How many of you feed only (or mostly) wet food to your cats?

[mom2jedi]

One of my kittens appears pudgy (not quite a year). I can still feel her ribs but she does have a round belly. Got her from the shelter at 3 1/2 months already spayed. She had a bout of roundworms a few months ago (very potbellied all of a sudden) but slimmed down after treatment. In doing research about the issue, discovered the new consensus is wet is better than dry for the most part. Grew up with the idea that wet was bad for their teeth and was not as nutritionally sound as a good quality dry. I was feeding Iams kitten, but just switched to multi-cat adult a couple weeks ago since our male (same age) is long and lean. Was trying at first to feed less but they were hungry in-between feedings and crying for food. So went back to the same amount. Originally free fed them (done this with all my cats before) and they mostly are still except I just picked up some wet food on a whim the other day which I've been giving them at night which they seem to prefer.

So, before I take her to the vet I was interested in others opinions on wet vs dry. Feeding raw is really not an option with a toddler running around but if wet is better than I will certainly up what I am feeding them and cut back on dry. Positive opinions only please, just looking for other people's experience on the matter.

 

[yinepu]

we feed dry.. mainly because we have so many stray cats around.. the canned food attracts too many flies and fire ants...

our inside kitties also get dry.. one has a very sensitive stomach and even though he will rip your arm off for canned food.. it tears his guts up.. we tried him on just a teaspoon full a day along with his dry food.. even that teeny amount gives him the runs so bad that he's sick for days

 

[redhen]

I am just going through this "switching over" now..
All 6 of my cats have always been on dry food, but i wanted to get them on wet because i have heard the same thing; that wet is better for them.
All is going good, except for my female cat..she wont eat it.(or she wont eat enough to stay healthy)...
She has lost a lot of weight being so stubborn. So i finally had to give in and put dry down again. So i keep a bowl of dry down during the day and still feed my other cats the wet 2x a day..
Still not sure my female is eating enough though..

 

[arabianequine]

I heard not to give wet or dry exclusively but do a mix of half and half. I heard the wet will help with hair balls and other stuff I am sure.

Our outdoor cat gets mostly just dry and whatever she catches.

The indoor/outdoor cat gets 1 can of wet a day if he comes around.....and all the dry he wants when inside.

Otherwise he just gets what he catches or some dry from out side. I have to keep that up outside or put a handful at a time cause our male peking duck gets up on the porch and eats the dry cat food. They love it.

 

[Orchid]

We adopted a kitten from the shelter three years ago and it turns out he has FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease) or whatever they're calling it these days, so from September - May he is on a mostly wet food diet. In the summer he prefers to be outside and eats mainly dry food with the other three cats. Apparently they are more likely to form crystals in the urine during the colder months of the year anyway. So far this has worked well for us, other than the fact that some of those canned foods make for seriously smelly litter box deposits.

But I'd rather scoop the box than pay the vet and have my kitty in pain.

ETA: I also add extra water to his wet food to make it almost soupy. He and my other indoor cat lick up all the "gravy" before they eat the chunks.

 

[dewey]

Mine gets both wet and dry...the wet to gobble up in a few minutes 2x daily, and the dry to nibble on 24/7.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Personally, I don't use Iams

sorry - it's just not a good food - I give mine The Honest Kitchen as an all around daily food, not in overabundance, and give them Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul Dry Food 24/7 = I also add flaxseed oil

 

[Imp]

All of my cats get about about 1/4 c dry with 1/4 can friskies 2x per day. Nothing out all day as my obese cat inside will not stop eating, and outside the chickens, possums, raccoons will get it.

Before I got the fat cat, I did the same as dewey.

Imp

 

[welasharon]

I have always fed dry. On vet's recommendation and my cats live a long time. It works for me so I saw no reason to change. My first cat died a couple of years ago at 22 1/2. The rest of my cats are mid teens and an eight year old and three four year olds. I do feed wet if I have to give them icky medicine though.
sharon

 

[sgtmom52]

I free feed mine Taste of the Wild dry food, which is a high quality grain free food. They also get some wet food in the morning and in the evening.