Wet vs. Dry Cat Food: Vet-Approved Facts & Key Differences

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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 useful for younger or senior cats or cats with dental points. You even have quite a lot of flavors that can absolutely please your kitty and the odor of moist meals normally attracts extra curiosity.

For chubby cats moist meals could be a higher possibility as a result of 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 correct meals in case your cat has underlying well being issues.

Wet Cat Food Drawbacks

One downside 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 overlooked for longer than about an hour to keep away from bacterial development, this is probably not supreme for cats who prefer to graze all through the day. In addition, moist meals is often costlier than dry kibble.

Wet meals might contribute to periodontal illness as a result of having no crunch to assist in eradicating tartar; nevertheless, that is disputable—some consultants conclude that dry kibble doesn’t assist forestall periodontal illness until it’s a specifically formulated dental meals kibble. In truth, the one confirmed technique is usually brushing your cat’s tooth.

Pros

• Higher water content material
• Highly palatable for choosy eaters
• Easier to chew for seniors or cats with dental points
• Better possibility for chubby cats (decrease calorie and carb content material)

Cons

• More costly
• Shorter shelf life
• May contribute to periodontal illness

Overview of Dry Cat Food

Image Credit: sophiecat, Shutterstock

Dry Cat Food Benefits

We’ve flippantly 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 offering your cat with the suitable each day quantity required for optimum vitamin. The moisture content material in dry cat kibble is lower than 20%, which supplies it an extended shelf life—that is additionally cheaper.

Also, as a result of decrease moisture content material, there’s a decrease likelihood of bacterial development, which lets you depart the meals out for longer. Unlike moist meals, it’s also possible to depart dry cat kibble in computerized feeders or puzzle toys. Refrigeration can also be not required with dry kibble, however remember the fact that it’s really useful to choose 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 number of drawbacks. For starters, dry kibble could also be tougher for some seniors to chew or cats with dental points. Dry cat meals is normally extra calorie-dense, which might contribute to weight problems while you free-feed. It can be tough to gauge how a lot your cat is consuming if he doesn’t eat the whole portion in a single sitting. Dry cat meals can also be normally increased in carbohydrates since starches are wanted to kind the kibble pellets.

Pros

• Convenient
• Longer shelf life
• Budget-friendly
• Widely obtainable
• Less likelihood for bacterial development

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 frequent amongst cat house owners, and the reply is, sure, you may! Since each forms of cat meals supply 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 useful you probably have a choosy eater.

It’s additionally cheaper to supply a mix of the 2—you received’t be spending a ton of cash on solely moist meals, and the moist meals will last more this fashion.

Your cat will nonetheless want a whole and balanced weight loss plan of protein, fat, nutritional vitamins, and minerals, and it’s vital to notice it may be straightforward to overshoot how a lot to feed when mixing moist and dry kibble. If you have got any issues or questions, your vet may help you establish the very best plan of action for feeding your cat to make sure dietary wants are being met when combining the 2.

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Do Vets Recommend Wet Food Over Dry?

Your cat’s total well being and preferences will decide which meals is acceptable. Your veterinarian might recommend dry over moist, or vice versa, or, your vet might 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 weight loss plan. This means it can comprise all of the important vitamins required to your cat to thrive. Your vet may give recommendation on the best choice to your cat, and direct you on the required each day quantities to forestall overfeeding your feline.

Can I Add Water to Dry Cat Food?

Yes, you completely can! Adding water to dry kibble is a solution to improve the flavour and make a “gravy,” if you’ll. This is most useful 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 boost the flavour.

Remember that you simply shouldn’t depart 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 have got a choosy eater
• For well being circumstances (diabetes, kidney illness, FLUTD)

When to Feed Dry Cat Food

• When on a funds
• 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 very best type of vitamin you must feed your loved one kitty. As you may see, each dry kibble and moist meals have benefits and drawbacks, and the suitable meals kind will rely in your cat’s total well being and particular person preferences. Your veterinarian is a superb useful resource to make the most of when attempting to find out the very best path to take, and we suggest doing so earlier than altering your cat’s weight loss plan.

Not each cat has the identical dietary wants, and your vet may help you discover that good steadiness for optimum well being.

You may additionally like: 

• How to Keep Cats From Eating Each Other’s Food (4 Proven Methods)
• Do Cats Need Wet Food? Vet-Reviewed Benefits, Facts & FAQs
• Homemade Dry Cat Food Recipes
• Best Organic Cat Foods 

Sources

• https://www.petmd.com/cat/nutrition/wet-cat-food-vs-dry-cat-food-which-better
• https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/cat-nutrition/cat-food/wet-vs-dry-cat-food.
• https://www.purina.com/articles/cat/nutrition/wet-vs-dry-cat-food
• https://www.comfortedkitty.com/wet-vs-dry-cat-food-which-is-better/
• https://www.hepper.com/benefits-and-downsides-of-wet-food-for-cats/
• https://www.hepper.com/can-i-mix-wet-and-dry-cat-food/
• https://be.chewy.com/mixing-wet-and-dry-pet-food
• https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/urinary/feline_idiopathic_lower_urinary_tract_disease
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/obesity-in-cats
• https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/cat/dr-coates/2016/february/how-keep-your-cats-food-fresh-33569
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cats-nutrition-and-periodontal-disease

 

Featured Image Credit: Jiri Hera, Shutterstock

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