Wet vs. Dry Cat Food: Vet-Accredited Information & Key Differences

When it comes to picking between dry cat meals and moist cat meals, the choice can get complicated on which one you need to choose. Is dry cat meals the higher choice, or do you have to select moist meals for the moisture content material?

Some cat homeowners could discover it laborious to affect their cats to drink water, and moist meals gives extra hydration. On the opposite hand, dry meals retains longer than moist meals, and it doesn’t require refrigeration as soon as opened. Nonetheless, the intention of this text is to look at the variations between the 2 that will help you make an knowledgeable resolution based mostly in your cat’s dietary necessities. Let’s discover this matter extra in-depth.

Visual Differences

At a Glance

Overview of Wet Cat Food

Wet Cat Food Benefits

Wet cat meals has a couple of advantages value contemplating. First, moist cat meals has a a lot greater water content material (roughly 65%) than dry kibble, which is useful in case your cat doesn’t drink as a lot water as wanted to remain hydrated. However, you need to nonetheless present contemporary water 24/7 in your cat regardless if he eats moist meals or dry meals.

Tip: You can try a cat water fountain to entice your cat to drink—the move of the water is intriguing and can strike your cat’s curiosity.

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Wet meals can also be extremely palatable, which is a perk for choosy eaters. Wet meals can also be simpler to eat, which is most helpful for young or senior cats or cats with dental points. You even have quite a lot of flavors that may absolutely please your kitty, and the odor of moist meals often attracts extra curiosity.

For chubby cats moist meals generally is a higher choice because of the decrease quantities of energy in contrast with dry meals. Wet meals can be useful for cats vulnerable to sure well being circumstances equivalent to urinary tract issues and constipation- communicate to your vet for recommendation to decide on the precise meals in case your cat has underlying well being issues.

Wet Cat Food Drawbacks

One disadvantage to moist meals is the shelf life; as soon as a can or packet is opened, any remaining meals requires refrigeration. Uneaten moist meals shouldn’t be unnoticed for longer than about an hour to keep away from bacterial progress, this might not be preferrred for cats who wish to graze all through the day. In addition, moist meals is usually costlier than dry kibble.

Wet meals could contribute to periodontal illness attributable to having no crunch to assist in eradicating tartar; nevertheless, that is disputable—some consultants conclude that dry kibble doesn’t assist stop periodontal illness until it’s a specifically formulated dental meals kibble. In truth, the one confirmed technique is often brushing your cat’s enamel.

Overview of Dry Cat Food

Dry Cat Food Benefits

We’ve frivolously touched on the advantages of dry cat meals; nevertheless, on this part, let’s discover the important thing advantages of dry cat meals. A key distinction is the comfort issue. Dry meals is straightforward to measure to make sure you’re providing your cat with the appropriate daily amount required for optimal nutrition. The moisture content material in dry cat kibble is lower than 20%, which supplies it an extended shelf life—that is additionally extra cost-effective.

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Also, because of the decrease moisture content material, there’s a decrease probability of bacterial progress, which lets you go away the meals out for longer. Unlike moist meals, it’s also possible to go away dry cat kibble in computerized feeders or puzzle toys. Refrigeration can also be not required with dry kibble, however needless to say it’s really helpful to select up any uneaten dry kibble inside 24 hours to forestall overeating.

Dry Cat Food Drawbacks

Even with the comfort of dry cat meals, there are nonetheless a couple of drawbacks. For starters, dry kibble could also be tougher for some seniors to chew or cats with dental points. Dry cat meals is often extra calorie-dense, which may contribute to weight problems if you free-feed. It can be troublesome to gauge how a lot your cat is consuming if he doesn’t eat your entire portion in a single sitting. Dry cat meals can also be often greater in carbohydrates since starches are wanted to type the kibble pellets.

Pros

• Convenient
• Longer shelf life
• Budget-friendly
• Widely available
• Less probability for bacterial progress

Cons

• May be tougher to chew for some cats
• Free-feeding can result in weight problems
• Higher in carbohydrates

Other Factors to Consider

Can I Mix Wet and Dry Cat Food?

This query is widespread amongst cat homeowners, and the reply is, sure, you possibly can! Since each sorts of cat meals provide explicit advantages, why not combine the 2? Mixing the 2 consistencies, or feeding one at every meal, offers your cat extra choices for texture and taste, which can show helpful you probably have a choosy eater.

It’s additionally extra cost-effective to offer a combination of the 2—you received’t be spending a ton of money on solely moist meals, and the moist meals will last more this manner.

Your cat will nonetheless want a whole and balanced eating regimen of protein, fat, nutritional vitamins, and minerals, and it’s necessary to notice it may be straightforward to overshoot how a lot to feed when mixing moist and dry kibble. If you could have any issues or questions, your vet can assist you identify the perfect plan of action for feeding your cat to make sure dietary wants are being met when combining the 2.

Do Vets Recommend Wet Food Over Dry?

Your cat’s general well being and preferences will decide which meals is suitable. Your veterinarian may suggest dry over moist, or vice versa, or, your vet could suggest a mixture of the 2. Regardless of whether or not moist or dry,  it is very important at all times feed a high-quality, full, and well-balanced eating regimen. This means it is going to comprise all of the important vitamins required in your cat to thrive. Your vet may give recommendation on the most suitable choice in your cat, and direct you on the required day by day quantities to forestall overfeeding your feline.

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Can I Add Water to Dry Cat Food?

Yes, you completely can! Adding water to dry kibble is a way to enhance the flavor and make a “gravy,” if you’ll. This is most helpful in case your cat loves the kibble however wants extra hydration or in case your cat is beginning to present much less curiosity within the dry kibble and also you don’t need to add moist meals. Simply add ¼ cup of filtered water to the highest of the kibble to moisten it for simpler chewing and to reinforce the flavour. Remember that you just shouldn’t go away this out for greater than an hour or two to forestall bacterial contamination (as with moist meals).

When to Feed Wet Cat Food

• For hydration
• When extra protein is required
• If you could have a choosy eater
• For well being circumstances (diabetes, kidney illness, FLUTD

When to Feed Dry Cat Food

• When on a finances
• Free-feeding
• For the crunchy texture
• When extra energy are wanted

Conclusion

With so many choices, we all know it may possibly get extraordinarily complicated concerning the perfect type of vitamin you need to feed your loved one kitty. As you possibly can see, each dry kibble and moist meals have benefits and drawbacks, and the suitable meals sort will rely in your cat’s general well being and their individual preferences. Your veterinarian is a wonderful useful resource to make the most of when making an attempt to find out the perfect path to take, and we suggest doing so earlier than altering your cat’s eating regimen.

Not each cat has the identical dietary wants, and your vet can assist you discover that excellent stability for optimum well being.

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Featured Image Credit: (L) New Africa, Shutterstock | (R) Ekaterina Minaeva, Shutterstock