Dry And Wet Food

[LannyLC]

Hi there; I've just been giving my cats 1/4 cup dry food (grain free) morning and night. But recently a friend at work suggested I give wet food ... to my male cat especially. She likes the Wellness brand. Can I get some advice or your thoughts on whether I should add wet food once/day to their diet? Thanks in advance

 

[Furballsmom]

your thoughts on whether I should add wet food once/day to their diet?

I believe yes. To support my thinking, my boy, who had the PU surgery because of a blockage when he was barely two years old and had been fed only dry food by his former owner, was prescribed wet food by his vet because of the increased moisture content.

He is 14 now, and gets canned food daily with treats of pouch gravy (he's one of those cats that won't eat the morsels but loves the gravy LOL), and some kibble.

You could also add a pet water fountain if you haven't already since cats often will drink more from a fountain.

 

[Azazel]

Yes, do it!

 

[Kieka]

Wet is beneficial in all cats diets. Modern domestic cats evolved from a desert cat (Fertile Crescent area is the current theory) and as a result are less inclined to drink water. They are designed to get most of their dietary moisture through food but modern dry food diets are low in moisture. Meaning that unless your cat is a very heavy drinker they are likely dehydrated. Which can be the root for all sorts of health issues; most commonly kidney related.

Even feeding one wet meal a day can help increase your cats hydration level. Not to mention most wet foods have a lower carb content which can help prevent obesity. They also tend to have few fillers which also means healthier. All around if you can feed one or two or even all their meals as wet meals it will benefit your cat. I personally do a wet breakfast and wet dinner (because it fits in my schedule that way) with dry out between meals.

 

[KarenKat]

I agree with all of the above. We have two cats with no major medical issues and we saw major improvements on wet food.

Olive gets very fat on dry food, even high quality and low carb types like Dr Elsey’s. Switching her to wet food solved this.

Gohan has always been on the skinny side, but healthy. He never overate and generally had good energy. We switched him to wet food and his coat became super soft and he ended up gaining a little weight which we were happy about.

I also think that wet food seems so much more satisfying for them to eat than dry kibble. I figure it’s like going from a protein bar to fresher food and it has to be more enjoyable.

 

[Tuffysmom]

Definitely add the wet. My Tuff only gets dry kibble as a snack, about 1 good teaspoon once a day. He is very shiny and healthy.

 

[LannyLC]

Oh you guys are AMAZING thank you so much for all these answers.
Furballsmom I will buy a water fountain for cats.
Azazel, thank you !
Kieka, thank you for explaining history!
KarenKat, I’ll do wet in morning and night.
Tuffy, can’t wait to see shiny coats.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[sweet jane flash]

My cat will have nothing to do with wet canned cat food. Except for human grade tuna once a month. However she drinks a lot of water and occasionally i give her a bit of steak or hamburger or chicken when she wants it which is somewhat a part of just being with me and her daddy. She would rather I be there when she eats (I think probably because I was not around for a few weeks during my 3 hospitalizations.) Also, she grew up with kibble so wet canned is just too foreign to her I suspect. She will not eat it, not any kind of canned cat food. However her diet is also supplemented with a dollop of yogurt in the morning and another dollop in the evening--and it has to be yogurt with the fat in it. She will not eat low fat yogurt. If your cat is lactose intolerant I would not advise adding any dairy. It is fun to learn the different quirks of each particular cat and then to indulge them in what they clearly love. This cat is part siberian and will often leave one of her dollies in her water bowl for me to find in the morning. It is such fun! I fully expect her to live at least to age 20, as all my other cats did, and none of them liked to eat wet canned cat food either.

 

[LannyLC]

Amazing, Sweet Jane. ha ha leave a dolly in her water bowl for you to find. How precious. Well, I shall keep this in mind as I go forward. Each cat is truly as individual as each human.

 

[Uncled]

My two male cats only eat Wet pate style food three times a day, the do get kibble in a treat ball or food puzzle when we leave the house for a few hours, but it is just a snack not a meal. They are over a year old, and we're weaned onto wet food as kittens.