Cat Food Questions

I have always feed my cats dry food only, but thanks to the internet I am learing that this is not the best way to feed cats so I need some help. my cat is 11 and has mostly only had dry food she has had wet food as a treat every once in a great while.So I would like some suggestions on:
1: What to feed her(brands)? I think I would like to mix wet and dry but no raw
2: Should I do it gradualy or just switch.
Anything else I should know
Anyone know of compines that offer free samples...so that I could try her on different things and see what she likes. All I have to go on now is some Nutro coupons but from what I have been reading some cats like some do not. She isn't picky I usually switch between a few brands that I buy at the grocery store (before I knew better) and she will eat what ever I put in her bowl
please no one bash me! I am learing and trying to make a change.

I'm also gradually trying to incorporate more wet food into my cats' diets. I think gradually is probably better so the new foods don't upset your cat's stomach. The only wet my cats like is natural balance (they only like pate-style wet foods). If your cat is willing to eat any wet, you have a lot of options. A lot of people on TCS like merricks, but my cats aren't big fans. Nutro pouches have a lot of gravy in them, but since your cat is older, I think your best bet may be the senior formula nutro cans. My cats are both young so other members may be able to better assist you with wet food options for an older cat.

Here are the brands that I personally really like:
DRY
-Felidae
-Nature's Variety Prairie
-Wysong
-California Natural
-Wellness

WET
-Evanger's
-Wellness
-Merrick
-Whole Foods Brand

As for making the switch, the biggest thing is to make sure you don't overfeed. When you add in the wet, decrease the amount of kibble. Right now, I'm feeding my two about 1/3 cup of dry and 2/3 of a 5.5oz can of wet each. That way, the kibble is sort of a supplementary thing to sort of tide them over between meals (and because they love the stuff, even if it isn't great for them), since I feed each meal about 12 hours apart.

Work your way up to the combination of dry and wet gradually...if she's not used to wet, don't start by giving her a whole can. Many cats will eat quickly and get upset tummies or they'll eat too much of something their system isn't used to and get an upset tummy. Just add more wet each day and take away dry until you'r edoing what you want to do. Each kitty is different, so you can kind of "read" yours and do what you feel is easiest for her and her unique needs.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. I should have mentioned in the orignal post that she has always been free fed, that is the only thing that will work for her she is a little nervous around our dog and only comes down stairs to eat like 2 times a day always at different times. and it may be more then that if we are not home or at night the dog is in a crate so she can come down then too

Originally Posted by lionessrampant

Right now, I'm feeding my two about 1/3 cup of dry and 2/3 of a 5.5oz can of wet each. That way, the kibble is sort of a supplementary thing to sort of tide them over between meals (and because they love the stuff, even if it isn't great for them), since I feed each meal about 12 hours apart.

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I like to ask where you shop before suggesting brands ... Lioness named a few that I wont serve but they are all good..

if you shop mom and pop stores
Innova
regular
and
evo
Felidea
Cal natural
Nutro
Royal Canin

petco or petsmart
Nutro
Royal canin
Natural balence

I dont like garlic in kitty food is why my list doesnt have many youll find

If I may paraphrase Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM; "giving a cat only dry food is analogous to giving an eagle birdseed!" . I believe she doesn't believe in giving any dry food to cats and she's written extensively on the subject.

Having said that; I feed about 25%(?) RC dry food along with 75% of wet food. I get most(Merricks, Natural Balance) of my wet food thru the internet but just started trying the local Petsmart's 'home' brand Authority wet food.

Dan

I checked the ingredients in all the cans at our local pet store and chose about 6 different types that had no by-products. I tried each of them at different feedings and they preferred the Merricks. I took the others back to the store with my receipt and exchanged them for Merricks. I'm sure if you talk to your local pet store and explain that you want to try the different brands and would like to bring any unopened cans back for exchange, they would be happy to accommodate you.

And as another poster said, cut back on the dry once you start feeding the wet food.

Bijou and Mika used to be free fed dry and now they only get about 1/2 cup per day for them both to share.

Thanks everyone. We have decided to try Nutro Natural Senior, I bought some dry food, canned and pounches so far I have only tried mixing the dry with her old dry and 1/4 of a can of wet and she loves it