Feeding my 5 year old cat wet food?

I recently adopted a Maine Coon/Domestic Long Haired 5 year old cat. His previous owner told us that we should only feed him dry food and not wet "anymore". We didn't ask why (being new cat owners) and just assumed he out grew it. Then we started doing some research and found that wet food should actually be included in the diet. So we fed him wet food and he LOVEDDDDDDDD it!!!! However, we had him for a good 3 weeks before he had a hair ball and probably 5 days after he ate wet food he got his first (and second) hair ball. Now, it could just be coincidence but it worried us a little. But on the only hand he normally will barely finish his dry food (although he will eat it--he usually never finishes a full 1/4 cup). But once i mixed 1/2 a can of wet with 1/4 of the dry he basically licked the bowl clean!!!! My questions are:

1. Is it okay to feed older cats wet food? If so, how much a day?
2. Has anyone ever found that giving wet food causes more hairballs?
3. How much should I mix of dry with wet (since he seemed to like that) each time I feed him (which is twice a day)?

Please help!!!! New cat owner and I want him to be happy.

M

You could feed a 5 year old cat exclusively wet food if you like. Its just a bit more expensive/less convenient, and there is a slight dental benefit of having some kibble in the diet.

I definitely agree its a good idea to have some wet food though, simply due to the benefits of added hydration, and many wet foods are lower carb than dry food.

Regarding hairballs, the particular dry fed might have had more fiber in it, which can help with hairballs. You can add more fiber to wet food by putting in a teaspoon of organic canned pumpkin into a 5.5oz can, but its not necessary. Brushing with a furminator once a week and as much as you like with a regular square metal brush can get to the root of the problem to minimize the amount of hair ingested. The other option is a small half inch ribbon of your favorite flavored petroleum jelly product, which are available at your petco/petsmart which will let the hairball pass.

Personally, we use prevention most, which helps minimize shedding around the house, and Buttercup has never once gotten a hairball. Wesley seems to every once in a while, perhaps once every few months, and when he goes into the motions I just give him some malt flavored PJ, and then he stops the gagging motion and has yet to barf up a hairball to date. *knock on wood* We feed two wet meals and one dry meal a day.

Thank you so much for the advice!!!!!

Originally Posted by mmayher87

I recently adopted a Maine Coon/Domestic Long Haired 5 year old cat. His previous owner told us that we should only feed him dry food and not wet "anymore". We didn't ask why (being new cat owners) and just assumed he out grew it. Then we started doing some research and found that wet food should actually be included in the diet.

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There is a distinct dental advantage to feeding dry kibble for starters. But you should have no issues feeding your cat an all wet diet otherwise. I feed a mixed diet of wet and kibble myself. I've been doing it for 15 years and outside of the occasional hairball, there have been no problems with my 4.

[/quote] So we fed him wet food and he LOVEDDDDDDDD it!!!! However, we had him for a good 3 weeks before he had a hair ball and probably 5 days after he ate wet food he got his first (and second) hair ball. Now, it could just be coincidence but it worried us a little. But on the only hand he normally will barely finish his dry food (although he will eat it--he usually never finishes a full 1/4 cup). But once i mixed 1/2 a can of wet with 1/4 of the dry he basically licked the bowl clean!!!! My questions are:

1. Is it okay to feed older cats wet food? If so, how much a day?
2. Has anyone ever found that giving wet food causes more hairballs?
3. How much should I mix of dry with wet (since he seemed to like that) each time I feed him (which is twice a day)?

Please help!!!! New cat owner and I want him to be happy.

M[/quote]

1. Yes it is okay to feed an older cat wet food.

2. I have noticed that when one of my cats (she prefers wet to dry) tries to eat an exclusively wet diet, she does have more hairballs. Dry food will contain more fiber which will help break down hairballs. This is why I feed a mixed diet. Hairball and dental benefits of the kibble is why feed a mixed diet.

An all kibble diet is okay but hydration can be an issue and dehydration can cause a multitude of feline issues. If the cat is drinking plenty of water an all kibble (I'm talking a kibble with good ingredients) should be just fine. One has to take into consideration that kibble is calorie dense so the cat on an all kibble diet may become overweight if the feeding amount is not monitored.

3. You are going to have to play this one by ear a bit. The manufacturers guidelines tend to be too much per feeding. Since I don't know the weight of your cat I can't give you much in the way of Xoz of wet and Xoz of dry. However, I have a Maine Coon/Siamese mix and she's a big girl. Not overweight, just big. She get somewhere between 2-3oz of wet 2x per day. I can't help much with kibble amounts. I free feed kibble to my 4. Free feeding kibble can be a bit touchy in the fact that if you have a cat that tends to overeat they will quickly become overweight. I don't have that problem so I free feed.

A daily brushing with cat treats afterwards can help the bond between you and your cat and will also help control the hair balls.

I use feline Greenies http://www.greenies.com which is a dental treat. A lot of people here use them and the cats love them.

It sounds like you are really enjoying your new addition