is feeding a cat tinned food every single day .. good?

Question

my mom has this thing about making my cat unhappy. he's an extrodinarily fussy thing, even Royal Canin Exigent doesnt work for him. I believe feeding a fussy cat tinned food will rot his teeth and cause him to have obesity problems and heart problems. It also sends a message out to the cat that he will get whatever he pleases, this might cause problems for us in later life.

Could anyone confirm these suspicions? If enough people can then I can show my mom this and maybe get her to listen. She thinks if he doesnt get what he wants it will make him unhappy.

Answer 1

A friend recently had to have dental work performed on her cat because they spoiled him with gourmet canned dinners. The cat needed 8 teeth removed.

In the wild, carnivores do not develop calculus (tartar). Domesticated animals, in contrast, are not eating their natural diet and the SOFT/CANNED FOOD ACCUMULATES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TEETH in an area where it cannot easily be cleaned off.

Dogs and cats cannot clean their teeth well with their tongues as their teeth are too sharp. In the wild, carnivores keep their teeth clean by gnawing on bones. They use their side teeth in a sliding motion along the bone and this scrapes off any residue left from eating.

Dry, crunchy food, will not stick to tooth surfaces as easily as canned foods, and will help keep their teeth healthy and clean through chewing.

Some argue that food should be moist to keep them hydrated, but no cat is expected to meet its fluid requirements through food. Water is essential for a cat's good health. Provide your cat with plenty of fresh water in a clean bowl at all times.

Soft food is fine to supplement a healthy, crunchy diet. But not all soft foods are created equal. Be sure to choose one that is nutritionally complete with no animal by-products (the same goes for dry food).

If providing soft foods as a main diet, be sure to look into dental care, including brushing his teeth (try a finger brush and meat flavoured toothpaste). There are also sprays and water additives.

You can also give a cat raw chicken bones (usually wings) to chew on. Don't give leftover bones from cooked foods, as cooking may cause bones to splinter! You can even give a whole chicken wing with raw meat, or toast it lightly in a pan without cooking. This is GREAT for a cat's teeth and overall health.

Answer 2

You do not say how old your cat is. All pet food manufacturers make food for the various ages, i.e. kitten, youngster, middle-aged (5-7) and senior 7+. Cats fed solely on soft food can develop all sorts of nasty problems such as heart and obesity as you mention, but because some of them contain salt, they can also have kidney problems. Their teeth need hard food to keep them clear of plaque - not only is it painful for the cat, but the Vet's bills will be expensive.

My 2 cats aged 11 and 9 are fed on Hills Science Diet Senior which they love, and I change the flavours to keep them interested.

Try your local Vet as they have health sheets which you can show your Mother. She is not being kind, she is putting its health in danger. It might take several days for the cat to adapt, but try putting a small amount of hard food down with a very little of the soft food and leaving it. Gradually increase the dry food until you can stop the tinned stuff. When the cat is hungry, it will eat.

Answer 3

Boredom makes a cat unhappy. Hunting a cat toy on a string is better than food, as long as the food fulfills his nutritional needs.
Canned food is bad for the teeth, and it's expensive. Don't worry about sending your cat a "message," since once he gets used to the dry food, he won't connect it with his attitude or your authority. What you don't want to do is switch his wet food for dry, then switch back after he goes on strike for a day. That would just teach him that if he stops eating, he'll get his old kind back. Switch his food once, or slowly mix more and more dry food into the wet, but don't give an inch if he doesn't like it.
It's not wet or dry that would make your cat fat, but the quantity. Don't let your mom feed him bacon grease, and keep his ration just enough that he doesn't drop below a healthy weight.

Answer 4

There are a number of conditions that can cause vomiting in a cat. Hair balls, gastritis, food allergies, chronic pancreatitis, hyperthyroidism, stomach worms, and issues with the gall bladder to mention a few. If there is hair in the vomitus then hairballs might be the answer. Whether it is vomiting undigested food after it eats or whether it is is vomiting bile and water can help distinguish the cause. If your cat is eating normally and has normal activity and litter box usage, it probably isn't real serious at this point. However, having a vet check to rule out some of these conditions would be wise and may prevent more serious symptoms down the road.

Answer 5

No it's not good... if you give him a variety of tinned and dry food, then that's good as there is a balance. Wet food (canned food) tend to stick to the cat's teeth and fur around the mouth. That's why they start licking themselves vigorously after eating it. Dry food is rather hard therefore it makes cats use their teeth and it cleans them. Also, Canned food, can cause obesity in cats in later life which can cause problems as obese cats don't usually live a long and healthy life. It's better to always feed your cat dry food than to always feed it wet food... the desicison is in your hands as you know what's best for the cat not the cat itself. Kids prefere chocolate to vegetables but vegetables are healthier!!

Answer 6

this may sound cruel, but if you put down a certain type of food, for example hard cat food, and assure the cat that that is all it is getting and that you will not give him/her what it wants, then the cat will get it in its head that you mean what you say and that you are not backing down, it will moan and cry at you and will be quite annoyed with you for sometime but after a while it will begin to understand what you want and do it. as for your mother, tell her that after a certain age(im not sure when that age is, my cat started eating hard food at 5 or 6 months) its better for the cat to eat hard food and also let her know that it is perfered by vets for the cat to change its food type from soft to hard for dental reasons(with the right amount of proof of course) and hopefully she will understand. let it be known that it will take a couple of days for this to work, but dont give up and be persistent. also you have to be consistent with the food you are using, if you quickly change the food then you will confuse it and it will not eat at all. try geting a hard cat food brand with milk pellets in the food, the cat will like this even more.

Answer 7

i have a 13 year old cat who eats meat but hes fussy he will only eat the small tins in gravy. i also put him cat biscuits down as these are good for there teeth.my cat as never been ill.touch wood i would prefare him to eat the biscuits as its more hygenic.i have tried over the years to give him what i think he should have but cats are very stubborn.he as been known to go 3 days without food if i dont give him what he likes.and im just wasting time and money in trying to change him.my friend put her cats on complete and thats all they eat.i wouldnt say her cats are any healthier than mine.in fact hers have ailed more.it is entirely up to you what you feed him and to try and change him you will need willpower.good luck.i am probably a bit like your mum.i have give into my cat but it has done him no harm healthwise.

Answer 8

Well our 2 old cats sadly not with us anymore were fed canned food all there life,we tried a few dried food diets but our cats were having none of it and because our old cat aged about 12 had no teeth it made it very difficult.They never seemed to expeirience any related health problems due to eating canned food.Our old cat died aged 14yrs due to seizures and tragically our younger cat died aged 7yrs due to beeing run over.Just feed your cat whatever feels best or whatever suits your cat.

Answer 9

Dry food is NOT good for cats, and the most recent studies show it does nothing for their teeth. It puts cats in a constant state of dehydration as well as giving them too many carbs--which contribute to obesity and put them at risk of diabetes. Canned food, while better than dry food is still not as ideal for them as a properly formulated raw diet, which gives cats real meat to chew on and naturally cleans their teeth.

Answer 10

Your cat is more likely to suffer obesity and urinary tract problems with dry food then if you give him tin food. I had all my cats on hills and stopped when one of them had a cystitus problem and another had a weight problem. The only problem you may encounter with wet food is of a dental nature, and not urinary tract problems as there's lots of water in tinned food. You could put a biscuit topping on the food to keep his teeth cleen. as for obesity my cats were fatter when they were on dry food. Don't know any foods that would cause heart problems... obviously if you overfeed your cat whether it be dry or tinned food and make them overweight then that could cause problems to the heart.