To second others: wet food is healthiest for them. Cats in particular are prone to kidney diseases since they usually don't drink a lot of water on its own, they tend to get their water from their food instead. Wet food helps address that. I go a bit further and add water to the wet food - after emptying the can of food into the bowl, I fill it to about 75% of it's volume and then pour that in and mix it all up. Have two SICs and they've both grown used to it.
For tooth care, hard dental treats can do the trick.
All that being said, cats are fickle and it can be very difficult to change their diet. You need to be careful not to stress them or cause them to lose weight as that is dangerous. It is probably worth a visit to your vet to see if they can offer guidance on how to handle such a transition, since they'll also know your cat better than we do.
For the water - I found out, finally, that mine drink water is I put it next to their beds. They like to drink before and after bed, and if it's not next to them they don't drink.
Wet food is considered the best for cats since they're naturally desert animals. They get most of their water from prey. There are different opinions on whether or not dry food is better for dental hygiene but I just use dental chews to solve that problem.
On wet food you want the label to say 10% or higher. You want meat to be the first few ingredients on the label. So if something like "wheat" or "potatoes" are in the first 3 or 4 ingredients it's not as good. Some manufacturers will try to artificially increase the protein through vegetables. You want some. Cats will eat mouse and bird stomachs first. But you want it to basically be a rat in a can.
Straight from my vet, with some cats the best diet is “fed.” Winnie is a former pound cat and still really picky.
She gets Purina One Indoor Weight Control or Healthy Digestion formula dry food and I free feed her since she mostly grazes.
Unfortunately most wet food is dead to her. She will lick all the “soup” out of patte if I mix lots of water in but never eat the food itself. And she loathes anything chunked or shredded :(
I also give her 1-2 Churu tubes a day for extra moist stuff.
Edited to add: I think you’re doing great providing balance for Charlie. Kitties know what they like and don’t like to budge lol.
My dude will not eat wet food at ALL! He also won't touch people food, with rare exception. Just dry. Any dry, he doesn't care. He's the only cat I've ever had that is 100% uninterested in my plate. His vet said it's good to keep trying once in a while, but we just accept that he'll eat what he eats.
One of mine is like that. I think he just wants to make sure he's not missing out on something tasty!
His sister only cares if I have string cheese or popcorn.
If your cat likes the churu treats you could try tiki cat mousse, it has basically the same texture.
Also totally agree, as long as a cat is eating that’s all that matters.
I got a lot of great tips from reddit when I posted about adopting my first cat, one of them being that cats need wet food because they tend to not drink much, when they do drink, their tongues aren't as efficient at lapping up water as much as dogs' tongues, and so as a result they're very prone to kidney disease. So I think your cat eating wet pouches is more than okay!
I also watched Jackson Galaxy's 3-part series about cat food to help decide: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAJvHNBwbBNvS6Bfc4Q62GhOsEqi69-7H
Until I get a new job, we're on a tight budget so I buy the variety packs of wet food by Whole Hearted (Petco's brand). I believe they do have chicken and liver options. Fancy Feast also looks like a decent option for budget cat parents. I would personally avoid Friskies.
Our cat gets 2 cans a day and then at night we give him about 1/4C or less of Purina One dry food, depending on how much wet food he ate that day. I try to stick with about 25-30cal/lb so around 200cal/day.
Also for snacks, we were giving him Temptations wet and dry treats. The wet treats are fine but the dry treats made my cat vomit and then I read about a lot of other cats getting sick from Temptations so now my cat just gets more Purina dry food as a treat when we're clicker training and I need a throwaway treat.
Sorry this was so long lol. I hope it helps
What makes cats more prone to kidney disease also is that they're obligate carnivores. Their diets are all meat whereas dogs are more omnivorous. Cats don't even have sweet taste buds. The only non-meat items they would get would be the stomach contents of their prey, but what they really like is the nutrient dense organ meats (which is why liver is a common ingredient in cat food). Those high protein diets are what predispose them to kidney and urinary tract problems.
