Cat Food/Water, my opinion and I am sticking to it...

A little history first might be of interest.  Felines evolved originally in dry desert environments and depended on getting water through their food, meat, and only meat.  As desert animals they did not evolve with a strong thirst mechanism like us, thus they really didn't have a strong sense for any need to drink water.  Cats are still natural carnivores and still look to get moisture from their food.

Lots of water, and quality water, is what cats need.

I have a fountain at my kitchen sink with a pint glass from a local bar in the sink beneath it.  One of my cats prefers to drink directly from the fountain, the other from the glass.  My water is initially run through a whole house filter system and is then filtered again using a refrigerator drinking water filter to feed the kitchen sink fountain.  You want as close to neutral ph (6.6 to 7.3) water as possible.  You can get some PH strips from any pool supply store to check your water.  If your water doesn't meet the test, distilled water by the gallon from the grocery store is very cheap, usually around $1.00 per gallon.  The minerals in drinking water are what you do not want.  Your cats should get the minerals they need in the food you give them. And, keep the water source away from the food source.  That helps prevent overeating.

I am looking into Blue Buffalo and Wellness brand cat foods.  Both are high in meat content, low in crap.  Stay away from beef foods as they may stress kidneys more than other meats.  Cats naturally have kidneys that tend to be small based on their body weight.  Limit fish to perhaps once or twice a week, especially tuna, in your food choices.  Chicken and turkey are my first choice.  Also, cats like narrow diets.  If they had their druthers they would dine on mice exclusively.  A mouse can provide everything a cat needs.  All the variety in cat food choices is actually targeted at the cat owner’s palette, not the cat.

Remember, cats like to graze.  A single bowl of quality kibble will satisfy that need.  And, if you mix in some Hills Prescription t/d kibble (1 to 3 cups) your cats will get the dental scrub they need to keep teeth and gums in good shape.  Did you know the large size of the Hills t/d kibble is not arbitrary?  It’s sized to approximate the skull of a mouse, which cats just love to crush.

I am new here and have been reading a number of the posts.  And, as such I am led to believe that most of the cat health problems being enumerated here have a genesis that would point directly back to available water source and food choices.  Remember the old adage, “We are what we eat”.  That goes for our furry friends as well.

Let me know if you agree, or disagree.

From Wikipedia concerning sand cats, a desert species native to Israel:

Sand cats are found primarily in both sandy and stony desert and have a wide but apparently disjunct distribution through the deserts of northern Africa and southwest and central Asia.^[10] They prefer flat or undulating terrain with sparse vegetation, avoiding bare sand dunes, where there is relatively little food. They can survive in temperatures ranging from −5 °C (23 °F) to 52 °C (126 °F), retreating into burrows during extreme conditions. Although they will drink when water is available, they are able to survive for months on the water in their food.^[7]

Emphasis mine.

My cat rarely drinks water from her bowl. I provide fresh water daily, but she never drinks it. I add a lot of water to her canned diet so I always assume she gets her hydration through that.

Nora isn't a grazzer. We offered her kibble throughout the day when we adopted her (I have since learned that this isn't the best), and she would inhale the entire bowl in one sitting. She still inhales her meals, so she is on a timed feeding schedule. We adopted her, and we were told she came from a house with many cats, so we think she was getting bullied around food/meal time. 

She can't have any kibble as she throws it up. I have started to feed raw chicken wings to help keep her teeth clean. I also brush her teeth daily. 

I strongly believe that every cat, is different in their own way, and there isn't a "one size fits all diet" for cats. For example, Nora's stomach can't handle any seafood, or kibble - hence the canned and raw diet.

Just my 2 cents

In regards to water...
IMO: If you see your cat drinking water frequently, then the diet which you provide for them is too dehydrating. I would look first to the provision of kibble (I'm not sure if you feed food other than kibble?). I would mightily decrease or eliminate kibble, and feed mainly wet food, whether canned, raw, or home-cooked, etc. I feed canned food. I only use kibble as a sporadic training treat.
And kibble is not a "dental scrub".

I don't want to make a new thread so I will ask here... I notice people always saying limit fish, do they mean in the cans too? I just bought a variety pack and it has 10 of chicken, turkey, beef and tuna. I try to rotate through all 4 to keep her a variety. However, Should I limit the tuna one more than once every 3 days? I'm really confused because I thought it would be okay since they sell packs of JUST fish variety. 

MeowKittyMeow said:

 
I don't want to make a new thread so I will ask here... I notice people always saying limit fish, do they mean in the cans too? I just bought a variety pack and it has 10 of chicken, turkey, beef and tuna. I try to rotate through all 4 to keep her a variety. However, Should I limit the tuna one more than once every 3 days? I'm really confused because I thought it would be okay since they sell packs of JUST fish variety. 

Click to expand...

Canned cat food that is mostly seafood based should be limited to occasional meals or treats. Rotating between seafood and meat based foods is ok I suggest feeding seafood no more than a few times a week.

Dry food is more difficult as some brands include fish as an ingredient in their otherwise meat based formulas. In these cases it's ok to feed the dry food daily since the fish is usually only a small part of the ingredients.

I'm staying away from the OP's original post. All I will say is that I feel strongly about the whole dry food and water and dental issue and will only feed what is species appropriate to my cats