Complementary wet food with complete dry?

[midnightsmummy]

Hi,
My cat is very picky with his food. Particularly the Wed food he eats. He only eats gourmet, feline fayre and lidl' s coshida pate trays. He's ok with most dry biscuits (flavours and brands).
I've been feeding midnight mainly a complete dry food (available all the time) with a pouch of wet from one of the above brands everyday. It has recently come to my attention that feline fayre blue pouches are a complimentary food. Is it ok to feed midnight this with his regular dry everyday? If not how often is it ok to feed him this?
Please advise.

 

[LTS3]

 It has recently come to my attention that feline fayre blue pouches are a complimentary food. Is it ok to feed midnight this with his regular dry everyday? If not how often is it ok to feed him this?
 

It's fine to feed a complementary canned or pouched food with regular dry food

 

The only concern with complementary canned or pouched food is if it's the only thing fed to a cat. Because the food lacks essential vitamns and minerals, a cat could develop serious health issues.

Do you add water to the complementary food? It will help keep your cat well hydrated.

 

[midnightsmummy]

Thank you so much. Your response was a major relief. I've researched online and there are so many debates on whether wet or dry food is better but I felt I couldn't go wrong with a bit of both. He absolutely loves Lidl's Coshida pates, but it's so cheap, it can't be too good for him. He prefers his dry to most brands of wet. I've tried whiskas, Felix, sheba, purina one, kitkat, pets pantry, hi-life and even sainsburys own brand. All without success. He just wont eat these wet foods and will stick to his dry. Since I really wanted him having both I kept experimenting until I found feline fayre. Which he loves just as much as the Coshida pate, if not more, but with the high meat content (60/70%) and it costing more, I figured it would be better for him. Was really disappointed when I found out that it wasn't a complete food and was even worried, but your response has eased my mind. He is eating mainly dry and since he likes the Coshida pate and he's ok with Gourmet (both complete foods) I'll switch it up for him between these brands. Midnight means the world to me and I definitely want him to have the best I am able to give him.

 

[midnightsmummy]

Do you add water to the complementary food? It will help keep your cat well hydrated.

I haven't been adding any water to his wet food. I assumed it wasn't necessary as wet food already has a high water content. I did try to get him to eat moistened dry food, but sadly he wouldn't eat it. He does have water available to him at all times. He has his water fountain and also a water bowl by his dry food bowl. And he is know to take a slurp out my water glass and even the dishes in the sink!:lol3:

 

[mservant]

When my boy ate wet food as a youngster he would tuck happily in to the Coshida pate as well, and although much cheeper than a lot of wet food trays it seems to have a good amount of protein in it.  I'm sure there are less savoury cuts of meat in there but they were the chewy bits that Mouse seemed to like.  As lower cost foods go I don't think that one is to bad, and as long as the complete foods make up most of the diet suplimenting with the Feline Fair.  If a cat eats wet food they should get most of the water they need from the food but if adding dry they would certainly need to take in extra fluids to make up for the dry food intake.  As long as your cat has plenty of interesting sources of water he should be fine but if you can keep track and make sure he is drinking this is a good idea.  Hard when they like to drink from taps and other sneaky sources.  Earlier today I caught Mouse drinking from a (cold) pan my lodger uses to make her cups of tea in rather than a kettle . 

  I had to check with her that she didn't use the water she left in the pan - thankfully not!  I think he is curious and likes to be oportunistic in checking out any water we humans leave out, and most other cats probably do the same, their ordinary bowls must be so boring!

 

[midnightsmummy]

....Hard when they like to drink from taps and other sneaky sources.  Earlier today I caught Mouse drinking from a (cold) pan my lodger uses to make her cups of tea in rather than a kettle . :lol3:   I had to check with her that she didn't use the water she left in the pan - thankfully not!  I think he is curious and likes to be oportunistic in checking out any water we humans leave out, and most other cats probably do the same, their ordinary bowls must be so boring!

LOL. I agree. Midnight seems to prefer drinking out of places he shouldn't be too.:lol3:
Thanks for responding.

I've decided to give adding water to his wet food a try. A little extra water can only be a good thing. I've added a little bit (1-2 tspns) of warm water these last few times I've fed him . He doesn't seem to have noticed. Which is definitely a good thing.

 

[bonepicker]

LOL. I agree. Midnight seems to prefer drinking out of places he shouldn't be too.:lol3:
Thanks for responding.

I've decided to give adding water to his wet food a try. A little extra water can only be a good thing. I've added a little bit (1-2 tspns) of warm water these last few times I've fed him . He doesn't seem to have noticed. Which is definitely a good thing.

I add quite a bit if purified drinking water to wet food and stir it around.

 

[lamiatron]

i always give my kitties wet and dry!

as much as i'd like to feed them just wet, two of my kitties really enjoy dry food and go crazy for it!!