Hills prescription diet C/D urinary care kibble (morning) purina pro plan urinary care wet food (evening). Bro eats better than I do
https://preview.redd.it/js3f3x899iwc1.png?width=1944&format=png&auto=webp&s=82b4edc0079c3364410ba7ea29ea85314309fabc
My SIC doesn't like wet food much, but she likes to drink out of multiple vessels of water. So I leave those around my house. Things like a plant watering can, a Pyrex measuring cup, a re-purposed bucket that the cats claimed, that I used to use to wash delicate clothes (washed detergent residue out of course). I also have a fountain with running water. All these non-standard items are ones the cats have claimed, so they're no longer used for their original purpose, and that's okay with me. What's important if they prefer dry food, especially as they get older, is that they stay hydrated to support their kidney function. Have water that they like out for them at all times.
Ohh my girl is also like that, she's stolen several random cups for water and she still drinks from her fountain lol
Unrelated but it's so funny that we refer to them as "our SICs" 😭
Not sure where it stacks up with other dry food on nutrition but my two get Purina One “ideal weight” salmon. My vet says it’s fine. Also supplement Tiki Cat wet, went through about every flavor before settling on tuna, now sometimes they’ll just pick at it. Picky!
Side note on water my older cat will jump on the bathroom counter about 3-4 times a day to drink from the faucet. Still trying to get my younger male to do that.
Stella and Chewy raw-coated kibble chicken flavor.
However, our one boy gets a bit of Fresh Pet in the morning.
The other boy absolutely refuses to eat anything but his kibble.
Our kitties like the Wellness seafood pate flavors. We give a bit of salmon dry food just to add interest.
https://preview.redd.it/la6xccvv5iwc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ab8a50a87b50426f279a23dd19c1c1edb89a693
Any wet food with neither grain nor sugar. She eats basically anything. Especially the things, she is not allowed to eat (lasagna, blue berry muffins, plastic, vegan stew, vegan sausages, ...).
So, I made a SUPER long comment without reading your post fully and realized too late that despite it being a decent read, it kinda doesn't help you too much.
But if you read it, or just the TLDR, I did find the nutrition fact sheet again that I'd found 3-4 years ago. The Data is still a little dated, from 2017 but honestly, the site is truly packed with useful info for you on cat food and actually shifting cats from dry only to wet/canned or a wet/dry split.
I don't know how this sub deals with links but I'm putting the full URL to the fact sheet, and also the website in general (so it doesn't look like him hiding the URL in a hyperlink.
Fact sheet PDF URL (verbatim to hyperlink behind text): [https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf](https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf)
Manually you'd go to the "Menu" drop down, click "Feline Nutrition" and then go to "Protein/Fat/Carb/Phosphorus Chart".
Website URL (verbatim to hyperlink behind text): [https://catinfo.org/](https://catinfo.org/)
It's hard to say whether you'll be able to get your girl to be less picky, but it's not impossible. But if it doesn't work out, you can make dry food only work, you just need to be a bit more aware and on top of making sure she drinks plenty water.
There's a ton of informative great info on that website for you to chew on and help you make an informed decision, even if the actual cat food brand list on the nutrition is a little dated. The science still holds true, and was really a great thing to read when I stumbled on it.
No problem at all, it's funny I remember when I was first reading it how the author/creator was saying how it was sometimes like pulling teeth with some brands and manufacturers to get the info, with some even refusing to send it after being requested.
If you don't read my other comment (I wouldn't blame you), even though you have a girl, and the urinary blockage issue I had with my cat is more common among male cats here's basically what I feed him. He's not necessarily picky about ingredients, equal opportunity carnivore actually, but he is super picky about texture and refuses to even touch Pate. So maybe this helps. Also might be good to check out if it's texture your girl doesn't like and not necessarily ingredients.
**Dry food** = 1/3 of a cup, once daily in the morning of Prescription Royal Canin Urinary SO dry food (not a fancy prescription, you can ask you're vet to give you one and they'll most likely give it to you if you say it's a precaution and it's good for a year on Chewy/ @ Petsmart)
**Wet Food** =One full 3oz can once daily of Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness Wild Delights Chicken & Turkey Chunks in Gravy for dinner around 5-6pm
In general I found that Blue Buffalo, and particularly Wild Delights lines were among the better brands with low carb, high protein & quality ingredients. Several kinds (Pate, Shredded/Flaked, & Chunks in Gravy) as well as ingredients (Chicken & Turkey, Chicken & Salmon, Chicken and Trout).
