Why do breeders say dry cat food is bad? My cat prefers it now.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Some cats are carbohydrate junkies and just prefer dry over canned food. It is fine for them to eat just dry. But if you want to convert them to canned food then you have to do so gradually. There are benefits to canned food, like more moisture content. If you leave dry food down all the time it is best to do scheduled feedings. So start feeding the dry food to 3-4 meals per day and only leave it down for 20 mins. Make sure you make it known to your cats it is mealtime so they know to eat. Once they have all accepted the new mealtime and eat well then start offering canned food instead of dry. Some may gobble it up right away, others may turn their nose up. Try warming it up. Don't leave it out for more than 20 mins because the flavor changes as it drys out and never serve it cold from the fridge. You can sprinkle a little dry on top of the wet or mix it in, if that works then gradually decrease the amount of dry you use over time. Just be aware cats can not go more than 24 hours with out eating or they can develop serious health issues with their liver. I hope this helps!

There are many different opinions about pet food, even in the veterinary community. I think it is fine to offer canned and dry food to cats. Most people will leave dry food out and will offer the canned food once to twice a day but don’t leave that out as it will spoil. If the cats are heavy, look for low-calorie foods. Dry food isn’t that good for the teeth unless it is a special dental formula. These formulas have kibble that will not break until the tooth is fully engaged into the kibble. Otherwise kibble only helps to keep the tips of the teeth clean and not the gumline. Kibble is however not bad for the kidneys. Canned food is better for the kidneys because of the water content but if kidney disease does develop, cats will need a special diet for kidney disease. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions about Moe and Mac.

It is completely fine to feed you cat only dry food if that is all she likes. If you want to give her canned food as an occasional treat any brand should be fine. Some cats just prefer dry over wet food and this should not cause any health issues. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello. Personally, I really like Fresh Pet. Many pets will eat this when they will not touch anything else, & a lot of veterinarians are recommending that cats eat a primarily wet diet vs a dry kibble. So if Lou likes the Fresh Pet, there is no need to offer any kibble. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If your kitty is getting diarrhea on multiple different types of canned food then I would avoid canned diets for now. Maybe when she is older you can try introducing them again. I don't think you have to offer both canned or dry food in the first year of a cats life. I recommend any food that allows for healthy weight gain, no vomiting and no diarrhea. I hope this helps!

Cats don't need dry food if you are providing wet cat food. The reason dry food is best is that most cats graze. You can leave the dry food out. Also, it helps with their teeth. I would not add any meat or anything else into a cat's diet. Just wet and/or dry cat food. Or as in Alice's case kitten food. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

One of the things we have found is that wet food is actually healthier for cats than dry food. I feed my cats wet food only. It is better for their kidneys long term and seems to help prevent obesity since dry food has to have carbohydrates in it that cats can't utilize well. I have included a link below with a lot more information for you. http://catinfo.org I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.