Helps With Weight Management
Adding wet food to your pets diet can also help with weight loss since the extra water allows pets to feel full and be more satisfied after their meals. In contrast, adding in some dry food can provide extra calories for dogs who struggle with eating enough wet food to meet their energy requirements. Dry food is more nutrient dense since it is less diluted with moisture.
Adding Water To Your Cats Food
For cats that Ive owned in the past whether I was feeding them with dry food exclusively or wet food, I always added a bit of water. Adding water to each has the benefit of softening food to make it easier to eat or adding a bit of volume to stretch your money and help with palatability . Just dont drown their food!
What Should You Do If Your Cat Wont Eat Wet Food Anymore
- cattybox.com
- 09/25/2021
- Review: 2.69
- Summary: · A cat that doesnt want to eat might have a sickness. Or you can check the food ingredients in case some of them may make your cat feel
- Matching search results: According to some surveys, cats like to eat a mix of both wet and dry foods. Wet foods help to diversify the cat diet because it has a variety of texture. On the other hand, dry foods meet the cats natural dietary needs . As a
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How To Make Wet Cat Food At Home
Regardless of the options available in the market, it is without a doubt that homemade food is the best for your cat. However, when it comes to the feline diet, raw is a preferred and gold standard. Cats are hunters by nature, and it is important to feed them a diet that is close enough to what they would find in nature.
However, preparing a wet cat food diet for your pet from scratch can be a tasking job and requires dedication plus effort to get it right. But, at the end of the day, when you see your pet all healthy and happy, the effort is all worth it.
You also need to use the right ingredients while balancing the nutrition quotient, such as minerals and vitamins essential for your cat.
Lets learn how to make wet cat food?
So, let us check out the process of making wet cat food to keep your pet healthy and happy.
In case you are dealing with the watery cat stool, then you might also like to read best cat food for firm stool, these are the foods that are formulated to keep your cats bowl regular and get the firm stool.
The Reasons Why Cat Owners Or Vets Recommend Mixing Wet And Dry Food Are Numerous And Include:
1. Can help prevent boredom
The cat is bored with its usual food, and it doesnt find it appealing anymore. Combining crunchiness with softness and different flavors can help prevent boredom and make feeding times interesting again.
2. Ideal for cats with dental problems
Some oral conditions can cause pain, and who likes to eat when in pain? Due to the pain, cats might stop eating, especially if their diet is based on dry food. By mixing wet with dry food, you are making the food softer and easier to chew.
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3. It promotes oral health
Compared to wet food, dry food provides a certain level of teeth cleaning as cats chew on the crunchy kibbles. The rougher and harder texture removes plaque and tartar as the cat eats.
4. Helps your cat stay hydrated
Wet food has more than 78% water content . So by mixing dry food with wet food, you will help your cat stay hydrated and prevent future urinary problems.
Also Read:Adding Water To Dry Cat Food Vet Explains How To Do It Right
5. Helps with weight-control
Wet food is denser and has more water. Usually, it has fewer calories than dry food, and an overweight cat may benefit from specific feeding times. However, wet food is often highly palatable, and cats may eat more than they need just because of the delicious taste.
On the other hand, you can find dry foods that are low in calories, and because they are less appetizing, your cat may not want to overeat.
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Things To Keep In Mind
If youre a long-time dry cat food enthusiast, remember that wet cat food can spoil and needs to be refrigerated after opening. Although, NUTRO PERFECT PORTIONS Trays are designed with two single-serving meals, so you never have to deal with leftovers .On the other hand, if youre new to the world of dry cat food, remember to always follow the feeding guidelines on the package and store food bags in a cool, dry place.
What Wet And Dry Cat Food Do Veterinarians Recommend
Regardless of whether you choose to feed a dry or canned cat food, it is important to feed a well-balanced, commercial diet to ensure that your cat gets the vitamins and minerals they need.
Reputable brands such as Science Diet and Royal Canin have been quality-controlled and specially formulated to meet a cats nutritional requirements. Your veterinarian can give you more specific recommendations based on your cats health history.
Avoid feeding a home-cooked or homemade diet unless it is specially formulated by a veterinarian who is specialized in making these diets. If you dont have help from a qualified vet, these diets can be deficient in vitamins and minerals such as taurine, which can cause heart disease in cats.
Involving your veterinarian in your decision of what to feed your cat can be very helpful in ensuring they get the most appropriate nutrition.
