Is Dry Food Alone Okay?

[jackie.o]

Hi everyone. I adopted Jackie O about a week and a half ago and she has adjusted beautifully. My ongoing question is that she won't eat her wet food. Her foster mom gave me the fancy feast that she had been eating, along with her dry food. She quickly adapted to eating the dry food in her new home, and I've now transitioned her to the dry food that I selected (a higher quality, protein based one- Purina naturals). She eats this just fine, and I leave it out to free feed since I work full-time. However, I wanted to also give her a dinner each day of wet food, but she is completely not interested. Seems odd since her foster mom said she likes it. I have given her small amounts of tuna (the human kind in water from the grocery store) and she loves this, but I'm assuming I shouldn't feed her this every day? I've read so many different opinions about dry food versus wet food, and I was set on having a combined diet- but since she seems to prefer dry, is this okay? Is dry food sufficient for her diet? Is it okay to feed her the tuna, and if so how often? Thank you in advance for your advice to a first time cat owner!!

 

[mightyboosh]

There will be others replying with more in depth knowledge but in the meantime, here's a link from this site.
You will get differing opinions and there are some people who's cats lived to a ripe old age on dry food.
Also, I believe tuna is ok for a treat now and again but not as the main food.
Choosing The Right Food For Your Cat - Part 2
Is tuna bad for cats? - PetMeds® Pet Health Blog

 

[jackie.o]

Thank you for those. I think tuna as a treat sounds nice, and I know Jackie will think so too

 

[mightyboosh]

I got my Oliver as a ten year old and the previous owner said he was fed only dry. He was healthy and fine. I gave him some wet as a treat one day and now he won't touch dry except a few pieces very rarely.
Maybe if it's not broke, don't fix it. I 'fixed' it and the food bill soared.

 

[jackie.o]

That is helpful to know! Thank you!

 

[Furballsmom]

I m one of those with a cat who's system couldn't handle only dry, as a kitten with a different owner they ended up at the vet with a urinary blockage. So, I'm now on the treadmill of a finicky eater and me who is trying to avoid any food with menadione. But, we're managing, he's turning 13 this year and just yesterday was on top of the cabinet above the frig .

 

[jackie.o]

I am glad to hear he's doing okay!

 

[Columbine]

Here are some more articles about feeding, including one on getting kibble addicts eating wet food
How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat
How To Choose The Best Dry Cat Food?
What Makes The Best Canned Cat Food?
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade)
Grain-free Cat Food – What Does It Mean?
A Scientific Take On Cat Nutrition By Dr. Rachel Boltz
Cat Food & Feline Nutrition With Pet Nutritionist Dr. Martha Cline
Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake


Opinion is divided on dry food, and many people have fiercely strong opinions on it. I personally think it's better for cats to eat at least some wet food, but cats can do well on an all-dry diet. The two biggest potential issues are hydration (because cats don't have a strong thirst drive) and weight gain (because dry food is so calorically dense, it's far easier to overfeed, and cats themselves can be less satiated by it, leading them to eat more than they need). I do believe an all wet diet is necessary for kitties with urinary issues, though.

Ultimately, though, the number one golden rule for feeding cats is feed the cat food it will happily eat! The best food in the world is useless if it doesn't get into the cat

 

[jackie.o]

Thank you for all this!
Does the tuna provide any of the benefits that wet food does? I even add a little extra water to it. I want her to be as healthy as possible, but even tuna-flavored fancy feast does not appeal. I have noticed her drinking a good amount of water- I have a regular bowl and a fountain.

 

[Ardina]

The way I think about it is this: dry food is sufficient in the sense that it is a complete diet. She won't lack for any nutrients or vitamins, and many cats live to old ages on dry food. However, it isn't the ideal diet, primarily because of zero moisture content and high carbs relative to wet food (required to form and extrude the kibble). Cats have a poor thirst drive, and dry-fed cats generally don't ingest enough water to make up the deficit in their kibble. Free feeding kibble can also lead to cats getting overweight and/or developing diabetes.

I ended up doing a lot of research on cat nutrition (catinfo.org, feline-nutrition.org, catcentric.org) and decided that what cats evolved to eat would be the best for them. So I feed my cats homemade raw (homemade so I can do it for cheaper than feeding fancy feast canned). If that doesn't work for you, feeding high protein, low carb canned is the next best option. Saipha is a kibble addict and it took me over a year to fully transition her to wet. She still hated it after all that time, so I tried raw with her and she loved it. Now, both my cats are happily eating and thriving on raw. Let me know if you'd like any tips on transitioning stubborn kibble addicts.

Of course, it always ends up being a compromise - what your cat is willing to eat, what fits in your budget, what works with your lifestyle, etc. But that's my two cents.

