Wet/dry food ratio and pooping issues

[cmshap]

My cat Willy ate dry food exclusively in the beginning of his life, but it was prescription food and recommended by my vet. He always had gastrointestinal issues and has vomited a lot throughout his life.

I switched him to wet food (over time, gradually) in the last few years, and it almost completely eliminated vomiting. Which was great. But he stopped pooping as often and not as well... he sometimes got constipated, which I know because he'd spend much more time in the litter box, and then scoot on the floor after. Sometimes leaving streaks (gross, I know).

I concluded adding some dry food is helpful (and it has been). I am guessing it has to do with fiber. But he strongly prefers dry food, probably due to being raised on it.

So if I give him a little bit of dry food now, he gobbles it up, and then sits by his dish ignoring his wet food meals. And if I mix dry with wet, he eats up all the dry and leaves the wet. It seems like since he knows he now has the option to get dry again, that's all he wants.

Any additional ideas for how to successfully mix mostly wet with a little dry?

 

[suzeanna]

My cat will eat mostly everything so it's not helpful maybe, but perhaps making the dry food a small "treat" given after the wet meal is finished only. Separate from eating times, you could use the kibble to do kibble toss/run play sessions (I stand halfway between the living room and hallway and toss a kibble down the hall carpet which she runs after to catch and eat, then I skip a kibble across the living room carpet, rinse and repeat, etc.). Lastly, I'm not sure about the age or feeding schedule of your cat but if he's a little older and needs a nighttime snack, you could also give him some kibble in an automatic feeder overnight (mine gets 15 kibble pieces at 4 a.m.).

Edit: I saw your other post about him sleeping with you at night. I think the overnight feeder/snack could help make him less crazy, maybe! Just don't keep the feeder in your bedroom bc they usually make a low mechanical whirring sound that could wake someone up. Also expect an adjustment period as they get used to the feeder nighttime schedule (for like two weeks my cat would try to break into the feeder before it opened ).

 

[lisahe]

My cat Willy ate dry food exclusively in the beginning of his life, but it was prescription food and recommended by my vet. He always had gastrointestinal issues and has vomited a lot throughout his life.

I switched him to wet food (over time, gradually) in the last few years, and it almost completely eliminated vomiting. Which was great. But he stopped pooping as often and not as well... he sometimes got constipated, which I know because he'd spend much more time in the litter box, and then scoot on the floor after. Sometimes leaving streaks (gross, I know).

I concluded adding some dry food is helpful (and it has been). I am guessing it has to do with fiber. But he strongly prefers dry food, probably due to being raised on it.

So if I give him a little bit of dry food now, he gobbles it up, and then sits by his dish ignoring his wet food meals. And if I mix dry with wet, he eats up all the dry and leaves the wet. It seems like since he knows he now has the option to get dry again, that's all he wants.

Any additional ideas for how to successfully mix mostly wet with a little dry?

We're going through something like this, too, though Ireland has never been much of a vomiter and she's never been on prescription food. She decided she loves her treat/topper food (Dr. Elsey's chicken dry food) so much that she doesn't want to eat much (if any) wet food. The good side is that the food is very low-carb (under 3% dry matter), she'll eat it, and she drinks water after she eats. Even so, the bad side is that the food is dry! I do keep offering her small wet meals when I feed her sister... Sometimes she eats them. I'm going to keep doing that, with the hope that we can get her back to eating more and more wet food. She has asthma so shouldn't eat fish, plus a couple food sensitivities; those limit her potential diet.

A bit more backstory... Ireland was underfed as a kitten (she's now 10) and came to us strongly preferring dry food. Though we switched her to wet food, she most always seemed a little picky and has always tended toward constipation. We realized a few weeks ago that she wasn't eating nearly as much wet food as she should... but would eat a full day's ration of Dr. E's food. We're letting her do that. She now seems much happier and more relaxed (she's always been a nervous cat, she's a rescue cat) than ever so I'm not pushing her on the diet. I'm not happy about this but she's never been highly motivated by food so will eat very little if she doesn't really like or want the food. And at least she's drinking water! And might go back to eating more wet food again over time.

