Can cats only eat dry food? Is it possible to feed a kitten dry and wet food? Can a cat only eat dry food?

The appearance of a tailed pet in the house is associated with many questions. One of the most global is about nutrition. What to feed a kitten? Industrial feed or natural food? What if the baby urgently demands food from the table? Can a cat only eat dry food?

If you get a kitten in a cattery, then most of the questions will disappear by themselves. Breeders, before giving away a tailed baby, will talk in detail about the recommended food, feeding rules and habits of the baby. If you do not own this information, then you will have to comprehend the basics of feeding yourself.

Is it possible to feed a cat only dry food: the pros and cons of different types of food

There are two methods of feeding a cat: natural food and industrial food. What food is preferred? This question still causes heated debate among cat owners today. Reviews of veterinarians show that both the first and second feeding methods have both their advantages and disadvantages - they are all presented in the table below.

Table - Pros and cons of different types of food

Mix or not

Some owners practice a rather dubious method of eating - mixed. Is it possible to feed a cat dry food and natural food at the same time? Veterinarians categorically forbid such food. You can feed your pet only with natural products or exclusively with food. Doctors, based on their research, have concluded that a mixed diet can lead to at least three common problems.

1. Violation of the balance of substances in the body. In natural nutrition, it is extremely difficult to accurately determine the ratio of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, supplementing a balanced diet with certain macro- and micronutrients, you lead to an imbalance of substances in the cat's body. Against the background of an excess of some components and a lack of others, various pathologies can develop.
2. Urolithiasis disease. This is one of the most common diseases found in felines that are fed the wrong diet. If a pet eats dry food with a regular supplement in the form of meat, then the balance of phosphorus and calcium is disturbed in his body. This provokes the formation of stones in the urinary system.
3. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. For the digestion of feed and natural food, the pet's digestive tract produces completely different enzymes. It is difficult for the body to synthesize both types at the same time. This leads to an overload, as a result of which the gastrointestinal tract fails. The cat begins to develop serious illnesses.

Nothing terrible will happen if once or twice a month you encourage your pupil with a small piece of meat, vegetables or canned food. But not more often.

Overview of industrial food

Often, cat owners opt for industrial feeds. This food is very convenient. It can be purchased for future use. Dry food is acceptable for use in automatic feeders, and it is much easier to calculate the rate. The packaging always contains information on how to properly feed the cat with dry food, and in what dosages - this must be studied before feeding.

Never feed your purrs dry dog ​​food. This food is not able to fill in the pet's body and half of all the nutrients it needs.

Varieties by class

Dry food is very helpful. And it makes life much easier for the owner. Why, then, have cat owners continually raised questions about feeding for decades? And why industrial feeds are overgrown with a lot of "facts" claiming their harm. To understand these issues, you first need to understand that not all feeds are the same. And some of them are even harmful. The table below shows the characteristics of feeds of various classes - from economy to holistic.

Table - Varieties of feed by class

As part of premium and super-premium nutrition, medicinal feeds are produced. These are specially designed diets for allergic cats; pets suffering from gastrointestinal pathologies, urolithiasis. Such feeds are prescribed exclusively by a veterinarian after diagnosing an ailment. Their use as a preventive measure is strictly prohibited.

Based on age and condition

All the most common myths about the dangers of industrial feed are associated with the use of economy class food. Veterinarians say that such diets affect pets like fast food affects humans. Thus, only economy class dry food is harmful to cats. When choosing food for your pet, be sure to consider its age and condition.

