Keeping a cat as your pet is an excellent decision for everyone. They are adorable, and friendly, and will be your best friend. A cat also keeps you company at home when you are alone and most importantly, they protect you from any danger lurking around.
However, there’s one caveat when it comes to keeping a cat as your pet: the food. You see, unlike dogs that can eat almost anything (even table scraps), cats have a very special diet – dry food only. Keeping them on a strict diet will help keep their weight in check and reduce the risk of obesity-related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
When you consider the kinds of food that are available for cats, it’s quite easy to understand why some cats will prefer dry food. It is not only easier for them to digest, but also comes with more perks than wet cat food.
Even though there are more options for your feline friend if you feed them with dry food, it doesn’t mean that wet foods are less beneficial in any way. In fact, both options have their own set of pros and cons. Hence, it all boils down to what kind of diet you want for your cat.
Cat lovers who have the willingness to give their cats a more wholesome meal might find this article helpful when choosing between different types of dry food or wet food. Here we present everything you need to know about cats and their dietary needs:
What Is Dry Food And Why Is It Better For Cats?
There are several reasons why dry food is widely considered the best for cats. Since it is a semi-moist food, it is easier for cats to digest and doesn’t leave any extra weight on their body. Hence, cats who are fed dry food are less likely to gain weight.
Another reason why dry food is better for your kitty is that it has more nutrients than wet food. This is because dry food is cooked at a very high temperature, which means that the food is preserved better than wet food.
Dry food is also better for your cats if they are suffering from certain conditions such as urinary tract infection, urinary incontinence, etc. This is because semi-moist food is easier to clean and flush out of the bladder. Thus, there is minimal risk of the infection being transferred to the kidneys.
In fact, most veterinarians recommend dry foods over wet food because they are more nutritious and better for weight control. Another reason why dry food is better for cats is that it can be left out for a few days. This is beneficial to growing kittens.
Wet Food Vs Dry Food – Which One Should You Choose?
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing between wet food and dry food. Firstly, if your cat has a urinary tract infection, or diabetes, or is elderly, it is better to feed them a dry food diet. This is because dry food is easier to clean.
Dry food is also better for growing kittens as it is easier to digest. This is why it is recommended that you feed your kittens with dry food once they are weaned off the breast milk.
However, if your cat has kidney issues, it is better to go with wet food as it is easier to clean and flush out of their system. If your cat is underweight, it is also recommended to go with wet food as it has more nutrients and is easier to digest.
Keep in mind that wet food has to be replaced quickly because it goes bad faster than dry food. Hence, you might have to stock up on it more frequently, which can be an added expense.
Dry Food Ingredients: What To Look Out For?
There are a few things to look for when choosing a dry food for your kitty. You need to make sure that the food has a high protein content and a minimal amount of carbohydrates. This is because a high protein content in the food helps your kitty stay full for longer and reduces the chance of obesity.
While carbohydrates are good for your kitty, there needs to be a moderate amount of them. Apart from this, there are other ingredients that you need to keep an eye on while choosing the best dry food for your kitty. These ingredients include fiber, sodium, fat, and other minerals and vitamins.
After all, you want your kitty to be as healthy as possible. Hence, you should pick out the dry food with the least amount of sodium content and the most amount of fiber. This will help keep your kitty’s cardiovascular system and digestion clean and healthy.
How Much Dry Foods Do Your Cats Need Per Day?
The most important thing to keep in mind while feeding your kitty is the amount of dry food they need per day. If your cat is a growing kitten, you need to feed them with the right amount of food, which is usually around 0.5-0.7 ounces per pound of their body weight.
For adult cats, you should feed them around 1-1.5 ounces per pound of their body weight. This amount would also depend on the fat, protein, and carbohydrate content in the food.
If you are feeding your cat high-protein food, they might need more than the average amount. You should also take into consideration your cat’s activity level when feeding them.
If your cat is an indoor cat who barely goes outside, it would need less food than an indoor/outdoor cat.
The Best Part – You Can Smell It And Cats Too!
There are a few things that make dry food even better for cats. First of all, it has a stronger smell than wet food. This makes it more appealing to cats, and since cats are very picky about their food, you should definitely go for dry food.
Another reason why dry food is better for cats is that it is easier to store. This is because the shelf life of dry food is longer than wet food. Hence, you can store it for a longer period of time without worrying about it going bad.
If your cat is an indoor cat, you can even store its food in an airtight container to prevent it from getting stale. All in all, there are multiple reasons why dry food is better than wet food.
Why Not Wet Food Instead?
While many people think that wet food is better than dry food, there are a few reasons why it isn’t.
Firstly, you have to feed your kitty more wet food than dry food to get the same amount of nutrients. This is because dry food contains less water, making it easier to digest.
Wet food, on the other hand, contains more water, making it harder to digest and forcing your kitty to use more energy to break it down.
The other reason why wet food is not as good as dry food for your kitty is that it has all kinds of preservatives and additives in it.