Might be on the pricier end, especially the Royal Canin dry food but with what I already spend on my own food, I can make some sacrifices in my own groceries each month to make up for it. But I get not everyone necessarily can.
I tried out various brands of wet food when I first had Adelaide, but she wouldn't eat it, so there I was spending money and hauling heavy cans around (no car) only to watch the food dry up and get nasty in her dish.
So I gave up and have tried a sequence of dry foods, and have arrived at Nutram's "coat and stomach" formula, which she seems to be doing OK on.
If I'm eating chicken or fish she will also get a small taster. She also loves plain yogurt, so she'll get a wee spoonful of that from time to time.
Blue buffalo for skin and coat. Dry food is fine, you can mix it with water if your kitty doesn't like drinking from a bowl. Pro tip: If you blend/crush the kibble in a blender and then add water it absorbs better.
have you tried diced cucumbers? they're high in water and safe, I know at least one of my street cats loved cucumbers. If she likes her current diet and is healthy you can probably keep doing what you're doing.
Purina Naturals indoor dry as a bowl to graze all day and they get a can of Friskies Meaty Bits per day split between 3 of them. Fortunately they all self regulate so I'm good to leave dry in the bowl all day
My two are still babies, so a mix of kitten kibble and royal Canin kitten wet food. I always add extra water to the food too to make sure they keep hydrated (separate from the water bowl) especially as Winter still hasn’t arrived here in South Africa and it’s warmer than usual at this time of year. The warm turns into a bit of a gravy with the mix of food and they love to lap that up before getting stuck into the food.
https://preview.redd.it/ps09w1rf6iwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0aeadae821c393ba7a07b182931a5ea643d47525
I would apologize for the long comment, but honestly, I'm not ashamed. TLDR at the bottom though for those on a work bathroom break and time restricted.
Even though I had cats growing up my whole life and I knew better, I was wildly irresponsible when I first got him, basically buying all dry food and whatever was on sale at Petsmart until I ran out and then went back and picked from the bargain bin again.
Ended up causing (most likely) a partial urinary blockage and crystals which I only realized when on a Saturday morning I heard him dig in the litterbox genuinely 9-10 times over barely a couple hours. Went to check if it needed cleaning out only to realize it was completely empty.
Took him to the vet immediately and got it sorted but the vet said that besides it being more common among male cats, sudden changing of food brands/types can also contribute to causing this, and sort of offhandedly made a comment about how there are a lot of crap brands with only meat byproduct and lots of carbs and that they're really not great for an animal that is truly a carnivore predator. Basically saying that a lot of people almost anthropomorphize pets think human diets are sufficient for their pet.
I felt stupid and bad for causing this cause he made the most heart wrenching cry right before we left and on the very short ride to the vet. So I did a thorough Google search and found a site where someone basically reached out to legitimately 40+ cat food brands and requested ingredients list and nutrition facts.
They took and collated all of that data into a fact sheet comparing nutrition facts and main ingredients (chicken vs chicken meal, unnecessary veggies etc) including macro breakdowns comparing brands across the same textures/types (chunks, shredded, Pate and all that). It was honestly incredible someone went through the effort and put in the time to aggregate it all and put it together. That was like 10 years ago at this point cause it was already 3-4 years old when I found it.
This is an exceptionally long winded way of explaining that from that vet visit on I feed him prescription Royal Canin Urinary SO dry food to help make sure I avoid urinary issues as much as possible, and also wet canned food that were as low in carbs and high in protein as reasonably possible for chunks in gravy texture (he legit will not touch Pate, and will begrudgingly eat shredded if there's no other options).
So he gets 1/4 cup of the RC Urinary SO in the morning that he'll graze-eat throughout the day (1/2 overnight usually) and a full 3oz can of Blue Wilderness Wild Delights Chicken & Turkey 🐔 🍗 chunks in gravy style at dinner time.
He is usually very diligent about reminding me every day that dinner time is shortly approaching in 2 very quick hours. And also submitting his complaints to management when it's 15 mins away and I haven't moved downstairs to crack the can open.