• For babies . To the question: is it possible to feed a kitten only with dry food, veterinarians answer: yes. You need to choose quality food, preferably super-premium or holistic class. You can stay in the premium class. At the same time, small kittens up to six to eight months should use special food for babies. Such meals usually contain the prefix "junior".
• For sterilized cats. A sterilized cat and a neutered cat can only be fed with special dry food, which takes into account the hormonal changes that have occurred in the body. If you ignore this rule and give your pet the usual food, then he will very quickly gain weight.
• For pregnant . If you decide to start breeding cats, then do not forget about the timely correction of nutrition. A pregnant cat needs improved nutrition containing more vitamins and minerals. Therefore, the expectant mother should be gradually transferred to specialized food for pregnant women. Choose a product within the same brand. If you feed your pet "Royal Canin", then "Royal Canin Queen 34" (Queen 34) is suitable for a pregnant woman.
• For nursing. The mother cat needs more nutrition. After all, now she has to take care of a whole gang of growing fluffies. To provide a lactating cat with the right diet, choose the appropriate food. If within one line there is no suitable food, then gradually transfer your pet to other diets. It is desirable that it be a super-premium or holistic food, completely eliminating the ingress of chemicals into the body.
• For the elderly. With age, the pet's metabolism slows down, activity decreases. If you do not change the diet, then obesity will begin to develop over time. In order to protect the pet from weight gain and a number of other age-related pathologies, food for older animals is selected for the old cat. Usually such food contains the prefix "signor".

Don't neglect age. You won't do better if you feed an adult pet baby food. On the contrary, by doing this you persistently disrupt the metabolic processes in the pet's body. Against this background, pathological phenomena and diseases can develop.

Drying and canning

Cat food is classified not only by quality. It also varies in texture. There is no single answer as to which food is better. But most often it is dry food that is preferred. So, there are three types of feed available on the market.

1. Dry . It contains the least amount of moisture. Therefore, with such a diet, it is necessary to constantly monitor the presence of clean water in the bowl. Dry food provides effective cleaning of teeth from plaque and serves as a preventive measure for the formation of tartar. Plus, it doesn't spoil and can stay in the bowl all day long.
2. Wet. Such food is packaged in small packages designed for one meal. However, these mouth-watering pieces in the sauce have one very unpleasant minus. They tend to dry out and lose their nutritional value. Therefore, wet food must be placed in a bowl right before eating. Uneaten leftovers should be thrown away.
3. Canned food. Even picky cats like this food. This species is recommended for those pets who by nature drink little water. After opening the can, the paste-like mass is considered good for 12 hours. Pour the food into a bowl in small portions, designed for one time.

If desired, you can feed the cat with dry and wet food, but only within the same line. And not at the same time. It is undesirable to mix different diets. It is better to provide one full "meal" once a day with wet food.

How many times to feed...

If a cat is taught to a regimen, then she will quickly get used to the fact that food appears in her bowl at exactly the right time. In this case, one of the most unpleasant problems will disappear - begging near the table. How many times to feed a cat with dry food depends on the age of the pet and its condition.

Table - Number of pet feedings

…and how to do it

Cats are naturally endowed with dignity and tact. Therefore, if you teach her to the correct feeding regimen, then the pet will not have to fight for "survival". Satisfied and full, she will never beg for food or, even worse, “steal” food or “inspect” trash cans. To ensure normal nutrition for a tailed handsome man, consider three rules.

1. Daily rate. The weight of the required feed depends on the body weight of the animal. For 1 kg of live weight take 30-60 g of food. If the daily rate is calculated taking into account the energy value, then the following ratio is used: per 1 kg - 60-70 kcal. The dosage of the feed is written on the packaging. Therefore, do not forget to compare the results obtained with the recommended rate.
2. water regime. Your pet should always have access to clean water. Don't forget to change it periodically. And be sure to watch how much you drink. Low water intake is a solid signal to visit the veterinarian.
3. End of meal. After serving a bowl of food, wait 15-20 minutes. This time is enough for the cat to be completely satiated. Remove the bowl, even if the animal has not eaten everything. Further overeating, regarded as “lazy”, is no longer satisfying hunger, but overeating, leading to obesity.

What manufacturers are silent about

When choosing industrial food, you need to be aware of some "pitfalls". Manufacturers are often silent about them. Therefore, cats sometimes have to deal with troubles and endure them steadfastly. There are four important points that the owner should be aware of.

