# Wet Or Dry Food



## Truffles Mom (Feb 12, 2008)

Need some advice on food please.

I have always fed my older cat either Whiskers or Felix tins or pouches and usually Iams dried food. Now I have my kitten I have been trying to give her the kitten versions but that's not easy as she likes to 'share' the older cats food.

On a visit to the vet last week he told us that we should be feeding both cats on just dried food. He said that all cats fed on dried food are far healthier than those fed on wet and dried.

I am now confused. Any thoughts? My older cat is a moggy and the kitten is a Siamese cross. Thanks.


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## carol (Nov 2, 2007)

my cat we feed on dry food with what ever meet with have had the night before only a little though for the treat 
but then they catch the mice and things anyway.


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

We have 4 Siamese and a pure bred moggie, all our Siamese are fed on both wet and dried food and our moggie is fed on mainly wet food and occasionally some biccies(he has a sensitive tummy) and they are perfectly healthy Not to say their is a right/wrong it's whatever works for your cat/kitt but in our house we don't give any of our cats too much commercial food-rarely any as it tends to be far too rich for themAs we've just had a litter of 5 Siamese kitts who didn't take to commercial food at all and we are just weaning our other kitts with baby rice and chicken which is working


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## ALM's House (Jan 31, 2008)

I am confused now, having read this thread and a couple of others relating to food. I adopted two girl cats from the RSPCA about a year ago and a boy in August. On both occasions the RSPCA told me to feed mainly dried food (about 50 grams) for the sake of their teeth (James Wellbeloved was recommended) and said I could give about half a pouch each of wet food in the evening as a treat. When I first saw my vet with them a couple of weeks later, she said reduce the dried food a bit as they were both a little overweight. 

In August we took on the boy who had had severe gingivitis and ended up having all his teeth removed, so although he occasionally eats dried food, he is fed mainly wet food but is fussy and is a bit underweight. At that time, my fairly measured feeding of the girls wasn't possible and as a result they have put on even more weight.

Today, I took the girls for their boosters and my vet (different to the first one I saw) naturally commented on their size and told me that as dried food is very heavy on calories, it might be better to give mainly wet food. I asked her what affect it would have on their teeth and she said there's actually very little in it. She also said that before dried food really came onto the market, there were few cases of obesity in cats.

I will follow my vet's advice to see if helps with weight loss, even though the girls won't like it as they hardly ever both with the boy's wet food, but I am concerned having seen some of the posts on here!!

Any comments?


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2008)

Logically - cats are *carnivores* and eating only dry food is not natural for they're tummies. Those who are have chances to catch some prey are able to vary they're diets little bit. If you take a few bits of dry food and leave it in the water - how long does it take to dissolve? Some of brands remains solid after long time in the water.


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## minnie (Feb 14, 2008)

my kits get wet food in the morning and dry food in their bowl all day. they also love bones to chew on and often steal the dogs food


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2008)

Ricki and Alvey get dried in the morning, half a pouch of wet food each at lunch time and dried again late afternoon. Apparently they're a good weight and are going to be very large (not fat) when they're fully grown. They're 6 months old and the size of an average fully grown BSH already! They don't steal our dogs food but when we have small dogs staying they do like to steal their food!


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## staceyscats1 (Feb 17, 2008)

Hi 

Dry food is better for cats teeth and you will find dried food contains more protein , minerals etc than wet food, however it is helpful to feed maybe one pouch/tin a day to your cat as they can get bored of the same food, i use a dried eagle holistic which is high in protein, minerals etc .. and you do find most cats love this food and they eat less of it, then they all have sheba wet food once a day. You will find most animals such as dogs and cats are better of on dried food but it is always a treat to have wet food too. its what you feel comfortable with and what your cat is happy with. 

if you take a look on my site there is a "useful links" page click the zoo link at the top of page and check out there food it also tells you a little about dry food and wet food, so maybe that might help.

good luck


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## daveleeuk (Jan 24, 2008)

It's a tough one, I personally think so long as you give them GOOD foot (wet & dry) it's OK.

