My Cat Doesn't Eat Wet Food: Is that a Problem?
Cats can be very picky when it comes to their food. For example, cats might only eat dry food and stubbornly refuse to eat any wet food at all. In the following, we will explain whether this has any disadvantages regarding the animals' health and whether it can adequately supply the four-legged friends with all the nutrients they need.
My cat doesn't eat wet food – the main points at a glance
- Feeding exclusively dry food guarantees an adequate nutrient supply just like feeding with wet food.
- Due to the low moisture content of dry food, it is important that cats who don't eat wet food drink plenty of water.
- Dry food is comparatively high in calories, which must be taken into account when determining the correct amount of food to avoid obesity.
- If a cat doesn't eat wet food, switching to a high-quality variety made from natural ingredients can often help.
Every cat's preferences vary
We generally recommend cat owners to feed their felines both dry food and wet food. However, it is not uncommon for the four-legged friends to have preferences and prefer one food over the other.
Some cats will not even eat wet food at all and vice versa. So if that's the case for your four-legged friend, you're not alone. Cats have a mind of their own, which is also reflected in their eating habits.
It is therefore all the more important to choose good quality cat food, so that your four-legged friend is supplied with all nutrients they need, regardless of their preferences.
Adequate cat nutrition without wet food?
Dry and wet food differ not only in their shape and texture. In addition, there are also differences regarding their ingredients.
If a product is referred to as a complete food, both dry food and wet food contain all the necessary nutrients to provide your cat optimally with everything they need. In that respect you don't have to worry if your cat refuses to eat wet food and only eats dry cat food instead.
Wet food contributes to the animal's fluid intake
If your cat does not like wet food, it is particularly important that you make sure that the animal drinks plenty of water. This is because the moisture content of dry food is significantly lower than that of wet food.
While your four-legged friend can meet a good part of their liquid requirements with wet food, this is not an option if they are fed exclusively with dry food.
Since some cats hardly drink any water, this can be a problem in the long run. Inadequate fluid intake puts a particular strain on the kidneys, which over time can lead to kidney failure in cats. In addition, the risk of urinary gravel and urinary stones in cats increases if the animals' liquid intake is permanently too low.
If your cat does not eat wet food, you must therefore make sure that the four-legged friend always has fresh water available to drink. If that doesn't work, a little creativity can sometimes help. For example, try stimulating your cat's interest with a drinking fountain to encourage the animal to drink more.
Dry food is higher in calories
The low moisture content inevitably means that dry food has a significantly higher energy density than wet food. This means that you can meet your cat's calorie requirements with comparatively little food. As long as you make sure that the portions of the four-legged friend are appropriate, this is of course not a problem.
However, keep in mind that overfeeding a cat is much more likely with dry food, which inevitably leads to obesity over time. If your cat does not eat wet food, it makes sense to weigh the four-legged friend's portions.
Entice cats to wet food
There are various reasons why some cats do not eat wet food. It's not always about the taste or the texture. Maybe the food is just too cold for the four-legged friend. The wet food should be at room temperature when it is put in the feeding bowl and should therefore never be stored in the refrigerator. If your cat doesn't eat wet food, you can try warming it up a bit. Sometimes that is enough to make the food tastier for the animal.
Mixing some dry food or cat treats into the wet food can also help in some cases. This way the food contains a few crunchy bits, which can also have a positive effect on acceptance.
Wet food for four-legged gourmets
Maybe your cat simply doesn't eat their wet food because they don't like the taste of it. When you look at the list of ingredients for some brands, this is honestly not too surprising.
If this is the case, try switching to a high-quality wet food made from natural ingredients, such as the varieties found in our range. Carefully selected ingredients, a high content of animal proteins and the absence of grains and artificial flavours and preservatives make the wet cat food from I love my cat a very special treat, which in our experience even picky cats can usually not resist for long.
Get to know grain-free cat food.
My cat doesn't eat wet food – our conclusion
As you can see, it's not a problem if your cat doesn't like wet food. An adequate supply of nutrients can also be guaranteed with good quality dry food. Since the animal hardly gets any liquid with dry food, it is important that your cat drinks plenty of water in this case.
Otherwise, kidney problems and the formation of urinary stones can occur in the long run. Also, make sure that the portions match the animal's needs if your cat doesn't eat wet food. Since dry food contains a comparatively high number of calories, there is otherwise a risk that the cat will become overweight.