1. Regular food is designed for a healthy pet. A sick cat should not be fed regular dry food. This will exacerbate the problem. The pet must undergo a complete examination and receive specific nutrition recommended by the veterinarian. It can be both medical food and natural.
2. Your pet may develop allergies. Some unscrupulous producers, trying to increase production volumes, replace meat products with by-products (in middle-class feed) or waste (economy class). It is these products, generously flavored with flavors, flavors and dyes, that lead to the development of an allergy to drying.
3. The body may not accept food. Some pets have a tendency to drink less water or are naturally endowed with a sensitive digestive tract. Such individual characteristics lead to poor absorption of feed. The consequences can be sad. The cat loses weight, the body receives less nutrients, the development of diseases begins.
4. Can damage the animal's teeth. This recommendation applies to all categories of pets. The dry food you give your little kitten can ruin his bite forever. Therefore, breeders recommend soaking dry pieces. A pet in old age is able to break its last teeth on solid food. And if you completely abandon dry food in favor of wet food, you will very soon encounter diseases of the oral cavity. Insufficient load on the teeth will lead to the formation of stones, atrophy of the gums and loosening, and further loss of fangs.

Veterinarians recommend feeding the cat dry food, but only high quality. Moreover, it is necessary to select products based on the characteristics and preferences of the pet. And in order not to make a mistake with the choice, it is necessary to visit a doctor every six months and take tests. They will show exactly how the right diet your tailed fluffy is getting.

Should you feed your cat dry food? - That's a very difficult question. Too many negative myths have been created about feeding cats dry food.

In previous articles, we have already talked about how and what to feed a cat, and what, on the contrary, is contraindicated for her. But the myths about dry food need to be said separately.

Should You Feed Your Cat Dry Food: Myths About Dry Cat Food

Dry cat food myth #1: Dry cat food causes kidney stones (UCD)

Urolithiasis in cats is caused not so much by dry food as such, but by the lack of moisture in it. A cat is originally a desert animal, its body is organized in such a way that it is more convenient for it to get water from food, so cats often do not drink at all if they are fed canned food or natural water. If a cat eats dry food, then she must drink one and a half times more moisture than she eats food. Therefore, when feeding dry food, it is critical that the cat always has free access to fresh water.

However, not all cats drink water in sufficient quantities, it is practically impossible to supplement them by force, such cats should eat mixed.

In addition, cheap dry cat food must be given in large quantities (otherwise your pet will not eat). No cat will drink as much water as it will eat bad food, so the risk of KSD is indeed extremely high if the animal eats only dry "whiskas" or "kiteket" for several years.

However, the list of dry food items is not exhausted by these two widely advertised brands, just look at our rating of dry cat food to be convinced of this. In addition, a cat can get sick with urolithiasis and eating the so-called "homemade food" - borscht, fish, pasta.

In addition, usually, if the cat is already ill with KSD, she is prescribed a special therapeutic dry food / canned food.

Dry cat food myth #2: Dry cat food causes allergies

Dry Cat Food Myth #5 Cats Can't Eat Rusks Alone

A cat can eat only dry food. All complete feeds on the market are balanced to meet the needs of the cat. A cat does not need a variety of tastes, it is not a person. Remember that in nature, a cat eats birds and mice.

If it is the dryness of the food that confuses, then it is worth noting: polar explorers and astronauts eat freeze-dried food every day, which does not prevent them from doing complex and hard work and feeling good.

Dry cat food myth #7: Cats don't like dry food

Indeed, for many, especially yard and outbred cats, dry food looks unattractive and smells tasteless. However, most purebred cats, on the contrary, do not eat anything other than dry food.

If the cat does not like dry food, then most likely she is simply unfamiliar with it. To accustom a cat to dry food is quite simple: first you need to add water to it, turning it into gruel, over time, the amount of water should be reduced. So the cat will get used to the new food.

