10 Best Wet Cat Food

How much you feed your cat depends on numerous factors. Kittens generally require more calories than adult cats, as do cats who are pregnant or lactating. If your cat is very active, he may need more food than a cat who is largely sedentary or one who needs to lose some weight.

Wet cat food tends to be higher in protein than dry food and calorie content can vary from one recipe to another. Pate-style wet foods are typically more calorie-dense than other wet foods, so feeding amounts may differ depending which formula you feed your cat. The calorie content will be listed on the can along with some feeding recommendations according to weight and age.

Generally speaking, cats need between 2.5 and 3 ounces of wet food per 5 pounds of body weight per day. The average housecat weighs around 9 pounds, so a 5.5-ounce can of wet food might be just right.

The best thing you can do is choose a wet cat food formulated for your cat’s life stage and follow the feeding recommendations on the label. When you start using a new food, pay attention to your cat’s weight and body condition for the next month or so. If he seems to be gaining too much weight, you may need to scale back his portions. If he’s losing weight or appears less energetic than usual, he may need a larger portion.

Most cats do well with two meals per day. That being said, kittens and cats who are very active may require a third meal to sustain their metabolisms.

If you’re not sure how much to feed your cat or how often, you can always try free feeding. This involves providing your cat with an unmeasured amount of food and refilling the bowl as it empties. Most cats are able to self-regulate, eating as much as they need without too much extra. If you go this route, however, you’ll need to keep an eye on your cat and switch to portioned meals if he overeats.

Keep in mind that kittens, as a general rule, need to eat more often than adult cats. Free feeding may work better for kittens than adults, especially if you’re not home all day to provide scheduled meals.

Wet canned food is an extremely shelf-stable option – even more so than dry food. While unopened packages of dry food can last 12 to 18 months, unopened canned food can last 2 years or more.

While unopened cans of wet cat food can be stored for long periods of time, opened cans are another story. Wet cat food is generally made without added preservatives – it’s the canning process itself that creates an air-tight seal to protect the food. Once the can is opened and the product is
exposed to the air, it needs to be refrigerated to keep it fresh.

An opened can of cat food can safely be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days, though it should optimally be used within 24 hours. If you spoon wet cat food into your cat’s bowl, it can sit out for no more than 4 hours. After that, it should be discarded entirely.

In the debate between wet cat food and dry, there’s no clear winner because there are many factors to consider. Dry cat food is preferred by many cat owners because it is affordable and convenient to feed and store, but wet cat food provides some nutritional benefits that make it preferable to many cats.

While there is a theory that dry cat food is better for a cat’s teeth than wet food, there’s no sound evidence to support it. Cats don’t tend to chew their food much before swallowing, so the crunchy texture of dry food is unlikely to make much difference. In fact, some cats have a hard time with the crunchy texture of the food. This is particularly true of older cats and cats with dental issues.

In addition to having a softer texture, wet food is often more palatable to cats because it has a stronger aroma. That being said, dry foods are often sprayed with flavoring to make them more appealing to cats, but the food still won’t be as fresh as a can opened that same day.

Another benefit wet food has over dry food is that it is generally higher in protein and moisture. Dry food requires the use of starches and other binders to achieve the right consistency for forming the product into kibbles. Wet food typically uses fewer carbohydrate ingredients, and the moisture content is usually between 75% and 80% versus an average of 10%.

If you’re looking for the most species-appropriate diet for your cat, wet food is the better option for its higher protein and moisture content. If you’re more concerned about convenience and affordability, however, a high-quality dry food might be better for you.

Mixing wet cat food with dry cat food is a great option for cats. Not only can it provide nutritional benefits for your cat, but it can be convenient and cost-effective for you.

Dry cat food is generally easier to portion and more affordable than wet food, but it doesn’t have the moisture your cat needs and it can be higher in carbohydrates. If a wet cat food diet is out of your budget or simply not practical for your lifestyle, you might find that a mixture of the two works best. Adding small amounts of high-quality wet food to a dry food diet can boost your cat’s nutrition and provide some variety without significantly affecting your budget.

If you’re going to give your cat a combination of wet and dry cat food, think about how much you’re going to offer of each type. Will you go with a 50/50 blend or use the wet food more supplementally with a 25/75 split?

It’s really up to you how much you choose to offer of each type of food but be mindful of your cat’s caloric intake. Calorie content varies greatly between cat food recipes and between types of cat food, so familiarize yourself with the feeding recommendations for both foods before you begin.

To feed your cat a 50/50 split, simply cut the daily feeding recommendation for each food in half.

When it comes to actually offering your cat a blended diet of dry and wet cat food, there are plenty of options. You can serve one food at alternating meals, serve them side-by-side, spoon the wet food over the dry food, or mix the two together.