Cat Wet Food: Necessary Or Not?
I am not a veterinarian. I am a certified animal nutritionist, and my advice is based on my training and knowledge in animal nutrition. My recommendations are intended to support and enhance your pet's health and well-being through proper nutrition. For any medical concerns or emergencies, please consult with a licensed veterinarian.
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Cat wet food is a topic that invites mixed feelings—some owners love it, while others dislike it. There are many reasons why some pet owners choose not to feed their cats a wet diet. Perhaps your cat is too picky or uninterested in wet food, leading to frustration after trying numerous brands. Alternatively, you may find kibble to be a more cost-effective option that seems to offer better value. Or maybe, you just don't fully understand the importance of wet food for cats which at one time, I didn’t either!
In this guide, I aim to provide you with valuable insights into the benefits of feeding wet food, its essential roles in cat health, and its importance stemming thousands of years ago. I’ll even give you some tips and tricks to hopefully get your kitty interested in wet food and how you can try wet food without breaking the bank.
In this guide we will cover:
The wild roots of your cat.
Illnesses from dehydration, how wet food can help.
Wet food benefits for diabetic & overweight kitties
Tips to get your cat to enjoy wet food
How to get more out of wet food
Conclusion
The Wild Roots Of Your Cat
Cats for thousands of years were desert-dwelling creatures, roaming dry areas with very few places to find water. Because of this, cats evolved to mainly get their moisture intake from food, and let me clarify, from live meaty foods not dry kibble devoid of much moisture.
Cats have very interesting tongues! Unlike dogs, cats’ tongues are smaller and do not form a cup-like shape, which makes it more difficult for them to drink from a bowl. In contrast, dogs can easily scoop large amounts of water with their tongues. Due to the evolution of their tongues and the typically low water availability in their ancestral environments, cats are much more conservative in their water intake. This might explain why your cat doesn’t drink much from a bowl and prefers wet food or flowing water from a cat fountain like this PIXI water fountain, one of my favorites! If you’re interested in learning more about cats eating and drinking habits and how to prevent stress eating in cats and the benefits of water fountains, check out my other blog post here for my tips on that topic.
In conclusion, cats that do not consume wet food can become significantly dehydrated, often without their owners realizing it. Unlike dogs, cats have not evolved in the same way and rely primarily on wet food for hydration. The absence of wet food can lead to various health issues, such as kidney failure, urinary crystals, and digestive problems, among others. I frequently hear pet parents at work discuss the consequences of not providing wet food, and many are unaware of its seriousness until it’s too late. I would hate for anyone else to face that harsh realization.
Illnesses From Dehydration, How Wet Food Can Help
Dehydrated cats are at risk of developing various health issues, including kidney failure, which I frequently observe in my customers' cats, even in younger ones. Bladder problems, such as urinary stones, are also common, especially in male cats due to their longer urethras that are more susceptible to blockages from crystals. This is why it's crucial to keep your cat well-hydrated to prevent these diseases from developing before it's too late.
Making sure that your cat stays well-hydrated helps flush out toxins from their body, which could otherwise put a strain on their kidneys. Additionally, proper hydration keeps the bladder clear of minerals that could build up into crystals and then clump together into uroliths (urinary stones) which are larger and can cause blockages.
There are different types of uroliths (urinary stones) made up of different mineral excesses. Such as struvite stones, made up of magnesium or phosphorous excess, and there are calcium oxalate stones from calcium excess. To ensure these minerals don’t get out of control and form in the urinary tract, whether in the kidneys, bladder, or ureters. Make sure you feed a well-balanced diet that doesn’t go overboard with certain mineral content. If you are unsure where you may need limits I would recommend talking to a vet or nutritionist to formulate a diet perfect for your kitty and any illnesses they may have. They may recommend a home diet or prescription to control the disease.
If your kitty is healthy and doesn’t have any illnesses, keep it that way by making sure they have enough water such as a flowing fountain, or moisture intake from wet food to help keep them in a balanced state and good urine PH. That's why I’m a big believer in wet food to help maintain a well-balanced and hydrating alternative to dry food. Since cats didn’t evolve to drink water as easily as a dog why not make it easy for them by giving them something they find tasty!
