cat continues to love the I/D and digestion is normal.
My cat Dusk developed some urinary issues and my vet recommended the Urinary Care c/d diet to prevent the need for surgery.
Fist day, Dusk puked the food, practically undigested and I attributed it to the fact that she had been sedated for her ultrasound scan.
It’s been around 10 days and while both her and her brother Totopo love the darn food, they both have the weirdest diarrhea I’ve ever seen (Totopo has been sneakily munching on Dusk special food) I thought that it was just Dusk’s tummy being delicateand it wasn’t agreeing with the food, but after seein Totopo have the exact same kind of diarrhea I’m not gonna risk it and I’m stopping the “treatment” before any serious damage happens to my babies.
It sucks so bad, Hill’s food is incredibly expensive and now I’m stuck with a half eaten, diarrhea inducing bag of their crappy food. What a scam.
I have a male cat with UTI issues. Eating the c/d dry food. I had a female cat that I put on this food also just so I didn’t have to purchase two different kinds of food and to also make sure my male cat did not eat the no Hills brand. Right after Christmas I noticed my female cat had lost a fang tooth, I took her to the vet and was told he had an autoimmune disease. And the only treatment was to have all of her teeth pulled, otherwise it will keep attacking her mouth and cause infection. So a week later she had all of her teeth pulled. She had a follow up visit the following week, vet said everything looked good but she had stopped eating! So three days later I had to rush her to the vet because she was having a hard time breathing. Vet said she had pneumonia and a collapsed lung, she stayed at the vet and two hours later she died!!
Now it is two weeks later and my male cat has also lost a fang tooth! I am freaking out, could this be from the food?? I don’t know what other food he can have? Plus my cats are only 4 yrs old!
That is, indeed, very strange. I wouldn’t necessarily attribute it to the food, but it is odd that both of your cats are experiencing this in such close proximity to one another. I would ask your vet if they see any possible correlation. If you want to be on the cautious side, there are several other good options for cats with urinary issues, some of which are in our article on the best food for urinary health.
hello!
My native language is not English but i hope that you understand…
I have a cat that is almost 5 years old, he has been diagnosed with mycoplasma and my vet recommended giving him hills hair ball control for breakfast and multiple benefit for dinner. My cat occasionally vomits, sometimes hair and sometimes it’s just vomiting, he hardly eats (but has been like this since he was a kitten)… I don’t know if I should change the brand or is it because of his illness? What brand do you recommend considering that I live in El Salvador.
Thank you so much. I hope you answer and understand what I tried to say.
Hi Olga, thanks for the comment, and I’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you! The vomiting you’ve described could be caused by a wide variety of things, and it may or may not be related to the food you’re feeding your cat. When did you start feeding him the Hill’s food? Did you notice any change around that time? Did you notice him vomiting more after his diagnosis or treatment for it? I would recommend talking with your veterinarian to try to pinpoint the cause of the vomiting and what you may be able to do to help.
My cat got “prescribed” the hydrolyzed protein formula for suspected IBD, but I just really can’t bring myself to feed him this stuff. I want to try some single source protein foods like hound and gato or Koha. Is there any alternative to this hydrolyzed food? It seems to me like HSD incentivise vets to push this food. How, just how would corn and wheat be good for them? Also the parent company is Palmolive Colgate? That says it all.
Hey Anah, thanks for the message! I believe you’re on the right track in looking for some single-protein foods. If you can systematically work out which foods cause your cat’s reactions (using an elimination diet), you’ll be able to permanently remove that protein from their diet. Using single-protein foods featuring a novel protein (a protein that has never been in your cat’s diet before) will get you there. Koha has a great selection of foods like this, and H&G is good for this purpose as well. Good luck!
Thank you for the advice, Mallory! I appreciate all you do for cat parents so much. I can’t believe I hadn’t found you’re amazing work sooner.
Thank you so much for this information. Almost everywhere on the internet Hill’s Science is listed as either the best or just below that. I guess since they have varieties that speak to certain medical problems people just assume this is a good food. I was starting to think I was crazy because a pet food store I worked at that had top of the line health brands and the owner said it was not good food. There are a lot of fillers according to this owner, Thanks for one of the only unbiased reviews I’ve seen.
We’re so glad it helped, Jeanette! A lot of posts about the best cat food are either sponsored or poorly-researched and based on popularity. Thanks for reading!
