Why Does Everybody Hate Dry Cat Food?

[MissMolly08]

My cat personally does better on wet. I don't hate dry but a free feeding diet led to my cat being overweight. Dry food makes her coat super dry and she sheds like crazy. Wet food for her = less shedding, shiny coat, weight loss and more energy!

From what I have heard, dry food helping with teeth is a myth so I see no benefit to dry in her diet besides convenience. We use a little dry food when we won't be home to feed her scheduled wet meal, that's it.

 

[kittyluv387]

You researched a ton? And what did you find out? I mean just because your cats didnt take it well, that doesn’t mean no cat does or that you shouldn’t feed it at all. Because if it were the cruel food sent up directly from Hell’s kitchen to give cats urinary issues and kidney diseases, you wouldn’t be able to even purchase it at all.

Instead of my writing a length essay you can read it all on catinfo.org.

I don't blame people if they can only afford dry food. I'm glad the cats are getting fed. But yes dry food is terrible for cats because cats have a low thirst drive and are meant to get the moisture from their food. They are also obligate carnivores so minimal carbs is necessary. Just because most cats can survive on dry doesn't mean it's what's best or it allows them to really thrive. And if you feed dry you just have to accept that and know you're doing your best and be satisfied with it. Just like people. People can eat and live on fast food everyday but it doesn't mean it's good for them. There's no need to be offended. We all do what we can for our cats.

 

[kittyluv387]

I also want to mention that I first started feeding my cat Science Diet because it sounded like a good food. I have obviously come a long way from that. Almost everyone starts of thinking dry is the gold standard. But many people end up realizing that it's not the case when their cats start having issues so they had to to take matters into their own hands by feeding wet and/or raw.

 

[sabrinah]

I don't hate dry food as a whole, I just hate super cheap dry food that's nothing but carbs and fillers, and I hate that so many people believe this food is necessary for dental health. It also angers me when people feed all dry but don't make sure the cat is drinking enough water, or they feed only dry and don't switch to wet if the cat has recurring urinary issues. Some cats can live incredibly long lives on dry, some can barely function. If the option is for the cat to eat cheap dry or starve, then, of course, I prefer the dry. For the last couple years, my mom has found incredibly skinny stray mother cats with babies and hasn't been able to buy them food when they show up. I'm a broke college student so it's not like I can go buy them cases of canned cat food. I can, however, order her just enough KMR to last until she can dig up enough money to go buy more, a couple big cans of the cheapest canned food I can find, and the biggest bag of cheap dry I can manage. Is the food great? Nope. But it's food and the mama kitty would likely starve to death without it. The canned gets them rehydrated quickly and the dry ensures that they have a steady food source for at least a couple weeks.

For some people with tight budgets (myself included), dry helps cut cost. My cat can't tolerate any canned food anymore that's within my budget so I had to switch to homemade raw. I can't afford to feed exclusively raw, but I can afford to feed half raw and half decent quality dry.

 

[Wile]

Also if anyone is saying dry food cleans the teeth and wet food rots them you need to ignore that and if a vet is saying that ditch that vet. Such a load of crap.

It has been proven that cats that eat wet food have more dental health problems than cats that eat dry. I agree that wet food is overall much better for a cat's health, but it is definitely worse for their teeth.

Influence of Diet on Oral Health in Cats and Dogs | The Journal of Nutrition | Oxford Academic
The Choice of Diet Affects the Oral Health of the Domestic Cat

 

[kittyluv387]

It has been proven that cats that eat wet food have more dental health problems than cats that eat dry. I agree that wet food is overall much better for a cat's health, but it is definitely worse for their teeth.

Influence of Diet on Oral Health in Cats and Dogs | The Journal of Nutrition | Oxford Academic
The Choice of Diet Affects the Oral Health of the Domestic Cat

They need their teeth brushed and/or get dentals. I only have one cat who lets me brush his teeth since I started him young and he doesn't need as many dentals as my other cat who's teeth I can't brush too easily. Relying on food for primary dental care isn't really efficient.

