We call them “cans” because that is how the wet cat food. Our little ones love them, they are tastier and they have better texture.
And not only that, they are healthy and complement your diet. You cannot give your pet I think every day.
Whether you already give your cat wet food or if you are going to start now, there is a frequent question that we have all had: How many days a week should I give my cat wet food? what is the correct frequency?
Wet cat food, how many days a week?
Domestic cats have always been fed wet food.. Their diet for thousands of years has been based on meat, fish and, in some cases, the birds or rodents that hunted in the surroundings of the home.
With the advent of new food technologies the human being created the dry feed, which immediately became the main protagonist of cat diets around the world.
This dry food has its benefits, such as comfort, but also two negative consequences: chronic dehydration and kidney problems.
We know that your cat’s health is something that matters to you, and it is likely that until now no one would have told you about this. The price of wet food is higher than that of feed, but If you don’t change your feline friend’s diet, it is likely that they will end up suffering from health problems that are very frequent., and those that you have heard of.
How to avoid them without going out of your budget for cat food is something that I will tell you later.
What is wet food and how is it different from dry food?
wet food is one that has not been treated for remove its content in water, but its processing is oriented to preserve the humidity, the nutrients, the textures and the flavors original ingredients.
In addition to being much tastier than dry food, wet food is full of essential nutrients for the health of your kitten.
We must remember that to prepare the feed, food is dehydrated to favor its storage and conservation, which entails an inevitable nutrient loss.
We have talked about the different feeds and the different brands in previous tips (Purina, Royal, etc) and, on many occasions, I have remarked the importance of the feed not having or having few cereals.
But it is not just about choosing a good feed, that is not enough. We cannot feed our cats only with feed, it is not healthy.
Why do most people only give their cats dry food? The answer is very simple and can be explained for two reasons:we have the preconception that wet food is MUCH more expensive (which is not entirely true) and less practical to store. In the same space where you keep 1 kilogram of wet food, 8 kilos of feed fit.
Introducing wet food eventually into your cat’s diet has health benefits that you can never get with dry feed. That’s why if you don’t want to end up spending money at the vet, it’s time to invest it in your kitten’s food.
How many servings of wet food per week are appropriate for my cat?
The needs of cats vary depending on their age. In most homes the domestic cat does not receive any personalized adjustment in terms of food, with the enormous risk that this entails.
They eat the same at one year as at twelve, and that doesn’t make any sense for their health. Just as we must choose a I think special if our cat is sterilized , we shall vary your diet with age and, especially, according to the Health of our animal.
Wet food for small cats between two and twelve months
Up to eight weeks of age it is recommended that kittens feed on mother’s milk whenever possible. However, after that phase, it is time to introduce the food with which they will live for the rest of their lives.
At this point, most people choose the most comfortable option: I think dry. This is a mistake, because dry food hardly contains water, and many kittens are not able to hydrate themselves at this age.
To avoid having to chase your feline baby around the house with a bowl of water or a syringe, you can use a much more practical and simple remedy.
The solution is to give every day at least one serving of wet food. In this way you make sure that your kitten will drink the necessary amounts of water it needs for its body to function normally and grow as healthy as possible.
Also, this type of food is more suitable for your stomach, since it facilitates digestion. Thus, by the way, you save yourself the horror of gas or bad smell of their poop.
As the weeks go by you can reduce wet food gradually if you consider it appropriate. I used to give my kittens one can a day until they were six months old and after that I give them one can every two days. My food budget did not change much, and I am sure that I have saved myself many hours of discomfort and expenses at the vet.
Best wet food for kittens (under one year old)
I leave you here some cans with which you can start taking care of the health of your kittens. Doing the math, it won’t take long for you to realize that worth save you the trouble.
If you have doubts, look at the latest vet bill you have on hand, and think about what will happen if you don’t start taking care of your pet’s health now.
These are the ones I used when they were babies, and with love and good nutrition I have managed to a healthy and happy cat family (and have saved my pocket from many vet bills).
ALMO NATURE without additives or preservatives
(tuna or chicken wet food)
Wet food for cats up to eight years old
Adult cats are at their physical and health peak. They hardly get any diseases and their organs work wonderfully. If you correct their diet now, they will continue to be healthy for many more years.
And it is that at this stage wet food plays a fundamental role so that your cat maintains its excellent physical condition, as well as to avoid kidney problems.
