Why is my kitten eating less dry food after I add water to it?

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!

It is quite alright if little Oliver does not eat dry food. Canned food has a higher protein and moisture content as well as less carbs than dry food. Cats do not "need" carbohydrates but do need a high protein diet, especially growing kittens. Feed a good quality canned food that comes from the can looking like a hockey puck. Read the ingredients and confirm there is named protein source of animal, not plant, origin. Avoid by-products and meat meals. Stay away from store or discount brands too, these typically contain low quality ingredients and more fillers.

Some cats prefer one type of food over another. I would just leave dry food out for him to nibble on and then feed him small amounts of canned food twice a day. He has plenty of teeth that he should be able to chew small kibble. He will begin to eat more dry as he continues to get older and gets hungrier. I hope this helps!

Many cats who did not get wet food when they were kittens never will eat wet food. You can continue with a small amount of wet food once daily and cut back on the dry to see if they will eat more when they are hungry. I like giving some wet food as it makes them take in more fluids. Dry is fine just make sure they have access to plenty of fresh water. You can try adding some canned pumpkin also. It will increase their fiber uptake and increase the fluid also. My cat loves it so he gets if with every meal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your cats.

If both of your cats are 6 months old it may be that they simply don’t need as many calories and are eating less dry food for that reason. It’s pretty rare for cats to be too thin but you could check with your vet to make sure their body condition is good if you’re concerned about underfeeding. If you don’t want them to eat as much wet food then offer less. If they are maintaining their weight and are not vomiting or having diarrhea I wouldn’t be concerned that they’re eating a little less food.

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!

The most important thing is to make she he eats, period. Cats cannot go more than a couple of days without eating or they are at risk of suffering liver damage. It is not necessary for a cat to exclusively eat dry or wet food, but wet food can actually be better for them as it is closest to the meat they would get if they were forced to hunt instead of us feeding them. Dry food contains carbohydrates as binders and to allow the food to be dehydrated into kibble, but cats don't have a requirement for carbohydrates. You can try to entice him to eat dry food by wetting it with water or some low-sodium chicken broth, adding a spoonful of wet food and mixing it thoroughly, warming it (testing it before feeding for excessive heat just as you would for a small child), or some combination.