 

[Wile]

They need their teeth brushed and/or get dentals. I only have one cat who lets me brush his teeth since I started him young and he doesn't need as many dentals as my other cat who's teeth I can't brush too easily. Relying on food for primary dental care isn't really efficient.

I agree it is better to brush teeth, which is what I do. Let's be honest though - how many people do you think actually brush their pet's teeth? When so many people struggle with managing their own hygiene, it is doubtful that they will bother with their pets.

That brushing teeth is best for managing oral hygiene care doesn't change the fact that dry food is better for teeth than wet, or that dental chews do work. There are enough health benefits for feeding wet food to talk about without needing to distort the facts about dry food.

 

[sabrinah]

For a food to clean the teeth the cat actually has to chew it. I have met exactly zero cats that actually chew dry food unless it's dog-sized pieces, and even then they still try to swallow it. My cat was on dry for her first 10-11 years and the pieces were large enough that she did chew them, yet many of her teeth were literally rotting and had to be removed. For some cats chewing dry food might be enough, but I highly doubt it does the job for most.

 

[kittyluv387]

I agree it is better to brush teeth, which is what I do. Let's be honest though - how many people do you think actually brush their pet's teeth? When so many people struggle with managing their own hygiene, it is doubtful that they will bother with their pets.

That brushing teeth is best for managing oral hygiene care doesn't change the fact that dry food is better for teeth than wet, or that dental chews do work. There are enough health benefits for feeding wet food to talk about without needing to distort the facts about dry food.

Of course it is hard even if your cat lets you. I try my hardest to do it every other day for just one cat. And when I'm on vacation for weeks it just doesn't happen. And yeah most people can't afford dentals for themselves let alone their cats. It's just what it is. But labeling dry food as proper recommended dental care, is also a bit of a stretch in my opinion.

 

[Bauer25]

My cat is on exclusively Royal Canin Adult dry food and it pains me every-time I have to by a new bag, but with health issues she hasn't been tolerating any other diet then dry, can have some wet but not exclusively wet. tried to change to raw and she didnt really want to eat it or do well on it, as much as I wanted to put her on it to help with IBD. Im hoping to change her to a better quality dry in the future (she is still recovering from the attempt to switch to raw, everything is being discussed with my vet incase anyone was wondering)

Raw is the best diet for majority of cats (health and preference permitting) on a biological level it makes the most sense and is the most easily digestible food, and
Is super affordable for cats, at least where I live, the 2 premade brands I checked when trying to feed was $15 CAD a month, which is a great price and super affordable in my opinion so if your cat will eat it and does well I believe it is the best option and way more affordable then exclusively wet food, it doesnt ruin the teeth, has all the moisture already in it, cats need to eat less food then they would on kibble or wet. So unless there is health issues, cat wont eat it, dont own a freezer, aren't comfortable making your own if a premade isn't available where you live etc.. then why not just feed the raw? will save money on vet bills in the future for sure and your best friend will have a longer, healthy life because of it.

$15 for raw a month vs the $63 dry food that lasts approx 3 months equals $21 a month, for one cat... raw is more affordable!
My friend feeds her 2 12lbs cats premade, human grade, properly portioned (80,10,10) for $30 a month. making your own raw would be even more affordable.

 

[Wile]

For a food to clean the teeth the cat actually has to chew it. I have met exactly zero cats that actually chew dry food unless it's dog-sized pieces, and even then they still try to swallow it. My cat was on dry for her first 10-11 years and the pieces were large enough that she did chew them, yet many of her teeth were literally rotting and had to be removed. For some cats chewing dry food might be enough, but I highly doubt it does the job for most.

One of the studies I linked to above includes data from over 9000 cats and found much better oral health in those fed dry. I believe it. Feeding dry is not a substitute for brushing, but it is better for teeth than wet.

