Wet Food Necessary?

[amethyst]

Yes, unless there is a medical condition that requires it.

Cats are pure carnivores. They only need meat. Dry food is just carbs, starch and sugar.

As mentioned above, dry food leads to urinary blockage, diabetes, kidney issues and being overweight (which increases the risk of heart conditions, etc).

It would be like humans eating nothing but chips, pizza and cookies all day every day. Then wondering why they weigh 300 pounds and have diabetes along with a failing heart.

Dry food is not just carbs, starch and sugar, they have meat in them too, just like wet food, unless you are buying a cheap dollar store brand food or something. Wet food is not just canned meat, it has fillers too, just less. There are dry foods out there that aren't that bad, just make sure you get one that actually has animal protein (like meat and egg) as the first few ingredients. There is a huge difference between cheap cat food like Kit & Kaboodle, and higher end like the Dr Elsey's Rosepud mentioned. I do agree that wet food is better, but I don't think that means all dry food should be banned. If you are feeding a good quality dry food and your cat is healthy, the biggest issue is the lack of water. I think a kibble and wet food diet is perfectly fine if you can't feed all wet food.

 

[FelisCatus]

Dry food is not just carbs, starch and sugar, they have meat in them too, just like wet food, unless you are buying a cheap dollar store brand food or something. Wet food is not just canned meat, it has fillers too, just less. There are dry foods out there that aren't that bad, just make sure you get one that actually has animal protein (like meat and egg) as the first few ingredients. There is a huge difference between cheap cat food like Kit & Kaboodle, and higher end like the Dr Elsey's Rosepud mentioned. I do agree that wet food is better, but I don't think that means all dry food should be banned. If you are feeding a good quality dry food and your cat is healthy, the biggest issue is the lack of water. I think a kibble and wet food diet is perfectly fine if you can't feed all wet food.

There is no such thing as a good quality dry food for cats.

Please do your research and don’t be brainwashed by expensive dry food marketing. Your cats will get the short end of the stick by your lack of knowledge.

Dry cat food doesn’t even help clean tartar or plaque, even though that’s a common misconception. The pieces are too small and oddly shaped to do anything. For that you need specialized cat treats like Greenies (even that is debatable).

 

[war&wisdom]

I actually think that it's a fairly classist notion that if you can't feed your cats purely wet or raw because of finances, then you are not properly caring for your cats. Of course wet or raw food is preferable, but many, many cats live long, healthy lives while partaking of dry food in various amounts.

Feeding wet/raw does help stave off a variety of health issues, but doing so does not guarantee good health, nor does feeding dry (in any amount) guarantee poor health.

 

[war&wisdom]

That said, there are relatively cheap wet foods available, and even the cheapest wet food has fewer fillers than most dry.

 

[kittyluv387]

Dry food is not just carbs, starch and sugar, they have meat in them too, just like wet food, unless you are buying a cheap dollar store brand food or something. Wet food is not just canned meat, it has fillers too, just less. There are dry foods out there that aren't that bad, just make sure you get one that actually has animal protein (like meat and egg) as the first few ingredients. There is a huge difference between cheap cat food like Kit & Kaboodle, and higher end like the Dr Elsey's Rosepud mentioned. I do agree that wet food is better, but I don't think that means all dry food should be banned. If you are feeding a good quality dry food and your cat is healthy, the biggest issue is the lack of water. I think a kibble and wet food diet is perfectly fine if you can't feed all wet food.

I think the difference between the worst and best dry food is like mcdonalds vs in-n-out. Both are junk food although one is considered to be higher quality. At the end of the day both things aren't really healthy. Dry food is just too dehydrating and cats are built to get most of their water from their food. And let's be honest most people are not feeding dr. Elsey's. But I get it if someone has to feed dry for budgetary reasons.

FelisCatus I'd stay away from those greenies as well. They have horrible ingredients. Best thing is teeth brushing and/or dentals. They also have something you can squirt onto their teeth but the taste is pretty strong and nasty.

 

[amethyst]

There is no such thing as a good quality dry food for cats.

Please do your research and don’t be brainwashed by expensive dry food marketing. Your cats will get the short end of the stick by your lack of knowledge.

Dry cat food doesn’t even help clean tartar or plaque, even though that’s a common misconception. The pieces are too small and oddly shaped to do anything. For that you need specialized cat treats like Greenies (even that is debatable).