Here are some other things to consider.
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How Much Water Should You Be Adding To Dry Kibble
If you are serious about adding water to your cats dry food you may be wondering how do you actually do this, how much water do you even add? Good question, let me discuss
Before you go ahead and add water it is important to get the ratio of water to kibble correct. According to this site, they recommend a ratio of one-part water for every three parts of dry kibble.
However, its worth checking to see how your cat responds to this. And, if there is any doubt you can check with your vet.
Canned Cat Food Benefits
The largest benefit of feeding a canned diet is the higher water content. Cats with certain health conditions that require a higher-than-normal water intake, such as kidney disease, diabetes, or lower urinary tract disease, may benefit from the additional water in these diets.
Canned food is also highly palatable, and some cats will eat a canned diet over a dry diet, particularly if they are picky eaters.
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How Much Water Is Perfect To Add In Dry Cat Food
Normally, a cat consuming wet food gets a lot of moisture from the wet food.
The moisture content in most wet foods is about 80%, which is similar to the moisture content of a cats natural diet.
A cat that eats wet food can only need an extra 30 ml of water per day in addition to their wet food. Even on a wet food diet, they need access to safe, fresh water.
A cat eating dry kibble can need up to 200 ml of additional water to absorb the same amount of moisture as a cat eating wet food!
Add about 14 cups of water to each helping to increase a cats water intake, enhance the taste and scent of the food, and slow down eating while also making the food appealing.
This water should be wet, but not boiling, to bring out the best taste. The aim isnt to make a broth, but to soak the kibble until it begins to fall apart and lose its shape.
Standard dry food guidance will be to give a 12-pound cat a third of a cup of kibble per day. You could serve this in three halves. So three-quarters of a cup per meal.
If you add 60 ml of water per meal, youll get a lot closer to a wet diets moisture content. However, you will find that it will never be the same as eating wet food.
If you use so much water, the food will simply disintegrate into a watery mess!
You might also like to read about how long does dry cat food last
Adding Water To Dry Cat Food
While cat owners should give the cat access to fresh, filtered water at all times, day and night, this does not guarantee that the cat is drinking enough water. Cats often become dehydrated and are prone to urinary tract infections caused by dehydration.
A simple way to solve this problem without mixing wet and dry food is to simply moisten the dry cat food. To do this, pour ¼ cup of fresh, filtered water over the dry cat food. The water will quickly moisten the food in the bowl.
This method of hydrating dry food has four main benefits:
- Increases cats water intake
- Helps cats with sensitive mouths to eat more food
- Helps cats with missing teeth to eat enough food
- Increases the aroma of dry food, stimulating the cats appetite
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Disadvantages Of Mixing Cat Food
In some situations, combining different products can be counter-productive. You should avoid mixing cat food if:
- Your cat is on a prescription or therapeutic dietCombining regular commercial products with prescription cat food without consulting your vet can affect the efficacy of the treatment. Prescription cat food is often rich in a particular ingredient . If you wish to expand their menu, consult a vet to find solutions that wont impact your cats food regime
- Your budget doesnt allow varietyYou may not be able to afford to buy two types of food on a regular basis. Keep in mind that after being fed mixed meals, cats typically never switch back to one type of food
- You dont have the time to portion the mealsInadequate serving amounts and caloric intake can trigger various health issues, such as weight loss or gain, digestive problems, and poor coat quality
- Youre not sure whether your cat has food allergiesWhenever you buy new cat food, allow your kitty to have a taste and monitor their reaction. The best course of action is to add it to their regular meal. That way, you can prevent an allergic reaction
Mom forgot to go cat food shopping, AGAIN!
Is There A Naturally Softer Food Available
Yes, you can get moist food. I know you may be thinking: Isnt this the same as canned wet food? The answer is no. But, let me explain.
This moist food is typically sold in a pouch and usually has approx. 65% moisture. To quantify the difference, normal wet canned food is typically 85% moisture. And, to add a further comparison, dry food , usually has about 10% moisture.
However, be careful. Some of these moist foods have a high number of artificial colors, e-numbers, and sweeteners, so you need to check them carefully.
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Don’t Mix Therapeutic Pet Foods With Other Foods Without First Consulting Your Veterinarian
The science behind pet foods continues to evolve and one huge benefit for our pets is therapeutic diets. Therapeutic diets are created specifically to prevent or delay the onset of many health conditions. However, it’s important that you not add anything to a therapeutic diet without first consulting your vet. It may have the adverse effect of diluting the precise formulation and perhaps even counteracting the intended benefits for your pet.
