Wet v. Dry Cat Food Poll

[PatsGirl]

Hi Everyone Inspired by another thread and the ensuing discussion/hijack of that thread I thought I'd do a poll. I'm new to cats and so, other than the recommendations of my vet who is highly regarded locally, I only have the opinions of my friends, which vary.

My vet says canned food every day, doesn't matter what brand, just make sure it is canned. She also said that if I WANTED I could supplement with a dry food which I do. My cat currently eats two tuna-fished sized cans and about a cup of dry every day. He weighs 24# and is a year old but not overweight. I'm going broke

What do you feed your cat, wet or dry, and why?

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

I didn't vote in the poll because there wasn't an other...

My cat that lives with me eats dry exclusively, because he absolutely won't touch wet food. Or many brands of dry food. Or ANY people food. He is really picky. He weighs around 13-14 lbs and is pretty long so he's not overweight, I'd say he's normal weight. He was starving when we found him and completely skin and bones.

My cat that lives with my parents eats both wet and dry. But he really just likes to lick the wet and doesn't always actually eat the "meat" parts of it. And he would eat anything and everything (including the dog's food) that is put in front of him. He weighs 18 pounds and is fairly overweight but not enough that concerns the vet - but it concerns me!

My former cat that died, at a 16 oz can of moist food (ie, the size of a can of beans) every day. Wouldn't eat dry food. Wouldn't eat any other brand of cat food. Was forced to switch to another brand of wet food at the end of his life and only ate that when it was mixed with cream cheese and warmed up in the microwave (he was dying anyway so I did what I had to do). He weighed 15 lbs of pure lean muscle, and was sooo long. He had a few UTI's but he wouldn't change his food ever!

Cat before him ate a mixture of dry and moist, but more dry. He was normal weight.

If the cat actually drinks enough water then it isn't really a problem if they are eating dry(which my cat now does, and just out of a standing bowl! Unlike my other cat who will sit in the sink or bathtub waiting for a drink - he would also drink out of my drinking glasses but only in my bedroom).


By the way - what the HECK kind of cat do you have that isn't overweight at 24 pounds?!?!?!

 

[SaraJayne]

Up until about a week ago, our cats were fed dry kibble exclusively.

But now our old lady kitty doesn't have any teeth left and is no longer able to eat the kibble. So I just started feeding her canned food 3 times a day.

She is anywhere between 16-19 years old and weighs right around 10 lbs. Our other younger kitty weighs around 11 or 12 lbs.

 

[Shyvioletisme]

I couldn't vote as there wasn't an option for both. My cat has dry food down all the time and then he gets fed 2 small cans of food a day(once in the morning and once in the evening). That wasn't on the recommendation of anyone. We're always had cats and that's just what we've always done, a mix of both. We've always been told my our vets that our cats are healthy so we've continued it.

 

[Linda in sunny SC]

Wet food that is low in carbs is much better for your cat than dry. Most dry food contains grain and your cat is a carnivore with no use for grain. Most cats don't have much of a thirst drive either so need the water in wet food. I didn't know all of this until my cat became diabetic from being overweight and he'd been fed dry all of his life until then. He still gets some dry but I feed him mostly Friskies canned. I give him a little bit of dry but try to find one without grain listed as the first ingredient. Believe me, you don't want to end up with insulin injections twice a day and blood testing like I've been doing for 5 years now.

 

[Tina]

I'm curious as to how your cat can be 24 pounds and not considered obese. What breed is your cat? I had a cat that got up to 18 pounds and he was most certainly obese. Is your cat a large breed? I have two domestic shorthairs, average in size (around 10-11 pounds each) and they eat the same as your cat (combined). They share a 5.5oz can in the morning and again at night. I toss about a half cup of dry food in their bowl once per day.

 

[DVCLiz]

My cats eat dry exclusively. I tried them on an expensive brand from the pet store but really they are grocery store brand lovers. They have never had wet food. I think it is gross - scarred by too many disgusting cans of it in my childhood.

I would be glad to feed them something out of a pouch that was semi-moist but they don't know the difference and they are healthy so I stay with dry only.

 

[PatsGirl]

Tina ~ vet says he looks Maine Coon? I got him from a friend at work and she has the mother but doesn't know Dad There are several others from the litter that are large but not 24# Funny that I picked him at 6 weeks old because he was soooo tiny, second from the runt.

Vet wasn't concerned with his weight and told me to continue feeding him as I am but that I could discontinue the dry if he started looking overweight (which he does not at this time). FWIW, he is very active, outside mousing, climbing trees and generally getting into mayhem, and I assume it is like humans, that the more active they are the more they can eat? Even when he sleeps, it is with one eye open

 

[Tina]

I almost asked if he was a Maine Coon. That does make sense for him to be that weight.

 

[taximomfor4]

We do dry food almost exclusively. It is a convenience thing, really, for us. We do limited ingredient dry food, with the occasional "Treat" of canned limited ingredient food.

 

[shortbun]

Another both. Dry is always out and wet every other day. My kitty is getting old and dehydration is bad for the kidneys. I make sure she has lots of water and the wet food adds to her fluids. We have a few games we play with water for her to drink. Dry helps scrape their teeth and keep their gums healthy. Best to feed both.