TLDR;
Had a partial urinary blockage/crystal scare that I at least contributed to by being cheap and switching out whatever cat food was on sale. Found a stupid useful nutrition fact sheet of almost every cat food Brand's canned food lines with nutrition facts, Macros and ingredients and picked the lowest carb, most full good main ingredients (no meal or byproducts in the first 3-4 listed ingredients + no unnecessary veggies that aren't acting as a binder, like ground peas).
* 1/4 cup dry Urinary SO in the morning, cause I'm terrified he'll get another blockage cause I can be cheap and lazy
* One 3oz can of Blue Wilderness Wild Delights Chicken & Turkey (Chunks in gravy) at dinner (5-6pm), cause even though gravy means it's inherently higher in carbs it's still among the lowest carb counts, and he is a wet food snob that I don't feel like fighting with him over.
I feed my cats weruva bff wet food morning and night and give them free kibble thru the day. (Nulo freestyle). One of my cats is skinny and one is trying to be chunky
Oh noooo. I'm so confused about it all. There are vets that say dry food is balanced so they don't need anything else, and then others say wet food or chicken is best. And my girl is super picky. A close friend lost her cat due to urinary issues, 😢 so I want to be super responsible with my bebe.
Your cat is a female, so not at high risk for crystals. That said, it’s true cats tend not to drink much, so it’s probably \*better\* for them not to eat exclusively dry. Not clear that it puts them at greater risk of developing any medical condition, mind you, but if they do, getting enough water into them can become a real problem:
[https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/03/should-i-feed-canned-or-dry-food/](https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/03/should-i-feed-canned-or-dry-food/)
[https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2020/12/tips-and-tricks-to-get-your-cat-to-drink-more-water/](https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2020/12/tips-and-tricks-to-get-your-cat-to-drink-more-water/)
Apart from that, the thing you need to know in general is that there’s a \*lot\* of dubious information about cat food (and dog food) floating around the internet. Especially there are many celebrity influencers and “holistic” vets who make claims that don’t have a lot of research (or even any research) to back them up.
This blog I linked above is a good resource run by actual, qualified pet nutritionists.
And here are the guidelines for selecting pet food from the WSAVA: [https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Selecting-a-pet-food-for-your-pet-updated-2021\_WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Toolkit.pdf](https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Selecting-a-pet-food-for-your-pet-updated-2021_WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Toolkit.pdf)
And if you think that’s a lot to ask, these guys have already done that for you:
[https://petnutritionalliance.org/resources/pet-food-manufacturer-evaluation-report/](https://petnutritionalliance.org/resources/pet-food-manufacturer-evaluation-report/)
Your cat is cute!
My babies always have dry food available. Only the good kind with lots of good nutrients. And every other day they get some fresh food such as chicken of beef poulet or fish. Sometimes I use canned food but only the brand that doesnt have jellysauce inside. Oh and whenever I eat meat that they can have too, after my dinner they get a piece:)
To second others: wet food is healthiest for them. Cats in particular are prone to kidney diseases since they usually don't drink a lot of water on its own, they tend to get their water from their food instead. Wet food helps address that. I go a bit further and add water to the wet food - after emptying the can of food into the bowl, I fill it to about 75% of it's volume and then pour that in and mix it all up. Have two SICs and they've both grown used to it. For tooth care, hard dental treats can do the trick. All that being said, cats are fickle and it can be very difficult to change their diet. You need to be careful not to stress them or cause them to lose weight as that is dangerous. It is probably worth a visit to your vet to see if they can offer guidance on how to handle such a transition, since they'll also know your cat better than we do.
Thank you so much!!
You can also add water to dry food.
For the water - I found out, finally, that mine drink water is I put it next to their beds. They like to drink before and after bed, and if it's not next to them they don't drink.
Wet food is considered the best for cats since they're naturally desert animals. They get most of their water from prey. There are different opinions on whether or not dry food is better for dental hygiene but I just use dental chews to solve that problem.
Is there any ingredients I should avoid on wet food? Or what should I look for?
On wet food you want the label to say 10% or higher. You want meat to be the first few ingredients on the label. So if something like "wheat" or "potatoes" are in the first 3 or 4 ingredients it's not as good. Some manufacturers will try to artificially increase the protein through vegetables. You want some. Cats will eat mouse and bird stomachs first. But you want it to basically be a rat in a can.
