The Morris Animal Foundation's 2025 Golden Cat Health Grant recipient research delivered new findings on chronic kidney disease (CKD), the leading cause of death in cats over age 10. The study, tracking over 1,200 cats across five years, identified three novel early biomarkers detectable up to 18 months before clinical symptoms appear: symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), and a newly characterized protein called nephroprotectin. The research confirmed that cats fed high-moisture, moderate-protein diets showed 40% slower CKD progression than cats on dry-food-only diets. Phosphorus restriction emerged as the single highest-impact dietary intervention, with cats on low-phosphorus diets showing CKD progression rates three times slower than control groups.
Get your cat's kidney values checked annually after age 7 — and specifically ask your vet about SDMA testing, which can detect kidney decline years before traditional creatinine tests flag anything abnormal. If your cat is over 10, ask about phosphorus-restricted food (many veterinary kidney diets address this). The wet food finding is actionable now: if your cat eats primarily dry kibble, gradually introducing wet food improves hydration and reduces kidney filtration load significantly.