Info. & Links on why canned is better than all dry diet

[edkate]

I am feeding our cats Wellness wet food and some Homestyle's by Prairie....

Does anybody have any updates on websites that keep an eye on food recalls?

What do you guys think of the food i feed the kitties?

The youngest cat would NOT even touch dry food, but the oldest (2.5 y.o) would eat it non-stop if i didnt put it away when we come home from cottage....

[Briana]

Thank goodness for this topic. My mom is telling me all the time that canned food is really hard on a cat's kidneys. My cat, Fluffy, who is fourteen has had mostly a dry food diet all his life. I give him wet, canned food though for a good treat. And she's always telling me it's really bad for him.

Is it, though? It sounds like it might be better for him....?

[mdvpot]

What's up with this cat?? One Genetically Weird Hairless Cat | Gomestic

[Hypurrrrr]

Great thread! And this is a really fantastic summary:

Originally Posted by OsnobunnieO

I think feeding a mix is just fine.

To sum up what I believe to be true about the two:

Feeding ONLY dry food tends to leave many cats slightly dehydrated because they rely on food to get their moisture, most cats don't drink enough water on their own. This can put some stress on their internal organs, like kidneys. Also, it can lead to a more concentrated urine and possible UTIs and maybe even blockages in male cats (females too, but less common).

Most dry foods contain a high amount of carbs and other fillers that cats don't really need. They are carnivores who do best when they eat meat, or mostly meat meals. A lot of lower ended dry foods contain little meat at all (some you really have to search to find it!).

A lot of cats tend to overeat when free fed dry. This leads to a lot of weight issues, as well as a "need" for food all the time... you can read lots of stories about cats who stress out and scratch, pee, and poop all over the house at the sight of an empty bowl.

Wet foods provides moisture. It hydrates them, and keeps the urine a good concentration to provide a healthy urinary tract. It usually keeps them fuller longer since they get more nutrition from the food and are not just "filled" with grains and such. It also tends to keep cats a healthier weight and has been helpful for many people in getting their cats to lose weight.

I personally feed an all wet diet now and have been very pleased. While I tend to scoop about 3-4 clumps of urine every day, I usually get a small amount of poo once a day. His coat is beautiful and soft, and he just seems all around healthy.

I think you'll do fine on the combo you're starting. Natural Balance is one of the high end dry foods, good choice! Basically, the best diet for your cat is going to be one that he does the best on. If he refuses to eat canned food (some do!) feeding him the best dry you can find is just as good... I mean, it can't be good for him if he doesn't eat it right?

I used to feed my cat wet food but he lost interest in it. At first, he'd lick the gravy off and then come back later to eat the meaty bits. As time went by, I noticed there were days where he didn't eat it at all and seemed satisfied with just dry food. So I just stopped buying the wet food. However, since reading through this entire thread, I will certainly give the wet food another go.

I always have a bowl of water and dry food available for my cat and he eats only when he's hungry. He weighs what he should and has had no health problems. Once in a while, as a treat, I buy him a can of tuna (in water) or some shaved turkey from the deli. I have yet to research this forum to see if these treats are OK to give a cat, so if anyone has an opinion or advice about the occasional tuna/turkey treat, I'd love to hear what you have to say.

[Susan]

I see nothing wrong with tuna/turkey as occasional treats. Neither is harmful and, if only fed upon occasion, neither will interfere with his normal feeding. Tuna and turkey are likely no worse (indeed, better) than Pounce, Temptations, etc. As for transitioning him from dry to wet, that’s an excellent idea. But, for some cats, it can be a difficult task. I’m currently in the process of transitioning my two. One cat was relatively easy. The other is stubborn, stubborn, stubborn – but we’re slowly making progress. Here’s another excellent article (although lengthy) on dry vs. wet, which addresses many of the points you found helpful in the summary post you quoted. It also includes tips for transitioning cats from dry to wet, many of which I’m using with success.

Feeding Your Cat: Know The Basis of Feline Nutrition

I don’t know if this article was earlier referred to in this thread, since I’m afraid I haven’t had the time to go through all of the posts!

Finally, when I feed my girls wet food comprised of chunks with gravy, they too tend to lap up the gravy and ignore the meat. They also hate pate-style wet food. So, I’m now using Weruva, which is neither pate nor chunks with gravy, but a bit of a compromise between the two. It’s also grain-free. So far, so good.

Good luck!

[Hypurrrrr]

Thank you for the advice and for the link! It's funny that you mentioned "Pounce" and "Temptations" because I just posted about them on the "kitty treat" thread.

Originally Posted by Susan

As for transitioning him from dry to wet, that’s an excellent idea.

I can't remember if I mentioned it in my post, but my plan was to do a combo of the two: to continue having a bowl of "Hairball Control" dry food avaliable at all times (as it is now) AND re-introducing wet food once a day.