Good luck with Willy's diet!

 

[cmshap]

My cat will eat mostly everything so it's not helpful maybe, but perhaps making the dry food a small "treat" given after the wet meal is finished only. Separate from eating times, you could use the kibble to do kibble toss/run play sessions

That's good advice. I do toss treats across the room and he runs after them. I also have a carpet that kind of disguises the dry food, and he hunts for the pieces. I could do that more.

A bit more backstory... Ireland was underfed as a kitten (she's now 10) and came to us strongly preferring dry food. Though we switched her to wet food, she most always seemed a little picky and has always tended toward constipation.

Thanks for that story. Willy was also underfed as a kitten. I found him outside at less than a year old, and emaciated. The vet said he would likely have died within a week if I hadn't found him.

I was staying with my mom at the time and neither of us had any clue how to deal with a cat, so we got some generic dry food at first as we were getting him treated at the vet. He was undoubtedly starved and probably was really grateful to receive any food. That might be the reason behind this.

 

[GranolaLouise]

my cat is renal. I would put a boiled chicken breast in the blender with a tiny bit of the broth and a can of wet food to make a pure'. She would LOVE it and the goal was to get her to eat the wet food. She loved the chicken and I also put a few shreds of the breast meat around the pure'
I also had tons of renal kibble, but she would puke a meal of it. So I use them as a treat...just a few once she got used to the wet pure'.
Using less broth makes it a thicker pate'.

 

[cmshap]

my cat is renal. I would put a boiled chicken breast in the blender with a tiny bit of the broth and a can of wet food to make a pure'. She would LOVE it and the goal was to get her to eat the wet food. She loved the chicken and I also put a few shreds of the breast meat around the pure'
I also had tons of renal kibble, but she would puke a meal of it. So I use them as a treat...just a few once she got used to the wet pure'.
Using less broth makes it a thicker pate'.

Interesting solution. I haven't ever tried people-food as a solution, even if it's just a small amount mixed in with the cat food. But that might be benefitial.

The only mystery here is why wet food makes him more constipated. It has more water content, by definition. Although he could be drinking more water after eating dry than he does after eating wet.

 

[lisahe]

Interesting solution. I haven't ever tried people-food as a solution, even if it's just a small amount mixed in with the cat food. But that might be benefitial.

The only mystery here is why wet food makes him more constipated. It has more water content, by definition. Although he could be drinking more water after eating dry than he does after eating wet.

A lot would depend on the ingredients of the individual foods. If, for example, the dry food has fiber in it but the wet food doesn't, then the wet food might be more likely to cause constipation. Also, bone can cause constipation. And what you mention about drinking water might make a difference, too.

We've never entirely figured out what causes Ireland's constipation. When she was eating raw food with bone in it, that seemed clear: she was definitely worse with more bone. I took raw food out of the cats' diet last summer, though, and she still gets slightly constipated, despite help from Vet's Best anti-hairball tablets. They have psyllium husk in them. I say "lessened" because she still sometimes seems a bit constipated (including right now) but not as consistently as she used to. Egg yolk (I've always used hardboiled) can also help but don't use too much at a time if you try it, even 1/8 or less can have an effect.

In any case, it's possible that slower motility, a result of aging, is part of her problem. She's 10 and our vet has been warning us about slow motility for years!

Getting back to Willy's rejection of wet food... and further on Ireland's similar behavior... last night she ate up half a can of Fancy Feast turkey and giblets, the most wet food she's eaten in one go in weeks. (I always keep some Fancy Feast turkey on hand for when I really want a cat to eat something.)

 

[GranolaLouise]

I remember when my cat was eating regular foods. Fancy Feast was her favorite! There was one flavor..the Fancy Feast Petites Turkey with Sweet Potato that made her 'go potty' every time she ate it. I would feed it to her if she had constipation. But her poo would stink ..but it got the job done and it was better than giving her meds. FWIW
https://image.chewy.com/is/image/catalog/358577_MAIN._AC_SS600_V1647901610_.jpg

 

[rubysmama]

The title of this thread caught my attention, as I am constantly trying to find the right ratio of wet and dry food to keep Ruby's digestive system happy. Sometimes I get it right, other times, not so much. Course it also depends on how much she eats per day, which is something I can't control. So I understand what you're going through cmshap .

