Wet Vs. Dry food

[JustBeth]

Help! I have a 7 month old cat which I adopted a month ago. The foster mom he was with was feeding him dry food with wet mixed in it. I didn't really wanna get him s tarted on wet food, only b/c its a pain and my moms cats teeth fell out from eating all that canned food over the years. The first week or so I had him I just gave him plain dry..but he wouldn't eat as much. Then I decided to go on ahead and mix in some wet with it,,,then he eats it up. So, now I don't know what to do. Everyone says if he's hungry enough he'll eat the dry alone, but I don't wanna be mean and see him not enjoying is food ya know. Now that Ive started mixing in some wet with dry ( I don't put to much in) he eats better now, so should I just keep it mixing it from here on out or decrease the wet food little by little and go back to just dry alone ? What is better for him.... I would appreciate any feedback...thanks guys!

[Gina]

I say let him have wet and dry. Dry food is better for their teeth but I've always believed that cats won't necessarily eat when they're hungry enough. So if his preference is for wet give him wet.

Edited as I found this useful article:

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canned_food.htm

[ABYLOVER]

My vet told me wet food contains more water so it hydrates them. I would say wet and dry. Just think, would you want to eat dry food only???

[opokki]

If it was feasible I would feed mostly canned or canned only. Canned food provides extra moisture and has fewer carbs than dry. Canned food does tend to build tarter more rapidly but cats on dry food only still build tarter and still get nasty teeth. I feed mostly dry food along with a small amount of canned as a separate meal...I don't mix the dry and canned together. My cats happily eat both.

[MCRFan1]

Ok, heres the deal, wet fod tears up ur cats stomach! It duzn't have enuf fiber in it, and eventually it will tear up their tummy! dry food! that wut u should feed cats!

[g-man]

Instead of mixing the dry food with wet food, considered adding Salmon oil to the dry food. Anyone that has a dog or cat and is not allergic to fish products (some pets are) should give Salmon oil to them. Is the best single food supplement for your cat or dog.
G-man

[amstaff]

cats ideally should not be on dry food only. it is really bad for their teeth and kidneys. they also do not have tongues ideally made for lapping up water. my cats are on a raw diet, and when i give them ground meat, i still add water to make it soupy because ground meat is so dry. dry food also sticks to their teeth and so you have tons of build-up. the other side though is that when a cat is on wet food only, they have sparkly clean teeth, but they are weak from no excercise. either mix the wet and dry together, or ALWAYS add water to the dry food. either way, unless youre giving them bones to chew on, you still have to be pepared to brush their teeth a few times a week.

the one thing i always noticed when i was a vet tech, was that every animal that was on dry food had the nastiest teeth, yet that is what they were told to feed. the pets that were on canned only, had sparkling teeth. i was told that the owners were probably also giving dry to those animals and were just lying to us. it really made me think even back then when i did not know as much.

and to mcrfan1, ANY food will cause digestive upset if it is poor quality, or if it is something that your particular pet does not do well on. there is no "perfect" food. you start with some good quality ones, and then work from there. if your cats are having problems with a bunch of high quality canned foods, i would definately have them completely checked for health problems because that is not normal. im wondering if that has any connection with the reason they are peeing everywhere?

[JustBeth]

well I thought the dry food helped get the tarter off their teeth. Anyways I have another problem with this cat. Ive been mixing the wet and dry together and now he picks out all the wet food and leaves the dry. So every morning when I feed him theres nasty dry sitting in there (from setting all night with the wet mixed in) and I have to throw it away and give him a fresh bowl. Im sick of throwing out dry food, its a waste of money and its not the cheapest, but I don't think cats should be on wet only. They need dry to make their teeth strong.

[amstaff]

you will not see the results you want with dry only. if you ate nothing but pretzels, im just going for an example, would your teeth be clean? that dry stuff sticks to your teeth as well as theirs.

