When choosing what to feed your cat, the first decision you’ll need to make is whether you should feed them wet food or dry food. There are pros and cons to both, but ultimately what matters most is the one that meets your cat’s nutritional needs and appetite, and fits your lifestyle and budget the best.
Most cats tend to eat whatever kind of food they were introduced to first, whether it’s wet or dry. Many people choose to feed their cats both wet and dry at various times of the day. We’ve assembled this list of reasons each type of food might be best for you and your cat.
Dry cat food is available everywhere, from boutique pet stores to gas stations. The quality of food can vary wildly between inexpensive brands and high-cost ones. It’s important to read the label and understand what ingredients are best for your cat.
Dry food is easy to serve. Simply dish out the amount that’s suggested for your cat’s age and weight, and you’re done. More finicky cats may prefer to be fed two or three distinct meals, so you may need to spread that amount throughout the day. If you put out too much food at one time, it can go stale. Some cats will turn their nose up at stale food, so consider the potential for waste when serving dry food.
In some households, free-feeding works best. This is when a never-ending supply of dry food is replenished when emptied. If your cat is able to moderate their intake properly and not overeat, this is a great option. Some cats will naturally eat everything that’s been put in front of them, so free-feeding isn’t for everyone. Overeating can cause vomiting in the short term and obesity over time.
Some cats retain the natural instinct to take their meal away from their kill. If you’ve ever seen your cat grab a mouthful of food and retreat before eating it, that’s exactly what they’re doing. It seems silly to go through that hassle when their prey is a lovingly portioned pile of kibble, but instincts run strong. If your cat does this with dry food, you may find a few crumbs lying around, but it shouldn’t make too much of a mess.
In nature, cats get most of their water from the food they eat. Dry food contains little moisture, so your cat will need to drink more water if they exclusively eat kibble. Some cats will naturally drink more water, but others simply don’t like drinking water. It’s important to make sure your cat drinks enough, because dehydration can cause serious, life-threatening conditions.
If you prefer to feed your cat dry food, making sure the cat drinks enough water is just one part of the equation. The other issue with kibble is that sadly, there are many products on the market that are way too high in carbohydrate content. Finding products that are closer to 10% carbohydrate content can be challenging with dry food.
Another one of the cons in most dry foods is that the extreme heat used in the processing results in loss of protein quality. If you choose to feed your cat dry food it is better to go for a freeze-dry product.
Pros
Available everywhere
Easy cleanup
Simple to measure
Cons
Gets stale
Can promote dehydration
Free-feeding promotes obesity
Wet Cat Food
Image Credit: Veera, Shutterstock
Wet cat food can be found easily at supermarkets and pet stores. A convenience store or pharmacy may only have one or two cans of food, if any. If you choose to feed your cat wet food, it can be more difficult to find some in a pinch. Both small and large cans of cat food are common, so you can choose the size most appropriate to your cat’s appetite.
No amount of research can ever predict which one your cat will like better, so try a few different flavors of each texture until your cat lets you know that you’ve picked the right one. Your cat may only like one flavor and texture. Different flavors of the same brand of cat food typically have the same nutritional components, so this is fine. There are plenty of cats who’ve lived long, healthful lives only ever eating turkey or salmon cat food.
The high water content of wet food means that your cat won’t need as much supplemental water to stay hydrated. Your cat should still have a freshwater bowl available to them at all times, of course. Wet food is typically recommended to promote healthy kidneys and avoid urinary crystals caused by chronic dehydration. Urinary crystals can cause urethral obstructions; this is a life-threatening emergency. It is more common in male cats, as their urethras are longer and narrower, but it can happen to females as well. You should always monitor your cat’s water intake and urination.
Feeding your cat wet food is a simple, albeit stinky, affair. The aromas and textures that make wet food appeal to cats are typically not desirable to human palates. Some flavors are more pungent than others, but all of them smell like cat food. If your cat likes to spread their food around, you may find yourself needing to clean their feeding area more frequently.
Unlike with dry food, if a cat leaves wet food in their dish for too long, it can become crusty and inedible. For cats who are more prone to grazing on food throughout the day, this can be wasteful. If your cat prefers smaller portions of food more frequently, plastic lids that fit cat food cans are a wise investment to avoid waste. They’re found in almost any grocery or dollar store.
Regardless of whether you feed your cat dry or wet food, you need a bowl that is sure to keep the mess contained—you can do just that with the Hepper Nom Nom Bowl.
This is designed with your cat’s comfort in mind. The whisker-friendly bowls are low and wide to prevent whisker fatigue, and the wide catch tray ensures that all food stays exactly where it should—inside the bowl.
At Excited Cats, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Christian is the Editor-in-Chief of Excited Cats and one of its original and primary contributors. A lifelong cat lover, now based in South East Asia, Christian and his wife are the proud parents of an 11-year-old son and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
