Wet cat food contains about 75 to 80% moisture, which is significantly higher than the 5 to 10% in dry cat food. Wet food has a lot of benefits for the health of your cat and should be considered as a long term feeding option, even if it's more expensive than dry food. A wet diet will maintain your pet’s health, preventing a number of conditions that are frequent in cats with a dry food diet.
Complex Nutrition
Wet food offers complex nutritional components for cats. The food contains more protein than dry food, and is also rich in oils and fats that are healthy in a cat’s diet.
Wet food contains a smaller amount of carbohydrates. Cats don’t need carbs in their diet. Dry food contains a lot of carbs, which are present in fillers such as corn or wheat.
Kitten Growth
Wet food is essential for kitten bone and muscle development. Having all the necessary nutrients for a kitten, wet cat food will promote healthy kitten growth.
Prevent Dehydration
Being at least 75% liquid, wet food will make sure that your pet is hydrated at all times. However, wet food does not replace fresh water, so ensure your cat gets water as well.
Skin and Coat Health
Being fully hydrated, cats with a wet food diet will have a visibly healthier skin and coat than cats with a dry diet. The skin needs to be hydrated, and if your cat doesn’t get the necessary amount of liquids he can develop dry, scaly skin that is more prone to allergies and dermatitis.
Prevent Health Issues
A cat that eats dry food may be more exposed to developing a few medical conditions, including:
- Kidney disease: Cats that are often dehydrated are more likely to develop a kidney problem.
- Diabetes mellitus: Dry food contains a lot of fillers, such as corn or grains, that are basically carbs which can promote high levels of glucose in the blood. When the body can no longer assimilate the amount of glucose, the cat will have diabetes.
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): Caused by the lack of water in the diet.
- Constipation: Cats with a dry food diet can often get dehydrated due to lack of water intake.
- Cystitis and urinary crystals: These are directly linked to the deficit of water in the food.
- Diarrhea: Caused by corn or wheat components that are added as fillers in commercial dry food.
Wet food is more recommended to avoid the occurrence of these diseases.
If your cat’s diet is based on wet food, you need to make sure he gets at least a few dry treats per day. Dry food has its benefits, including plaque removal. If your cat only eats wet food, he is more susceptible to plaque and tartar deposits. However, if you brush your cat’s teeth daily, you can prevent dental problems.
After you consider all these benefits of wet food, you might consider changing your pet’s diet. However, consult your vet before switching to wet food.