Whiskas is like McDonalds for cats so i'm told, but giving them just biscuits for their entire lives I think is nasty, imagine eating the same thing EVERY day, dry boring biscuits.

I can see why dry food is better for them, as it doesn't contain the rubbish wet food does, but then the wet food is meat, and like said, cats are carnivores, so they need it (arguably) just like humans.

Feeding a cat only biscuits is like forcing your cat to be a vege, bear in mind vege's are weak, they smell and generally quite up themselves, and who'd want a cat like that!

So long as the food you give them is good food, they'll be fine. I get my cats Science Plan kitten biscuits, and Science Plan pouches, it's more expensive than other brands, but it's really good (no I havnt tried it), they seem to love it, the ingrediants list is good, and the chicken flavour, actually smells like chicken, and science plan is actually legally edible for human consumption so it must be good.

If you shop around you can get it cheap, I bought 3 bags of kitten biscuits in a 3 for 2 @ pets at home for £26 and they will last a good couple months, and packs of kitten pouches (12) were £3.99 from pampured pets. So shop around and you'll find a bargain, also you could buy in bulk which is obviously cheaper.

Science plan is costing about 50p per day for two cats, which I think is reasonable, and everyone seems to swear by it.

Hope my babbling helps!


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2008)

daveleeuk said:


> Feeding a cat only biscuits is like forcing your cat to be a vege, bear in mind vege's are weak, they smell and generally quite up themselves, and who'd want a cat like that!


Haha!!! Ur gonna offend someone with that! Apart from the weak bit that sounds just like my pair of kittens!


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## linton (Feb 14, 2008)

Why do we as humans think our animals think like us. Who says that cats arnt happy with the same food 24/7 - the cat? 
If the cats are obese it is the wrong quantity of food, whatever food works for the cats stick with just cut down on the amount. 
Having no teeth has never affected my cats eating dry food, the gums harden and they still manage to crunch the biscuits.


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## jeanie (Nov 11, 2007)

We feed our two cats wet food and keep dry down all day, and plenty of water, My sis had a cat last year who only ate dry food and she didnt notice he was not drinking water due to having more than four cats he bloated out like a balloon was rushed to vet but they couldnt do anything for him, thats why i feed wet and dry.


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## tracyi (Jan 8, 2008)

My eldest cat gets wet and dry food and lots of mice, voles, rabbits, pheasants etc (live in the country). My youngest is 7 months and is fed only james wellbeloved as he has a sensitive tum, I'm hoping he will grow out of it as I have to feed them in seperate rooms cause they both want to leave their own food and eat each others . Interestingly though my younger cat has a big belly, didn't think it could be down to the dry food I'll have to keep my eye on that.


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## daveleeuk (Jan 24, 2008)

linton said:


> Why do we as humans think our animals think like us. Who says that cats arnt happy with the same food 24/7 - the cat?
> If the cats are obese it is the wrong quantity of food, whatever food works for the cats stick with just cut down on the amount.
> Having no teeth has never affected my cats eating dry food, the gums harden and they still manage to crunch the biscuits.


Your cats have no teeth????? And if our cats didn't like us I think it would be quite obvious????? I'm not saying the cats are telling me they wouldn't like it, I'm saying no one would like to eat the exact same food for their whole lives, all animals and mammals enjoy a varied diet, so why give a cat the same boring old food every night?



tracyi said:


> My eldest cat gets wet and dry food and lots of mice, voles, rabbits, pheasants etc


Does he also have afternoon tea, and go shooting?


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## linton (Feb 14, 2008)

daveleeuk said:


> Your cats have no teeth????? And if our cats didn't like us I think it would be quite obvious????? I'm not saying the cats are telling me they wouldn't like it, I'm saying no one would like to eat the exact same food for their whole lives, all animals and mammals enjoy a varied diet, so why give a cat the same boring old food every night?
> 
> Does he also have afternoon tea, and go shooting?