Remember that the kidneys in cats fail due to the accumulation of work over the years, so prevention is essential. Imagine the damage that a lack of hydration and moisture in your diet can cause in your body. It’s no wonder so many cats end up suffering from kidney problems How painful are they?
Do not forget calculate the caloric content of cans to reduce the amount of dry feed you feed per day.
Between one year of age and until your cat becomes a senior, my advice is to give him between two and three servings of wet food a week. Of course, if he loves this type of food and you want to give him more, no problem. The more servings the better for your health.
Best wet food for adult cats
Which I use Currently for my cat family are these cans that I will leave you here. Regarding the quality, I have not found better. As for the price… Her happy faces and the “everything is fine” from my vet at each review are priceless.
If you want to keep your healthy and happy cats These are the best options you will find.
I will also tell you that They are not options that destroy your pocket You always have to find the perfect balance. I look for it at home just like you.
WE RECOMMEND: IAMS Delight Land Sea
I have been buying IAMS Delight in jelly for years:
- they freak out flavors (chicken, turkey, tuna…),
- It has no preservatives, no dyes, no added aromas,
- half of the content is protein of good quality and the other half water,
- it is easy to store and cleansed when serving,
- They do not expire until after 2-3 years since your purchase.
12 units for less than $9
(pack of 12 85 gr cans, ideal to replace a full meal) WE DO NOT RECOMMEND: Purina Gourmet (pate type)
Here it is simple to explain, look at its ingredients:
- meats and animal byproducts (of which chicken 4% ),
- mineral substances,
- by-products of vegetable origin,
- sugars,
- Nutritional additives: vitamin A, vitamin D3, ferrous sulfate monohydrate, calcium iodate anhydrous, cupric sulfate pentahydrate, manganous sulfate monohydrate, zinc sulfate monohydrate,
- preservatives,
- ash.
Older cats: better wet food
a domestic cat with more than eight years is considered senior, since it has lived more than half of the average life. Therefore, her needs are different from those she had in adulthood.
If you haven’t taken care of your health properly by now, chances are you already suffer from some health problems. That is why it is so important to raise awareness about the use of wet food from a young age. You still have time to improve your quality of life.
Wet food for senior cats is an excellent way to complement all the health care that advanced age requires in a domestic feline.
Promotes the proper functioning of the kidney and digestive system, two of the most delicate organs. In addition, it gives you that extra hydration that is so important.
If your cat is within this age group, My recommendation is that you give him at least three weekly servings of wet food. Although what I really recommend is that you replace one of the daily meals of dry feed with a can of wet food; every day. Trust me, the money you’re saving on wet food will end up paying at the vet.
Wet food recommended for senior or old cats
My cat family does not need senior food yet, so I have not personally tried this selection. However, it is the one that I think I will use in a few years In view of its ingredients, as have Taurine (very necessary in all cats, especially older ones).
I tell you one thing: even if you follow my advice and you add a daily dose to your diet, you will end up saving money and, above all, trouble at the vet. And most importantly, you can extend the life of your pet several years!
WE RECOMMEND: IAMS Delights Senior
- A lot animal protein,
- taurine to help your heart,
- easy to chew and digest (important for senior cats),
- No artificial colors, GMOs, or flavor enhancers.
- IAMS is a company founded in 1946, they have a lot of experience in animal food.
IAMS Delights Senior pack of 12 85g cans
(pack of 12 85 gr cans, ideal to replace a full meal) WE DO NOT RECOMMEND: Whiskas senior cat
- little protein,
- too many animal byproducts (leftovers)
- and has added sugar, not recommended.
All wet food is not the same: tips to get it right
Although the format is the same for almost all products , the content varies greatly between different companies that offer specific wet food for cats.
You will not only find it in cans, there are also comfortable wet food sachets.
We have already talked on other occasions about the importance of choosing a good feed for your cat or dog, here we cannot let our guard down for a second. As you get confused, you will end up buying cans of food that have as main ingredients those that should be avoided.
It is important that you know that Price is not the only factor we should look at. Many products of the same quality have the same price. These are some examples with the best value for money that I have found They are not as recommended as the ones I showed you above, but they are perfectly suitable.
Check the ingredients of wet food
Many people don’t know what their pet eats. This ignorance causes the animal to take to its stomach every day things that are not very beneficial, such as animal byproducts, which are nothing more than crushed and processed bird legs, feathers and beaks.