[JustBeth]

ok Ive been leaving a bowl of dry food out durring the day for him to nibble on and have been giving him half a can of wet food per day in the evening. Am I giving him enough food or should I give him a full can even with the dry being out ? He doesnt eat to much of the dry but I think he needs to have both, so Im afraid that if I give him to much wet he wont eat any of the dry. Im just wondering with leaving the dry food out as well how much wet food per day I should give him. He is 8 months old and weighs about 7 1/2-8 lbs.

[JustBeth]

Well Ive deiced not to mix the food anymore. Ive been leaving a bowl of dry food out durring the day for him to nibble on and then giving him a half can of wet food per day in the evening time. Is he getting enough food or do I need to increase it to 1 can fed twice daily even with the dry being out ? I just dont know how much wet I should be giving him since theres dry for him too, (although he doesnt eat much of the dry) I think he needs to have both b/c the dry is good for their teeth. So Im afraid that if I give him to much wet he will stop eating the dry alltogether.
I would appreciate your feedback, thanks guys!

[JustJo]

they also do not have tongues ideally made for lapping up water.

I have never heard this. I have always heard on nature shows, etc. how versatile cat's tongues are. I have spent the last hour looking for anything that states this and only found the opposite. If this is true please post a link or study title that states this because I am confused now. I only ever fed my cats dry food and gave them plenty of fresh water. They never had dental issues or anything indicating this was not good for them. Here are a couple of many, many things I found on their tongues vs drinking:


From http://members.tripod.com/JaguarLady35/cat_characteristics.htm
Another function of these projections is when a cat drinks. All the cat has to do is lower its tongue into the water and then lift it into the mouth again. Each papilla acts like a tiny cup and together they hold a surprising amount of liquid. Each genus within the cat family has a different arrangement of these projections of the tongue.

From http://www.thedailycat.com/animalforum/mind/communication/archive/senses_taste/

A cat's tongue mimics a spoon when drinking -- enabling her to lap up liquids in quantity, swallowing after every third or fourth lap.


From http://www.penmarric.ns.ca/catcare/usefulinfo/tongue.htm

A cat’s tongue becomes spoon-shaped to enable it to lap liquids. Notice how its tongue laps under water in much the same manner as an elephant uses its trunk. It flicks its tongue quickly in and out of the water, swallowing after every third or fourth lap. A cat’s water intake will vary depending on the season of the year, activity and type of diet being fed. Cats consuming canned cat food diets will not drink as much water as those fed dry food. If, for some reason, a cat does not appear to be drinking enough water, more water can be added to the food.

[ABYLOVER]

I think a couple of scoops of wet in the morning and at night, plus the dry food out the rest of the time is good.

[sheplovr]

My daughter is the cat nut, she has some 4 now. She always sat a big bowel of dry cat food beside the water bowel. Her cats were always healthy and she gave them one can of food a day towards evening meal. Do not know what kind, but they were fat as pigs and healthy as can be. She did not leave the canned food sit, only opened it about 4 when she got home from work and they ate it. Healthy cats and fat cats. She always made sure their food bowel was full of dry kibble cat food. and plenty of fresh water. Hope that helps. I am the dog and horse person, she was the cat person.

[figo]

I Just found out some interesting info from different online vets:

If you must feed your cat dry food, remember to never get it wet. Do not mix with canned food, milk or water. All dry foods have bacterial contamination on the surface, and moisture will allow those bacteria to grow. Some are dangerous and cause vomiting and/or diarhhea.

If possible, buy the food in a larger can, and store leftovers in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Pop-top cans, by-products, and fish flavors of canned cat food have been linked to the development of thyroid disease in cats.

