What the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines are

The WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines are produced by the WSAVA's Global Nutrition Committee — a panel of veterinary nutritionists and general practitioners from multiple countries. They represent the consensus view of the international veterinary nutrition community and are used by practising vets, veterinary schools, and national veterinary associations as a primary reference.

The guidelines cover nutritional assessment, life-stage feeding, dietary formats, label interpretation, and management of common conditions including obesity, kidney disease, and diabetes. Previous versions were published in 2011 and 2021; the 2026 update incorporates evidence from the intervening five years of clinical research.

Key updates relevant to cat owners

Body condition scoring

The 9-point BCS illustrated scale has been updated with clearer boundary descriptions between BCS 4 and 5 (the ideal range) and more explicit guidance on palpation technique. The new version emphasises that visual assessment alone is unreliable in long-haired cats — palpation of the ribcage is required for accurate scoring.

Life-stage calorie multipliers

The multipliers used to convert resting energy requirement (RER) to daily calorie needs have been refined for senior cats (7+ years). The previous version used a single multiplier of 1.1–1.6 × RER; the update distinguishes between cats aged 7–11 (early senior, higher metabolic rate) and cats over 12 (geriatric, more variable). This matters practically — older cats are more prone to under-feeding than obesity.

Dietary protein in kidney disease

One of the more discussed updates concerns protein restriction in CKD cats. Earlier guidelines recommended restricting dietary protein; the 2026 version acknowledges that moderate protein restriction at IRIS Stage 2–3 remains appropriate but notes that excessive restriction in cats with concurrent muscle loss (sarcopenia) may be harmful. The recommendation is now to consider muscle condition score alongside BCS when adjusting protein intake in CKD cats.

Hydration and dietary format

The updated section on hydration explicitly recommends wet food or mixed wet-dry feeding as the preferred dietary format for cats with lower urinary tract disease and chronic kidney disease. The guidelines acknowledge that some cats on dry-only diets do maintain adequate hydration with water fountain provision, but identify this as harder to verify in practice. See our guide on wet, dry or mixed feeding for practical context.

What has not changed

Several positions remain consistent with the 2021 version:

  • Raw meat diets are not recommended due to nutritional incompleteness risk and bacterial contamination
  • Grain-free diets have no demonstrated benefit for cats without confirmed cereal intolerance
  • Foods labelled "complementary" should not be fed as a sole diet
  • Treats should not exceed 10% of daily caloric intake

How the guidelines affect everyday feeding decisions

For most owners with healthy adult cats, the update reinforces established advice rather than requiring immediate changes. The most actionable takeaway is the refined guidance on life-stage calorie needs — if your cat is over 7 years old, discussing their current calorie target with a vet is worthwhile, particularly if weight or muscle condition has changed.

Our how much to feed your cat guide uses the WSAVA RER formula and life-stage multipliers, and will be updated to reflect the 2026 guidance. The feeding calculator already applies the revised senior multiplier range.

The full guidelines are free. The WSAVA publishes the complete guidelines as a free PDF on their website. They include client-facing handout versions that are designed to be shared directly with pet owners. Worth bookmarking for any cat owner who wants to go beyond the summary.