Wet food for your kitty is important
On: 28 May 2018
Wet or Dry? Which is better and why?
You'll hear lots of information about dry vs wet food - so, which is it?
Every person feeds their cat differently. You may hear conflicting information everywhere you go; Facebook, your breeder or your mates with cats.
Why is Wet Food Important?
Wet cat food is important for one main reason - its high in moisture. Cat's get dehydrated easily, therefore providing as much wet food as possible will improve your kitty's health. With a rise in kidney problems in cats, feeding wet food has never been more important. Starting with a diet consisting of about 30% moist foods can help prevent these issues by increasing water intake.
Isn't Wet Bad for the Teeth?
Yes and no. A diet consisting of 100% canned wet food may not be prefered as it's more likely to get stuck to the teeth than dry food. We would suggest offer a small portion of dry food to provide chewing. However, supplementing wet with dry food may not always work as most cats swollow kibble whole. If this is the case, offer dental treats and raw bones every couple of days to encourage extra chewing. Chewing = healthy teeth!
Getting the Right Balance
If you choose to feed dry food, ensure you increase your pet's water intake by offering wet food daily. The ideal mix is 70% wet - 30% dry. Males cats, and cats with previous urinary trouble should be on a high moisture diet (ideally, 100% wet). Talking to a vet with additional nutrition training/experience is also very important to ensure your cat is healthy and on the best food.
Raw Diets
Yes, it's true you will get the best of both worlds changing to a raw food diet. Meat contains a high moisture content, including easily digestible proteins that supports kidney function and urinary heatlh. Raw meat also contains no sugar that could rott the teeth; it's also less likely to get stuck to the teeth compared to wet foods laced with gravies.
Keep in mind a 'raw diet' isn't just adding mince to your pet's bowl. This is not balanced and can be detrimental to your pet's health. A proper raw diet consists of offal and bone, as well as muscle meat. Brands like Big Dog, Proudi and Dr B's offer premade raw diets for cats. You can find this in our freezer section, or online by Going Here.
Improving Your Cat's Overall Health...
...can start with just adding more water to their diet. Whether that be in the form of wet food, raw meat, BARF, or a cup of water on top of dry, it's a start to better health.
Some signs for urinary problems to watch out for are:
- A change in litter box habits
- change of apetite
- rubbing bum on floor
- licking and tending to genitals frequently
- weeing on tiles or cold floor
With any of these changes please consult your local vet.