Sometimes, a cat really doesn't like a certain food, then just change its taste and / or brand.

Dry cat food myth #8: Dry food is not suitable for show cats

Dry plonration food is suitable for all cats without exception, and cats for breeding and exhibitions too. Moreover, the exhibition condition of the animal is 90% dependent on how and with what you washed and dried it.

Obviously, breeding cats and cats need a more nutritious food than domestic neuters, but for this it is enough to choose lines for active animals and pregnant / kittens, respectively.

Most breeders feed their animals dry food.

Dry cat food myth #9: Russian-made dry food is poor quality

Unfortunately, the majority of dry food produced in Russia according to its own recipe, indeed, belongs to the economy class (Our brand, Night hunter, All year round, etc.). However, dry cat food produced in our country under license (royal canin) is no different from its counterparts produced abroad. The parent companies carefully check their Russian factories and their suppliers, the technologies are strictly observed.

For the health of cats, it is very important that your pets eat a balanced diet. Food should not only saturate the animal, but also provide the body with the necessary complex of minerals and nutrients. Veterinarians often recommend feeding your cat dry food. A wide range of balanced food is available in specialized stores, as well as dry cat food can be purchased in the online store. The choice of the type of food depends on the breed of the animal, its age and weight, as well as certain characteristics of the cat's body.

Why choose dry food

Dry food is a complete balanced diet. It is in such food that the daily norm of vitamins and other substances that are necessary for the growth and proper development of the pet is found. Dry food is easy to use, sold in many stores. Having accustomed the animal to dry food, you can not worry about what to give the cat for dinner or breakfast.

Today, several main types of feed are offered:

1. For kittens;
2. For castrated or sterilized animals;
3. For cats during the feeding period;
4. For aging animals.

In addition, dry food is different in taste and fillers, packaging weight and manufacturing companies. The composition of cheap food and "premium" food differs significantly. Expensive dry food is a guarantee of the normal development of the animal, prevention of many diseases.

It is not recommended to give the animal food from the table of people. The fact is that some types of heat treatment, for example, fried food, are not suitable for the body of cats. Raw meat and fish should also be treated with caution - they can lead to the appearance of worms in the cat.

How to feed your cat dry food

To understand how to feed a cat with dry food, you need to carefully study the habits and habits of the animal, find out its weight and age. There are a few rules that will allow you to get even more benefits from feeding dry food:

1) There should always be a container of clean water near the food bowl. This is necessary for the proper digestion and assimilation of food by the cat.
2) Homemade dry food for cats involves its use only in its pure form. This means that fresh food should not be mixed into the animal's food. If there is a need to feed the pet with vegetables or meat, they must be given in a separate meal. Mixing dry food with natural food can lead to an overdose of vitamins in the cat's body.
3) It is forbidden to feed the animal with unsuitable food. We are talking about the fact that you can not feed kittens food for adults and vice versa.
4) The daily portion of feed should not exceed the recommended rate. Depending on the age and weight of the cat, a different feeding regimen is drawn up. So, for a kitten aged 6-12 months, it is enough to consume 100 grams of dry food per day, and for older cats from 200 grams.
5) Strict adherence to diet. If the cat has a tendency to obesity, then it should receive dry food only twice a day. The same rule applies if there are more than two animals in the house. In other cases, the pet is allowed free access to food.

When purchasing dry food for a domestic cat, monitor how the animal consumes food. If the cat expresses obvious dissatisfaction, try changing the manufacturer or the taste of the food. In addition, over time, the same taste bothers the pet, so periodically you need to change the taste. You can not drastically change the type of food, as this can cause an upset in the gastrointestinal tract of the animal. It is also not recommended to mix several feeds in one bowl.

Open food packaging should be kept tightly closed, in a place where the animal cannot get it. Food should not be placed in the refrigerator.

How to train a domestic cat to dry food

Usually, kittens are gradually accustomed to dry food from childhood, after the pet refuses mother's milk. If this was not done, then it is possible to accustom the animal to such a diet in about a week.

