Benefits of Wet Cat Food – What to Look Out For
As purr-ents and cat lovers, we always aim to provide our furry babies with the best possible care. From choosing what toys they play with to ensuring they always have a cozy spot to sleep or nap, everything that we do is for their well-being.
One of the vital aspects of this is their diet, and as we’re sparking debates on the type of food we give our cats, it’s important to check the many benefits that it contributes to their health.
For this reason, we’ll dive into the benefits of wet cat food, what you should know before buying it, and how it affects our furry babies.
Wet Food For Cats – Pros & Benefits
1. How Wet Cat Food Ensures Balanced Nutrition
One of the biggest advantages of wet cat food is its balanced nutrition. This type of food is packed and rich with high-quality proteins that are essential to our cat’s overall health and well being.
Cats thrive on an animal-based protein diet, and wet food offers exactly that with higher protein levels as opposed to dry food.
It is an excellent choice to support lean muscle mass and give lots and lots of energy. Additionally, due to its high moisture content, it plays a vital role in the hydration of your cat, which is especially important for their kidney and urinary tract.
This brings us to address the water needs of our furry babies.
2. Wet Cat Food Water Benefits
Cats are not always the best when it comes to drinking water. Many cats may not drink nearly as much as they should, which may lead to a variety of health issues. Most of these issues are connected to their kidneys and urinary tracts.
Therefore, it is important to introduce food that is high in moisture content if your cat doesn’t drink a lot of water.
Our Kiki, for example, drinks plenty of water, and we do not have this issue. However, many other cats do not drink plenty of water, so introducing wet cat food is the best way to satisfy those hydration levels and steer your cat clear from the abovementioned pesky issue.
Proper hydration is vital to prevent urinary tract problems, which include the dreaded feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD).
3. Flavor Varieties & Preferences of Wet Food
Cats are picky eaters, to put it mildly, as some days they may turn their nose up at the food bowl, while others they’ll just gobble up everything in sight.
Wet cat food can be a game changer for those picky eaters as it is rich in flavor and aromas, making it enticing to eat. The variety of flavors and moisture make the wet food quite irresistible to consume, even for those cats who are normally very difficult to please.
This type of food offers unparalleled experience compared to dry food. Cats have a heightened sense of taste and smell, and the aromas from the wet food can stimulate their appetite.
4. How Wet Cat Food Helps with Digestion
Wet food is also great for digestion since the high moisture content helps keep things moving smoothly inside your cat’s digestive system. This reduces constipation and is ideal for cats that are prone to digestive issues.
Wet cat food is really the way to go if your cat has a sensitive tummy or frequent digestive problems in the past. It can help make your furry baby more comfortable and improve their digestive system so it functions properly.
The added moisture in wet food makes digestion more efficient while receiving all the necessary nutrients it needs to function well and keep its health in optimal condition.
5. Wet Food Can Come in Specialized Formulas
One of the best things about wet cat food is the wide range of specialized formulas available. From a kitten, to an adult cat, and finally, to a senior cat, there are numerous wet food options that are specifically designed to meet their needs.
Kitten formulas, for example, are packed with extra nutrients that are needed for their growth, while formulas for senior cats may include ingredients that support cognitive functions and joint health.
Moreover, there are also prescriptions available for cats with specific health issues, like food sensitivity, kidney disease, or diabetes. These formulas are crafted to provide the right balance, while also supporting your cat’s skin and coat health.
Disadvantages of Wet Cat Food
While there are many benefits of feeding your cat wet food, there are also some notable disadvantages that you should pay attention to.
What we have noticed as the biggest con out there is the high levels of taurine present within wet cat food. Taurine makes cats more aggressive and puffy, and we noticed our Kiki got fatter and more aggressive every time we fed her wet food.
Wet cat food can increase your cat’s weight a lot if not portioned properly, which isn’t the case with dry food as you can leave it out in the open for your furry baby to consume when they need or want to.
Other notable disadvantages include the following:
- Can be quite costlier
- Is messy to deal with
- Is inconvenient in storing
- Gets spoiled fairly easily
Wrapping Up
Wet cat food has some very good benefits like high hydration levels and a balanced nutrition, but it also has significant drawbacks in the form of weight management and feeding maintenance. It is costlier and more difficult to manage, but very delicious and tasty for your furry baby.
That said, wet food can be extremely beneficial to a cat regardless of their life cycle, especially since it is tailored for all types of ages and diets.
To ensure your cat remains healthy, make sure to feed it wet cat food on occasion, as opposed to every single day, while also keeping and checking their progress and behavior. Once you find the right balance, keep up with it and watch your cat savor each meal with utmost satisfaction.
If you’ve had any type of positive or negative experience with cat food or have any tips to share, please do so in the comment section below. We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so let’s keep the conversation going for the benefit of our furry babies.
