Owners often ask whether spirulina can “replace” something missing from food. For most cats on complete and balanced diets, the bigger issue isn’t a single missing nutrient—it’s the long arc of maintaining condition, appetite, and comfort as years add up. Research comparing cat foods highlights how protein quality and amino acid profiles can vary across formulations, even when labels look similar (Richards T, 2025). Spirulina doesn’t solve that variability, but it can be a small, nutrient-dense add-on when the base diet is already solid.
If your cat is on a restricted or unconventional diet, be especially careful. Cats have specific dietary requirements that aren’t reliably met by plant-based approaches, and deficiencies can have real consequences (RVA, 2020). Spirulina for cats should never be used as a nutritional “patch” for an inadequate diet.