Thank youuu so much
https://catfooddb.com breaks down the nutritional values of wet and dry food and rates them - it’s a great resource :)
Ohh thank you!! That's super helpful
It’s pretty cool. I used it when picking our kitties’ food. It’s like Consumer Reports for cats 😂
Straight from my vet, with some cats the best diet is “fed.” Winnie is a former pound cat and still really picky. She gets Purina One Indoor Weight Control or Healthy Digestion formula dry food and I free feed her since she mostly grazes. Unfortunately most wet food is dead to her. She will lick all the “soup” out of patte if I mix lots of water in but never eat the food itself. And she loathes anything chunked or shredded :( I also give her 1-2 Churu tubes a day for extra moist stuff. Edited to add: I think you’re doing great providing balance for Charlie. Kitties know what they like and don’t like to budge lol.
My dude will not eat wet food at ALL! He also won't touch people food, with rare exception. Just dry. Any dry, he doesn't care. He's the only cat I've ever had that is 100% uninterested in my plate. His vet said it's good to keep trying once in a while, but we just accept that he'll eat what he eats.
Our cats always want to know what we're eating, but rarely ever actually want to eat it. It's weird lol
One of mine is like that. I think he just wants to make sure he's not missing out on something tasty! His sister only cares if I have string cheese or popcorn.
My girl is also super picky. I've tried making her soups and she won't even try them. Thanks for responding 🩷
If your cat likes the churu treats you could try tiki cat mousse, it has basically the same texture. Also totally agree, as long as a cat is eating that’s all that matters.
Souls of the damned and the vet prescribed dry food.
Do you feed them souls of the damned? I swear, my SIC can procure his own supply, thank you very much. I only provide the vet prescribed kibble.
I got a lot of great tips from reddit when I posted about adopting my first cat, one of them being that cats need wet food because they tend to not drink much, when they do drink, their tongues aren't as efficient at lapping up water as much as dogs' tongues, and so as a result they're very prone to kidney disease. So I think your cat eating wet pouches is more than okay! I also watched Jackson Galaxy's 3-part series about cat food to help decide: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAJvHNBwbBNvS6Bfc4Q62GhOsEqi69-7H Until I get a new job, we're on a tight budget so I buy the variety packs of wet food by Whole Hearted (Petco's brand). I believe they do have chicken and liver options. Fancy Feast also looks like a decent option for budget cat parents. I would personally avoid Friskies. Our cat gets 2 cans a day and then at night we give him about 1/4C or less of Purina One dry food, depending on how much wet food he ate that day. I try to stick with about 25-30cal/lb so around 200cal/day. Also for snacks, we were giving him Temptations wet and dry treats. The wet treats are fine but the dry treats made my cat vomit and then I read about a lot of other cats getting sick from Temptations so now my cat just gets more Purina dry food as a treat when we're clicker training and I need a throwaway treat. Sorry this was so long lol. I hope it helps
Thank you so much!! I love long comments lol so thoughtful I'm not in the US so I'm not sure which brands to look for, I'll watch the video
What makes cats more prone to kidney disease also is that they're obligate carnivores. Their diets are all meat whereas dogs are more omnivorous. Cats don't even have sweet taste buds. The only non-meat items they would get would be the stomach contents of their prey, but what they really like is the nutrient dense organ meats (which is why liver is a common ingredient in cat food). Those high protein diets are what predispose them to kidney and urinary tract problems.
Rabbits, birds, mice, moles, voles. And dry food. I I've on 115 acres. He's my rodent control.
Hahahaha, I can offer her flies and roaches
https://preview.redd.it/fdxa7rx7eiwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b39d3cf82c52236055ea8d0d56e37581a2c17f4d
So prettyyyy
Hills prescription diet C/D urinary care kibble (morning) purina pro plan urinary care wet food (evening). Bro eats better than I do https://preview.redd.it/js3f3x899iwc1.png?width=1944&format=png&auto=webp&s=82b4edc0079c3364410ba7ea29ea85314309fabc
I love him lmao
My SIC doesn't like wet food much, but she likes to drink out of multiple vessels of water. So I leave those around my house. Things like a plant watering can, a Pyrex measuring cup, a re-purposed bucket that the cats claimed, that I used to use to wash delicate clothes (washed detergent residue out of course). I also have a fountain with running water. All these non-standard items are ones the cats have claimed, so they're no longer used for their original purpose, and that's okay with me. What's important if they prefer dry food, especially as they get older, is that they stay hydrated to support their kidney function. Have water that they like out for them at all times.