 

[kittyluv387]

My cat is on exclusively Royal Canin Adult dry food and it pains me every-time I have to by a new bag, but with health issues she hasn't been tolerating any other diet then dry, can have some wet but not exclusively wet. tried to change to raw and she didnt really want to eat it or do well on it, as much as I wanted to put her on it to help with IBD. Im hoping to change her to a better quality dry in the future (she is still recovering from the attempt to switch to raw, everything is being discussed with my vet incase anyone was wondering)

Raw is the best diet for majority of cats (health and preference permitting) on a biological level it makes the most sense and is the most easily digestible food, and
Is super affordable for cats, at least where I live, the 2 premade brands I checked when trying to feed was $15 CAD a month, which is a great price and super affordable in my opinion so if your cat will eat it and does well I believe it is the best option and way more affordable then exclusively wet food, it doesnt ruin the teeth, has all the moisture already in it, cats need to eat less food then they would on kibble or wet. So unless there is health issues, cat wont eat it, dont own a freezer, aren't comfortable making your own if a premade isn't available where you live etc.. then why not just feed the raw? will save money on vet bills in the future for sure and your best friend will have a longer, healthy life because of it.

$15 for raw a month vs the $63 dry food that lasts approx 3 months equals $21 a month, for one cat... raw is more affordable!
My friend feeds her 2 12lbs cats premade, human grade, properly portioned (80,10,10) for $30 a month. making your own raw would be even more affordable.

Wow it's fantastic you have such an affordable raw option!

 

[jen]

One of the studies I linked to above includes data from over 9000 cats and found much better oral health in those fed dry. I believe it. Feeding dry is not a substitute for brushing, but it is better for teeth than wet.

I agree dry isn't a substitute for brushing but if you really think cats chew their little dry kibble you have to be kidding yourself. The larger pieces they have to chew more specifically for dental care maybe. But everyday kibble they snap in half and swallow. They don't chew.

 

[Wile]

I agree dry isn't a substitute for brushing but if you really think cats chew their little dry kibble you have to be kidding yourself. The larger pieces they have to chew more specifically for dental care maybe. But everyday kibble they snap in half and swallow. They don't chew.

I don't really know what individual cats do about chewing. The studies didn't measure that, only oral health outcomes.

It is possible that the problem isn't on the dry side, but the wet. I have found while brushing my boy's teeth after he eats wet food that oftentimes his wet food gets stuck in the pouch between his back molars and cheek, and he doesn't notice. I am always brushing wet food away when cleaning his molars. I never notice any dry food stuck in there.

 

[Mow Mow -^-^-]

Feeding 100% dry is too many carbs for cats and if they don't exercise properly they can gain weight.

Although honestly I think all the hubbub about expensive food is a little ridiculous. When I grew up I never actually owned a cat, but my family and several neighbors fed a community cat that just showed up in our cove as a "teenage kitten" one day. He mostly got super cheap dry food and he's still going at around 14-15+ years strong (I don't even remember how old he is). To be fair, he was 100% outdoor and so got much more exercise than a typical housecat and he also supplemented his diet with hunts.

To my knowledge, he doesn't have health problems from food, but sadly he is starting to lose some of his battles and it shows. A local cat loving house has had to cart him to the vet more than once because of deep battle wounds/battle scars. But he's still plodding along, even at his age...

 

[Azazel]

It has been proven that cats that eat wet food have more dental health problems than cats that eat dry. I agree that wet food is overall much better for a cat's health, but it is definitely worse for their teeth.

Influence of Diet on Oral Health in Cats and Dogs | The Journal of Nutrition | Oxford Academic
The Choice of Diet Affects the Oral Health of the Domestic Cat

Neither of the studies you cite here used experimental designs that would warrant causal claims. It is quite the leap to take these results and claim that something has been “proven.” Even the authors aren’t arguing that.

