Dry cat food: good or bad?

Dry cat food has recently become a common diet. And cats generally love it just as much as we love, say, potato chips. While the harmfulness of potato chips seems clear to us, the debate about dry cat food continues. This type of pet food has its active supporters and staunch opponents. But let's try to look at the issue objectively. So, is dry cat food harmful or not?

The beneficial properties of dry food

Let's examine the benefits and harms of dry cat food one by one. Let's start with its advantages:

No. 1

The first and perhaps most important advantage for many is convenience. Really, what could be simpler? Open the box, pour in the food, add water, and the cat devours it with delight, its whiskers shaking.

No. 2

Another advantage is the well-balanced nature of such foods (especially premium and extra premium foods). This is true, as we don't always have everything recommended for cats in our refrigerators. Dry cat food can be a great help in this situation. Moreover, modern manufacturers produce dry foods divided into age groups. There are also therapeutic types of food, as well as those for nursing and pregnant cats. There is even dry food for obese cats. After consulting with your veterinarian, you can choose a treat specifically for your cat.

No. 3

A third advantage is the taurine content in the food. Cats absolutely need it to maintain good vision, prevent heart disease, and maintain a healthy nervous system. Also, without taurine, cats are unable to digest fats in the small intestine. Taurine is found primarily in beef, seafood, and fish. Therefore, if a cat's diet includes these foods infrequently or in insufficient quantities, supplementation is essential. Incidentally, dry dog ​​food generally does not contain taurine, so feeding it to cats is pointless. It's also worth noting that taurine is also found in wet commercial foods.

Read also on the website: budget cat food of good quality

No. 4

The fourth advantage is the abrasive properties of dry food, which help prevent dental health problems by partially removing plaque and tartar from the cat's teeth. Of course, this doesn't mean that brushing the teeth of a cat eating dry food is no longer necessary.

Of course it is necessary, but if you don’t pay close attention to your pet’s health and don’t brush its teeth at all, then dry food will partially solve this problem for you.

Harmful properties of dry food

There are pros, and there are also cons. Let's examine the harmful effects of dry cat food and draw some conclusions.

No. 1

The first drawback of dry food is precisely that it's dry. Manufacturers always recommend giving cats fed this way plenty of water. But the problem is that not all cats like to drink a lot.

Cats are natural predators, and they're accustomed to extracting moisture from their prey. Even in the wild, it's rare to see tigers or lions at a watering hole. The same applies to food: natural or wet food generally fully meets a cat's moisture needs, which isn't the case with dry food. This inevitably impacts their pet's health. However, some owners have found a solution by diluting the kibble with water.

There can be two conclusions here:

• Keep a close eye on how much water your cat drinks, if at all. If it's drinking little, feeding only dry food may not be for you.
• Most veterinarians recommend a combination diet of dry and wet food, considering it the safest and most modern.

No. 2

The second disadvantage is the “chemistry” that is included in cat food.

Although we discussed balanced and nutritious ingredients in this article, we were talking exclusively about premium pet foods. However, economy-class pet foods, so beloved by the average consumer, can contain ingredients that are not only useless but also significantly harmful. The same drawback applies to wet commercial pet foods.

No. 3

The third disadvantage is that regularly feeding only dry food can lead to gastrointestinal (GI) issues in cats. Excessive feeding of dry food can lead to illnesses such as: ulcer, gastritis, intestinal obstruction And so on. It's just like with people. Some people can smoke their entire lives and live to be 100, while others exercise and don't make it to 50. Closely monitor your pet's health, try alternating food types, and observe their reactions.

If your cat is crazy about dry Kitekat, eats only that and won't even look at anything else. He's in good health (a visit to the vet should confirm this) and is already many years old. Then, by all means, let him eat his Kitekat. Carefully read the ingredients on the food packaging. For many years now, manufacturers in Russia have been required to list the full ingredients on the packaging.If something about the food you've chosen worries you, consider switching to another one—the selection of pet food in stores is now just as good as the selection for humans.

Let's draw conclusions

Many veterinarians are inclined to claim that cats fed cheap food don't live long. If we take this at face value, the obvious conclusion is that by saving on food, we'll spend more on medical treatment. Of course, not all foods are equally saturated with undesirable ingredients. We can always check the ingredients listed on the packaging. Currently, all manufacturers, without exception, are required to provide a full list of ingredients.

Whether to feed your cat dry food or not is, of course, a personal decision. By weighing the pros and cons, you can arrive at the best solution for you. We can also advise you on how to properly transition your cat to dry food.

Read also:

• Now cat food
• Terracot cat food
• Fitmin cat food