Yes I have had various cats with no teeth, bearing in mind that a lot have come from rescue with bad history and some are 15+, will you have teeth at 105, you wish.... It probably is quite obvious it just is you cant read your cat - think how frustrated he must be..bless. Dont your cats have afternoon tea and go shooting mine do, they even take their trained Springers with them. See I told you, you couldnt see what your cats wanted from life....lol


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## tracyi (Jan 8, 2008)

> Does he also have afternoon tea, and go shooting?


 I wondered where my shotgun had gone!


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## Saynamore (Feb 28, 2008)

Truffles Mom said:


> Need some advice on food please.
> 
> I have always fed my older cat either Whiskers or Felix tins or pouches and usually Iams dried food. Now I have my kitten I have been trying to give her the kitten versions but that's not easy as she likes to 'share' the older cats food.
> 
> ...


Unbelieveable a vet saying that! Loads of people say that if you feed only dry food it can lead to kidney problems. The only benefit in dry food is that it is better for the teeth. I think a combination of the both is the ideal


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## may (Nov 2, 2007)

Saynamore said:


> Unbelieveable a vet saying that! Loads of people say that if you feed only dry food it can lead to kidney problems. The only benefit in dry food is that it is better for the teeth. I think a combination of the both is the ideal


I 100% agree with you  I've just had a look at your website and your cats are stunning


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## Saynamore (Feb 28, 2008)

may said:


> I 100% agree with you  I've just had a look at your website and your cats are stunning


Awwww fankoo May, that is so sweet.  C.x.

p.s. love your avatar, are they your orientals? they look gawjus!


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## daveleeuk (Jan 24, 2008)

linton said:


> Yes I have had various cats with no teeth, bearing in mind that a lot have come from rescue with bad history and some are 15+, will you have teeth at 105, you wish.... It probably is quite obvious it just is you cant read your cat - think how frustrated he must be..bless. Dont your cats have afternoon tea and go shooting mine do, they even take their trained Springers with them. See I told you, you couldnt see what your cats wanted from life....lol


I have honestly never known cats could have no teeth! My GF has a cat that is 19 and she still has god knashers??? What kind of mis treatment could cause a cat to loose its teeth?


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## Katherna (Feb 20, 2008)

I've got 4 cats, all moggies. The oldest is 19 & 1/2 and has all his own teeth, the kitten is now 10! and I have one that we don't know his age but he's at least 6.the last one is about 14 and has 2 teeth at the back, one on the top and one on the bottom. He lost his teeth due to his jaws, he's a DSH x oriental and has 1 jaw that corresponds with each breed so his teeth never met, eventually he got gum disease and his teeth started to come out. He suffered with lots of absesses and trips to the vets, he had to have steriods for a kidney problem and the vet warned me it might affect his teeth that were left. The vet never took a single tooth out and the cat always ate even when he has a huge absess forming (the cat has problems when he's under as we found out when he had his kidney problems) He was a rescue cat and most of his problems had been caused before I'd got him due to poor diet and his jaw shape. The vet was happy for his teeth to come out naturally as he didn't have any problems. He's also blind in one eye as well, lol.


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2008)

Does anyone feed a raw diet to their cats? Mine are on Hills i/d at the moment due to illness but I have just started my dog on raw food and was thinking about doing the same with the cats. They've already stolen some from the dog so have go the taste for it! Anyone got any opinions???


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## linton (Feb 14, 2008)

Any raw food is beneficial to your pets, it is the most normal food for them. If your cats like it then it certainly wont do them any harm. If they are having their other food as well, all their vitamins etc will come from there and the raw food will provide protein and bulk. Though if you start feeding them raw food you obviously will have to cut down on the other, otherwise bulk wont be the word obese would......lol


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## Guest (Mar 18, 2008)

linton said:


> Any raw food is beneficial to your pets, it is the most normal food for them. If your cats like it then it certainly wont do them any harm. If they are having their other food as well, all their vitamins etc will come from there and the raw food will provide protein and bulk. Though if you start feeding them raw food you obviously will have to cut down on the other, otherwise bulk wont be the word obese would......lol


Do you feed raw to your cats? What do you feed?


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