As per when to give Willy his dry food, I like suzeanna 's suggestion of making the dry food a treat, as that's why I do with Ruby's dry food. In fact, I call it treats, and give it to her in the evening, by asking "do you want a treat". That way she's had all day to eat her wet food, so I don't have to worry (too much) that she ate the dry food and not the wet. She totally understands the word "treat" by the way.

 

[cmshap]

The title of this thread caught my attention, as I am constantly trying to find the right ratio of wet and dry food to keep Ruby's digestive system happy. Sometimes I get it right, other times, not so much. Course it also depends on how much she eats per day, which is something I can't control. So I understand what you're going through cmshap .

As per when to give Willy his dry food, I like suzeanna 's suggestion of making the dry food a treat, as that's why I do with Ruby's dry food. In fact, I call it treats, and give it to her in the evening, by asking "do you want a treat". That way she's had all day to eat her wet food, so I don't have to worry (too much) that she ate the dry food and not the wet. She totally understands the word "treat" by the way.

Yes this is a good idea.I have to admit, he has "trained" me to some extent. He begs for food by sitting by his dish and stares at me. And then if I don't respond, he crawls all over me and meows in my face. And I get so annoyed I just give him a little more dry.

I guess I am at fault here to some extent. I need to get more disciplined about it... probably put down a wet meal, and if he doesn't eat it, wrap it up and make him wait until next mealtime, then heat it up and put it down again. Only after he finishes it, then give him dry food as a treat.

 

[rubysmama]

probably put down a wet meal, and if he doesn't eat it, wrap it up and make him wait until next mealtime, then heat it up and put it down again.

That might work. Guess you won't know unless you try.

Because of Ruby's sensitive tummy, I leave her wet out pretty much all day, so she picks at it off and on. After about 6 hours, though, I will remove any left in her dish, and put down fresh.

Oh.... just remembered we have this TCS article that might have some tips for you.
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food - TheCatSite

 

[cmshap]

Just an update here.

I decided to pay a little more attention and do my own little test... I allowed him to have an increasing amount of dry, even though that's not the final direction I wanted him to go, and he definitely drinks more water with the more dry he gets. And not just a little. I measured it (I put his water in a clear Tupperware bowl, filled it in the morning, and drew a mark on the side with a Sharpie at the end of the day as I conducted this experiment). He actually drinks a noticeably larger amount.

Maybe that's actually the answer, and he needs more like 3:2 wet:dry (not my final conclusion but just where I am currently at with the experiment) for the optimal water intake and elimination activity. So far he hasn't started vomiting again.

 

[TARTARA]

Our cat mostly eats dry food, probably she used to it, because of the bigger adult cats was eating first and she was eating the "leftovers" of them... !?
We give her main food plus some others like it is something special like an extra, and we give her treats, and sometimes she likes to lick the sauce of the wet food!
Plus when we eat she always comes along to treat her with anything we eat at the moment, sometimes she is just from quriosity she wants to just to smell it and some others she eats it !
We also taking care some stray cats in the neighborhood. some of them they just eat dry food, and on some others we simply mix some wet and dry food together, just right before we feed them so to dry food doesn't expand from the the wet's food moisture ! And so far we don't have any issues... !

 

[cmshap]

Another update to conclude this thread, as I didn't follow up...

I just made a post here on someone else's thread...

Getting a very stubborn cat to eat wet food

In summary, I got Willy to accept wet food more willingly. I don't know if I was ultimately responsible -- because I did try the "special treat" thing, and also making a game out of tossing kibble around -- but I only did that for a very short time before he started accepting wet food much more readily.

I settled on 3:1 wet:dry. Pooping issues are fully resolved with that ratio.

