Dry food is popular for cat owners for a couple of reasons – it’s economical and easy. You can just dump it in a bowl, walk away and let your cat free-feed throughout the day. As a result, many cat owners offer dry food as their pets’ sole nutritional source. But economical and easy doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for your cat.
To meet cats’ nutritional needs, pet parents should provide a primarily wet or raw diet.
These options are considered best for cats because they are high in protein and grain-free.
A cat’s body is meant to get moisture from the food it eats, not from a water bowl. This can mean that a cat solely eating dry food doesn’t drink enough water to ensure proper hydration. A wet food diet has higher moisture content, which can help prevent common feline illnesses like kidney disease, diabetes and bladder stones.
Raw food diets have been growing in popularity for cat lovers because they have the benefits of wet food with the added feature of being even more aligned with a cat’s natural ancestral diet. Cats in the wild didn’t eat cooked meat and ate muscle and bones, as well. The raw food diet mimics this nutritional profile by offering uncooked animal muscle meat, organ meat and bones.
Some pet parents try to prepare raw diets themselves, but it is difficult to customize a raw food diet that is nutritionally complete.
Luckily, there are several raw food pet food brands that do the hard work for you, ensuring your cat gets the highest quality, complete nutrition.
If your cat currently eats a primarily dry food diet, you can wean him off of dry food and increase his wet/raw diet. It’s important you transition your pet to his new diet gradually, so your cat doesn’t experience digestive issues and is therefore more likely to accept the new food.
Cats can be very set on their dietary habits and it can be difficult to change their food, but with a slow and steady approach, you can eventually get them to adjust and accept.
At Premier Pet Supply, we’re always available to offer advice and hook your cat up with top-quality brands of wet and raw food.
Got a question for Mike? Email your question to AskMike@MetroParent.com.
