Rec for good quality dry and why wet

Let me start by saying, I know you get what you pay for. But I am looking for a good quality dry cat food that won't break my bank. I have two kittens and lots of other expenses right now. When I adopted them they were both eating me Meow mix and I changed them to science diet and Iams indoor kitten. Both of those are within my price range do you think those are good choices? And the other thing that it's important to me is the amount of waste in a litter box. Meow Mix was a disaster, science diet was much better and Iams i believe I am they are producing more waste. Also I did not know there was an in importance to feed them can, but from what I am reading on the site there is. Can someone explain that to me please? Also, they are not picky eaters at all. They are both almost 4 months old, only one week apart. They seem to eat whatever I put in front of them. Thanks everyone.

Both Iams and Science Diet aren't great. The 3rd and 4th ingredients in Iams are both corn. The second ingredient in Science Diet is wheat. Most cats don't digest grains well, so anything undigested comes out in the litter box. Companies use grains as cheap filler, and cats do not need them at all. I would definitely look into a grain free dry food. Wellness Core, Merrick, Blue Buffalo, Orijen, and many other good companies make great dry foods. Just be conscious of the ingredients. You want meat first, and no grains. The higher something is up on the ingredient list, that more of that ingredient the product contains. Make sure the first few ingredients are meats, and that vegetables are lower on the list. A lot of food contains potato and rice as fillers, which is fine if your cat can digest them. But just remember, the more fillers you feed, the more waste in the litter box. Better food is more expensive, but they eat less of it, and you get less waste in the litter box.

The reason you should add at least some wet food in a cat's diet is to promote moisture intake. Cats are desert creatures, and have learned to live with minimal water, but just like humans they need a lot of moisture to really thrive and be healthy. A cat might not necessarily want to drink water, so we have to make sure that they are getting water through food. Increased water intake prevents urinary and kidney issues. The same rules apply with wet food, meat first, no grains. Fancy Feast Classics are a great starter wet food if you want to try it. They do not contain any grains, and they're relatively inexpensive. Just stay away from the super fishy flavors, as too much fish isn't great for cats.

Here's a good list with good quality wet and dry foods. 

http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/12/the-7-best-natural-commercial-cat-foods-so-far/

http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2011/08/best-dry-cat-foods-so-far/

I would suggest feeding some higher quality wet and some lower quality wet to balance the cost. In terms of dry, feed the highest quality you can afford. Your cats will eat less of the higher quality dry food because its got more protein and less filler, so overall the cost isnt really that high.  

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