Hills science diet canned hair all has saved my cat. I know it is not reviewed here but I thought I’d mention this. My 13 year old kitty had to have an enema a couple of months ago because of constipation. I’ve tried many varieties of catfood recommended for constipation recommended on this site but none has made a difference like this hairball formula. He is a very regular guy again and he loves it! He even lets me put a little water with it which he needs. I’ve used it for ten days and he has gained weight too! Please review this one please.
We’ll consider covering the hairball formulation in the future, but for now, I’m glad it’s working for you so well!
My 14 year old male cat has had hyperthyroid disease and IBD for quite some time now. He would commonly vomit right after eating, and his stools were always loose and stunk up the house even far away from his litter box. Although on medication from his last vet for the past three years, he has been consistently losing weight despite a voracious appetite, and had been slowing down every day except for feeding times. The next vet visit he had, my husband and I expressed that we were scared that this year may be it for our buddy. The vet (who was a new vet from our previous one), immediately suggested a more holistic approach than just medication, and along with vitamin supplements, sold us a case of the Digestive Care wet food.
Now, before I say this, let me be clear: I’m not a spokesperson, or a sponsor. I have no vested interest in this company, and frankly I think their prices are outrageous ($107 on Chewy for 24pk of wet food and an 8lb bag of dry…and that’s with free shipping). But hand to my heart, if it wasn’t like our Ringo wasn’t a brand new cat a day after eating the Science Hill food (and this is before we got the supplements shipped to our house). He had a spring in his step, his eyes and fur looked brighter, and most importantly, the vomiting almost completely ceased, and his stools almost instantly became formed and smelled much less worse. He goes absolutely bonkers for both the wet and dry food at feeding time. We’ve actually had to start feeding it to our 5 year old female because she stole a little from his bowl and now wants it too.
This food literally gave our cat his life back. Like I said, the price of the food is outrageous, and to feed two cats, it’s going to cost me over $200 a month. But I’ve tried everything with my cat, even cold pasteurized, minimally processed raw diets, and nothing so far has worked for him except this food. So, if coughing up $200 a month to keep our boy as heathy as he can be for as long as we can, then I’ll gladly fork over that money.
I’m so glad you found something that works for your cat, Sarah! When we review cat foods it’s mostly from an ingredient standpoint, but veterinary brands like Hill’s put a lot of time and research into their formulas and they really do work for a lot of cats. What’s most important is that your cat is healthy now and it sounds like he is!
Been feeding our 2 cats Hills Urinary care for 2 years. Just purchased a bag and cats would not eat it. Called Hills and was told they CHANGED some ingredients. Now cats are not eating and need to figure what they will eat.
That sounds frustrating! Unfortunately, reformulations are all too common and manufacturers don’t always make an announcement to let pet owners know the recipe has changed.
My male 16 yo orange tabby cat was just given a pancreatitis diagnosis after eating the hills dry and Royal Canin wet for 2 years also, we did an ultrasound and see the pancreas is actually fine, but lower intestine is thickened. Now we are on the hills c/d food sensitivities and it’s making him constipated. I honestly think the c/d food is not good for long term use. It may have been the mixing of brands, but to make him this sick? I don’t know..But I’m running out of options to help my fur baby, will ask vet about the l/d since someone above said it worked well for them. Fingers crossed for my baby! I can tell he’s just unhappy in his tummy right now.
Hello Marianne, thank you for commenting. We have a couple of articles that you might find helpful:
Best Cat Food for Pancreatitis
Best Cat Food for IBD
Wishing your cat all the best!
My cats love your sensitive cat food (IN A CAN), but now its hard to find the sensitive food IN A CAN at the pet stores. I go to Pets Mart or Petco all you can find are these stupid packets, which my girl cat WILL NOT EAT. The person who came up with this stupid idea is either a youngling right out of school or they don’t have animals. NOT ALL ANIMALS ARE THE SAME. I can order with Chewy, which is ridiculously expensive or go online and pay more plus shipping. Maybe your marketing person should go back to the coloring board. NOT ALL ARE THE SAME! Whomever it is, i do not like that you did this to my girl cat. You’re forcing me to keep buying until i find something she’ll eat. Let me have a choice, not you all give what you think my cat will eat. I want to be able to go to the pet store and pick up my daughters favorite cat food. Obviously the person who came up with this idea (GET RID OF THEM) My cat doesn’t understand that the pouches are non recyclable and the cans are. Great job! For filling up the land fields with this stupid idea. GET RID OF YOUR MARKETING MANAGER! My recycle place will not take your great idea of chunky pouches.. We have spent several dollars trying out new things for her to try. I use to go to the pet store and pay $37.00 with tax $40.00 for 24 cans. I’ve been every where today, looking for her can of sensitive food I finally decided to sit down and tell you to GET RID OF THE PERSON WHO CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA.. I’m heading back out in the snow so I can find her can cat food (Sensitive) If you know of someone who will recycle this non bright idea, please advisee where i can recycle all of these half full packets. Tell me where i can take them. I should send them all to you so you can see what we have spent… I’ll send you all of my receipts, and the bad idea pouches that she will not eat. I’m so upset with you all! Our veterinarian carries but they charges even more. Since i have gone this far, i will send you the packets i have bought and the other science diet cat food. VERY UNPLEASED PERSON, BUT AS IF YOU ALL CARE! Please advise where i can recycle these pouches, if it was a can easy breezy recycle.
