Some cats are very finicky eaters and will only eat
a certain kind of food. Some cats like
wet food better while others like dry food better. There are benefits of both wet and dry food,
but if your cat is not a finicky eater, the choice is yours and your cats! So what’s a cat owner to do?
What is the real difference between wet and dry food?
Both canned and dry foods are (if you buy a high quality
food) nutritionally complete. The biggest difference between the two is
moisture content with canned food having a much higher moisture content. Many cats do seem to find wet food more
palatable and this can be especially important if you have a cat with a finicky
appetite.
Wet food is beneficial as it has a higher water content
Due to its higher water content, wet or canned food can be
of particular benefit for cats with kidney problems (it helps keep them better
hydrated) or lower urinary tract disease (it helps produce more dilute urine
that can alleviate or reduce the frequency of symptoms).
The higher water content may make it easier to put your
kitty on a diet (if necessary) because most cans of cat food contain roughly
the same number of calories as 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dry food, but in a larger
volume of food, so the cat may feel fuller at meal time.
The benefits of dry food are the following:
Dry food is good for your cat’s teeth
Dry kibble can be more convenient and many vets feel that
dry food is better for a cat's teeth. However, dry food is not a substitute for
dental care and most cats, regardless of whether they have eaten canned food or
dry food, will need professional dental care at some point in their lives.
Dry food can be left out all day
Dry food is also convenient for cat owners who leave their
cats at home alone every day and want them to be able to graze during the
day. Some cats that are not big eaters
will nibble at it all day until they are full.
However, if your cat is overweight or tends to eat a lot, only leave out
a certain amount of dry food during the day so that he doesn’t gorge when you
aren’t around!
If you feed your cats’ dry food, make sure that your kitty
drinks water
If you feed your cat dry food, he or she should drink at
least one cup of water for every ten pounds of body weight daily. In warm
weather, your cat will need even more. Cats on canned food diets only need to
consume one-third to one-half that amount of water.
Ultimately, wet or dry food is up to you and your kitty
The real decision should come down to your cat and your
lifestyle. If your cat is happy with
both, feed your kitty wet food in the morning and leave dry food out all day. If your cat only likes dry, then just make
sure to have plenty of water for your cat due to the lack of water in the dry
food. If you feed your cat a premium cat
food, with very few additives and enough crude protein, he or she is likely to
thrive whether the food is wet or dry.
