This summer during a CKD case, I was speaking with the vet about dietary management for the cat, and asked about preventative dietary measures that can be taken. I think he said something about a certain diet (low protein? I cannot quite remember) actually being beneficial to give starting at age 7 or 8, even when the cat has a healthy kidney, just as a preventative measure.

I was wondering what the recommendations are for dietary management of healthy 7/8/9 year old cats. Are there recent studies that have changed our perspective on preventing CKD? If the diet is low-protein, as I think I heard, what is the point at which low-protein benefits outweigh the benefits of having cats on a generally high-protein diet? Is this kind of a diet something we should be putting all cats at that age on, or should it be carefully considered before recommending?