Is it ok for a cat to only eat wet food?

Question

My cat is 5 years old and he really likes wet food. Although he eats dry food he prefers wet food much more. When I feed him dry food he takes each piece and dips it in his water bowl before he eats it. Is it ok to switch from dry to wet food completely? Or does a cat have to have dry food as well?

Answer 1

I would think a cat would need dry food every once in a while to keep it's teeth sharp.

Answer 2

When feeding our companion cats, the most logical strategy is to feed the diet that most closely mimics the natural prey diet. A homemade diet  is an excellent way to accomplish this. Feeding more (or only) canned food is another way--one that is often easier for people to deal with. Canned foods are higher in fat and protein, and lower in carbohydrates, than dry foods. Their high water content increases the cat's overall fluid intake, which keeps the kidneys and bladder healthy. The higher fat contributes to skin and coat health. Because the ingredients are more easily digested and utilized by the cat's body, canned foods produce less solid waste in the litterbox.

Another feature of the cat's natural diet is variety. A hunting cat doesn't one day decide to eat only purple finches! He will eat any small prey he can catch: chickadees, mice, grasshoppers, robins, or rabbits. Likewise, we should feed our cats a variety of foods. Variety keeps cats from becoming finicky and food-addicted, lessens the chance of dietary excess or deficiency of any single nutrient, and may prevent the development of food intolerances, allergies, and inflammatory bowel disease. Feeding the same dry food year after year greatly increases the risk of these problems. With canned food, it is easy to vary the flavors and protein sources.

Answer 3

It's better for your cat's teeth to make sure they get some dry - I feed my cats exclusively dry now. I had another cat a few years ago and fed her exclusively wet - her teeth became coated with tartar and she needed serious dental intervention...dry food helps to keep their teeth clean...

Answer 4

Yes, it's okay to feed him only wet foods. My vet says that dry is much more higher in fat then wet. My cat likes both but seems to perfer the dry, but she's a little over wieght so I try to give her more canned, she is on a perscription diet from the vet. It's good to give them the tartar control in dry, which will help to keep their teeth clean. It must be cute to see him dipping his food in the water, but maybe you can have his teeth checked by a vet to make sure that he doesn't have any bad teeth that might make chewing difficult. you can look at his gums to see if there is any reddening on them.

Answer 5

I always give my cat canned food (wet) in the morning, one half can. Then I fill her bowl with dry food for nibbling throughout the day. At night, I give her the other half can of food. It sounds like your cat is doing fine with the both types of food. I'd keep it the way it is.

Answer 6

No, but it's a heck of a lot cheeper to just give them dry food.  Dry food is fine...don't even give him the option.

Answer 7

No.  Feeding a cat ONLY wet food leads to tartar build up on the cats teeth, which will eventually lead to gum disease.

Answer 8

Before making a major change in your cat's diet you should check with your vet.  I would also want to have him checked for any dental problems.

Good Luck!

Answer 9

well it is ok but they get more fiber from dry food  but wet food helps them

Answer 10

They can, but you should then impliment chewing toys and or treats that are dry, that will help to keep the teeth so called sharp.

Answer 11

dry food is good for the cat.  it helps clean their teeth when they chew on it and keeps their teeth sharp.  switching to wet food wont necessarily hurt him but i would not recommend that you make the switch completely.  what my aunt does with one of her cats is mix a little wet with dry.  I personally use only dry and then once a week i give them a can of tuna with some parsley and an egg and they love that, but its a special treat.

Answer 12

Smart cat! It is absolutely fine. I can't believe how many people are still strung along with the dry food myths. Wet food is actually much better for cats.  

The reason is, in the wild, cats normally get most of their water content directly from their prey items and drink very little. Domestic cats are no different, and because of the fact that they are designed to take in water with their meal, they have a very low thirst drive. Cats often just don't drink enough. This leads to urinary tract infections and crystals. The bit about dry food being better for teeth is a myth and has not been proven in the least. Canned/wet food is better because it more closely mimics the cat's natural diet. More on why canned food is best:

http://www.catinfo.org/  (Excellent cat nutrition information by a vet)

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canne...

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac...

Answer 13

It's best if your cat eats bough dry and wet cat food.

Answer 14

Yep, it is perfectly OK. Wet food is actually generally considered to be better for cats because it contains more moisture, which keeps their kidneys healthy. Cats don't always drink all the water they need, so wet food helps keep them hydrated. Wet food is also usually lower in ash, which can reduce urinary troubles.

Cats are obligate carnivores, so having that much meat in the diet is often really good for them.

Some people have said dry food helps keep cats' teeth clean, but I haven't seen any real evidence that's the case. If you're concerned about teeth, make sure to have regular vet exams, and they also make brushes for cleaning cats' teeth. You could also try those tartar control treats if you're so inclined, but I have no idea if they really work or not.

Dry food is really mainly kitty convenience food, and if your cat prefers wet, there's no reason to push the dry food. An all-wet diet is actually often recommended for cats. It shouldn't be a problem.

You should try to find a cat food without preservatives or meat byproducts, though, to keep your cat healthy.

Answer 15

It's perfectly ok to switch to an all wet diet. Dry food is c**p and I think your cat knows it too. Wet food is better for your cats health. Cats are carnivores and they need meat!!!

Contrary to what a lot of poeple say, dry food DOES NOT clean cats teeth. Dry food may create less tarter than wet food but it certainly doesn't clean their teeth, I mean it's like saying eating crackers will keep my teeth clean. Daily brushing or brushing your cats teeth once a week with a finger tooth brush will keep your cats teeth clean.

Answer 16

Wet food gives off more of an oder attracting the cat.

Answer 17

yes but it might give it diarrhea.