I don't need to do any research to know that giving a cat food, even if some of it has to be dry, is better then letting the cat starve or euthanizing them. I don't think that is me being "brainwashed". If you think that I'll assume you believe that cats are better off dead or starving on the streets or in the wild then being cared for by humans who might have to give some dry food. You may have all the money in the world so spend on your cats, but not everyone can afford to feed their cats wet food all the time. I've also known a lot of cats that lived long healthy lives (into their 20s) eating at least some dry food. So the idea that all dry food, in any amount causes issues in all cats doesn't add up.

Also I never said anything about the dry food helping with plaque or tarter. I know it doesn't, cats don't really chew kibble, they tend to swallow it whole. I'm talking about feeding some dry do to cost, schedule, or the cat simply not eating anything else, not to clean their teeth.

I think the difference between the worst and best dry food is like mcdonalds vs in-n-out. Both are junk food although one is considered to be higher quality. At the end of the day both things aren't really healthy. Dry food is just too dehydrating and cats are built to get most of their water from their food. And let's be honest most people are not feeding dr. Elsey's. But I get it if someone has to feed dry for budgetary reasons.

I never said they were good, I said some are "not that bad" as in they do have actual meat listed as primary ingredients. I assume that identified meat/eggs as the first ingredients is better then corn and soy with mystery meat the 4 or 5th down the list, but maybe I'm wrong and it's all just "brainwashing" as FelisCatus claims. I'm also not talking about just feeding dry only, I'm talking about feeding dry and wet food. Basically in response to the original post, yes they need wet food in the diet, dry food only is not good enough. I think if you can't feed only wet food that feeding wet and a meat based dry is the next best thing, though maybe my thinking is wrong.

 

[mizzely]

If feeding some dry allows you to afford feeding at least some wet food daily, I am in favor of it. I've been there where spending $30/month on two cats was the very limit of what I could afford.

Jasmine was 17 when she died... She was on dry for her first 8 years because I didn't know any better. When I did, I tried to do better and eventually got her on an all wet diet for several years. Until the cancer made it so she needed some dry to keep anything down.

17 years is a long time. Long enough to suffer a financial crisis. Long enough to have a health reason to change the diet. Long enough to have science learn something new. Long enough for the pet food industry to change.

Do cats do better on wet only diets? Almost always. It is better for them from a protein, digestibility, carb, and moisture standpoint.

But you can't know for yourself what the next 5, 10, 15 years will bring, let alone for someone else. Feed the best that you can. Feed what your cat likes, what they do good on, and that you can afford. Prioritize wet food whenever possible and fill in the blanks from there.

 

[Jem]

I feel like I need to chime in. And take this thread back to the posters original question. It seems this thread is simply turning into a debate that is putting down anyone who dares to feed dry food to a cat.

1) Is wet food better? yes. And the reasons are:

• Moisture content - cats don't tend to drink enough on their own and are prone to urinary issues.
• Tends to have less carbs and filler and higher protein content. A cat is a carnivore, so high protein, low carb is a good starting point when finding a good food.

2) Are you a horrible person if you feed your cat dry food? NO. BUT....

• You do want to make sure they are getting adequate water intake.
• You do want to make sure it is also low carb and high protein, and also pay attention to where that protein comes from (animal vs. plant)

While I do not agree with feeding EXCLUSIVELY dry, including it in their diet is not the end of the world.

If you can feed an exclusive wet diet, then good for you but sometimes affordability and time management/scheduling does not allow it. That does not mean you should not be a pet owner nor does it mean you cat is going to die early from some horrible disease.
Also, if your cat simply refuses to eat or does not eat enough with an exclusively wet diet, a cat that eats is much better than a cat that starves. I've had experience with an anorexic cat, and trust me when I say that cats can and WILL hold out to their detriment if they truly are that stubborn.

I have always fed a combination of wet and dry and ALL of my cats have had long and healthy lives. The only one who died young was my kitty with a CONGENITAL heart, kidney and bladder defect and he still managed to live till he was 10 years old.

With a combination diet, there are things you can do to help keep them healthy.

Stay on top of their vet visits, bring them in for routine exams and treat and adjust anything that needs to be done right away. Don't just wait until they are sick or take the "wait and see" approach.
Be sure you keep their weight at a reasonable amount. Yes, food choice has a lot to do with this, but it's not like every cat in the world is going to be fat because it gets dry food.
Add water to their wet food if you are concerned with water intake. You can also get a water fountain to encourage better drinking as many cats prefer moving water over stagnant.

