WHAT you feed your cat is nearly as important as HOW your cat gets these nutrients.
Why is an all dry food (kibble) diet bad for a cat?
In the wild, cats hunt and kill their prey, and prey is made up of mostly protein, water, and bone. Naturally, wet food is more akin to what cats would eat in the wild, being mostly made of protein and water. In my opinion, wet food is not a "luxury", it's a necessity for a cat. Studies show that cats who are fed an all dry diet are more likely to develop bladder and kidney infections. Why? Cats do not have a strong thirst drive. Many cats drink very little water, and therefore rely on their food for water in-take. Dry food has nearly no moisture content in it. A cat that is fed an all-dry diet needs to drink approximately 1.25 cups of water in order to get enough water, and most cats don't drink nearly that amount a day. The result of an all-dry diet with little water in-take is a constantly dehydrated cat, who is therefore prone to UTIs and kidney infections, and a host of other problems associated with dehydration, including crystals (in the bladder), cysts, build-ups and back-ups. Dry food cannot be mixed with water, as dry food contains bacteria on it that (if mixed with water and left to sit and multiply) can make a cat ill. In addition, many brands of kibble (even high quality ones) are likely to contain some source of grains (needed to hold the food together), which are not the easiest for cats to digest.
Many cat owners like dry food because it's convenient. It's not as "messy" as wet food, it's not as "smelly" as wet food, and other reasons, not the least of which is cost. It can cost more to buy high quality canned food for your cat. However, we cannot forget that cats are carnivores. They need high quality meat. They are not meant to eat an all dry kibble diet.
But I heard dry food was needed to keep a cat's teeth in good condition?
Some people think dry food replicates animal bone and is good for "cleaning" a cat's teeth. In reality, dry food is much softer than animal bone, and therefore a poor subsitute. Chewing on kibble (dry food) will not remove tartar. A diet consisting mostly of wet food isn't going to ruin a cat's teeth or make them fall out. Wet food still needs to be chewed. If you're concerned about the cleanliness of your cat's teeth, a brushing once a week can help keep them in good condition. Talk to your vet about how to properly brush your cats teeth.
But my cat will ONLY eat dry food. I've tried many brands of wet food. What can I do?
Sometimes a cat will only eat dry food. This usually happens when a cat has been raised on dry food. If getting your cat to eat wet food is unlikely, you need to make sure your cat is getting enough water on a daily basis in order to prevent dehydration and the problems caused by dehydration. Do not attempt to mix dry food with water. Doing so can cause the bacteria present in dry food to multiply to unhealthy levels which can make your cat ill.
What about a mixed diet, of dry and wet food?
I'm not suggesting that all dry food is bad. There are some very good ones on the market today. However, I am suggesting that a diet that contains ONLY dry food can have serious negative consequences. Ideally, a cat's diet should be mostly wet food to ensure the cat is getting enough water. Most experts recommend at least 50% of a cat's diet come from wet food.
Many do not feed dry food to their cats at all and consider this ideal. In my opinion, ideal is met when a cat is getting enough of the right nutrients, enough calories, and enough water, and when the diet consists of more wet food than dry food.
