There has been some debate in recent years regarding the long standing belief that too much protein can be harmful to kidneys. New theories suggest that this is no longer a valid claim, under normal circumstances. Unless your kitty has been diagnosed with kidney disease, normal functioning kidneys will do the job of excreting the waste from protein intake with no issue. That said, even cats with compromised kidneys still require an adequate amount of protein.
True enough. I think it depends on the cat. My cats were on all dry food, including Orijen at one point. My one male cat, Max, however, put on a fair amount of weight and struggled with constipation for two years, due in large part to dry food. The importance of wet food providing moisture cannot be understated. I am not against dry food but I think it should be 'part' of the diet rather than the main diet.
There really isn't a debate about wet vs dry diets, the science is there. There are also different types of kidney problems: crystals, CKD, etc. Having dealt with a kibble-head that also had CKD, I not only had to watch phosphorus but carbs too. The best plan is prevention, but I can also appreciate having a die-hard kibble-head and doing the best that one can.
That's just the thing. The amount of water a cat drinks from a fountain or bowl just cannot make up for the moisture it needs from the dehydrating effects of an all dry diet.
I had a kibble addict (Caesar). I adopted him from the shelter and he was eating Hill's dry. It took TWO years to get him to eat a small rotation of wet food. A lot of food was thrown away and it was often a battle of the most stubborn (Caesar usually won). But I am a least content now that he is eating wet food on regular basis. He's a tiny cat and needs to keep weight on, so I do give him some dry still.
That's just the thing. The amount of water a cat drinks from a fountain or bowl just cannot make up for the moisture it needs from the dehydrating effects of an all dry diet.
Agreed. To the OP: I'm not saying that a cat can't have any dry food, but I do think wet food should make up at least 50% of their diet.
I had a kibble addict (Caesar). I adopted him from the shelter and he was eating Hill's dry. It took TWO years to get him to eat a small rotation of wet food. A lot of food was thrown away and it was often a battle of the most stubborn (Caesar usually won). But I am a least content now that he is eating wet food on regular basis. He's a tiny cat and needs to keep weight on, so I do give him some dry still.
Anyway, to get back to the original topic. If you're concerned about kidney health in the long run, it would be more beneficial to incorporate wet food into the diet than worry about "too much protein" in an all dry diet, which, as others have stated, is generally a myth.