Most every person who comes here is seeking advice, and last thing we need to do is put them down for their choices, or scare them into thinking they are bad people or their cat is going to die a horrible death, as most are here because they care and want to do what's best, within their capabilities.
Yes in some cases, the choices we read are questionable, to say the least, but including dry food in a diet is not one of those make or break life decisions, if the cat in question is healthy and thriving in a loving home.

Ghoulofnagoya - I'm glad you came here for some insight and advice, and took the initiative to make sure your are providing everything you need to your kitty.
I know don't need to repeat myself to tell you where I stand on the dry vs/ wet debate, because it's not really a debate. But I'll sum up MY opinion anyway...Wet is better........BUT dry is fine to include in the diet, if it is better quality and kitty is healthy and getting adequate water.

 

[kittyluv387]

Regardless if you're feeding dry or not it's good practice to add in a tablespoon or 2 of extra water into the wet food that you do feed. Good way to help make sure they're getting enough water.

 

[GalaxyGirl]

Update: Today I bought 5 different brands of wet food for him and he refused to eat UNTIL I took a nap and he ended up eating alot of the “ fancy feast” brand so think I will keep trying to feed him that.

I had no idea that kibble was so bad for cats. I guess I will give him small amount of kibble while I go to school and work then feed him wet food at night.

You can buy your cat a surefeed. It’s a sealed food bowl. That will keep wet food fresh for 12 hours. This is what I use for my 3 kittens. So they have wet food on demand.

 

[GalaxyGirl]

I feel like I need to chime in. And take this thread back to the posters original question. It seems this thread is simply turning into a debate that is putting down anyone who dares to feed dry food to a cat.

1) Is wet food better? yes. And the reasons are:

• Moisture content - cats don't tend to drink enough on their own and are prone to urinary issues.
• Tends to have less carbs and filler and higher protein content. A cat is a carnivore, so high protein, low carb is a good starting point when finding a good food.

2) Are you a horrible person if you feed your cat dry food? NO. BUT....

• You do want to make sure they are getting adequate water intake.
• You do want to make sure it is also low carb and high protein, and also pay attention to where that protein comes from (animal vs. plant)

While I do not agree with feeding EXCLUSIVELY dry, including it in their diet is not the end of the world.

If you can feed an exclusive wet diet, then good for you but sometimes affordability and time management/scheduling does not allow it. That does not mean you should not be a pet owner nor does it mean you cat is going to die early from some horrible disease.
Also, if your cat simply refuses to eat or does not eat enough with an exclusively wet diet, a cat that eats is much better than a cat that starves. I've had experience with an anorexic cat, and trust me when I say that cats can and WILL hold out to their detriment if they truly are that stubborn.

I have always fed a combination of wet and dry and ALL of my cats have had long and healthy lives. The only one who died young was my kitty with a CONGENITAL heart, kidney and bladder defect and he still managed to live till he was 10 years old.

With a combination diet, there are things you can do to help keep them healthy.

Stay on top of their vet visits, bring them in for routine exams and treat and adjust anything that needs to be done right away. Don't just wait until they are sick or take the "wait and see" approach.
Be sure you keep their weight at a reasonable amount. Yes, food choice has a lot to do with this, but it's not like every cat in the world is going to be fat because it gets dry food.
Add water to their wet food if you are concerned with water intake. You can also get a water fountain to encourage better drinking as many cats prefer moving water over stagnant.

Most every person who comes here is seeking advice, and last thing we need to do is put them down for their choices, or scare them into thinking they are bad people or their cat is going to die a horrible death, as most are here because they care and want to do what's best, within their capabilities.
Yes in some cases, the choices we read are questionable, to say the least, but including dry food in a diet is not one of those make or break life decisions, if the cat in question is healthy and thriving in a loving home.

Ghoulofnagoya - I'm glad you came here for some insight and advice, and took the initiative to make sure your are providing everything you need to your kitty.
I know don't need to repeat myself to tell you where I stand on the dry vs/ wet debate, because it's not really a debate. But I'll sum up MY opinion anyway...Wet is better........BUT dry is fine to include in the diet, if it is better quality and kitty is healthy and getting adequate water.

I don’t see anyone putting anyone down. But she has a male cat. We read too many stories of males getting blockages. It’s horrible for the cat and the care giver.

 

[Suru]

I feed my cat dr elsey’s dry cat food.

