Types of food compared: wet food, dry food or raw food?

Which type of food is best?

Dry food for the cat? Or would you prefer wet or raw food? The offer is large and the selection varied. Some people therefore wonder whether they should put wet food or dry food in their cat's bowl. Or would you prefer to use raw food for your cat? Of course, every cat owner wants the best for their beloved four-legged friend. The good news: Pet food that is commercially declared as a "complete food" for cats contains all the important nutrients that our pets need.

But you also want to consider the individual needs of your own pet. Offering dry food to a cat that, for example, habitually drinks little is not a good idea. In this case, you should switch to wet food or feed a mix of both for the sake of the cat's health.

The right diet for your pet is the basis for a long, healthy and happy animal life. Our veterinarians at Dr. Fressnapf will support you in finding the right individual diet for your pet.

To nutritional advice

Stubborn change

When it comes to eating, cats are considered picky. Often they either limit themselves to a certain variety or they pounce on new food, but only once or twice, after which they only sniff it briefly and leave it alone. But how much variety is necessary? If the cat is healthy, it can in principle be well supplied with the same food over and over again. This is because complete food, whether dry or wet, contains everything cats need for a balanced diet: proteins, fats, fibre, minerals, vitamins, bulk and trace elements. However, it becomes difficult if the cat has to be switched to a different food in old age, for example because it needs a kidney diet. Therefore, cat owners should present their pets with different food at longer intervals from time to time. This conversion should always be done gradually over a longer period of time. Some cat owners try to promote the appetite of their velvet paws by constantly developing new varieties when they are bad eaters. This can create a vicious circle because the animal becomes more and more picky. To get the cat back to normal eating behavior, it is important that you put away its food after about 20 minutes if it does not eat it. Don't present it to her again until an hour or two later. The adjustment can take a while because cats can be extremely persistent: stay strong. Just as important: Don't give treats in between, and if your cat is an outdoor cat, you should make sure that the neighbors don't feed it either.

The types of food in comparison:

• Dry food: low effort, increased water requirement, high tooth abrasion, chewing apparatus is strengthened, amount of food is lower due to high nutrient density
• Wet food: low effort, hardly any increased water requirement, low tooth abrasion, chewing apparatus is not stressed much, the amount of food must be higher due to low nutrient density
• Raw food: high effort, no increased water requirement, high tooth abrasion (when bones are fed), masticatory apparatus is strengthened (when bones and cartilage are fed), amount of food depends on the individual components

Mixed feeding for cats

A wild cat eats several times a day - namely whenever it catches a prey, the cat's stomach is designed for this. Mixed feeding has therefore proven to be effective: Ideally, our house cats receive their ration in three to five smaller portions of wet food – preferably slightly warmed – throughout the day. Dry food, on the other hand, can be freely available, especially because some cats like to eat at night. Dry food promotes tooth abrasion and thus dental health. But be careful: The daily ration should not be exceeded, otherwise there is a risk of obesity. Always adapt the amount of food and type of food to your cat's age and living conditions, for example, feed older animals from about eight to ten years of age senior food. A special pedigree food can also be useful, because long-haired cats or particularly large breeds such as Maine Coons have special needs. And of course, kidney or diabetes food is mandatory if the veterinarian has made a corresponding diagnosis.

AH! Katzen-Wissen

Because of their sensitive whiskers, some cats prefer shallow containers rather than deep bowls. Since they have a very good sense of smell, ceramic or stainless steel bowls are often better suited than those made of plastic. The latter can easily take on other odors.

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