I give them their pate wet food mixed with water, and then sprinkle a few pieces of the dry food on top for them for each meal (they get fed twice a day) and they all love it

If i skip the dry food on top, one of my VERY VOCAL AND ANNOYINGLY LOUD kitties will let me know. 

I think they like the different textures. 

 

[midnightsmummy]

i always give my kitties wet and dry!
as much as i'd like to feed them just wet, two of my kitties really enjoy dry food and go crazy for it!!
......
I think they like the different textures. 

Midnight likes a bit of both. I keep them seperate but he usually has most of his 1/4 pouch of wet before moving on to the dry food. He then finishes off the wet, but usually a little while later. I used to give him more of the wet food but thats as much as he eats in one sitting. I dont like to leave wet food sitting in his bowl as I've read that if its been there over 30 minutes, it could give him food poisoning. Not sure how true that is but still, why take the risk? He gets the wet 4 times a day, 3 if I give him bigger portions.
I did consider feeding him wet only at one time. And then again I considered feeding him dry only at one point too. Too much conflicting information available online (for and against both) has made me decide to give him a combination. And since he likes it that way, I guess I'm doing the right thing by him.

 

[bonepicker]

Midnight likes a bit of both. I keep them seperate but he usually has most of his 1/4 pouch of wet before moving on to the dry food. He then finishes off the wet, but usually a little while later. I used to give him more of the wet food but thats as much as he eats in one sitting. I dont like to leave wet food sitting in his bowl as I've read that if its been there over 30 minutes, it could give him food poisoning. Not sure how true that is but still, why take the risk? He gets the wet 4 times a day, 3 if I give him bigger portions.
I did consider feeding him wet only at one time. And then again I considered feeding him dry only at one point too. Too much conflicting information available online (for and against both) has made me decide to give him a combination. And since he likes it that way, I guess I'm doing the right thing by him.

There is NO argument for dry, it is not healthy for the cat.

 

[midnightsmummy]

There is NO argument for dry, it is not healthy for the cat.

I wish that was the case and that I conclusively knew that wet food only with no dry at all was best. I would then try my best to feed wet only (though I doubt my Midnight would be so happy about that).

As is, the pet shop I got my kitten from said dry food only was best and they were exclusively feeding all their kittens Royal Canin Kitten dry food. The reason they gave was, teeth are healthier and kitten can eat when and how much they want, which is apparently how they should be fed the first year of their life. The vet I take him too suggested the same with similar reasoning. My friend also feeds her cats dry with the some wet food. Although I did feed only dry in the beginning with the occasional wet treat, I wanted to feed more wet. I'd had cats while I was growing up and they had all been exclusively fed wet food, either Whiskas or Felix. Because of this I started doing the research and discovered all these cat websites. There IS a debate on cat wet vs dry and even those who are pro wet have a but at the end of their articles which gives reasons why someone would/should(?) use dry. What with all the mixed information I have in my kitty (no pun intended) and Midnight's personal preference, it is hard to choose just one or the other. I made my choice based on the information I have and after getting to know my cat. I feel like I'm doing ok so far. l am trying my best. Please dont judge me.

PS: Re: Getting Midnight from a pet shop. I was not aware of kitten mills, inbreeding, or any other reason why its not a good idea to get kittens from pet shops before I got Midnight. But still, I cannot regret getting him. I am more aware of everything cat nowadays and will definitely get a kitten from a better source in future. Assuming I ever do that is.

Midnight is dewormed, deflead and neutered. All shots are up to date. He is a very much loved, healthy and happy 6 month old kitten. I know because I've been keeping an eye on his tail since I found out I can know his mood/feelings from the positioning. Even so, I watch him like a hawk for any health discrepancies. Sorry if I'm coming across very defensive. I don't like feeling that I'm doing anything wrong by him. I wouldnt even call myself a crazy cat lady because to me, Midnight is my baby.

 

[bonepicker]

Just read all the articles by Lisa Pierson at cat info.org on this site. Dry leads to diabetes and blockages and many other diseases. When was the last time you saw a tiger eating cereal or a carrot? NEVER

 

[lamiatron]

Just read all the articles by Lisa Pierson at cat info.org on this site. Dry leads to diabetes and blockages and many other diseases. When was the last time you saw a tiger eating cereal or a carrot? NEVER

@bonepicker  I don't think in any articles it is definitely said that dry DOES lead to these things, but, that it COULD lead to these things. Many cats who are on a wet only diet all of their lives can ALSO develop diabetes, renal failure, and other health issues. I think what you are trying to say is there is a greater likely hood that the cat will develop these health issues (as i'm sure it is also stated in any online research or article, that there is a greater likely hood, not a definite outcome). Also, there are many high end, premium wet foods, that are touted to be good for kitty, and are grain free, that also have ingredients like veggies and fruits (wellness brand for example). I feel like your tone is a bit harsh towards OP. We all have our opinions, but at the end of the day, we all do the best we can to take care of our fur babies.

