Tins or pouches? Or trays?

[LyyliBlue]

Hi everyone!
I am new here and very glad to have found this nice forum!
I am very sorry if my question is useless or stupid.
I'm in France.
I would like to put my 4 months old kitty on a wet diet.
He's on Lupovet catsmouse dry food at the time, a German brand that is very good, but I know that wet food is the best.

But what is for you the simpler packaging to give the food? Tins or pouches? Or trays?
I have some tins, and i have the impression that I waste some food, as there is always a bit of moisture/juice/meat that I can't get out of the tin.
Not so much, but I am always frustrated.
But I am blind, + I may be a bit stupid and it can explain it all. ^^

Are pouches more practical? Will I waste food if I buy pouches?
Will I have less moisture (with the same percent than the tins)?
Also I always cut myself with the tins and I'm tired of it, and when I open I have juice in my face.
I also read that cat prefered pouches for freshness and because there is not the taste of the tin. Is it true?
But I'm afraid of being even less able of taking the food out of the pouches, that it stick to it.
Thank you very much!

 

[neely]

First, welcome to TCS! Second, your question is not stupid at all, it makes perfect sense. You are on the right track by offering your kitten wet food since you are correct, it is best for him. I've always had the opposite problem since I adopted my cats as young to middle-aged adults who had only been fed junk dry food. Trying to switch them over to wet food was a challenge. I have always used the cans and a cover for any leftovers. But that's my preference, whatever works for your kitty and you is what's best. I recently bought a few pouches of a soup/gravy blend to try so perhaps we can compare notes. I'm sure other members will come along to share their experiences with you.

You may want to check out some of the cat food and feeding Articles here for more tips and advice:
Cat Food & Feeding – TheCatSite Articles
Best of luck, glad you joined the site. Please feel free to get acquainted with all the valuable information and resources here.

 

[Kieka]

I feed my crew a mix of wet food: tins, trays and pouches. I find I go through the pouches quicker and reach for them more. Especially for the 4am breakfast when I am half awake or didn't put on glasses to see what I am doing clearly.

Tins, I have to pull the top and use a spoon to remove the contents. Plus the lids themselves are sharp sometimes. However, tins are more environmentally friendly and you can add water to an empty tin to get the last bits of food out. I usually add water an mush up tinned food because my crew likes a soupy consistency. So after removing the food, I fill it about a third with water, swirl the water around some with my spoon then add the liquid to the wet food. Using the back of the spoon I squish the food into the water until it is well incorporated.

Trays, sometimes the foil is difficult, especially if I just washed my hands or put on lotion. And most are long, narrow shapes that are hard to get out with regular spoons. Most of the time, you can squeeze and drop out the food, but if any sticks it can be awkward. They stack nice but overall probably the hardest to open without cutting the top off and most likely to squirt liquid as you open it. I feel they are least economical too since they are portioned oddly and can't be revealed or store well. Tins have lids you can buy and pouches you can clip the top closed, trays is plastic wrap and hope the seal is good enough.

Pouches, are just easier to open most of the time and I can empty them without a spoon or utensil. Even if the pouch is being difficult to open a quick, clean snip across the top solves the problem without worrying about a mess. Food sometimes gets stuck but usually tapping the bottom clears that or adding some water to the pouch. When I don't have my glasses on pouches are the easiest (I am not blind without glasses, but everything is really fuzzy and I can't read labels on the packages unless they are really close). You can feel where the product is inside the pouch to tap it down prior to cutting the top off, line up the pouch with the bowl as you pour the contents out and give it a few shakes or add a little water to get anything left inside the pouch.

 

[LTS3]

Pouches tend to be food that is in gravy / sauce / broth. Most of the time a pouch is nearly all liquid with very little actual food. Pate foods come in tins and some trays and give you your money's worth. Add water to make '"gravy".

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

I use a flexible baby spoon to get the food out of the cans. Baby spoons work best as they're small, so to can get into the corners.

 

[LyyliBlue]

Hello everyone!
Thank you very very much for your replies! It's very kind!
I appreciate so much!
Sorry I hadn't the time to reply yesterday.

• Thank you so much Neely, I was afraid of my question being stupid!
It's a beautiful thing to adopt middle-aged kit!ies. <3
My kitty was nearly 3 months. He was on Royal Canin dry food, but I changed his food because I knew that it was not ideal.

• Kieka I didn't think to add water to the tin, amazing idea I will try!
With a spoon it can be practical.
I don't know if my Swany will like soup, I'll test it to see how it goes.
When I feed him wet food, I split the food into 4 portions, 3 full medium spoons in each, globally, then I feed him when he meows throughout the day on demand.
I take a fresh portion out of the fridge when he empties the other to be able to give him at room temperature (but the portion is covered and placed in a box).
I don't know if I do well... I read that cat shouldn't eat cold, but the problem is that I can't know when he will be hungry, and I can't let him meow without being fed until the food take the temperature of the room if I take the portions out of the fridge when he meows.
I could add 5 medium spoons of water to the tin and put it in the first portion, then 4 spoons in the 3 others when taking a new one out?
I get it so much for the meowing at 4 am to eat!!!!
I am half sleepy and I haven't the energy to prepare wet food so yes I will test pouches, it seems very practical.
Yes my only worry with pouches is that it's not good for the environment.
I'll order some pouches of Mjam Mjam wet food to see.

• Thank you very much Neko-chan's mama, I didn't even know that there were baby spoons. I'll search it on amazon.

• Oh ok LTS3, so pouches are liquid. It's true that my baby loves gravy.
How much water do you add to make gravy?