Marketing works against you, never trust advertisements and promotional posters. For example, on some cans of wet food I have come to read the following: “Made with selected quality ingredients.” However, when you go to see the list of ingredients, do you know what was the first? Of course: “animal by-products.”
To hit with a can of wet food I advise you to follow these four rules when reviewing the product label:
- The main ingredient must be meat or fish. And it should never contain animal by-products or derivatives, not even as secondary ingredients.
- The added minerals They are not negative, but if the main ingredient is meat or fish, they are not necessary.
- The water content should vary between 60% and 85%. The rest should be almost all protein.
- Avoid those that contain flavorings, flavor enhancers, preservatives or gluten.
For example, these cans of Applaws I give them to my cats frequently. Its ingredients are the following:
Chicken breast (70%), chicken broth, duck (5%), rice.
There are other brands that also meet these minimum requirements such as Iams, Animonda either Meowing Heads.
On the other hand, many of those that appear in television or press advertisements such as Whiskas, Ultima or Felix, contain animal by-products. If you look at the label of those products, you will see that meats like chicken or duck are only present in only 3% or 4% of the product.
Benefits of introducing wet food into your cat’s diet
More than 90% of cat owners give dry food as the only food for their cats.
Improve your cat’s hydration
The Difficulty cats have drinking water Due to their physical characteristics, in the wild, they have prioritized water from food for hydration, but with dry feed that possibility does not exist.
Suddenly they had to start drinking more… without being adapted to it. Consequently, most house cats are chronically dehydrated.
When you give your cat wet food, believe it or not, you are greatly improving its hydration.
wet cat food usually oscillates between 70% and 90% humidity, so you will be giving your cat between 60 and 80 grams of water with a standard can. Imagine how long it can take your cat to drink all that amount with his tongue, the poor thing will get bored and give it up before he gets it!
The satiating power of wet food for overweight cats
I remember when my cat was overweight. She did not ration her feed, she ate until she was satisfied and, since she barely drank water, the amount of calories he was eating in a day far exceeded the recommended for a domestic cat with reduced physical activity.
The result is that between its first and third year of life it went from 4kg to more than 7kg in weight. The risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases skyrocketed.
You do not believe it? Look at the photo! There are two years and three kilos of difference. With perseverance and wet food we made it!
To solve it, one of the most important supports was wet food. My vet recommended it to me and he was absolutely right., because in this way my cat got being full at many meals, something that did not happen with dry feed.
Now he has already become accustomed to satiety that gives him wet food in his three weekly rations, although dry feed continues to be the basis of his diet.
Reduces the probability of kidney problems in your cat
The kidney problems in adult cats, especially in those sterilized, are the biggest cause of death of our beloved pets.
In most cases, the origin is the dehydration suffered by the animal due to the continuous absence of water in his body when eat only dry feed.
Giving him wet food you contribute to your cat’s kidneys having less work This will have a very positive impact on your health. You will prevent it from being annoying urine infections in the short term and even that may have renal insufficiency in a few years.
It is not a change that you can perceive externally, but yes it is possible that your cat is more active and playful as a result of having less organic stress and greater hydration.
Wet food has more nutrients than dry food
another of the more interesting advantages of this type of food is that contains more nutrients than dry feed.
Wet food is much less processed than dry food, has fewer ingredients and better preserves the natural conditions of the food. All this translates into a more minerals and vitamins.
Nevertheless, Do not make the mistake of giving wet food exclusively to your little cat. Dry food also has its advantages and, as I have already explained to you in previous sections, it is by mixing both that you get all the benefits.
Variety of textures and flavors
Can you imagine eating the same food all your life?
It is true that they do not complain if they eat the same food every day, but I guarantee that they greatly appreciate the variety of eventually introducing wet food into their diet.
Among the most notable advantages of wet food, one of the most obvious is the variety of textures and flavors.
There is a wide variety of different combinations of meat and fish I’m sure your little pussycat will love it. Also, to add even more variety you can toggle textures alternately using traditional canned food and the one that comes in form of jelly .
A 2017 study found that cats’ favorite flavors are chicken, tuna, and shrimp. Do they match those of the king of your house?
each cat is unique and has its own preferences. Observe him while he eats different varieties and thus you will discover which flavors, textures and brands he prefers. This way you can make the ideal purchase for their particular tastes next time.