Are you a cat lover? Do you have a pet cat? Do you sometimes find it hard to decide whether to feed your cat dry or wet food? If you answered yes to all of these questions, then this article is perfect for you. Through this write-up, you will be able to know what the best cat food to choose is and the pros and cons of feeding both wet and dry food to your beloved pet cat.
What are cat foods made of?
In order to understand better, you must first know what cat foods are really made of. To start with, cat foods are generally made of proteins, water, fats, vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals. But even still, not all cat foods are the best choice for your cat. This still depends on what formula that cat food manufacturer uses. Because of this, you must ensure that the brand you choose for your cat can be trusted.
This will also give you the assurance that your cat will have the proper nutrition that their body needs. When buying cat food, check the nutritional content written on its label. See it to that it contains a good amount of protein, which will greatly help in building cells, tissues, and organs; carbohydrates, which will provide energy; fat, which will help your cat in absorbing fat-soluble vitamins; omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids; and vitamins A, B, D, E, and K for good nutrition.
Wet food versus dry food
Cat food can be either dry or wet. Thus, due to having these variety, cat owners sometimes find it confusing to pick the best food for their cat. You should know that feeding either wet or dry cat food can be nutritionally complete but both have pros and cons.
Wet cat food
Wet cat foods are those cat foods that are usually canned. This kind of cat food contains complete nutritional ingredients to make your cat healthy and well nourished.
Pros of wet cat food
To start with, cat foods that are wet have high moisture content. Because of this, cats eating wet foods have more dilute urine. Furthermore, moisture coming from wet foods can greatly help in the digestion, circulation, and other bodily processes of cats. Second, canned foods have more meat and more protein from animals which will greatly help your cat in have good nutrition.
Cons of feeding wet food
The disadvantage of feeding wet food to your cat is that it can sometimes lead to dental problems including gingivitis and many more. Thus, this will require you to be meticulous about your cat’s dental care and they may need more dental checkups than usual. Also, buying wet cat food can sometimes consume a lot of your time since you must see to it that you are able to choose the product that contains a good animal protein source and not meat by-products.
Dry cat food
Dry cat food is a kind of cat food that is usually packed in plastic bags. This kind of cat foods is usually derived from plants.
Pros of dry cat food
Feeding wet food to cats can sometimes be very messy. Thus, feeding “dry” cat food is just the opposite of that. As well, cat foods that are dry can be a lot cheaper than that of canned cat foods
Cons of feeding dry cat food
If cats eat dry food alone, they will be more prone to a lot of diseases and disorders. To start with, because water is very essential in digestion, circulation and other bodily works, cats who are on a non-wet food diet may suffer from indigestion and other internal disorders. Constipation being the most common form of indigestion. (What to do if your cat is constipated). Second, cats that eat dry food alone can be more prone to dehydration since they lack water intake.
This will then lead them to more serious health problems like CRF or Chronic Renal Failure and urine crystals. Third, cats that are on a dry food diet can also be prone to obesity and feline diabetes. This is because dry cat foods contains more carbohydrates compared to wet cat food which and thus, as you know, will contribute a lot to the development of obesity and diabetes even for humans.
Choosing the best food for your cat
In short, both wet and dry food can be part of a nutritious diet for your cat. Be aware of how much your cat eats. Cats that are not prone overeating can often accommodate a diet that includes both wet and dry food. Regardless of what you choose, see to it that the food that you give to your cat contains a balanced nutrition that will help them in avoiding serious health problems. Through this, your cat can stay healthy and happy!