On the first day, several food pellets should be soaked in liquid. Milk, water, broths are suitable for this. Soaked granules should be added to the animal's normal diet. Do not add other food until the cat has eaten all the pellets. The next day, the number of granules should be increased. At the time of retraining the animal, he should receive a sufficient amount of liquid, about 20 ml of water per 1 kg of the cat's body. Water should be filtered, but not boiled or carbonated.

On the seventh day, two bowls are placed near the cat, the usual food for her is in the water bowl, and dry food is in the other. If the pet did not pay attention to dry food, then the entire procedure should be repeated from the first day.

At the time of the transition of the animal to dry food, you should pay special attention to the cat's stool. If it has changed (constipation or diarrhea has appeared), you need to stop feeding dry food and contact your veterinarian. Perhaps a particular brand of food is simply not suitable for the animal, or it has an allergy to some ingredients.

Some cat owners, especially inexperienced ones, opt for dry food because of the seeming simplicity of their use: the pet only needs to have a bowl in which the food needs to be poured twice a day in the right amount. It remains only to ensure that there is fresh water in the other - and no hassle. In fact, the question of how to properly feed a cat with dry food is much more complicated.

With this method of feeding, it is very important to take care of the health of the animal and follow a few feed recommendations from professionals.

Rule one - don't mix

Some owners, “pitying” the pet, dilute its dry diet with natural food, which, in their opinion, is useful. So pork cutlets, smoked meats, salted fish appear in the bowl - that is, everything that is actually contraindicated for cats. When pets develop problems with the liver and pancreas, there is a high degree of probability that the reason lies precisely in the way the owners preferred to feed them.

In addition, there is another reason why homemade food and dry food should not be given at the same time - they are digested with the help of different enzymes. The amount of gastric juice also differs. Therefore, mixing these types of food gives a double load on both the stomach and the liver.

A separate topic concerns the mixing of dry and wet food. There is no consensus on this matter, but in principle it is possible to periodically give canned food (best of all - from one manufacturer). It is important to ensure that they make up no more than a quarter of the daily diet. The problem with wet food is that cats love it much more, which is why they tend to overeat - and this is a direct path to dangerous obesity.

Rule two - only the best

To properly feed the cat with dry food, you need to choose only the super premium category.

Cheap ready-made food has a number of significant disadvantages.:

• it is made from completely useless parts of animals and birds - hooves, feathers, bones are processed for it;
• there is a lot of gluten in such food, and this is completely unacceptable, since it is one of the strongest cat allergens.

So economy-class food poses a direct threat to the health of the cat.

Rule three - water must be mandatory

Moreover, it is the water that is clean and always fresh. Some owners, again showing dubious care for the pet, replace it with milk. However, this should not be done with an adult cat, otherwise it will have problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

The amount of liquid is also important - if you feed a cat with dry food, you need to triple the daily rate recommended by veterinarians. In this case, it is calculated depending on the amount of feed: it should be three times more.

There are cats who drink less and for whom choosing non-moist food can even be dangerous. If for some reason it is impossible to give canned food, you must first soak dry cat food in the appropriate proportion. It turns out a kind of soup: at first, the animal may refuse it, but if you persist, it will gradually get used to it and it will become easier to feed it.

Rule Four - Give exactly the amount of food you need

On the packaging of good food, it is always indicated how much dry food should be given to the cat. Trusting owners think that the portions are calculated by experts and are exactly suitable for an animal of this weight and age. However, in fact, even the best producers are often cunning, because they are interested in the fact that the feed ends faster and, accordingly, is bought again.

You can and should use the tablet, but with your own little trick - in your mind, reduce the weight of the cat by a kilogram and feed him with such a portion of food, as if he really weighed less. Such advice will keep the health of the animal in order and save it from overeating - and, accordingly, again, obesity.

