So what do you think its better? Dry food or wet food?

Question

My cats only eat dry food. Maybe every two months (if so) I give them wet food and they absolutely love it!!

Answer 1

I asked my vet and she said that dry food was best for my cats and kitten. It doesn't give them loose stools and it cleans their teeth.
It's also so much easier to feed them, I just leave a bowl of dry food so that whenever they're hungry they munch. But I do give them wet food as a treat and they enjoy it also.

Answer 2

Dry food tends to be healthier, and is much better for their teeth. I feed my cats dry food that I buy from my vet and split a can of wet cat food or tuna fish between the two of them about 2-3 times a week as a treat.

Answer 3

I do the same with my cat as sort of a treat. Nutritionally, wet food and dry food are the same. The only difference is the amount of water in each. Wet food usually makes them have runny poop. But other than that, they love it. Dry food is also cheaper because it's lighter to ship.

Answer 4

A vet once told me that wet food causes major tooth decay for my dog. I assume that it's the same with cats. If they're eating dry food, I would just stick with that and not give them any wet food. I'm sure every two months wouldn't hurt anything.

Answer 5

I agree totally with dracon. For a veterinarian's take on canned food vs. dry go to www.littlebigcat.com and read Dr. Jean Hovfe's articles titled "Why Cats Need Canned Food", "Does Dry Food Clean the Teeth?", "Selecting a Good Commercial Pet Food".

Answer 6

Dry food. Wet food gives cat's worms a whole lot easier than dry food.

Answer 7

I dont know about cats but i will never feed wet food to another animal again, ( i have a dog that eats it) it ruins thier teeth, even with chewies and stuff it still rots them, the hard food asists in breaking off the tarter and plaque. I think its mean to feed them moist food. My dog is now 13 and barley has any teeth left at all, (vet has taken most out because of rotten, and it from soft food) Of course he still eats it, it would be mean to do other wise now, but NEVER AGAIN!

Good Luck

Ps maybe as a treat once in a while but not every day and a by treat i mean a rare treat

Answer 8

This is an important debate since most people think that giving cats soft cat food is spoiling them. This is not the case. Cats naturally eat a diet that consists of 70% water (aka. mice) therefore they are not heavy drinkers by nature. Unfortunately dry cat food is cheaper because the manufacturers can produce more and sell more volume by sucking the moisture out of the food (down to about 18% water).

Although dry cat food is better for their teeth (tartar control) it plays havoc on their urinary system. This is especially true for male cats who have a very long and sort of convoluted urethra that passes through the os penis and therefore has limited room for expansion. Male cats fed ONLY dry cat food run a much higher risk of developing urinary crystals (especially sedentary indoor cats). Crystal form in the urine because dry cat food neutralizes the pH of the urine and also concentrates the urine because of the low water content. Crystals in the urine are very painful and can cause blockage at which point urine can no longer be expelled and it begins to build up in the bladder. Left untreated, this can cause renal failure withing 24-30 hours and death within 48 hours.

I know this because I was a faithful dry cat food buyer for 15 years and then one of my male cats developed Struvite crystals in the urine and was blocked. I didn't realise what was wrong for 12 hours (I thought he was merely constipated) when he began to howl in agony non-stop. A trip to the emergency room ($400 later) and a catheter installed quickly relieved his pain but he now has permanent damage to his urinary tract and must strain to urinate. We now have to buy special prescription food to prevent any future crystals from developing and since we have 2 other cats this is expensive.

Therefore, my advice is to feed wet food to your cat (especially if you have a male) and top it off with a little bit of dry food (for some tartar control). To encourage your cat to drink add some beef or chicken broth to the mix. You will have one happy and healthy kitty.

Answer 9

Use wet food as a treat. Given all the time it could upset their stomaches and make their stool really running. I give my cats soft food once a week. Same thing goes with milk. It should be given as a treat, not as a substitute for water. : )

Answer 10

Okay so my cats are spoiled....

they get canned food for breakfast
homecooked minced offal with rice for evening meal
and there is always a big dish of dry cat food available - I top it up as necessary

they are all healthy and not fat

clean fresh water is always available