Question re: wet vs dry food

waddle · Jun 28, 2005

There seem to be very varying opinions on this. I asked the vet about feeding my 11 week old kittens wet food, and he said it's like giving them pizza and I should just stick with dry food, plus once you start wet they may refuse to eat dry again.

They do seem to drink water fairly often, but I'm not sure how to know whether they're drinking enough (I notice a lot of comments here that many cats don't drink as much water as they should.) They seem to be doing great with their dry food (they were on Iams, and I am now switching them over to Nutro which they apparently like better as they seem to eat all of that first!). Do any of you think I definitely should give them some wet food, or are they probably fine sticking with just dry? Frankly I'd rather not have the mess of wet food if they'll be fine with all dry! I bet they'd find it tasty though.

wellingtoncats · Jun 28, 2005

IMO I prefer Dry food but that's because it is easier for our household.

arlyn · Jun 28, 2005

Wetfood in this house is about 1/3 of their total diet, with kibble being left out for free feeding.
I've always mixed the wet with kibble for kittens, while leaving kibble down for free feed.

catguy · Jun 29, 2005

You vet said its like pizza? Did he also tell you to feed them dry food because dry food is found in nature?

Canned food is much closer to a cats natural diet.....other small animals (loaded with protein and water). Raw is best, but even I only give them raw once per week for the time being. I use wellness brand canned food. It is expensive, 10lbs cost $35 after tax, but its worth it (for my cats). After my kitty died last month, i realized I would never again do something that directly affected my cats because it was convenient for me, ie..leaving out dry food instead of taking the time to feed them canned food 3-4 times per day. If you are going to feed dry permantly, consider high quality:

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/Natura..._Food_s/55.htm

thoughts on dry food,

http://www.blakkatz.com/dryfood.html

daddycat · Jun 29, 2005

Hi waddle,

Your vet both overgeneralizes and exaggerates. Wet or dry really has no bearing on the quality of the food, there's both good and bad choices in either category. Iams and Nutro are both good, wet or dry. Ultimately, it's not an either/or situation. Many people rely on dry food as their cats' primary diet, but include a daily portion of moist food. My four split moist Nutro packets twice a day, but they free feed on Nutro dry the rest of the time. At least one of them actually prefers dry food.

elizwithcat · Jun 29, 2005

Originally Posted by Waddle

There seem to be very varying opinions on this. I asked the vet about feeding my 11 week old kittens wet food, and he said it's like giving them pizza and I should just stick with dry food, plus once you start wet they may refuse to eat dry again.

They do seem to drink water fairly often, but I'm not sure how to know whether they're drinking enough (I notice a lot of comments here that many cats don't drink as much water as they should.) They seem to be doing great with their dry food (they were on Iams, and I am now switching them over to Nutro which they apparently like better as they seem to eat all of that first!). Do any of you think I definitely should give them some wet food, or are they probably fine sticking with just dry? Frankly I'd rather not have the mess of wet food if they'll be fine with all dry! I bet they'd find it tasty though.

Do give them wet food. It's good for their urinary health. Cats don't drink enough water, so they need that extra they get in a wet food. And I think you vet is telling you very strange things. It's not like giving them pizza. It's like giving them something good for their urinary health. Nutro should be better than IAMS because it doesn't have by-products. As someone whose cat is having urinary problems, I can tell you first hand-it's no fun. So, it's best to do all you can to prevent those from happening. I have been giving my cats both dry and wet, and they actually like dry better, altough I wish they liked wet better. Your cats shouldn't stop eating dry food just because you will give them wet food as well.

sharky · Jun 29, 2005

I would start giving a little canned... general rule of thumb these days coming from vets is at least 6 ounces a week... I give more but that is personal preference and budget alotment

aussie_dog · Jun 29, 2005

I feed dry only, since wet food costs way too much (I can spend $80 a month just by having one small can a day), but I'm considering getting cans for them to have once a week.

piyu · Jun 29, 2005

nutro wet food cans come in a 14 case for 12 dollars. pouches for about 50 cents each.

my cat enjoys nutro more than my homemade concoction.

pat · Jun 29, 2005

I raised all my litters with a initial transition to wet food then to dry kitten - never had a problem getting them to eat both wet and dry. There certainly is junk wet food out there, but there are also many quality brands, and imo, a canned diet is better than dry.

I'd consider using both - a quality dry food out at all times for them to nibble on, and a quality canned kitten food, twice a day.

waddle · Jun 29, 2005

Thanks everyone. I think I will start giving them some wet too. Do I need to give them just a teeny tiny bit at first? I think I've read they will get upset tummies and diarrhea if you switch food too quickly? I think I'll try giving them some wet in the evening and leaving dry out for them to eating during the day.

pat · Jun 29, 2005

Yes, I'd go slow..just give each a small spoonful worth - here is an article w/ suggestions for what is a top kitten food that you might find interesting to read: click here

eburgess · Jun 29, 2005

Dry is supose to be better for thier teeth, that's partly why I feed Limerick that

waddle · Jun 29, 2005

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

Yes, I'd go slow..just give each a small spoonful worth - here is an article w/ suggestions for what is a top kitten food that you might find interesting to read: click here

Thanks for the link. I had that bookmarked and lost it and all my other ones somehow earlier today.

pat · Jun 29, 2005

Originally Posted by eburgess

Dry is supose to be better for thier teeth, that's partly why I feed Limerick that

Actually, the school of thought on that is changing. Here is an article on canned cat food and dental health

Question re: wet vs dry food

waddle

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wellingtoncats

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arlyn

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catguy

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daddycat

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elizwithcat

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sharky

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aussie_dog

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piyu

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pat

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waddle

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pat

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eburgess

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waddle

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pat

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