If you have found any research or articles or essays that do definitely point to: YES DRY IS THE WORST AND WILL MOST DEFINITELY LEAD TO HEALTH ISSUES AND HERE IS THE PROOF, please do link so that others can see and be more educated on this matter, and learn something new.

to @midnightsmummy

I can relate to you. in that you might not know so much right now on proper cat/kitten care, because you are a first time cat mommy, but you are learning day by day, and as you learn, you make better decisions. Unknowingly getting a cat from the pet store instead of adopting from a shelter does not make you a bad person. You didn't know. When i got my first cat Charlie, I wanted to get him declawed. I didn't know any better. I just heard from friends and family that declawing is best for the house and kitty. So i blindly followed that suggestion, and considered getting him declawed. Upon doing research on my own, I found out what declawing really is...and I couldn't believe I would consider it. The crazy thing is, when adopting Charlie, a shelter representative was explaining to me about how to clip the cats nails, and i told her "oh he will be declawed" and she just said "oh okay. Then that settles it". I even talked to a VET who said it would be best. we are misinformed by the people we expect to be experts, as you were about dry food from the pet store worker as well as your friends (because dry isn't the best). But I cared enough to look it up. You cared enough to look it up, and learn alternative and better ways to take care of your kitty. I commend you for that. Ultimately, As your fur baby gets older, you might want to transition him to more wet than dry, or sprinkle a few pieces of the dry on top of wet as I do, because when comparing wet to dry, i really believe wet is best. but that's your call.  also, you gotta go with what the cat will eat!

 

[midnightsmummy]

Just read all the articles by Lisa Pierson at cat info.org on this site. Dry leads to diabetes and blockages and many other diseases. When was the last time you saw a tiger eating cereal or a carrot? NEVER

Funnily enough....... the answer to your question is last week! LOL

I saw this video on Youtube....

 

[midnightsmummy]

Never mind. It appeared above.

 

[midnightsmummy]

 
to @midnightsmummy

I can relate to you. in that you might not know so much right now on proper cat/kitten care, because you are a first time cat mommy, but you are learning day by day, and as you learn, you make better decisions. Unknowingly getting a cat from the pet store instead of adopting from a shelter does not make you a bad person. You didn't know. When i got my first cat Charlie, I wanted to get him declawed. I didn't know any better. I just heard from friends and family that declawing is best for the house and kitty. So i blindly followed that suggestion, and considered getting him declawed. Upon doing research on my own, I found out what declawing really is...and I couldn't believe I would consider it. The crazy thing is, when adopting Charlie, a shelter representative was explaining to me about how to clip the cats nails, and i told her "oh he will be declawed" and she just said "oh okay. Then that settles it". I even talked to a VET who said it would be best. we are misinformed by the people we expect to be experts, as you were about dry food from the pet store worker as well as your friends (because dry isn't the best). But I cared enough to look it up. You cared enough to look it up, and learn alternative and better ways to take care of your kitty. I commend you for that. Ultimately, As your fur baby gets older, you might want to transition him to more wet than dry, or sprinkle a few pieces of the dry on top of wet as I do, because when comparing wet to dry, i really believe wet is best. but that's your call.  also, you gotta go with what the cat will eat!

Thanks. I am constantly reading up on everything to do with cats, so hopefully over time, I'll be able to better provide for my baby. He is having a pouch or more of the wet food a day, with dry available all the time (he is a foodie). I make sure he drinks a lot of water, so I don't think he suffer from dehydration and I have started to add water to his wet food now too. I don't know if I'll ever switch completely to wet food but I do know I won't be putting him on a complete dry diet. That being said, everyone is allowed their opinions and views and should do what they feel best for their kitty.

Re: The declawing.

I seriously misunderstood about declawing cats too!  I went around telling people I 'declawed' my cat often thinking it meant trimming his nails. It wasn't until I noticed people online being appalled by other people doing it that I wondered what the big deal was. I was shocked when I found out what it actually was.

 

[pushylady]

 I just tried to post a YouTube link but apparently it needs to be approved.

I've edited it to embed the YouTube code. We ask that people embed rather than link to YouTube videos - easy enough to do:
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/239275/please-embed-youtube-videos#post_3151064

Thanks!

 

[pinkdagger]

This isn't as black and white an issue as @bonepicker is making it out to be. Genetics determine a lot of an animal's health and a lot of things they could be predisposed to. Due diligence means doing the best for your individual cat, and @midnightsmummy, please don't feel the need to defend yourself for what's already done - we all started somewhere, we were all first time pet/cat owners at some point, and we have all or will all come a long way from where we are today in doing better for our cats as we learn more. All of us are still learning and will never stop learning.