Refrigerated food should be set out for a few minutes before serving, since cats prefer their meals at room temperature

Change brands or flavors of dry food every 2 or 3 months to avoid deficiencies or excesses of ingredients, which may be problematic for your animal. (With canned food, you can change flavors daily if you wish--my cats prefer it that way!) Whenever you are changing foods, remember to GO SLOWLY. Add a tiny amount of new food to old, and gradually increase the proportion of new food. It will take a week or two to properly transition a cat.

also some fun cat sites are www.stuffonmycat.com www.littlebigcat.com and catster.com

[figo]

(from a vet at www.littlebigcat.com))

Does Dry Food Clean the Teeth?

By Jean Hofve, DVM

Let's get this one straight once and for all: dry food does not clean your cat's teeth! In fact, dry food really has no benefits for the cat. It is merely a convenience for the guardian. If you haven't already read "Why Cats Need Canned Food" http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=library&act=show&item=whycatsneedcannedfood , that's a good place to start in your quest for accurate, up-to-date information on feeding cats.

In my experience as a feline veterinarian, I've probably examined at least 13,000 cats' mouths. There was no real pattern to the dental and periodontal disease I saw. If anything, tartar and gum disease seemed to be more attributable to genetics or concurrent disease (such as feline leukemia or feline AIDS) than to any particular diet. I saw beautiful and horrible mouths in cats eating wet food, dry food, raw food, and every possible combination. Many of my patients initially ate mostly or exclusively dry food; yet these cats had some of the most infected, decayed, foul-smelling mouths I saw. If there was any dietary influence at all, I'd say that raw-fed cats had better oral health than cats on any type of commercial food. However, the overall effect of diet on dental health appeared to be minimal at most.

If your vet still believes the myth of dry food and dental health (which is still actively promoted by the pet food companies despite the utter lack of scientific support for the theory), here are a few references that refute the idea:

http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=library&act=show&item=doesdryfoodcleantheteeth

this link shows the results of nine different studies about this topic, which all reveal the minimum effect of dry food on clean teeth.

[Tigerkitty]

I've always given my cats a half cup of dry kibbles in their bowl to nibble on during the day, and two foil packages of wet food in a seperate bowl (one for breakkie, and one for dinner), and I've never had any problems with it.
All of my cats have always had strong clean teeth, and have always been in their perfect weight catagory and fit as a fiddle.

I don't think there's a "perfect" food combo for cats, different cats need different things, just like people! You've got to pander to your cats tastes and give them what they need! If they're not enjoying their meals there's not a lot of point really, don't forget that predators live to eat!

[webtails.com]

I give my cat dry food. He loves it. Plus maybe a little milk :)

[Paw Print]

We feed our cats dry food. Plus the occasional piece of chicken.

[catlady2006]

I feed dry food 'cause that's what they fed my cat when I adopted him from the humane society. I also fed Shadow dry food as a kitten, 'cause the vet gave her a free a bag & 'cause Morris ate dry food. I never really bought into the dryfood/wet food theory. I feed Morris & Shadow Hill's Science Diet Indoor formula for adult cats. Also wet food can be very expensive.:D

[ferJenna]

cats ideally should not be on dry food only. it is really bad for their teeth and kidneys. they also do not have tongues ideally made for lapping up water.

What?! Dry food is GOOD for their teeth, and has nothing to do with kidneys. if anything, it would bad on the liver.

My personal belief is that cat's should be fed dry food. I've mixed in some wet once and awhile, but not usually on a daily basis. Wet food, although very high in moisture, is also high in fat. I'm a huge 'stickler' on watching what my animals eat. I've seen WAY too many dogs with severe obesity that have joint problems, hip dysplasia, and kidney/liver problems. Cats can be plagued with the kidney and liver problems, as well as problems cleaning themselves. It's painful. I guess what i'm trying to say, is if you're going to be feeding both, make sure it's regulated and measured out so you don't have to worry about it.

[Lehi]

One more time. :) http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/

[capslock]

I have the same question like this!

[special]

I Just found out some interesting info from different online vets:

If you must feed your cat dry food, remember to never get it wet. Do not mix with canned food, milk or water. All dry foods have bacterial contamination on the surface, and moisture will allow those bacteria to grow. Some are dangerous and cause vomiting and/or diarhhea.

