Can cats eat dry food?

Our beloved felines can be notoriously picky eaters, making choosing the right food for your cats challenging...

For example, many cat owners have cats who prefer dry food to a wet food from a can or bag (or vice versa). Perhaps you heard fears that dry food is harmful to cats and can affect the health of their kidneys, urinary tract and even teeth.

In short, The nutritional value of cat food is much more important than whether it is wet or dry , but if you are worried about which food is best suited for your cat, read on.

Carbohydrates against animal proteins and fats

A diet with too much carbohydrates is one of the main causes of obesity and diabetes in cats. Although cats need a small amount of carbohydrates in the diet, they are carnivorous in nature (while dogs are more than more all -moving), and their body is best eaten by meat proteins and fatty acids.

Dry feed for cats usually contain more carbohydrates than wet food, because many dry feeds use grains, such as corn flour and rice, for processing granules. Some food for cats even contain proteins from vegetables, and not of meat, which is also not suitable for your carnivorous cat.

Instead, cats need food with a low carbohydrate content and a high content of animal fats and proteins. While some dry products really contain an acceptable amount of carbohydrates with a small amount of grain or vegetable products or without them at all, they are often special brands. When buying cat food, read a list of ingredients and try to minimize the ingredients originating from corn, rice, beans, peas or potatoes.

Regardless of whether you choose dry or humid food, Your attention should be focused on nutrients contained in it.

Moisture content

Cats usually drink little water during the day. In fact, they have less thirst for other pets, which means that they sometimes do not feel thirsty, despite dehydration. As a result Cats rely on food as the main source of daily water consumption.

Naturally, wet food contains much more water than dry food. This is better imitating that cats would eat in the wild, since small prey also contains more moisture than dry food. Additional humidity contributes to the health of the kidneys, bladder and urinary tract of your cats. On the other hand, prolonged dehydration can cause irritation of the urinary tract of your cat and, possibly, lead to kidney disease.

Many people believe that dry food cleans the cat's teeth (since it is not as soft as wet), but this is not enough evidence of this. The best solution is regular tooth brushing, regardless of what food you give.

If your cat prefers dry food, but she needs to drink more water, you can always try to sprinkle it with food! This is a simple way to get one of the advantages of wet feed without changing the brand.

How to switch to a new type of cat feed

If you want to change the food that your cat eats (including between products of different brands), it is important to do this gradually; Sharp changes can cause stomach disorder in any pet.

If your cat is not used to eating at a certain time, the first step - start to eat according to the usual regime. Start by laying out dry food 3-4 times a day and be sure to remove it after 20-25 minutes. Then you can start cleaning the extra time until you reach the target time of feeding.

Regardless of whether you cross between wet and dry food or between two brands, Avoid a sharp replacement of one food by another. Instead, feed your pet with a mixture of two products, gradually moving from old food to the new.

If you have problems with the translation of your cat from one food to another or you have other questions about the nutrition of the pet, contact the veterinarian.