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For More Protein Fewer Carbs: Wet Cat Food
Canned cat food in general contains more meat than kibble diets, which is why it is typically more expensive. This is great news for cats, who are obligate carnivores, requiring few, if any, carbohydrates. To compare the protein levels of your canned and dry cat food, always convert to a dry matter basis.
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What Does Your Cat Need In Its Diet
Given that cats are obligatory carnivores, they need:
- Ample protein from fish or meat
- Amino acids such as arginine and taurine
- Vitamins
- Water
- Minerals
Carbohydrates like corn and rice in minuscule amounts are perfectly fine. However, it isnt necessary for your furry friends diet.
However, the right amount of carbohydrates will ensure that your cat is energetic throughout the day and even decrease the overall cost of making homemade, wet cat food.
Combination Of Wet And Dry Cat Food Why Do It
There are a lot of good reasons why you would want to mix your cats food.
Heres what we often forget
Wet cat food and dry cat food each have their unique properties and drawbacks that help to offset one from the other. Mixing each together helps give the cat the best of both worlds.
Dry food tends to be less expensive, can be stored easy and can be loaded into an automatic feeder.
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Why Has My Cat Stopped Eating Dry Food But Eats Treats
- mrbosscat.com
- 04/24/2022
- Review: 4.92
- Summary: · Another common reason that your cat only wants to eat treats and wont eat their dry food is that youve been overly generous with giving them
- Matching search results: If the change cannot be reversed, such as if you get a new pet, try to establish a new and consistent routine to help your cat regain its comfort and start eating normally again. It may take a little while to adapt, but your cat should get their
Whats Best For My Cat: Should I Mix Wet And Dry Cat Food
Mixing wet with dry food is perfectly safe! But keep in mind that both types of cat food have different recommendations for daily intake, and you risk overfeeding your cat and making it overweight by not following these guidelines. As long as your cat isnt chubby or predisposed to fattening, mixing dry and wet food can be a good option.
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It Helps With Hydration
While dry food helps with your cats oral health, wet food helps with hydration. Cats are descended from desert animals, and they dont need a lot of water to survive, but sometimes they forget that they need some water and can get dehydrated even if they have water in their bowl. Wet food provides both nutrition and extra hydration that dry food doesnt. Adding a little bit of wet food into your cats diet can help promote kidney health by keeping them well hydrated.
If you’re looking for a balanced, highly nutritious cat food made with human-grade ingredients, take a closer look at Smalls. You can even save 33% on this premium cat food by entering code HEPPER2022 at checkout!
Slow Down Fast Eaters
One issue with dry cat food, such as kibble, is the speed that it can be consumed by your pet. Lets be honest, she can literally suck it up fast, like a tornado lapping up local debris, are you with me?
Therefore, adding a small amount of water will affect the texture and as an added benefit, will reduce their ability to hoover up the food, are you with me?
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Cat Not Eating 8 Things To Try When Your Cat Wont Eat
- catster.com
- 08/19/2022
- Review: 2.99
- Summary: Consider writing or calling the company to see if they have more of the food. Perhaps they can tell you where to find it or send you some directly. Also ask
- Matching search results: If you have an ethical or medical reason you need to stay with a certain brand of food, see whether it comes in other flavors. Think about trying other brands that might provide the same medical or health benefit. Your cat might find the change
What Are Other Ways To Spice Up Your Cats Diet
Besides mixing different cat foods, there are other ways you can add novelty to your felines diet. Here’s what you can give to your cat:
Some vets also recommend adding nutritional yeastdeactivated yeast that has a cheesy tasteto your cats meals as a taste enhancer and a natural source of vitamin B, protein, and chromium. Dont mistake it with regular yeast that is dangerous for felines and should be avoided at all costs.
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Why My Cat Stopped Eating Her Wet Food & What I Did
- catfooddispensersreviews.com
- 04/12/2022
- Review: 2.73
- Summary: This trick is a winner. If your cat doesnt feel appealed by his wet food anymore simply put his favorite treats in the middle of the wet food and wait. Your
- Matching search results: Sometimes the same exact wet food has a different consistency when switching to a different batch. If you happened to have opened a new batch of canned food or pouch and your cat refuses to eat it, you may want to consider this