Wet or Dry Cat Food?
Canned vs dry cat food, Nutrition of your cat is extremely important whether you can afford expensive cat food or not. Whatever maybe the situation you would still want to feed the best available cat food. Actually, you don’t have to spend a fortune for feeding your pet cat some healthy and nutritious food. Before charting the nutritious food for your cat, you need to know that cats are obligate carnivores animals. They depend solely on meat and meat based products. So keep in mind your cats needs before making any decision regarding his diet plan canned vs dry cat food.
As compared to humans, cats prefer to eat more meat, protein and fat derived from meat. Most pet owners are confused and have different opinions regarding cat food. They are often at dilemma as to canned vs dry cat food, which one is better for their furry bundle of joy. Cats require proteins that are derived from meat while they can eat plant protein also, but plant protein lacks amino acid taurine, which is extremely essential for their overall health.
Some pet owners would suggest you feed your cat canned food because they are rich in nutritional values that are required for their health while some may suggest dry cat food is better because it is cheaper and very convenient. So let us first chart out the differences between both types of foods and then leave the final decision for you to decide because as a pet owner you know what is best for your cat.
Canned vs Dry cat food the best food for cats
Every food has its advantages and some disadvantages. Let us first understand what makes each type of food unique and different from each other.
Canned Cat Food
Canned food is very similar to raw food and provides your cat with the required hydration. Canned food has a strong odor, which can put off some people, but cats love them. These foods are rich in protein and fatty acids and contain 70% water. Canned food is mostly made of fish or meat, which is pretty close to what cats love to eat if they are in wild.
Cats that are fed canned foods are at less risk of developing diabetes and obesity. Canned foods are twice more expensive than dry cat foods and is not very convenient. They are a bit messy, have as a strong odor and has a shorter shelf life once opened. Canned food cannot be left in the bowl for more than an hour and hence should be consumed by your cat immediately.
Cats love the taste of canned food more as compared to dry food, which is dry and bland. Cats that are on canned food are prone to dental problems like gingivitis. Canned cat food is good for obese cats as they contain fewer calories and aids in weight loss. Cat’s suffering from constipation and urinary tract problems benefit more from canned food as they contain more moisture and water content is also high.
Dry Cat Food
Dry cat food is much cheaper than canned food and also very convenient to store. You can leave dry food in your cat’s bowl the whole day without getting spoiled. It is easy to clean the litter boxes of cats fed on dry food. Dry food is rich in carbohydrates, which makes it unsuitable for obese cats.
Cat that are not obese are also at risk of getting obese and developing diabetes if they are fed dry food. Dry food contains a lot of filler stuff and is rich in carbohydrates that are much higher than what cats would eat in the wild. Dry foods contain less moisture; they contain only 10% water, which can dehydrate your cat’s digestive system leading to urinary infections and constipation.
What type of food to feed to your cat completely depends on the preferences of your cat and yours? Check for the ingredients that go into making cat food, whether it is organic, safe, contain the required proteins and fatty acids, and free of preservatives.
The product should not ideally contain any meat by-products. The quality of the ingredients should be premium grade, though it may cost you more initially, but later on will be beneficial for your cat’s health as you would not have to frequently visit a vet.