I used to feed him wet food occassionally when I didn’t want to bother with home-made... until he turned up his nose at commercial wet food!

So now I feed him one big meal of home made wet food, that is almost a broth consistency, just to make sure his water intake is adaquate. In the past, I added a home made supplment to balance the food, but i realized that it’s so diluted, it didn’t matter. He’s free fed dry food at all other times. Free fed, because i found that he actually ate less when free fed!

 

[Ghoulofnagoya]

I feel like I need to chime in. And take this thread back to the posters original question. It seems this thread is simply turning into a debate that is putting down anyone who dares to feed dry food to a cat.

1) Is wet food better? yes. And the reasons are:

• Moisture content - cats don't tend to drink enough on their own and are prone to urinary issues.
• Tends to have less carbs and filler and higher protein content. A cat is a carnivore, so high protein, low carb is a good starting point when finding a good food.

2) Are you a horrible person if you feed your cat dry food? NO. BUT....

• You do want to make sure they are getting adequate water intake.
• You do want to make sure it is also low carb and high protein, and also pay attention to where that protein comes from (animal vs. plant)

While I do not agree with feeding EXCLUSIVELY dry, including it in their diet is not the end of the world.

If you can feed an exclusive wet diet, then good for you but sometimes affordability and time management/scheduling does not allow it. That does not mean you should not be a pet owner nor does it mean you cat is going to die early from some horrible disease.
Also, if your cat simply refuses to eat or does not eat enough with an exclusively wet diet, a cat that eats is much better than a cat that starves. I've had experience with an anorexic cat, and trust me when I say that cats can and WILL hold out to their detriment if they truly are that stubborn.

I have always fed a combination of wet and dry and ALL of my cats have had long and healthy lives. The only one who died young was my kitty with a CONGENITAL heart, kidney and bladder defect and he still managed to live till he was 10 years old.

With a combination diet, there are things you can do to help keep them healthy.

Stay on top of their vet visits, bring them in for routine exams and treat and adjust anything that needs to be done right away. Don't just wait until they are sick or take the "wait and see" approach.
Be sure you keep their weight at a reasonable amount. Yes, food choice has a lot to do with this, but it's not like every cat in the world is going to be fat because it gets dry food.
Add water to their wet food if you are concerned with water intake. You can also get a water fountain to encourage better drinking as many cats prefer moving water over stagnant.

Most every person who comes here is seeking advice, and last thing we need to do is put them down for their choices, or scare them into thinking they are bad people or their cat is going to die a horrible death, as most are here because they care and want to do what's best, within their capabilities.
Yes in some cases, the choices we read are questionable, to say the least, but including dry food in a diet is not one of those make or break life decisions, if the cat in question is healthy and thriving in a loving home.

Ghoulofnagoya - I'm glad you came here for some insight and advice, and took the initiative to make sure your are providing everything you need to your kitty.
I know don't need to repeat myself to tell you where I stand on the dry vs/ wet debate, because it's not really a debate. But I'll sum up MY opinion anyway...Wet is better........BUT dry is fine to include in the diet, if it is better quality and kitty is healthy and getting adequate water.

Thank you for your input because I felt like I was a bad cat mom for giving dry food. Like debate hit hard lol
But I found through trial and error he likes fancy feast. I think I will give him a little dry while at school and work then wet food at night.

Thanks for everyone’s input. Think I know what to do now.

 

[azpops]

Update: Today I bought 5 different brands of wet food for him and he refused to eat UNTIL I took a nap and he ended up eating alot of the “ fancy feast” brand so think I will keep trying to feed him that.

I had no idea that kibble was so bad for cats. I guess I will give him small amount of kibble while I go to school and work then feed him wet food at night.

I think, Fancy Feast has a few broth type meals. If you have a Walmart close by, stop in an check them out.

Tiki Cat food has a lot of juice in them.

Pops

BTW, the boys eat Dr. Elsey's CleanProtein Dry, as well as Fancy Feast wet stuff. Dr. Elsey's can is really wet, lots of moisture. Try contacting them in their contact page, then ask for samples. They'll send some dry, and a few cans of wet / pate style foods.

I place some Dry fur'um when I head out work.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

Most every person who comes here is seeking advice, and last thing we need to do is put them down for their choices, or scare them into thinking they are bad people

​

 

[Uncled]

Lots of wisdom on this subject,Thank you all for your thoughts and advice