Feed Your Cat, With Dry Or Wet Food?

While some cat sitters go out of their way for wet food, others insist that dry food is the best option. Both parties have benefits; We tell you some of the advantages of feeding your cat with these foods.

The benefits of dry cat food

Complete dry diets have some advantages that you can benefit yourself from; we mention some:

• They are easy to measure and use
• They are easy to store
• They have a longer shelf life once opened  than wet food
• Some can also help remove plaque from your cat’s teeth

Also, if you choose a dry food, your cat can be expected to chew more actively and take longer to eat, drink more water, and return to food regularly rather than eating all at once.

Change of food according to their age

Keep in mind that cats, at certain stages of life, may prefer softer foods.  For example, elderly cats or recently weaned kittens.

Wet food may work better at these times. Also, there are some dry foods that are specially designed to be soaked.

What if we feed it with wet food?

Some cats simply prefer the aroma and texture of wet food, and this can also be very practical, especially the individual formats in which this type of food comes. Also, it will be easier and more hygienic to serve one meal at a time.

Cats fed wet food tend to eat more in one sitting rather than back and forth, and will drink less as there is a higher water content in wet food than dry food.

The amount of water intake is particularly important for cats prone to constipation or crystal formation in their urine, or if they have diabetes or kidney disease. Therefore, feeding a wet food can be especially beneficial for cats with these conditions.

Be careful with the temperature

Remember to serve wet food at room temperature to ensure your cat can taste and smell properly.  Heating an open can can take up to two hours after being removed from the fridge, so alternatively, you might consider using the microwave for a short time.

If you do this, make sure it is at a constant temperature and watch out for hot spots. In general, avoid serving food to your cat that is too hot or too cold.

Mix!

When given the option, many cats seem to prefer a mixture of wet and dry food:

• Wet food is used to increase enjoyment and add variety to the diet due to the wide variety of textures.
• On the other hand, dry food satisfies a cat’s natural desire to eat lots of small meals throughout the day.

Many owners serve a mix of dry and wet, as some cats prefer wet food in the morning and having dry food outside for the cat to eat during the day.

While dog owners tend to feed their pets wet food as a supplement to dry food, cat owners tend to feed either wet or dry, but separately. However, there are no rules in the latter instance, so it is up to each caregiver to decide what to feed their pet.

However, if you are trying a mix of wet and dry foods for your cat, be careful to give only the necessary amount of food your pet needs to minimize any unwanted weight gain.

Water is a must always

Whether your cat eats wet or dry food, it is imperative that they have access to clean, fresh, potable water at all times, preferably in a large stainless steel container.

Having plenty of water available is important, especially if you are feeding him dry food.  If your cat is reluctant to drink, try a large bowl; some cats do not like when their whiskers touch the edges of a water feature.

Image courtesy of stanze.