Should I Feed My Cat Dry Cat Food?
June 21, 2010 by lucky
Filed under Caring For Your Cat, Feeding Your Cat
Dry cat food (or kibble) is one of the most common type of food given to cats. Given its low price and ease of storage, many cat owners and breeders like the convenience of feeding dry cat food along with canned foods.
Dry cat food does not go off and smell like meat does, therefore can be left for the cat to graze on over a period of days.
The process of making dry cat food involves cooking the meat under very high pressure and heat. This is a process know an extrusion cooking. Other ingredients are then added.
Some cat experts believe that dry cat food is not ideal for cats based on the pretext that our domesticated pet cats are descendents of wild cats, therefore are naturally inclined to eat a diet of raw meat only. They argue that the unnatural ingredients in dry cat food can harm the cat. It is also thought that a diet of canned, or ‘wet’ foods and meat contain most of the moisture your cat needs. Cats do not naturally drink a lot, and there are concerns that as dry cat food contains little or no moisture, there is a risk of your cat becoming dehydrated.
The truth of this is still hotly debated and there really is no real answer to it. The fact is that dry cat food remains very popular and most cats live an extremely long life on a diet of a combination of dry and wet commercial cat food.
An added benefit of dry cat food is the way it removes build up of plaque on the teeth of cats. The brittle food crunches against the cat’s teeth, therefore removing built up grime.
Personally I feed my cat a variety of dry and wet foods. I also feed raw meat several times per week. This gives her an all round diet containing many nutrients.
As long as your cat is not exclusively feeding on dry cat food, and there is fresh drinking water always available, then you can be assured that it is not doing her any harm.
Help! I have 3 cats. 1) 10 yr old Female, 2) 3.5 yr old male, and 3) 3.5 yr old female. I have fed them dry food their entire lives – 24/7 bowl out. The little girl has stomatitis – gum desease – and has recently had about 8 teeth removed. She is now on Canned food for life. I work an hour away. How do I convert all of them to eating on a schedule? The two older ones I have on dry still (they eat at the same times she does) and the male is fighting when hungry with the two females. I need them to be on a twice a day schedule and I am in process of “converting” them. I had them eating often as the little girl needed to gain weight. Now, after 3 surgeries, her mouth is healing but I have kept the dry food away from her so as to give her mouth time to heal. Any suggestions on how to convert the TIME part of the plan? I don’t want them to see me and beg inbetween their feedings. How long with the conversation take? I am afraid the boy will eat all the little girls food if I leave it out for her as he does lick her plate now. What a mess with 3 cats! But I love them all!
Both my mother and I had cats that turned into diabetics. The dry food raised their blood sugar very quickly and to very high numbers..I am also a diabetic and took his blood sugars twice a day or more if there was a problem
the canned or wet food did not have the same effect. I have always read that cats have no use for carbs, unlike dogs, so I almost never give ANY of my cats daily dry food…I do on occasion…like the article said, because I read it was good for their teeth. The canned food is more expensive especially because I try to feed them better, human grade food like wellness and I free feed them with the cans…but my poor baby went through hell with the diabetes and insulin shots and not to mention the phenomenal vet bils and insulin/syringe bills
Kristi…I just wanted 2 make sure that you read that I free feed my guys with the cans…I open a whole bunch…sometimes add a little water so it doesn’t totally dry out during the day…I have also tried the feeders with the timers…I got a couple and just made them open @ different times…good luck! Hope kitties r doing good!