For the same reason, it's best to check the volume of the food measuring cup - and these are often included with the package - on a kitchen scale. Sometimes owners overfeed their pets and they don't know it.

Rule five - food (if possible) do not change

Cats are not people, they do not get bored with a monotonous diet, moreover, such feeding with canned and dry food is useful for them, since the delicate cat's stomach gets used to food, and the animal gets sick much less often.

If for some reason you still need to change the food, then you should definitely transfer it gradually and after consulting a veterinarian who will suggest the correct scheme.

In general, a two-week transition scheme is used, which looks like this: at the first feeding, 20% of the new food is added, then with each feeding (and you need to feed twice a day), a little more is added until the old one is completely replaced by it. This is also useful for the reason that in the process you can observe how the cat's body reacts to such changes. It may be worth picking up something else - such a need is indicated by diarrhea, constipation, and other atypical reactions to food.

It is very important not to change it during some stressful period for the cat's life - otherwise he will associate such a change with unpleasant sensations and will have a negative attitude towards the new food.

What you need to know about dry food: the nuances

There are some more features of feeding a cat that a responsible owner should be aware of.:

• the animal does not need additional vitamins - they are enough in the feed, unless, of course, it is of high quality. Some manufacturers even supplement their food with multi-paste to remove wool from the stomach, which is very good;
• high-class food in the long run allows you to save money - at least on trips to the veterinarian, each of which is well paid;
• you can determine the quality of dry food on the Fredalina scale, which involves grading on a hundred-point scale, only points are not added, but subtracted. You can find it on the Internet.

In fact, many cats prefer dry food, it is very useful for them, so do not consider such a diet as some kind of stress. The main thing is to feed them properly.

In nature, wild cats eat meat. From this product they get more of the necessary liquid. In general, cats drink much less water than dogs. This feature is due to their evolution. Living in desert areas has adapted the cat's body for a long time to do without water. This quality saved their lives. However, it often costs our pets health.

Moisture retention due to increased concentration of urine, combined with poor nutrition and insufficient fluid intake, leads to the development of KSD. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to choose a quality and really suitable food for a kitten and make sure that he always has access to clean drinking water.

But if everything is clear with dry food, then what about wet food? Can I only feed my kitten wet food?

Wet food meets the needs of the cat to a greater extent than dry food. as close to natural nutrition as possible. This means that feeding a kitten with wet food is not only possible, but also desirable. But not all wet foods are the same. For a baby, you need to choose super premium lines designed specifically for kittens. Their composition takes into account the characteristics of a growing organism and includes only safe components.

Unfortunately, feeding a kitten only wet food is expensive and not always convenient. For example, wet food in an open pack or plate spoils quickly. And if the kitten ate only a third of its dish for breakfast, then everything else will have to be thrown away.

Dry food solves the problem of saving. High-quality super premium lines are also very useful for kittens. The only drawback is that they have little moisture. Therefore, in order not to worry about whether the kitten drinks enough water, dry and wet food can be combined. In order for the baby’s body to easily absorb food, it is better to stick to the lines of one brand. As a rule, they are perfectly combined with each other.

How much wet food to give a kitten? How much is dry? The norm of feeding is always individual and depends on the weight and age of the baby. This information is printed on every package.

The diet can be built from 50% wet and 50% dry food. At the same time, different types of food are not mixed in one plate, but are given separately, as a complete meal. A more economical ratio is wet food for breakfast and dry food all day long. Such a diet is completely suitable for the pet and will allow the owner to save the budget.

Despite the benefits of combining wet and dry food, it is strongly not recommended to dilute the finished diet with natural food. This will lead to an imbalance of nutrients in the body and a host of problems resulting from this.

If you decide to feed your kitten ready-made food, stick to it strictly. Likewise and vice versa. If you give your baby natural food, then ready-made rations (whether wet or dry) will no longer be suitable for him.

Shape your diet carefully. Only thanks to proper feeding, your defenseless lump will grow into a big, strong and beautiful cat!