When it comes to complete vs complementary, I would opt to offer more of the complete to ensure he is meeting his nutritional requirements rather than receiving lots of wet complementary and lacking nutrients.

Some cats do drink a lot of water on their own, and some don't. The ones who don't are the examples we use to illustrate that more wet food is better, because they're the ones who don't go out of their way to supplement what water intake they do receive from food. If you can offer more wet food, you're decreasing the risk of health issues related to chronic dehydration if as your cat falls into the category of not drinking enough water. More water is better than less though, I think any living being can argue that much.

Many of us prefer to err on the side of safety and feed as much wet as we can, as well as offering multiple options for cats to drink more water - water fountains, multiple water bowls in different rooms, allowing them to drink from the tap, etc. I always add water to my cats' wet food until it's a soup (or as soupy as they'll tolerate eating it), but they do receive 0.5 ounce of dry food as a treat at the end of the day in an activity ball - keeps them busy and prevents scarfing down tons of food at once. One of our cats drinks a bunch of water as soon as she's finished eating kibble - she's a great drinker, and one won't drink water unless he totally, purely feels like crap - he's our UTI/kidney concern, but in 10 years of eating only cheap dry, he has never had any blockages though he has recently been found to have small kidneys. They still both get the extra water on their food. I would be careful adding water to dry food though. The longer it sits, the more nasty bacteria can fester. Cat tummies are pretty resilient, but some owners are wary regardless. These are all judgment calls we as individuals need to make for our individual cats.

 

[xcourtney3]

 
I wish that was the case and that I conclusively knew that wet food only with no dry at all was best. I would then try my best to feed wet only (though I doubt my Midnight would be so happy about that).

As is, the pet shop I got my kitten from said dry food only was best and they were exclusively feeding all their kittens Royal Canin Kitten dry food. The reason they gave was, teeth are healthier and kitten can eat when and how much they want, which is apparently how they should be fed the first year of their life. The vet I take him too suggested the same with similar reasoning. My friend also feeds her cats dry with the some wet food. Although I did feed only dry in the beginning with the occasional wet treat, I wanted to feed more wet. I'd had cats while I was growing up and they had all been exclusively fed wet food, either Whiskas or Felix. Because of this I started doing the research and discovered all these cat websites. There IS a debate on cat wet vs dry and even those who are pro wet have a but at the end of their articles which gives reasons why someone would/should(?) use dry. What with all the mixed information I have in my kitty (no pun intended) and Midnight's personal preference, it is hard to choose just one or the other. I made my choice based on the information I have and after getting to know my cat. I feel like I'm doing ok so far. l am trying my best. Please dont judge me.

PS: Re: Getting Midnight from a pet shop. I was not aware of kitten mills, inbreeding, or any other reason why its not a good idea to get kittens from pet shops before I got Midnight. But still, I cannot regret getting him. I am more aware of everything cat nowadays and will definitely get a kitten from a better source in future. Assuming I ever do that is.

Midnight is dewormed, deflead and neutered. All shots are up to date. He is a very much loved, healthy and happy 6 month old kitten. I know because I've been keeping an eye on his tail since I found out I can know his mood/feelings from the positioning. Even so, I watch him like a hawk for any health discrepancies. Sorry if I'm coming across very defensive. I don't like feeling that I'm doing anything wrong by him. I wouldnt even call myself a crazy cat lady because to me, Midnight is my baby.

When I got my two cats as kittens five years ago, I didn't know the first thing about cats. I blindly followed vet advice and had my guys on complete corn laden dry food and was overfeeding them significantly. The vet put them on a Rx food when they never should have been on one and they told me to fill up the bowl when it was empty. I did that, because I didn't know anything about cats. They became obese. My cats are on wet food now because I was told it would help them lose weight, and it did - my boy has lost 4.8lbs in 6 months. THE POINT OF THIS IS everyone makes mistakes. We all did not know everything about cats when we started. I just want you to know I think you're doing a great job and it sounds like your cat is well taken care of. 

 

[flmickey90]

I give mine both. In the last month she started to turn her nose to the kind o was giving her for the moist. I've found 2 that she likes. She is very picky on the flavor of the moist. I'm now going to try and switch it around to see whay she likes. For dry, she has the 4Health Indoor formula and have gotten her some of the 4Health chicken and beef flavor and she likes that. She didn't like gravy when I got her, but will try that kind and she only liked chicken flavor. I got mine from an elderly lady who took her in after her daughter passed away and her grandchildren had her get the kitty declawed and I was upset with hearing that and explained to her that it wasn't a good thing to have done.