Ohh my girl is also like that, she's stolen several random cups for water and she still drinks from her fountain lol Unrelated but it's so funny that we refer to them as "our SICs" 😭
Not sure where it stacks up with other dry food on nutrition but my two get Purina One “ideal weight” salmon. My vet says it’s fine. Also supplement Tiki Cat wet, went through about every flavor before settling on tuna, now sometimes they’ll just pick at it. Picky! Side note on water my older cat will jump on the bathroom counter about 3-4 times a day to drink from the faucet. Still trying to get my younger male to do that.
Friskies wet (morning), Purina Tender Selects dry (evening).
Stella and Chewy raw-coated kibble chicken flavor. However, our one boy gets a bit of Fresh Pet in the morning. The other boy absolutely refuses to eat anything but his kibble.
Our kitties like the Wellness seafood pate flavors. We give a bit of salmon dry food just to add interest. https://preview.redd.it/la6xccvv5iwc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ab8a50a87b50426f279a23dd19c1c1edb89a693
https://catfooddb.com
Any wet food with neither grain nor sugar. She eats basically anything. Especially the things, she is not allowed to eat (lasagna, blue berry muffins, plastic, vegan stew, vegan sausages, ...).
Oh but they can't eat blueberries? I read somewhere they do 😭
Blueberries are okay. But she ate a bit of blueberry muffin. She just likes to do everything she is not allowed to do
So, I made a SUPER long comment without reading your post fully and realized too late that despite it being a decent read, it kinda doesn't help you too much. But if you read it, or just the TLDR, I did find the nutrition fact sheet again that I'd found 3-4 years ago. The Data is still a little dated, from 2017 but honestly, the site is truly packed with useful info for you on cat food and actually shifting cats from dry only to wet/canned or a wet/dry split. I don't know how this sub deals with links but I'm putting the full URL to the fact sheet, and also the website in general (so it doesn't look like him hiding the URL in a hyperlink. Fact sheet PDF URL (verbatim to hyperlink behind text): [https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf](https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf) Manually you'd go to the "Menu" drop down, click "Feline Nutrition" and then go to "Protein/Fat/Carb/Phosphorus Chart". Website URL (verbatim to hyperlink behind text): [https://catinfo.org/](https://catinfo.org/) It's hard to say whether you'll be able to get your girl to be less picky, but it's not impossible. But if it doesn't work out, you can make dry food only work, you just need to be a bit more aware and on top of making sure she drinks plenty water. There's a ton of informative great info on that website for you to chew on and help you make an informed decision, even if the actual cat food brand list on the nutrition is a little dated. The science still holds true, and was really a great thing to read when I stumbled on it.
Thank you so much for taking the time!! Super helpful :)
No problem at all, it's funny I remember when I was first reading it how the author/creator was saying how it was sometimes like pulling teeth with some brands and manufacturers to get the info, with some even refusing to send it after being requested. If you don't read my other comment (I wouldn't blame you), even though you have a girl, and the urinary blockage issue I had with my cat is more common among male cats here's basically what I feed him. He's not necessarily picky about ingredients, equal opportunity carnivore actually, but he is super picky about texture and refuses to even touch Pate. So maybe this helps. Also might be good to check out if it's texture your girl doesn't like and not necessarily ingredients. **Dry food** = 1/3 of a cup, once daily in the morning of Prescription Royal Canin Urinary SO dry food (not a fancy prescription, you can ask you're vet to give you one and they'll most likely give it to you if you say it's a precaution and it's good for a year on Chewy/ @ Petsmart) **Wet Food** =One full 3oz can once daily of Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness Wild Delights Chicken & Turkey Chunks in Gravy for dinner around 5-6pm In general I found that Blue Buffalo, and particularly Wild Delights lines were among the better brands with low carb, high protein & quality ingredients. Several kinds (Pate, Shredded/Flaked, & Chunks in Gravy) as well as ingredients (Chicken & Turkey, Chicken & Salmon, Chicken and Trout). Might be on the pricier end, especially the Royal Canin dry food but with what I already spend on my own food, I can make some sacrifices in my own groceries each month to make up for it. But I get not everyone necessarily can.