 

[Wile]

Neither of the studies you cite here used experimental designs that would warrant causal claims. It is quite the leap to take these results and claim that something has been “proven.” Even the authors aren’t arguing that.

Would you explain a bit further about what you mean? The studies are trying to measure the relationship between diet type and oral health. Both have pretty clear statements in their conclusions about the findings:

"Even after adjustment for age, the mean oral health index was significantly higher in cats and dogs fed soft food compared with those fed dry or mixed food, and the mean oral health index was significantly higher in cats and dogs fed mixed food than in those fed dry food. These results indicate that feeding a dry food diet has a positive influence on oral health, decreasing the occurrence of mandibular lymphadenopathy, dental deposits, and periodontal disease in cats and dogs."

"The diet of a cat needs to be considered holistically, paying particular attention to its nutritional value, but the texture of the food is shown to play an important role in oral health, with wet canned food providing the least benefit to oral health."

My own summary that you quoted also isn't a causal argument, it just reiterates the same position of the study authors: cats that eat wet food have more oral health issues than those that eat dry. Both study authors point out that is more research that needs to be done to determine what specifically it is about dry food's texture that correlates with better oral health.

What do you think would be a good experimental design? What is it about these studies that you disagree with?

 

[Azazel]

Would you explain a bit further about what you mean? The studies are trying to measure the relationship between diet type and oral health. Both have pretty clear statements in their conclusions about the findings:

"Even after adjustment for age, the mean oral health index was significantly higher in cats and dogs fed soft food compared with those fed dry or mixed food, and the mean oral health index was significantly higher in cats and dogs fed mixed food than in those fed dry food. These results indicate that feeding a dry food diet has a positive influence on oral health, decreasing the occurrence of mandibular lymphadenopathy, dental deposits, and periodontal disease in cats and dogs."

"The diet of a cat needs to be considered holistically, paying particular attention to its nutritional value, but the texture of the food is shown to play an important role in oral health, with wet canned food providing the least benefit to oral health."

My own summary that you quoted also isn't a causal argument, it just reiterates the same position of the study authors: cats that eat wet food have more oral health issues than those that eat dry. Both study authors point out that is more research that needs to be done to determine what specifically it is about dry food's texture that correlates with better oral health.

What do you think would be a good experimental design? What is it about these studies that you disagree with?

I’ve only done a quick scan of the studies but what I mean is that I don’t see a control group used in either, unless I missed it in my scan, nor do I see that all possible external factors were controlled for. The studies do indicate a relationship between the variables examined but it would be premature to conclude that the better oral health of the cats fed dry diets was due to the fact that they ate dry food.

 

[Elphaba09]

Our cats get dry food, wet food, and cooked meat. (Three of the nine will eat raw, but the rest will not.) While I very the wet food between three brands (Nutro Max, Instinct, and Friskies), we have only found one dry food that all our cats can and will eat: Purina Naturals Indoor Plus. Is it the best? No, but it is what we can afford to feed all of them along with our feral that lives on our porch and the colony for which we help care. (Linden, the porch feral, also gets wet food mixed in with his dry food.) It is also the only one that we have found that does not make our Estella vomit.

We have two water fountains for them, and they go through a bit shy of a gallon a day.

 

[Wile]

I’ve only done a quick scan of the studies but what I mean is that I don’t see a control group used in either, unless I missed it in my scan, nor do I see that all possible external factors were controlled for. The studies do indicate a relationship between the variables examined but it would be premature to conclude that the better oral health of the cats fed dry diets was due to the fact that they ate dry food.

Makes sense. I'm sure that there are probably lots of variables that influence oral health (chewing suggested by someone else, texture, ingredients, amount of saliva, length of time food is in mouth, how thorough cats are about licking their teeth after eating, etc. etc.) I posted those two studies because they are open access, but they do cite other studies with control groups.

The nice thing about observational studies like these is that they get out of the lab and into the real world to show the social significance of these kinds of food/health issues.