 

[Raevyn]

Cat's naturally don't consume alot of water so I give mine both - it adds some moisture and some meat to their diet at the same time. Some kitties don't care for the canned food though, and they do just fine. If you dry food only maybe get one of those fountains with the moving water in it to encourage them to drink more water

 

[Columbine]

Thank you for all this!
Does the tuna provide any of the benefits that wet food does? I even add a little extra water to it. I want her to be as healthy as possible, but even tuna-flavored fancy feast does not appeal. I have noticed her drinking a good amount of water- I have a regular bowl and a fountain.

You do have to be careful with tuna. The extra water will help hydration, but tuna is both lacking in certain nutrients and actually deprives the cat of others, so it really is best as a special treat.
Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?
Which Foods Are Safe Cat Treats?
Unbalanced Diets - Are You Killing Your Cat With Kindness?

 

[jackie.o]

Thank you all for your advice. Maybe I will try raw with her. I'd like to keep feeding her dry as she enjoys it (and so does my wallet!) but I want her to be the most healthy and think it's best if there is some kind of combination. Any resources/advice on raw feeding on a budget?
Thank you!

 

[Ardina]

Raw food comes in several different varieties. @Neo_23 gave an excellent summary in this thread: Overwhelming Food Choices.

The most budget friendly option is to make your own, and it's simple once you get the hang of it, but it can be an intimidating thing to start out with. Here's what I would suggest: First, try your cat with pieces of raw meat to see if she likes it. I just started with little bits of raw chicken breast or beef from whatever I was making for my own dinner. If she likes it, then try commercial frozen raw like Northwest Naturals, Primal, or Stella&Chewy's. Darwin's has a great introductory offer of 10 lbs of frozen patties for $15. If all of that goes well, then you can try homemade raw to cut down costs. Feel free to pm me or start a thread in the raw and homemade food forum if you have any other questions - there are lots of friendly, experienced members there to help you out.

 

[Raevyn]

Thank you all for your advice. Maybe I will try raw with her. I'd like to keep feeding her dry as she enjoys it (and so does my wallet!) but I want her to be the most healthy and think it's best if there is some kind of combination. Any resources/advice on raw feeding on a budget?
Thank you!

my cousin feeds her dogs raw and she waits until the meat at a super centre grocer or somewhere like that is having a good sale on meat and she stocks up and finds its cheaper. the meat they sell at the petfood store is over priced

 

[jackie.o]

Thank you both so much - I will check out more resources on getting started on trying out the raw food diet.

 

[Columbine]

These are some of TCS's raw feeding resources
Raw Feeding Cats: Types Of Raw Diets & Feeding Options
Raw Feeding For Cats: The Ingredients
Raw Feeding Cats: Calcium And Bones
Feeding Raw To Cats - Safety Concerns
Raw Food For Cats - Interview With Pet Nutritionist Dr. Martha Cline
Homemade Food For Cats: Consider Your Recipe!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Hi everyone. I adopted Jackie O about a week and a half ago and she has adjusted beautifully. My ongoing question is that she won't eat her wet food. Her foster mom gave me the fancy feast that she had been eating, along with her dry food. She quickly adapted to eating the dry food in her new home, and I've now transitioned her to the dry food that I selected (a higher quality, protein based one- Purina naturals). She eats this just fine, and I leave it out to free feed since I work full-time. However, I wanted to also give her a dinner each day of wet food, but she is completely not interested. Seems odd since her foster mom said she likes it. ...

Good, well-rounded input from everyone in this thread... I'd add just one more thought.

If the wet food you are trying is the old Fancy Feast wet food she was eating at the foster home, maybe her feline tastebuds have just become adapted to the tastes of the current (new) dry food you have introduced.

Have you tried giving her any flavors and types (like pate, shreds, minced, etc.) of wet food of the same brand as the new dry food you are using? Maybe that brand has one or more new ingredients that she is enjoying a lot. Perhaps it is also in the wet food of the same brand.

I'd recommend at least a partial diet of canned food. You might have to at least temporarily try out a few flavors and/or brands of a canned food before she might find one that will be a goldmine for you.

 

[jackie.o]

That is great advice. I have another kind of wet food I have not tempted her with yet... perhaps that will work!

 

[lalagimp]

I wish my girls would take to raw food, but they aren't ever interested. It would save me a ton. I knew Yue would eat wet food because she's had it as treats growing up. Amalie has had a bunch of dental work on two occasions. She wouldn't touch wet food. Yue had a dental cleaning this summer that left her with bloody gums, so I put a split dish in their feeder and would have the kibble on one side and the pate on the other. Over the next week of constant exposure, Amalie started treating the pate as food. Kibble is still her favorite, but she'll eat pate, things in gravy, shreds. I knew if she figured it out, she'd eat other things. She's always sat right next to my knee while I eat fried chicken or chicken wings, waiting for a piece of shredded chicken.