So confused, maybe someone can shed some light?

Sirius, who was my cat until I moved into my own place was the kind of cat that I was used to. He had dry food to graze on during the day, and got wet food twice a day. He didn't eat the dry food too much, and a small bag of dry food would last six months or so.

Anyway, I moved out on my own with Severus and Toby, and now I'm confused. I work 7:30-5:30 every day, so I leave the house at around 6:45 and don't get home until almost 11 at night. I started off by leaving the dry food for them all day and giving them wet food in the morning and at night when a few weeks in I noticed... They don't like wet food. No matter the brand, flavor, texture or anything else, they will not eat it. Nor will they eat ANY people food, except for olives. No chicken, fish or anything of that nature whatsoever. Now I have a few questions.

1.) Is it ok for them to have only dry food? They drink more than enough water so I'm not concerned about dehydration, I'm just unsure if they're getting a balanced diet.

2.) I leave two completely full bowls of dry food out every day, and by the time I get home, they're both empty. Are they eating way too much?

3.) What are some ways I can sort of control what they eat without giving them WAY too much, or having them starve while I'm gone?

Thanks so much for your help! I'm 25 and this is the first time I've ever had a cat on my own. My mother, due to her health issues has always been stay at home so the cat's diet was never an issue. Now I'm so confused!

Dry food is balanced (provided you're not feeding some super-cheap dollar store food), but even if they drink water, they don't usually drink enough to prevent chronic mild dehydration problems like kidney disease or urinary issues. A good source on this subject is www.catinfo.org. I would try to find at least one canned food they might like. Have you tried the more irresistable brands like Fancy Feast?

It's hard to say if that's too much for them or not. How is their body condition? Are they getting chubby? Check the back of the bag for feeding suggestions---usually it's too much for most indoor cats but it's a good starting point---and put half of their food in their dish in the morning before you leave and the rest when you get home. Unless they eat it all as soon as you leave, they shouldn't get too hungry. You could get an automatic feeder if you want a meal to be served in the middle of the day. The bigger problem, I think, is if one cat eats all the food and the other cat goes hungry. They sell special locked dishes for that (one cat wears a magnetic collar key to unlock it), but even that isn't totally foolproof.

I've tried every wet food from the most expensive to the huge cans for 99 cents. They just don't like it. I tried wetting their dry food with a little warm water and they tipped the bowl over.

They're definitely getting a bit pudgy. I can try an automatic feeder thing and see how that works out for them.

Dry food tends to be calorie dense. One cup can equal 500-600 calories or more, which for your average 10lb cat, is about three times what it needs. The other problem with dry is that it can be the kitty version of crack. A lot of manufacturers spray flavoring (a.k.a. animal digest) on the kibble to make it more appetizing, and like cats that are hooked on fish flavors, it can be an addiction that's hard to shake. Some people have luck getting their cats back on track by sprinkling crushed kibble on their wet food, but that didn't work for me.

I would get them on a schedule and start cutting back on the dry. I feed four times a day. In the morning they get wet, and once they're done with that I put out kibble to graze on for the day (usually 2-3 tablespoons per cat/kitten). When I get home, it's a wet dinner and again when they're done with that, they get another serving of kibble so we can sleep in peace.

If you're lucky, once you start cutting back on the dry, you might find that their appetite for wet food will come back because they're hungry. Just don't go cold turkey on the dry and expect them to eat wet. Cats can be stubborn to the point where they can make themselves sick by holding out, so all things should be gradual when it comes to feline diet changes.

How much do your cats weigh and what kind of dry food are you feeding them?

Check out the site that Willowy listed. There's a page on that site for transitioning kibble addicts. It might be as simple as adding a little parmesan cheese to the canned to entice them.

I had a cat that at one point risked hepatic lipidosis in order to get off canned and back to her beloved dry kibble. I finally had to just give her a premium quality kibble and a fountain to make sure she drank water. There's articles on this site about choosing quality foods and getting more water into your cat. I can't post links from my phone.

The kitties would have to drink about a cup of water per kitty each day to get the equivalent amount of water that they would if they ate wet food. Although some cats do live off entirely dry food without incident, it is much safer to feed wet. Feeding wet is also useful when trying to medicate kitties, as you can lace the food with medicine or supplements if they don't smell/taste strongly.

The catinfo.org site also has information on transitioning cats to wet. Only if you are lucky can you just lay down wet food and expect the kitties to dig right in. Cats develop a sense of what is safe to eat very early in life, and some of them can be quite stubborn about deviating from the norms they've established for themselves.

Their water drinking is NOT an issue. They drink more than a cup each per day. I have two bowls that each hold just about 2.5 cups, (I just checked) and I fill it up when I first wake up, and as soon as I get home from work. Every time I look at it, it's empty. Now I'm a bit concerned that they drink TOO much!

I have tried EVERY wet food brand in Petco, Petsmart and a local pet store near my house. I have even looked up recipes and made my OWN cat food. I have mixed it with dry, I have tried hand feeding it to them, I have tried sprinkling a bit of cat nip into it. I unfortunately work ten hours a day and can't really feed four or five times a day like someone suggested, but the idea of an automatic feeder sounds like it might be a good option for limiting the dry food intake.

micheleasley said:

 
Their water drinking is NOT an issue. They drink more than a cup each per day. I have two bowls that each hold just about 2.5 cups, (I just checked) and I fill it up when I first wake up, and as soon as I get home from work. Every time I look at it, it's empty. Now I'm a bit concerned that they drink TOO much!

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Yes, that is a lot of water.  What are their ages? Did they always drink that much, or has the amount increased lately?

Raintyger said:

Yes, that is a lot of water.  What are their ages? Did they always drink that much, or has the amount increased lately?

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I agree, that is a lot of water for an animal that has a very low thirst drive. I'd get blood work and a urinalysis sooner than later.

They're a bit over a year and they have ALWAYS been like this. They've been to the vet and they said for some cats its normal. Animals, like people, have different needs and they sometimes just need a bit more. I am the same way. Personally, I drink close to two and a half gallons of water every day and I have always been like that, so some people are just thirsty, as are my kitties <3