Should You Feed Kibble or Wet Cat Food To Your Cats
When it comes to wet food, it can be tricky and overwhelming to choose the right food for the furry feline as a new cat owner. Choosing the right cat food is highly crucial, as you want to make sure your cat stays healthy and avoids falling sick. However, what kind of cat food should you feed your cat? Wet cat food or kibble (dry food)? There are thousands of discussions debating about wet and dry food for cats online. We have come out with a guide, and here’s what you need to know so that you can decide what’s best for your cat and you.
Wet Food: Help With Hydration
Cats have a low thirst drive; it can lead to dehydration if your cat is constantly being fed a dry food diet only. Cats often rely on their prey to stay hydrated in the wild. Therefore, they would receive most of their hydration from their target. Wet cat food is very close to the cat’s natural prey diet. Compared to dry food, dry food only contains 10% moisture content.
By consuming wet cat food, it helps your cat to stay hydrated, and you can even add water to their wet food to keep them more hydrated. You can mash the wet food with a fork or spoon and mix it with some water, and it should look like gravy. Make sure you do not put too much water, or your cat might not end up eating it.
Wet Food: More Protein
Cats are hypercarnivores, and it is normal to have a high-protein diet, and they need to consume more protein than humans. Fun fact- your cat needs more protein than the dog’s needs. This is because the cat’s body works non-stop on converting protein and needs amino acids to build blocks of muscles and support essential organ function. Without amino acids, your cats will not be able to see, think, or purr.
Wet food contains more meat than dry food diets, as compared to dry food diets. In addition, the wet food that you usually see in the market is typically animal-based. This also indicates that wet food has a nutritional profile that compliments a cat’s physiological needs.
Kibble: Pocket Friendly And Convenience
Compared to wet cat food, kibble is more affordable and is not easily spoiled. In addition, it is more convenient and time-saving for many busy cat parents to feed the cats with kibble. Just prepare the right amount of kibble and scoop it into your cat’s bowl twice a day; you are good to go!
You can even get an automatic pet feeder if you do not work from home. However, please bear in mind that it is essential to fulfilling the needs of your furry feline! As much as cats are incredibly adaptive, you will have to check how well your cat copes with being alone at home. Some of the cats can be needy too!
Kibble: Longer Shelf Life
You can store the kibble into an airtight dry jar or even a zipper bag for freshness. However, if it is not well-kept, cat food can become contaminated with harmful bacteria. Kibble will generally expire within 12 months if you check the label. If you have a freeze dryer, you can freeze-dry the food for longer shelf life. However, the taste of the food might change. On the other hand, Canned food must be consumed within seven days for food safety once the canned is opened.
You can even let the food dry for up to 48 hours. Compared to wet food, it is better not to leave the food out for more than 20 minutes, depending on the room temperature. If your cat is greedy, we will not suggest you leave your dry out. They might keep eating, and you don’t want your cat to overeat! The cat parents should replace the dry food each day.
Conclusion
When choosing food to feed, it is essential to read the label and choose the crucial ingredients. The main ingredients you should look for are meat, meat by-products, or seafood listed on the label. Cats need carbohydrates as they are carnivores; your cat needs to consume a sufficient amount of amino acids and fatty acids. Therefore, it is normal for cats to have high protein diets, and remember, a grain-free diet is not for your cat!
If you have more free time and would like to provide a homemade diet for your cat, we suggest seeking a veterinary nutritionist. You can find thousands of homemade cat food online, but it might be created by someone who only has little knowledge of the cat diet. On top of that, you would not want to risk your cat’s health in the long run.
Once you have learned what ingredients are essential for your cat, you can even combine wet cat food and some kibbles. As long as it is healthy and it works for your cat, you are good to go! PetSupply is an online pet supply store where you can purchase cat food and get it delivered to your doorstep.
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