Cat's Natural Diet: We know that cats are carnivores and get most of their moisture from their prey in the wild, and have relatively concentrated urine to conserve water. As such, generally they have a somewhat low thirst drive.
So occasionally you might hear some say, "There is nothing WORSE for cats than dry food! They are ALL just loaded with carbs and fillers, little meat, and your cat will be horribly dehydrated! BOOOO!!!"
My Opinion: (and yes I feed wet and dry)
1) True, cats have a lower thirst drive, but water fountains available today are very appealing to kitties and with an enticing and constant source of clean fresh flowing water would drink more than they otherwise would.
2) When feeding dry that also does not mean that you have to feed EXCLUSIVELY dry. A mixed diet, say half and half, equates to minimal extra moisture requirement.
3) Not all dry foods are created equally, nor are all wet. Some wet food even contains sugar IIRC, and there are low carb and quality high animal protein dry recipes available. The best way to compare is on a dry to dry basis (means adjusted for water content). And look at the INGREDIENTS for the TYPE of protein, as protein percents can be half from cheap corn/wheat gluten and soy and poor quality meat-byproducts versus majority wholesome grainfree meat sources.
, that was just in response to:
1) the idea that any wet is better than any dry.
2) factoring in that even the most expensive dry foods are actually very affordable.
Evo DRY checking online a 15lb bag comes out to 31,000kcal so around 680 kcal per dollar. 200 kcal a day is plenty for most cats IIRC, so thats what 30cents a day?
Friskies WET feeding guidelines for that variety were one 3oz can per 2.5lbs of body weight per day, so take a 10lb cat and big 24 of 3oz bulk boxes for $12 online it comes out to around $2 a day. Friskies may be exaggerating the needs, so say $1 a day, still more than thrice the price of "expensive" kibble. Obviously its cheaper ingredients, but all those aluminum cans and shipping 80% water weight costs money.
Cliffs Notes:
Feeding exclusively dry is not a great idea. A mixed diet and water fountain provide all the moisture needed though, and even a premium kibble still represents a cost savings and has a practical advantage, especially when used with an autofeeder.
^holds 10lbs of food, can disperse at exact intervals at say 5:30AM and 10PM so kitties don't feel the urge to harass you out of hunger, give kitties a nice consistent schedule they enjoy, and is helpful when away so a sitter only has to visit once a day for wet feeding versus 2-3 times a day which can be expensive and difficult to arrange if relying on friends/neighbors/relatives.
So occasionally you might hear some say, "There is nothing WORSE for cats than dry food! They are ALL just loaded with carbs and fillers, little meat, and your cat will be horribly dehydrated! BOOOO!!!"
My Opinion: (and yes I feed wet and dry)
1) True, cats have a lower thirst drive, but water fountains available today are very appealing to kitties and with an enticing and constant source of clean fresh flowing water would drink more than they otherwise would.
2) When feeding dry that also does not mean that you have to feed EXCLUSIVELY dry. A mixed diet, say half and half, equates to minimal extra moisture requirement.
3) Not all dry foods are created equally, nor are all wet. Some wet food even contains sugar IIRC, and there are low carb and quality high animal protein dry recipes available. The best way to compare is on a dry to dry basis (means adjusted for water content). And look at the INGREDIENTS for the TYPE of protein, as protein percents can be half from cheap corn/wheat gluten and soy and poor quality meat-byproducts versus majority wholesome grainfree meat sources.
Now before you argue, "well, you just compared premium dry to grocery store wet, BOOOOOOOOO"Blue Wilderness Dry
Main ingredients: Deboned Duck, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch, Fish Meal, Chicken Fat, Peas...
On a dry matter basis:
Crude Protein \t44%
Crude Fat \t20%
Crude Fiber \t3.8%
-----
Friskies Lamb and Rice Wet
Main ingredients: meat by-products, chicken, turkey, wheat gluten, lamb, rice, soy flour, corn starch-modified, artificial and natural flavors, salt...
On a dry matter basis:
Crude Protein \t50% (note quality and sources of protein)
Crude Fat \t11%
Crude Fiber \t8.3%
-----
Wellness Core Dry
Main ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, Potatoes, Salmon Meal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat...
On a dry matter basis:
Crude Protein \t56%
Crude Fat \t20%
Crude Fiber \t3.3%
------
Purina Chicken Feast Wet
Main ingredients: chicken, liver, wheat gluten, meat by-products, turkey, corn starch-modified, artificial and natural flavors, soy flour, salt...
On a dry matter basis:
Crude Protein \t50% (note quality and sources of protein)
Crude Fat \t11%
Crude Fiber \t8.3%
-----------
Evo Turkey and Chicken Dry
Main Ingredients: Turkey, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Herring Meal, Chicken Fat, Peas, Eggs, Turkey Meal, Pea Fiber, Natural Flavors...
On a dry matter basis:
Crude Protein \t55%
Crude Fat \t24%
Crude Fiber \t2.2%
1) the idea that any wet is better than any dry.
2) factoring in that even the most expensive dry foods are actually very affordable.
Evo DRY checking online a 15lb bag comes out to 31,000kcal so around 680 kcal per dollar. 200 kcal a day is plenty for most cats IIRC, so thats what 30cents a day?
Friskies WET feeding guidelines for that variety were one 3oz can per 2.5lbs of body weight per day, so take a 10lb cat and big 24 of 3oz bulk boxes for $12 online it comes out to around $2 a day. Friskies may be exaggerating the needs, so say $1 a day, still more than thrice the price of "expensive" kibble. Obviously its cheaper ingredients, but all those aluminum cans and shipping 80% water weight costs money.
Cliffs Notes:
Feeding exclusively dry is not a great idea. A mixed diet and water fountain provide all the moisture needed though, and even a premium kibble still represents a cost savings and has a practical advantage, especially when used with an autofeeder.
^holds 10lbs of food, can disperse at exact intervals at say 5:30AM and 10PM so kitties don't feel the urge to harass you out of hunger, give kitties a nice consistent schedule they enjoy, and is helpful when away so a sitter only has to visit once a day for wet feeding versus 2-3 times a day which can be expensive and difficult to arrange if relying on friends/neighbors/relatives.