Best cat foods for cat health, kidney, thyroid, etc.?

I had to put down our 14 year old cat Ginger yesterday due to kidney issues. She had one kidney that was 3x the size it should have been with a growth on it and the other kidney was small and shrinking, failure from overuse. The vet was really understanding and I was there when she injected Ginger and died seconds later. Really tough to do, but her weight loss (2+ lbs in one month) and complete personality change, not eating or playing, and scratching a lot of fur away from behind her ears was getting scary. All this in a few weeks, probably when her kidneys got so bad, she started noticing it.

Anyway, what cat foods are there that are best for a cat's health?

The healthiest, cleanest cat foods that won't cause kitty issues down the road?

vet cat foods?

commercial cat foods?

I'm wondering if our cat eating IAMS her entire life caused the kidney failures and her to be put down?

I've done some research on this and there are vet cat foods that are supposedly way healthier than regular cat foods.

Hi, @Gingerkitty1   and I'm very sorry for your loss.

There are many good advocates for quality food on this site who I hope you will hear from, and I too believe in good food but I'm going to present a slightly  different POV on this for you.

The sad thing is, our animals age faster than we do, and they will all die generally before the age of 20, and 15 is a very normal lifespan for a cat - regardless of what you feed them.  Don't get me wrong good food and is important for a healthy cat, but feeding a quality diet isn't going to extend most cats' lives beyond their normal and natural lifespan, although I believe it can prevent premature problems in general.

You can't prevent cancer with food, although you may lessen its occurrence, in theory.  But cancer in cats is also an age related problem.  Decreased kidney function/kidney disease is something that virtually every cat will experience if s/he lives long enough.  Quality food and lots of water may help prevent kidney issues, but this is a disease that cats are prone to.

My cats get excellent food. My 12 year old developed heart disease and died of it, my 15 year old currently lives with renal insufficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis and mild heart disease.  And he eats great food.

So yes, get recommendations for quality food, make sure your cats stay well hydrated (Wet food helps), provide regular vet care and hope for the best.  I treasure every second with my cats and it will never be enough.

thx for the advice. Helps put my mind at ease.

Sure thing.  There are a ton of articles here on nutrition: http://www.thecatsite.com/atype/46/Cat_Health