I also provide him with PLENTY of fresh water. I don't use a fountain anymore because I have hard tap water, and they were always getting clogged. So I give him water in a regular bowl, and change it out/top it off multiple times per day.

As I mentioned above, he drinks more water when he gets some dry food, but I think he is also much more likely to drink when the bowl is filled to the brim with fresh, cool water, so he doesn't have to touch his whiskers on the sides of the bowl.

 

[lisahe]

Another update to conclude this thread, as I didn't follow up...

I just made a post here on someone else's thread...

Getting a very stubborn cat to eat wet food

In summary, I got Willy to accept wet food more willingly. I don't know if I was ultimately responsible -- because I did try the "special treat" thing, and also making a game out of tossing kibble around -- but I only did that for a very short time before he started accepting wet food much more readily.

I settled on 3:1 wet:dry. Pooping issues are fully resolved with that ratio.

I also provide him with PLENTY of fresh water. I don't use a fountain anymore because I have hard tap water, and they were always getting clogged. So I give him water in a regular bowl, and change it out/top it off multiple times per day.

As I mentioned above, he drinks more water when he gets some dry food, but I think he is also much more likely to drink when the bowl is filled to the brim with fresh, cool water, so he doesn't have to touch his whiskers on the sides of the bowl.

I'm glad you found a ratio that works for you and Willy! So much that you mention is like Ireland's situation, from having the problem start with dry food at treats to the ultimate compromise. She's still not eating as much wet food as I'd like but she's doing better with it, more consistently, and still drinks plenty of water.

I hope Willy continues to do well!

 

[cmshap]

I'm glad you found a ratio that works for you and Willy! So much that you mention is like Ireland's situation, from having the problem start with dry food at treats to the ultimate compromise. She's still not eating as much wet food as I'd like but she's doing better with it, more consistently, and still drinks plenty of water.

I hope Willy continues to do well!

Thanks.

For the record, it took lots and lots of tries with different wet foods before I found the kinds he will eat.

Sheba wet food is what he is currently eating, because that's what I found him to prefer the most. I tried a whole bunch of others before I discovered he likes this kind the most.

For dry, it's Hill's Science Diet Light. Like I said, my ratio is 3:1 wet:dry.

I give him a variety of the wet flavors (turkey, chicken, and salmon) on a rotation. Also, the texture mattered. He likes the "cuts" more than the pate kind.

I have other family with cats who also told me that the particular texture mattered, like pate vs. cuts/chunks. Different cats like different textures.

 

[lisahe]

Thanks.

For the record, it took lots and lots of tries with different wet foods before I found the kinds he will eat.

Sheba wet food is what he is currently eating, because that's what I found him to prefer the most. I tried a whole bunch of others before I discovered he likes this kind the most.

For dry, it's Hill's Science Diet Light. Like I said, my ratio is 3:1 wet:dry.

I give him a variety of the wet flavors (turkey, chicken, and salmon) on a rotation. Also, the texture mattered. He likes the "cuts" more than the pate kind.

I have other family with cats who also told me that the particular texture mattered, like pate vs. cuts/chunks. Different cats like different textures.

Yes, texture matters a lot! Ireland also loves those "cuts" foods. Fingers crossed that Willy continues to eat well under this arrangement!

 

[rubysmama]

Glad you found a ratio that works. Congrats.

 

[cmshap]

Glad you found a ratio that works. Congrats.

Thanks. The frustrating part was having to try out different kinds of food, because you can't always just buy a small amount. I ended up donating a lot of extra food that he didn't eat before finding what he liked the most.

I donated to my vet's office, and I'm not sure where they send it to from there, but they accept food donations.

 

[cmshap]

Just to add to the above... This may be common sense to most people, but I never realized it until I was explicitly told. I didn't know that some local vet offices accept food donations. I just happened to see it on some paperwork during a visit.

If anyone reads this and has extra food, check with your vet. Also ask what they do with it after it is donated, if you care. I trust that my vet is giving it to the best cause where they feel it is necessary. And it is very easy to donate to the vet when I take my cat in.