Hi Ronda, we are a publisher and not connected to Hill’s, PetSmart, or Petco—you will have to email them directly in order to get in touch with anyone within the company. For now, I appreciate you sharing this issue. It seems the best way to approach recycling is to use a Zero Waste Box from Terracycle and send it in. Some companies partner with Terracycle to make this process easy and free, but Hill’s is not one of them.
Not sure. My guy was switched to dry and canned Hills Prescription (chicken) and his stools became dry and gnarly. I’ve put him back on a mixture (alternating) of Wellness (wet) and Halo dry and his stools are back to normal.
If I remember correctly he didn’t have crystals but a urinary tract infection that could/would lead to cystitis. So the change. But he is totally indoor and lazy so picked up more weight. Since putting him back on Halo dry, his energy level has also increased. I will finish the bag of Hills dry and the canned wet but may eliminate them both in favor of Wellness and Halo.
Halo’s motto… ‘the proof is in the poop’ and I definitely see the difference. Hard to know since he doesn’t speak English!
These posts are helpful.
I have 2 healthy indoor cats who never had an issue and been on hills since they where kittens. They love Hills dry food they are both neutered now and they normally eat the chicken light dry mix. Maybe Hills is different in Europe than in us as definitely no stinky farts or pool with hills (does happen with other brands ) and generally cats are very healthy , they have beautiful furr they are very happy and as I said never had a problem. We only see the vet for annual check up that’s all.
Nice! Glad it’s working for your cats.
My cats has been eating Hills and Royal Canin for long time without ant issues. I am aware they contains wheat, cereals and vegetals ingredients, but they solved quickly an urinary blockage at the beginning, i think that with a sick cat u have no better option than Hills or Royal Canin, none else invest as much as them both in clinical researches and studies. Forgive my Engkish as i am not a native speaker
My cats have been eating Hills for 3 years because my vet recommended. It was a huge mistake. One of our cat started having skin allergy and getting worse and another one was recently diagnosed as IBD and prescription food(of course Hills). Please don’t trust vet completely. Trust your intuition and do a lot of research. Vet suggest steroid to my cat to reduce his diarrhea with blood, but I couldn’t trust her. I did my research and change their diet completely with supplement and Chinese medicine. Now his stool is normal and other cat stopped scratching. I threw away the steroid they gave me and prescription food. I am seeing Holistic Vet this week and will get more suggestion about their food choice and supplement. My cats are 5 years old and maybe damaged from Hills food but nothing is too late as they are still young, they can restore health through holistic foods, supplements and love.
Hill’s Science Diet C/D “Prescription” diet is horrible, as evidenced by the ingredients as well as the outlandish price. I was “suckered” into buying it after my cat suddenly took ill & was found to have struvite stones in his bladder. I took my vet’s advice without question and cut corners to afford it, terrified my Oliver could die without it. I’ve always fed my cats a high quality diet – free fed dry and fed wet food twice a day – they were rarely sick. I never found a canned “rx” food that Oliver would eat so we stayed with his usual but he liked the dry. Once I started researching though, I was outraged. The fact is that the majority of vets are not well educated on nutrition and rely on the pet food reps’ “knowledge.” I continue to search for high quality dry food which doesn’t contain vegetables, grains, high carbs and other crap that cats do not need, do not want and are not designed to process. It really should be unlawful but hey, look at what the humans are being “fed.”
Thanks for sharing, Cynthia. If you’re still looking for a low-carb dry food, maybe check out Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein. It’s formulated with animal-derived protein and fat with under 10% dry matter carbs. Unlike many dry foods, it uses gelatin as a binding ingredient instead of starchy carbohydrates. Here’s some info about it: https://cats.com/dr-elseys-cat-food-review