 

[Meriweather]

I didn't vote either...both.

My cat gets wet mixed in with dry....both senior food.

But, DD's cat (that lives with us) eats dry only. She is on a limited ingredient diet because of allergies and doesn't like the dry food for that, so she is wet only.

 

[bballmom56]

Cat #1 - gets wet because he won't (or can't because of old teeth) eat dry.

Cat #2 - gets dry because he won't eat wet

Cat #3 - has both available, but looks forward to her wet.

 

[disney1990]

Tina ~ vet says he looks Maine Coon? I got him from a friend at work and she has the mother but doesn't know Dad There are several others from the litter that are large but not 24# Funny that I picked him at 6 weeks old because he was soooo tiny, second from the runt.

Vet wasn't concerned with his weight and told me to continue feeding him as I am but that I could discontinue the dry if he started looking overweight (which he does not at this time). FWIW, he is very active, outside mousing, climbing trees and generally getting into mayhem, and I assume it is like humans, that the more active they are the more they can eat? Even when he sleeps, it is with one eye open

We lost out 19 year old Maine Coon 4 weeks ago -- and she never weighted anywhere near 24 pounds. I can't believe your vet doesn't consider 24 pounds to be overweight -- I would be looking for a new vet.

We have Pixie Box who is 5 and is 15.4 pounds now. He is on a diet (by vet orders). The vet wants him closer to 13 pounds. He eats most wet Purina ProPlan Adult Weight Management canned food. One small can a day supplemented by weight management dry food (1/8 cup a day). He is slowly losing weight. I really want him to live as long as Shadow our 19 year old cat did and being overweight is a sure way to an early death and/or diabetes as a previous posted said.

 

[Agri]

I couldn't vote either.

I have to have dry food out at all times because one of my cats was most likely starved at one time before I got her. If she's without access to food for any length of time over an hour, she'll immediately gorge herself once she has food again and vomit. I occasionally put out wet food for my other cat who doesn't have that problem. I also dehydrate chicken liver and add that to their food and give it as treats on a semi-regular basis.

 

[Hannathy]

you really need to add a both to your poll. I couldn't vote either.

My cat has dry down all the time and gets wet throughout the day. I open the can in the morning and he eats and then at various times during the day/evening I give him more canned out of that can till it is gone. So he gets 1 can of wet and then as much dry as he wants.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

We follow Catkins - not religiously, but we do follow it, especially for the biggest of our cats - an orange cat who used to be obese. Catkins essentially says that cats are evolved to eat small creatures - birds, squirrels, snakes, rats, mice, voles - their diet is primarily protein. Dry cat food is primarily grain - not meat. Wet food is meat mixed with grain. Soooo. . .the best thing is to feed cats wet food. Some wet foods are better (more protein) than others.

That's the v. simple version, anyway.

This website is a little bit. . .hmm. . .someone who takes it all too seriously, but it's pretty good. http://catkinsdiet.com/

Alternately, just google "Deborah Greco" "Feline Diabetes". Dr. Greco is the main proponent of the diet, and the science is sound.

 

[PatsGirl]

I can't believe your vet doesn't consider 24 pounds to be overweight -- I would be looking for a new vet.

Wow, the vet I use is highly recommended and affiliated with the local veterinary hospital. I have always had dogs and used a different local vet but he has since closed his practice. I made an appointment with her for two specific reasons : 1) to make sure I wasn't overfeeding Indi because I am a cat newbie and 2) I was concerned about a tick issue and wanted to make sure they weren't deer ticks. At the same time she did all his one year shots.

I'm not sure you are qualified to diagnosis my cat, given that you have never seen him nor do you have any information regarding his "parentage". My sister thinks he is half-racoon FWIW, I think I'll stick with my vet's opinion and my own common sense.

 

[claudia]

mine eats 1 5.5 oz. can a day, he weighs about 10 lbs....because of on going UTI's that have stopped just short of a total blockage he has to have Hill's Prescription Diet exclusively. Before this we fed him a wet and dry diet of Wellness.

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

Wow, the vet I use is highly recommended and affiliated with the local veterinary hospital. I have always had dogs and used a different local vet but he has since closed his practice. I made an appointment with her for two specific reasons : 1) to make sure I wasn't overfeeding Indi because I am a cat newbie and 2) I was concerned about a tick issue and wanted to make sure they weren't deer ticks. At the same time she did all his one year shots.

I'm not sure you are qualified to diagnosis my cat, given that you have never seen him nor do you have any information regarding his "parentage". My sister thinks he is half-racoon FWIW, I think I'll stick with my vet's opinion and my own common sense.

I think you've just got a big one! Maybe a little larger than he should be, but certainly not huge. Maine Coons are just large, and if you have a male, they're even bigger than the females. It would've been my guess that you had a Maine Coon. They're beautiful! Anyway if he doesn't LOOK overweight, he is not obese!

I too try to find a "small" cat but always end up with the enormous and long things - oh well I love them the same, it is just MUCH harder to let them sleep with you as they take up so much more space!

I think a picture would help the thread!