Dry Food: Ok With Water Added?

I'm ancient: 90 next month, and have had cats most of my life. singly or in pairs.
After several years without a cat after my last one died of old age at 19, I need to catch up on recent trends in cat care.
My last few cats lived on the free feeding of dry food, next to a water bowl kept full with occasional treats or a bit of my piece of fish or meat.
Today I welcomed a 5 year old female cat weighing about 5 lbs.
If this time I add water to the (good) dry food, does she still need wet food or more meats?

I know someone who does this, and it seems to work for her and her cat. But dry food goes bad very quickly when water is added, so only do that if your cat eats it all right away---don't leave it sitting out. And I kind of think opening a can is easier .

My suggestion would be to leave a bowl of dry food out all the time, and give her a 3-oz can once a day (or half of that can twice a day). Unless she starts to get plump, then you'd have to cut back on the dry food. But some cats can free-feed without getting fat.

My cat eats wet food fine - though she has a strong preference to pate/mousse texture wet food. She also eats dry food fine. But if her dry food is any wetter than "a little damp", she refuses to eat it. And like Willowy said dry food goes bad way earlier when it's damp.

You could add water to her wet food. When I could afford only a single 80-85gr can of cat food a day I split it into two, one half in the morning, the other half in the evening, and added extra water to each.

Boiled chicken as a treat is fine. I give her with a little boiling water (when it's warm, not hot) for extra hydration. Some vets suggest adding no-sodium nor any additives chicken broth to their water to make them drink more.

If the cat overeats with her dry food with free-feeding, it might be because of the food. They (over)eat some kibbles more than the others.

Dry food is not meant to be soaked in water. It would be ok only if you only soak a small amount of dry food in water and the cats eats it all up right away. I would not let the mixture sit out all day to be picked over by the cat. Bacteria from the cat's saliva will quickly grow in the moist dry food. Someone on another cat board did this once and the moist dry food turned moldy by the end of the day

It is far better to include canned food in the cat's diet. You can add extra water to the canned food. Feed dry food and canned food in separate bowls. Always have a bowl of fresh water available. Most canned foods are complete diets but some are not so be sure to read the label. Big tip off: if there are no vitamins or minerals listed in the ingredient list, they food is only a supplement / complement / treat type food. There will be statement in teeny tiny letters that will also say that the food is only a supplement / complement. Fancy Feast Broths line is one sold in the US that is only a supplement / complement / treat type food. If you're also feeding dry food, then feeding a supplement / complement / treat food is not a big deal but try to stick with those that are complete balanced diets.

Plain cooked meat is ok as a treat, up to 10% of the diet to avoid unbalancing the diet.

Anne S. H. said:

I'm ancient:

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Anne S. H. said:

after my last one died of old age at 19, I need to catch up on recent trends in cat care.

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Anne S. H. said:

Today I welcomed a 5 year old female cat weighing about 5 lbs.

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What you are is simply fantastic, and obviously a very caring cat owner who wants the best for your feline companion.

We are absolutely thrilled that you are here, and thank you for becoming a part of our community.
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A Anne S. H. , I wonder if you mention that your cat weighs five pounds because she needs to gain weight, is that the case? (I wonder that because five pounds is small for an adult cat, though of course some cats are just very tiny!)

I agree with the others about not adding water to dry food. It's risky and, honestly, pretty disgusting if the cat doesn't finish the food! (We did this when we had a very sick cat and it wasn't pretty. Plus a lot of food can get wasted that way.)

If you're hoping to help your cat gain a little weight, my suggestion would be to seek out caloric wet foods that are as meaty as possible. Fancy Feast Classics (the pates) are fairly high-calorie, they don't have vegetables or grains to add empty carbohydrate calories, and they're popular with many cats.

Personally, I think the best trend in cat food is the oldest trend: meat! Cats are sweet little carnivores who thrive on lots of meat. There are lots of other brands of foods that are good sources of meat for a cat that needs good calories -- do you buy cat food at local stores or online?