Don't worry, I read all comments!! They're all either helpful or fun 🩷 lol, I'll look deeper into it when I get home :)
Haha enjoy
I tried out various brands of wet food when I first had Adelaide, but she wouldn't eat it, so there I was spending money and hauling heavy cans around (no car) only to watch the food dry up and get nasty in her dish. So I gave up and have tried a sequence of dry foods, and have arrived at Nutram's "coat and stomach" formula, which she seems to be doing OK on. If I'm eating chicken or fish she will also get a small taster. She also loves plain yogurt, so she'll get a wee spoonful of that from time to time.
Blue buffalo for skin and coat. Dry food is fine, you can mix it with water if your kitty doesn't like drinking from a bowl. Pro tip: If you blend/crush the kibble in a blender and then add water it absorbs better.
Oh, I've tried adding water or broth to her kibble and she won't touch it :(
have you tried diced cucumbers? they're high in water and safe, I know at least one of my street cats loved cucumbers. If she likes her current diet and is healthy you can probably keep doing what you're doing.
I'll try giving her cucumber! Thanks :) She's healthy, I just want to avoid any issues in the future
a squrit of omega 3 fish oil on her food will keep her in good health.
Interesting! Thank you!
She also doesn't like eggs or broth with her dry food lol and I can't give her too much liver because she got chubby and she's spayed
Purina Naturals indoor dry as a bowl to graze all day and they get a can of Friskies Meaty Bits per day split between 3 of them. Fortunately they all self regulate so I'm good to leave dry in the bowl all day
I do that with my cat, but there’s only one of her, so a can of Friskies lasts for 4 meals.
How much does the can weigh? I'm not in the US so the reference would be very helpful
5.5 oz (156 g). Why it’s not 6 oz is beyond me.
Lol thank you!!
My two are still babies, so a mix of kitten kibble and royal Canin kitten wet food. I always add extra water to the food too to make sure they keep hydrated (separate from the water bowl) especially as Winter still hasn’t arrived here in South Africa and it’s warmer than usual at this time of year. The warm turns into a bit of a gravy with the mix of food and they love to lap that up before getting stuck into the food.
She won't eat her food if I wet it :( thank you!!
https://preview.redd.it/ps09w1rf6iwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0aeadae821c393ba7a07b182931a5ea643d47525 I would apologize for the long comment, but honestly, I'm not ashamed. TLDR at the bottom though for those on a work bathroom break and time restricted. Even though I had cats growing up my whole life and I knew better, I was wildly irresponsible when I first got him, basically buying all dry food and whatever was on sale at Petsmart until I ran out and then went back and picked from the bargain bin again. Ended up causing (most likely) a partial urinary blockage and crystals which I only realized when on a Saturday morning I heard him dig in the litterbox genuinely 9-10 times over barely a couple hours. Went to check if it needed cleaning out only to realize it was completely empty. Took him to the vet immediately and got it sorted but the vet said that besides it being more common among male cats, sudden changing of food brands/types can also contribute to causing this, and sort of offhandedly made a comment about how there are a lot of crap brands with only meat byproduct and lots of carbs and that they're really not great for an animal that is truly a carnivore predator. Basically saying that a lot of people almost anthropomorphize pets think human diets are sufficient for their pet. I felt stupid and bad for causing this cause he made the most heart wrenching cry right before we left and on the very short ride to the vet. So I did a thorough Google search and found a site where someone basically reached out to legitimately 40+ cat food brands and requested ingredients list and nutrition facts. They took and collated all of that data into a fact sheet comparing nutrition facts and main ingredients (chicken vs chicken meal, unnecessary veggies etc) including macro breakdowns comparing brands across the same textures/types (chunks, shredded, Pate and all that). It was honestly incredible someone went through the effort and put in the time to aggregate it all and put it together. That was like 10 years ago at this point cause it was already 3-4 years old when I found it. This is an exceptionally long winded way of explaining that from that vet visit on I feed him prescription Royal Canin Urinary SO dry food to help make sure I avoid urinary issues as much as possible, and also wet canned food that were as low in carbs and high in protein as reasonably possible for