Wet Food Is Better For Diabetic And Overweight Cats
Wet food typically contains fewer ingredients than kibble, often resulting in less carbohydrate and higher protein content. This is much more beneficial for cats especially those who are diabetic. While kibble can be a good option for some cats, wet food is superior for those who are diabetic or overweight. The high moisture content of wet food adds more hydration and is less calories, helping your cat feel fuller with less and lose weight due to the lower calories.
Tips To Get Your Cat To Enjoy Wet Food
Try different textures- Cats are all about textures, try some different forms of wet food until you find a consistency they approve of! There are many forms of wet food. Pate, shreds, broth, gravy, mousse, there are so many. Stay with one brand and try some different ones before switching brands completely to avoid giving your cat an overwhelming amount of food options, it could also upset their stomach if you mix too many brands. If you don’t have any other option but to try different brands of canned cat food make sure they are of similar quality to avoid too many ingredients for your cat's stomach, which can do more harm than good!
Warm to body temperature- Cats and dogs can digest food more easily that is around body temperature, so think around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37*C). That is the temperature of live prey they would normally hunt in the wild. Food that is cold and hard tends to absorb water and float in the stomach, especially kibble that has been cooked at high temperatures. Once kibble absorbs water and floats in the stomach it can make them nauseous, so try warming it before feeding, it makes it smell more mouth-watering to your kitty too! If you are feeding kibble add water or broth to the kibble and then give it to your kitty so it doesn’t float in their stomach.
Start when their kittens- Of course introducing wet food to your cat when their young will always be better than later, as with most things. If you have a kitten try exploring different consistencies of wet food now while they are still trying and experiencing new things and flavors, it will help you out loads later on when they are old and picky and you will be glad they still like different types of wet food.
Maybe your kitty is stressed- Stress can affect cats in different ways and may stop them from eating altogether or eat way too quickly. Check out my post here on how to avoid stress eating in cats. This could help keep your cat drinking and well-hydrated.
Don't allow meal grazing- If your cat has access to food 24/7, start having designated meal times where they have no real option but to try what you are offering.
Mix in some kibble- If your kitty is a kibble cat, I would recommend putting the wet food in a bowl and layering the kibble on top or mixing just a little bit of wet food with the kibble to ease them into the change. Normally once they have a bit of kibble they are more susceptible to eating whatever's around it. If trying to completely switch over to wet food I would try a ratio of 25% wet food and 75% new food the first 3 days and by midweek 50/50 and then 75% new and 25% old food at the end of the week until they are finally off! Be aware some bowel movements may be different or a bit loose which can happen. If you have any concerns at all I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to your vet.
Check out my transition chart below if you plan to switch brands of kibble to a new brand or plan on switching completely over to wet food!
How You Can Get More Out Of Wet Food
Stick to what you know- Once you know what wet food your cat likes stick with it and don’t give your cat too many options because you think they are bored, trust me I know it's hard! The only time I would recommend trying new wet foods is if your kitty is outright refusing the usual wet food and you’ve tried the aforementioned tips. You don't want wet food to lose its novelty! Don't overwhelm your cat with options, keep it simple unless necessary, this will also save you time and money, and no analysis paralysis for you or kitty.
Figure out exactly how many calories your cat needs- If you’ve never really known exactly how many calories you should feed your cat based on age and lifestyle factors I would encourage you to use this calorie calculator here on Raw fed and nerdy. This will help you to know exactly how many cans you need to feed your cat per day. In turn, this will help you know if you are overfeeding your cat and therefore wasting cans. Each brand of canned food is different in calories from the next brand. What your cat may need in one brand may be different in another.
Conclusion: Wet Food Wins
Ultimately, this is just my opinion on wet food and should not be considered veterinary advice. There are valid reasons why kibble may be better for some cats, particularly those with certain conditions like periodontal disease. I understand how important kibble can be in those situations. However, I also appreciate the benefits of wet food, especially in terms of keeping cats hydrated and maintaining a healthy weight. Wet food has been shown to help prevent some illnesses altogether, such as kidney failure and urinary stones, and also aid in the recovery of those who already have these illnesses. In my experience, I often notice that cats who do not receive any wet food tend to have more health issues than those who do so all I can say is the diet of the ancestors always wins!