If possible, buy the food in a larger can, and store leftovers in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Pop-top cans, by-products, and fish flavors of canned cat food have been linked to the development of thyroid disease in cats.

Refrigerated food should be set out for a few minutes before serving, since cats prefer their meals at room temperature

Change brands or flavors of dry food every 2 or 3 months to avoid deficiencies or excesses of ingredients, which may be problematic for your animal. (With canned food, you can change flavors daily if you wish--my cats prefer it that way!) Whenever you are changing foods, remember to GO SLOWLY. Add a tiny amount of new food to old, and gradually increase the proportion of new food. It will take a week or two to properly transition a cat.

also some fun cat sites are www.stuffonmycat.com www.littlebigcat.com and catster.com


My cats eat a mixture of dry wet and water at almost every meal, and have done for years. they do not have any stomach upsets and their bms are normal. Adding water assures me that they are getting enough of it, I have waterbowls every where but they rarely drink out of them (when I see anyway) because they get at least 8 oz a day by adding it to their four main meals a day.

I do not let uneaten food sit, so the danger of bacteria forming is non existent. they eat their meals when served and dishes are not left to sit.

to anyone who free feeds dry, only a small amount should be put in the bowl at a time. dry food gets stale and rancid. Uneaten food should be discareded every night. Scrub the bowl with hot water and dry it thoroughly before puting more dry food in.

by the way, dry food only does not guarantee good teeth. many cats simply swallow it whole.

changing foods every few months can create finicky cats, and diahrrea or other digestive upsets.

As long as you feed your cats quality food approved by the AFFCO (it shold say on the package or can) they are getting the nutrition they need. Wet food, dry food, mixture of both, whatever.

If your cat has been diagnosed with certain illnesses and put on prescritpion or other special foods, follow your vet's guidelines.

also a cat will not eat "when it gets hungry enough" esp if the same food is left out for days. this is a big a fallacy, even strays will not eat somehting they don't like. "the cat will come out of the tree when it gets hungry enough". is also a fallacy.

Always have water available, changed daily, scrub bowls with hot water before adding fresh. Keep water bowls in the rooms your pets are in most often to encourage drinking.

[Tootsieangel]

Wow! Everyone here has some interesting info. I too was told by my vet to get my kitty (7 mos.old now) on dry food only because it was better for his teeth (he's not the type to let me clean his teeth, no matter how I try). I did, for about two months, and sometimes he was happy with it, sometimes he wasn't. Then I started feeling sorry about the lack of variety in his diet and how he would look at me when I was eating something that smelled good, so I began mixing in a little wet food. Well, now he's acting a little spoiled and wanting the wet food only (and any crunchy treats), but I'm still trying to get him to eat some dry food. I think probably a combo of the two is best for almost any cat.

The poster who said it's a good idea to change foods every now and then, it's another point that goes against what vets usually recommend, but it just goes to show that there is so much conflicting information out there. My cat's vet, for example, said a cat's food should only be changed at these times in their lifetime: when they're going from kitten formula to adult, and from adult to senior formula. I was told we shouldn't think of our pets in terms of how we think of our own food preferences; in other words, find one good food for your pet and stick to it, they'll be fine. I guess it just depends on whether there is a good reason to switch, such as when you want higher quality or organic/natural cat food, or your cat develops some disease that requires a special diet.

[scollins]

I have both of my cats on wet and dry food. They love the wet, and I keep the dry out for them to munch on. My little female eats more of the dry than the big male. Since using the wet for a little over a month, I have noticed a big difference in their coat. And they don't scratch themselves near as much. I add water to the patte kind since my female likes to lick her food. Then she can almost drink it. And she is getting more water. I do buy good canned food too. I use Nutro Indoor Complete Care. I also use Blue Spa. I was using Friskies, but it took too much to fill them up. With the Nutro, I use a smaller amount and they are still full.