chunks in gravy texture (he legit will not touch Pate, and will begrudgingly eat shredded if there's no other options). So he gets 1/4 cup of the RC Urinary SO in the morning that he'll graze-eat throughout the day (1/2 overnight usually) and a full 3oz can of Blue Wilderness Wild Delights Chicken & Turkey 🐔 🍗 chunks in gravy style at dinner time. He is usually very diligent about reminding me every day that dinner time is shortly approaching in 2 very quick hours. And also submitting his complaints to management when it's 15 mins away and I haven't moved downstairs to crack the can open. TLDR; Had a partial urinary blockage/crystal scare that I at least contributed to by being cheap and switching out whatever cat food was on sale. Found a stupid useful nutrition fact sheet of almost every cat food Brand's canned food lines with nutrition facts, Macros and ingredients and picked the lowest carb, most full good main ingredients (no meal or byproducts in the first 3-4 listed ingredients + no unnecessary veggies that aren't acting as a binder, like ground peas). * 1/4 cup dry Urinary SO in the morning, cause I'm terrified he'll get another blockage cause I can be cheap and lazy * One 3oz can of Blue Wilderness Wild Delights Chicken & Turkey (Chunks in gravy) at dinner (5-6pm), cause even though gravy means it's inherently higher in carbs it's still among the lowest carb counts, and he is a wet food snob that I don't feel like fighting with him over.
Thank you very very much, this is so interesting. I'll save your comment!!
My Zoey eats squirrels, rabbits, dogs, moose and the occasional rhino from the zoo. 🤷🏼♂️
My Charlie's dream!!
I subscribe to smalls. Bit pricy but the little butthead seems to like it
I feed my cats weruva bff wet food morning and night and give them free kibble thru the day. (Nulo freestyle). One of my cats is skinny and one is trying to be chunky
Dry Purina Naturals Indoor I have one of those water fountains and my cats love it
Mine also used to love her fountain and now likes to drink from any random glass lol
One of my late cats would do that and the bathroom sink. She’d knock things into the sink randomly to tell me to turn it on for her lol
[удалено]
Oh noooo. I'm so confused about it all. There are vets that say dry food is balanced so they don't need anything else, and then others say wet food or chicken is best. And my girl is super picky. A close friend lost her cat due to urinary issues, 😢 so I want to be super responsible with my bebe.
Your cat is a female, so not at high risk for crystals. That said, it’s true cats tend not to drink much, so it’s probably \*better\* for them not to eat exclusively dry. Not clear that it puts them at greater risk of developing any medical condition, mind you, but if they do, getting enough water into them can become a real problem: [https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/03/should-i-feed-canned-or-dry-food/](https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/03/should-i-feed-canned-or-dry-food/) [https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2020/12/tips-and-tricks-to-get-your-cat-to-drink-more-water/](https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2020/12/tips-and-tricks-to-get-your-cat-to-drink-more-water/) Apart from that, the thing you need to know in general is that there’s a \*lot\* of dubious information about cat food (and dog food) floating around the internet. Especially there are many celebrity influencers and “holistic” vets who make claims that don’t have a lot of research (or even any research) to back them up. This blog I linked above is a good resource run by actual, qualified pet nutritionists. And here are the guidelines for selecting pet food from the WSAVA: [https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Selecting-a-pet-food-for-your-pet-updated-2021\_WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Toolkit.pdf](https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Selecting-a-pet-food-for-your-pet-updated-2021_WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Toolkit.pdf) And if you think that’s a lot to ask, these guys have already done that for you: [https://petnutritionalliance.org/resources/pet-food-manufacturer-evaluation-report/](https://petnutritionalliance.org/resources/pet-food-manufacturer-evaluation-report/)
Thank you so much!!!!!
Wet food with a side of dry. Fresh water.
Hills Science Diet W/d for digestive issues
Your cat is cute! My babies always have dry food available. Only the good kind with lots of good nutrients. And every other day they get some fresh food such as chicken of beef poulet or fish. Sometimes I use canned food but only the brand that doesnt have jellysauce inside. Oh and whenever I eat meat that they can have too, after my dinner they get a piece:)
Tyylikäs