Feeding cats only wet food is not harmful. On the contrary, it is even recommended not to feed dry food to his cats, because they have a small amount of water.
Cats naturally get most of their moisture from food. This is only given with wet feeding and is therefore the only correct species-appropriate attitude for cats.
What are the advantages of feeding wet food?
The biggest advantage of wet food is the considerable amount of water. This is in wet food up to 80%. With this, your cat has already covered almost the entire liquid requirement during the day. Especially for cats that consume very little water and therefore have problems with constipation and kidney disease, the water content in wet food is very important.
Wet food is also very popular because it can be stored in sealed food cans for a very long time. Wet food cans can be stored for up to several years. If the food can is already opened, you can close it with the help of a fresh food can and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Another advantage of feeding wet food is that cats like the taste of animal proteins very much. In addition, there is a very intense smell, which cats find very tasty.
Even for older cats who can no longer chew so well, wet food is very pleasant to eat due to its pulpy form.
Likewise, wet food contains few calories, as they are diluted by the water content and thus ensures less overweight in your cat.
What are the disadvantages of feeding wet food?
Wet food can only stay in the cat’s bowl for a certain amount of time. Especially in the summer on hot days, otherwise there is a risk of contamination of the food. Here, storing the leftovers in the refrigerator would help.
Also on the ökomischen side the wet food does not cut off particularly well. Especially the packaging cans are not very sustainable.
Is there also food envy among cats? This question we answer you, in our brand new article Is there food envy in cats?
What is the difference between wet and dry food?
The water content of wet food is up to 80%, whereas the water content of dry food is only up to 12%. This is the main difference between wet and dry food for cats.
The shelf life is also different. An opened can of wet food can only be stored in a cool place in the refrigerator and that only up to 3 days.
Dry food for cats contains cereals, animal meal and also dried meat. In contrast, wet food consists of offal, grain and fresh meat, which has a lot of animal proteins.
How much wet food should my cat eat per day?
As a rule, cats with a body weight between two and three kilos should receive a feeding amount of wet food of 165 to 220 grams per day. If the cat weighs more than four kilograms, it is recommended to feed cats 265 to 320 grams of food per day.
What should a good wet food for cats contain?
Each cat has its own needs and accordingly you should adjust the cat food.
Wet food for cats should consist mainly of water (about 60-80%). In addition, fats and proteins (both together about 30-40%) are important components in wet food for cats. Animal proteins are very important in the nutritional intake of cats, as they are highly specialized carnivores. Likewise, the following contents belong in the wet food of a cat:
- Vitamins A and B
- Niacin
- Arachidonic acid
- Taurine
Cats cannot produce these nutrients on their own and must therefore be ingested through the food.
How can I tell if the wet food is still good for my cat?
You can recognize bad and no longer edible wet food for cats by the fact that it has changed its color significantly. If the food has become grayish or very dark, it is an indication that you should no longer give it to your cat to eat.
You can also recognize wet food that is no longer suitable by the firmness of the food. Mushy food or food covered with a layer, you should no longer offer your cat.
Likewise, a strong rotten smell is a clear signal that the wet food is no longer edible for your cat and should be thrown away.
You can also recognize bad wet food, which you should no longer give to your cat to eat, if something moves in your cat’s food and it looks like worms or fly larvae.
What form of feeding is healthier for the cats?
Cats eat a lot of small rodents such as birds and mice in the wild and thus obtain their water share. Up to 80% moisture contain these prey animals of the cat and thus cover the largest water share of a day. Through this it is rather unusual that cats in the wild still have to drink additional water. All this is given with a wet feeding.
With dry food this high water content is missing and your cat can get problems with the kidneys or bladder stones.
If you want to know whether outdoor cats still need to be fed separately, you can learn this in our exciting article How to feed outdoor cats?
How to change from dry food to wet food?
When changing food, cats need a lot of patience and time. In the beginning you should only mix a little bit of the new wet food into the usual food.
Especially in the beginning you can include small treats in the food, so that your cat empties the bowl all by itself.
It is also useful to warm up the new wet food slightly beforehand, so that your cat can better perceive the intensive smell.
You can also include the new food when playing and romping and hide it in so-called food balls.
With every change of food it is important to have a lot of time and patience for your cat.
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Summary – Cat wants only wet food, is this harmful?
Cats should be fed wet food rather than dry food. Cats get most of their liquid from their prey like birds or rodents in the wild. This is only given with a wet feeding, because there is a water content of up to 80%.
Advantages with a wet feeding are beside the large water portion also that the storage of the feed cans is very simple and these can be stored up to two years. Cats also like the intense smell as well as the animal proteins. Likewise, the pulpy consistency of the wet food is very suitable for older cats who can no longer chew so well.
As a disadvantage, the ecomic factor can be counted, since the aluminum cans are not particularly environmentally friendly. Also too easy contamination by insect larvae or worms in the food remains of a wet feeding in the summer days, could lead to problems.
The big difference between wet feed and dry feed is the water content. This is with a dry feeding only with approx. 12%, whereas the wet feeding can have a water portion of up to 80%.
The daily amount of food by wet feeding depends on the respective weight of the cat and can be between 165 and 220 grams per day for an animal weight of up to three kilos.
When changing the food you need a lot of patience and time. Cats are sensitive animals and react immediately with stress at a change.