Wet vs dry?

[chickpea616]

So I know that a ton of people (including the shelter where we volunteer) use wet food along with dry. Wet is usually fed once or twice a day, while dry is left out all the time. We have 2 cats here at home (ages 4 and 3) and they only eat dry. I've tried to feed them wet food but one throws it back up, and the other one will eat it but isn't crazy over it. Both cats are just fine, though, and have no water intake issues (they drink a ton from the fountain we have set up for them)

Well, in 2 weeks we'll have 2 new 7month old kittens. I'm assuming they will need wet food in addition to dry. So - basic questions: is there a "feeding" thread somewhere here that talks recommendation for how much, how often, brands, etc. - or is that really personal preference. Since I'm a newbie when it comes to wet food, just wondering what people do!

 

[maggie101]

There tons tons and tons of threads about it. Since my cats were kittens I only fed wet. I didnt want them to only want dry in the future.

I use catfooddb.com
I feed them 3x a day, each one 5.5 oz can.
If my cat Peaches is fed too much,she throws up. It is possible that she is allergic to something so small portions for her

 

[maggie101]

Have you tried mixing dry with wet to get your cat to like wet?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. In addition to trying to mix a little bit of wet with the dry for your one cat who throws up wet, you can also try baby food meats (no onion, garlic, etc.) just to see if introducing that type of wet would encourage the cat to eat something other than dry. It seems a lot of cats like baby food meats. And, smaller portions of wet food - but still basically feeding dry food, might also help.

While this chart (see link below) doesn't specifically address wet food for kittens, it is still a good place to look at various brands and what ingredients they have and might help with picking some out in those same brands for kitten food. It is a pretty comprehensive chart, but don't be intimidated by it - just take your time slowly to digest the information it has in it.

While I think it is a great idea to get kittens/cats used to some wet food, kittens probably should also have dry food left out for them since they need so many calories/nutrient as they are growing.
Check This Out.... Chart For Cat Food Ingredients

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
For kittens in their first year and possibly longer especially if they have any big breed genes, they need to be able to eat as much as they want, several smaller meals of wet throughout the day and some free fed kibble.

You can use either kitten food or food marked All Life Stages. A variety of styles, types (shreds through pate') and brands now can make things easier in the future to try and avoid "finicky cat syndrome"

 

[WillowMarie]

For my kittens, they each ate a 3 oz. can for morning and 3 oz. for dinner, plus free fed dry during the day between meals. They ate about 3/4 cup dry between both of them per day. I used to feed the dry every 2 hours during the day, but just bought a chip feeder (which works great for them!) as that will not be possible soon. The chip feeder allows them to eat when they want, but my adult cat is unable to access the food since the chip feeder only opens for the cats programed to use the feeder, which was the kittens. I remove access to their dry food about 2 hours before their wet meals to ensure they are hungry to eat the wet food.

 

[chickpea616]

OK, so the points I'm getting out of this are (just a summary to keep it straight in my head):
kittens: 2 cans wet each per day (1 in a.m. and 1 in p.m.)-plus free feed dry all the time (perhaps also using WillowMarie's suggestion about removing the dry a few hours before feeding so they are hungry for the wet)

cats: try and get the cats to eat some wet by mixing it in with the dry...but why? would be my question. They are both healthy and drink lots of water at the fountain. I get worried about adding wet to their diet because I don't want them to gain weight (or is that a myth?); they are both a good weight right now. Or is it the dry food that more likely to cause weight gain?

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Azazel]

OK, so the points I'm getting out of this are (just a summary to keep it straight in my head):
kittens: 2 cans wet each per day (1 in a.m. and 1 in p.m.)-plus free feed dry all the time (perhaps also using WillowMarie's suggestion about removing the dry a few hours before feeding so they are hungry for the wet)

cats: try and get the cats to eat some wet by mixing it in with the dry...but why? would be my question. They are both healthy and drink lots of water at the fountain. I get worried about adding wet to their diet because I don't want them to gain weight (or is that a myth?); they are both a good weight right now. Or is it the dry food that more likely to cause weight gain?

Thanks everyone!!

Cats that drink water regularly are dehydrated. They should be getting water from their food. They won’t get fat from water or wet food. Dry food is what makes cats fat.

 

[chickpea616]

Cats that drink water regularly are dehydrated. They should be getting water from their food. They won’t get fat from water or wet food. Dry food is what makes cats fat.

Thanks so much for answering that part - I've always just trusted my vet when he told me "nah, they don't need wet really" . Now that I'm reading more at this site, I'm learning so much!

 

[WillowMarie]

cats: try and get the cats to eat some wet by mixing it in with the dry...but why? would be my question. They are both healthy and drink lots of water at the fountain. I get worried about adding wet to their diet because I don't want them to gain weight (or is that a myth?); they are both a good weight right now. Or is it the dry food that more likely to cause weight gain?

Thanks everyone!!

About the weight thing, when my cat Isabelle started gaining weight, my vet advised a diet change. I used to feed a can of wet daily with free fed dry, but my vet recommended 2 3 oz. cans of wet and supplement dry to maintain her weight. Her reasoning was the wet food was less caloric dense than dry so it helps them feel fuller for longer because they can eat more of it, and it helps a cat stay better hydrated. I was not aware of the benefits of wet food for cats until my vet explained this to me.

 

[She's a witch]

One of the vet told me once to add dry because it’s better for their teeth (sic), and it’s cheaper (she didn’t even ask about our budget). So many vets are clueless about cat nutrition, it’s unbelievable. If I was into conspiracy theories, I’d think they do this to get paid for treating cats for kidney issues. But I’m not going that far Anyway, since we go only to cats only vets, we don’t hear such doubtful recommendations anymore.

Imo the only reason to feed some dry is because of budget limitations. Some people also recommend it for growing kittens to ensure consant access, but imo, it’s totally possible to free feed wet (I’m just testing sensor operated bowls that close&seal when cat is away and the canned food stays really fresh in it for several hours).

 

[lavishsqualor]

My vet . . . told me "nah, they don't need wet really."

It's so disheartening to see that vets are telling cat owners this.

 

[Azazel]

Veternarians are also the only medical professionals who recommend over-processed foods over fresh foods. I no longer ask vets for feline nutrition advice.

 

[chickpea616]

Thanks guys! I'm so glad to have asked, and am now learning some pretty important stuff. You really are a wealth of information!