Is it unhealthy for my can to only eat canned cat food?

Question

My cats are about 2 years old, and one of them will only eat canned cat food. He will meow and follow me around until I give him some, even if there is a bowl full of dry cat food.

Is this unhealthy for my cat, or should I not give in and wait until he gets hungry enough that he'll eat the dry food?

Answer 1

Its definitely not unhealthy to eat only wet food, although some cats do enjoy the crunch of kibble. An increasing number of American Veterinary Medical Association members, including board-certified veterinary nutritionists, are now strongly recommending the feeding of canned food instead of dry kibble.

The three key negative issues associated with dry food are:

1) type of protein - too high in plant-based versus animal-based proteins

2) carbohydrate load is too high

3) water content is too low

Answer 2

My cat was given 1/2 can of wet food in the morning and the other 1/2 at dinner. He also had unlimited good quality dry food (Nutro and Royal Canin) to eat. He ate both. I also feed him people food - he loved dairy, mangoes, and any dish with meat (even with hot spices). He lived to be 21 years old and was a very lively and healthy cat. In fact most people thought is was 10-12 years younger than his actual age.

If you are really concerned, which there is no reason to be, than just feed your cat dry food but make sure it is a quality brand.

Answer 3

Cats can be perfectly fine on an all-canned diet - as long as it's high quality food! If your cat is even slightly prone to being overweight you'll soon know about it if you're feeding anything like Whiskas, Felix, Fancy Feast, Sheba - that sort of stuff. I'd recommend Iams or Hills Science Diet.

The only other thing is that an all wet diet will probably mean the cat will need dental work by about twelve years of age. I would therefore suggest mixing just a few biscuits into the canned, preferably very hard ones, just to give her teeth the occasional crunch!

Chalice

Answer 4

Cats thrive on a wet food only diet. A cat needs a high protien diet with few carbs which a canned food provides. It also gives them the water that they do not get with dry food. Dry food does not help to keep teeth clean and can actually cause tooth problems because pieces break off of the dry food and become caught between the teeth adding to tooth decay. If you can afford it a wet food diet is one of the best things that you can do for your cat.

Answer 5

Dog and cat food contain inferior products that normally would never be put in regular food. Another thing that pet food companies do is put "stool hardeners" in the food so the pets stool will not be loose. (After all if the pet keep having soft stool the owners will quickly switch brands) These chemicals are a torture to the intestines of pets. Fortunately they do not live long enough to get the real horrific effects of them, like cancer. BUT since humans do live a lot longer, it can easily cause cancer. Going back to your question: Will you get harmed for trying it? The answer is absolutely NOT. (but don't make it a habbit)

Answer 6

Nothing wrong with giving your cat can food. I have 2 cats that will eat can food as well as the dry cereal. The other one will only eat cereal and she is actually a little fatter than the other 2. My mother's cat is about 16 and love the can food. Her other cats lived into their late teens as well on can food. Not harmful at all.

Answer 7

It depends on what cat it is. I wouldent say canned food is unhealthy. But if it is just a little kitty give it canned food once it is a grown cat give it some solid food. But if the cat is a pedigree that u might as well give it some canned food.(make sure it is fancy:)

Answer 8

No, its not unhealthy if you are feeding them a good premium cat food. The only concern is their teeth. If they are not eating hard, crunchy kibble, they could get a build up of tartar on their teeth real quick. You could mix a small handful of crunchy cat food in with their wet food and this may take care of the teeth problem.

Answer 9

Cats have preferences just like humans! Really, canned cat food is better for them anyway, as it contains a lot more moisture. Dry food is coated in fat to make it more palatable, and contrary to popular belief, it does nothing for their teeth! I would definitely let him eat canned food, I mean, if you really hated something it would be horrible if you HAD to eat it every day, wouldn't it? I wouldn't spoil him rotten, don't give in to every whim, but this one is reasonable, I think :) One of mine only eats canned, one mostly eats dry, and the other eats both!

Regardless, be sure to provide plenty of water for them :)

Answer 10

I think you mean cat...instead of can. You should feed a combination of hard and soft cat food. You might want to consult your veterinarian for a healthy balance. With the pet food scare recently, I actually feed my cats protein and no grain. I feed soft food, but for dry food, I use the Ev or Evolutionary diet. It contains a minimal amount of grains, which actually is better for your cat.