Should I feed my cat dry food? Should I feed it wet food? Can I mix them both? These questions often keep cat owners up at night! As a responsible pet owner, you must ensure your cat gets a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet. However, with so many cat food options available in the market today, it is not easy to decide which one is best for your pet.
This guide explains the basic differences between wet and dry cat food varieties and whether it is safe to mix them or not. By the end of this guide, you will know all the dos and don’ts of cat food mixing and matching.
The Difference Between Wet and Dry Cat Food
First and foremost, what is the difference between wet and dry cat food? Wet cat food is usually made from animal products, such as fish or chicken, making it more nutritious than dry food since it has more protein and is less processed.
Wet foods are typically packaged and stored in cans or tins; they are refrigerated due to the presence of perishable food produce. This is why these foods need to be stored in cold temperatures and have a short shelf life.
Dry cat foods usually take the form of kibble, small dried cubes, or balls. These foods are created by mixing animal products with some form of starch. This starch comes from grains such as corn or rice. It is needed to bind all the products into a form that can be easily packaged.
Dry cat food can last for a long period. Despite its convenience, it is admittedly not as nutrient-rich as wet food. Compared to wet food, dry cat food has lesser proteins and more carbohydrates, which can cause your kitty to put on a few pounds! However, dry cat food ensures healthy bowel movements for your cat and improves its dental health.
How to Mix Both Foods?
You might be wondering how you can mix wet and dry cat food. Well, there are two options. The first one is that if you feed your cat 3-4 meals a day, half of those meals can consist of wet food, and the other half can be dry food. This way, each meal only consists of one kind of food at a time, but at the same time, your cat gets a variety of foods throughout the day.
The second method is to put both wet and dry cat food in your cat’s feeding bowl during mealtime. Ensure that you evenly disperse the wet food throughout the dry food so that your cat does not pick and choose only one of the two types. The recommended ratio is 2:3 for wet food to dry food.
Because wet cat food is more concentrated, a reduced quantity of it is enough to satiate your cat when mixed with the heavier dry cat food. While dry food can provide your cat with the energy it needs, wet food will make meals tastier and give your cat protein for growth and cell reparation.
Mixing Can Be Cost-efficient
Now that we know it is safe to mix wet and dry cat food, what is the advantage of doing this? Well, keeping your cat on a wet food-only diet can be expensive. These foods cannot be stored for a long time, and they cost a lot more than dry kibble.
This is why it is a pocket-friendly option to mix wet and dry cat food, so you do not end up spending all of your salary on canned food while still giving your cat a healthy diet.
Mixing Can Maintain Your Cat’s Weight
Another key advantage of mixing wet and dry cat food is to help your cat maintain a healthy weight. Wet cat food usually has a much higher water content than dry food, making your cat feel satisfied after eating a smaller portion of it.
When you add a small portion of wet food to a small portion of dry kibble, you end up creating a hearty meal that is likely to fill your cat’s stomach without causing it to consume too many carbohydrates.
You Can Get a Mix of Nutrients
Mixing wet and dry cat food can also give your cat a balanced diet because both foods have their own unique set of advantages.
Dry cat food contains starch and fibers to ensure your cat does not get constipation. On the other hand, wet cat food contains proteins and vitamins essential for brain health and cell growth. Mixing these two foods can ensure your cat gets the best of both worlds!
Do Not Hesitate to Ask Your Vet
If you have finally decided to mix wet and dry cat food, here is one last suggestion for you. When it comes to your cat’s health, you should make no compromises. This is why you must ensure that its minimum calorie, protein, and carbohydrate requirements are being met irrespective of the type of food you are feeding it.
You can calculate this by looking at the ingredients at the back of the cat food’s packaging, but a better option is to call your vet. Ask her in what proportions you can mix wet and dry cat food so that your kitty gets the best possible diet.
Conclusion
We hope our guide helped you understand how safe it is to mix wet and dry cat food. Mixing these two varieties is the ideal option if you want your cat to have a balanced, healthy, and cost-effective diet. All you need to do is remember a few rules!
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