Answer 18

I would back off on the wet a little. Always heep the dry out for a snack.The wet is a little too rich for many cats.  not enough fiber.

Answer 19

no, they don't have to eat dry

how would you like dry crackers every day?

as long as he eats well and is a healthy weight, leave him on the wet stuff

the dry stuff is better if he being left for a few hours as it keeps better

Answer 20

I think they get more fiber from the dry food so I would consider that before making a change.

edit...for all the haters out there (more in the cat section than any other for some reason).  I stated "I think", not that "I know" & used the word "consider", not "you should or should not". I'm only on YA to share & gain knowledge. There are some very informative answers here which I'm taking note of myself. Thanks.

Answer 21

Feeding a cat only wet food can be bad for his digestive system. It can give him a stomach ache and make him more prone to vomiting and diarrhea. You should probably keep feeding him dry food as well.  

Answer 22

People get on the defensive when it comes to what is the best food to feed their cat. Some swear by a certain brand, and some will only feed dry or wet. In short, there are two camps when it comes to feeding. The dry food camp and the wet food camp. You will see a lot of arguments and debate between both camps here, as witnessed by the answers you are getting.

Also, another new camp is emerging and fast growing and they are the RAW food movement and sometimes you will also hear what is called a BARF feeding, Bone and Raw Food diet or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet.

What you need to do is to do your research and weigh each camp's argument as to which one you are more comfortable with and what makes the most sense. You need to understand what motivates the pet food industry, (profit!), and what motivates pet parents to buy their product (price/cost, advertisement, vet advice, self research, cat's health while being on the product, etc)

When you are well informed, you will ultimately make the right decision on what is best. So, do a lot of reading and in depth research. It's really not easy feeding our pets now. If you are unaware of the March 2007 Huge Pet Recall, I would suggest you look into it. You will never see pet food the same way again.

You need to learn how to read ingredient labels. By learning how to read a label, you can learn a great deal of information about the food you are feeding your pets. You can even learn how to compare one food to another and choose the one best suited for your cat.

When you are choosing food, it is important for you to learn how to read ingredient labels. They tell you a lot about what kind of meat is being used and whether the food has any cheap fillers which does not benefit your cat/kitten.

You want to feed a food which is high protein - meaning the meat source must come from wholesome muscle meat. Make sure to select only food that list chicken, lamb, rabbit, beef, turkey, venison, salmon, whitefish, herring or a combination or those and not one that says by-products (chicken by product, meat by product, fish by product)

Stay away from too much fillers like corn, corn gluten meal, wheat, wheat gluten, soy, oatbrans, etc. These are all cheap filler which help reduce the cost of manufacturing but brings little to no benefit to your kitten.

You would also want to stay away from preservatives like BHA/BHT and Ethoxyquin which are proven to be harmful to your kitten. Also you do not want other artifical preservatives such as propylene glycol and propolyneglycol .You need natural preservatives such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A or Rosemary.

Your cat need an essential amino acid called Taurine. Cats can only receive this from eating wholesome meat. Choose a food that contains ample amount of Omega 3 sources - Salmon Oil, Flaxseed Oil or Canola Oil.

When you are well educated in learning how to read pet food ingredients, shopping for the best food for your kitten would be easier.

I only feed 100% wet. I came to this conclusion after doing my own research and getting to know pets that suffer dire consequences as a result of being fed exclusively dry. These websites has great information if you are interested in learning more about feline nutrition and the proper diet for a cat.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac...

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canne...

http://cats.about.com/od/catfoo1/tp/tpca...

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.naturalmatters.net/article.as...

http://www.traciehotchner.com/cb/QandA.h...

I love to say this whenever someone ask this question.

Look at your cats. They are majestic animals, with their wild ancestors blood still running through their veins. They are predators, equip with sharp canine teeth to shred through meat. Now, imagine a lion or a tiger, feasting on a bowl of dry kibble. Does that sound right to you? Well, now you know why it is so ridiculous to feed your cat dry kibbles!

Domestication only changes the way the cats live but not the way the cats eat. If we cannot guarantee their wellbeing, we have no right to invite them into our home.

Answer 23

my cat is over weight from my dad feeding it wet food for so long!!!!!! so maybe give your young cat wet food once a week as a treat for being a good kitty!!!!!!!!!

Answer 24

Try mixing it into the dry food. Like chop it up into millions of tiny pieces mixed with the dry food. Slowly introduce this as your cat is 5 so she obviously isnt used to eating anything but wet food. When the cat is about 1 or younger is when you taper them off wet food, just slowly do it, but always give it to him/her as a treat once a day or something. Does he/she get diareah a lot? If he/she does, you defenatly need to taper him off wet food, or atleast to a small amount.

Answer 25

Pretty shocked at how many people are saying cats need "fiber" in their diet.  Please post a link supporting this.  Can't find one?  Big surprise - because it's completely false!  Cats need a diet high in meat-based protein and fat - not fiber.

Wet food is far better for cats than dry.  And it doesn't rot their teeth or cause them to be overweight nor is it "coated in sugar".  If you want some facts about canned food (as opposed to all the BS comments you've already received) read this article - http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac...  And if you want to read further about how dry food DOESN'T "clean the teeth" as some people mentioned http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac...  I nearly had my water come out my nose when I read that some think dry food SHARPENS the teeth! LOL!!!!!  Geezus, people!

Answer 26

actually feeding your pet wet food will cut their life expectancy in half. Its loaded with tons of chemicals and preservatives to keep it wet and from molding. Its also loaded with sugar to cover the taste of the chemicals. Really really bad for kitties digestive system!

Answer 27

Dey poopy gon be a' lil' drippy. Buh uh den that, dis okay.