Myth # 1: Dry food is better for my cat than wet food.
False! While dry food does leave less residue on cats' teeth, thus creating less plaque buildup and tartar formation, dry food is far less natural for your cat than wet food, and the few dental benefits of dry food do NOT outweigh the health advantages of wet food... there is no contest!
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Feral cats hunt mice, birds, and other small prey animals because they are obligate carnivores. When comparing water content, protein, fat, and other elements within the nutritional composition profiles of feline prey species to both dry and wet cat foods, wet foods are more analogous to cats' natural diet than dry foods are - by far!
Wet food is approximately 70% to 80% water content which is similar to the water content of prey species' bodies.
Cats who eat wet food consume 3 to 5 times the amount of water over the course of the day relative to cats who eat dry food.
Cats were originally desert creatures and inhabited areas where water was not freely available for consumption. This means two things: 1) cats are meant to hydrate themselves via their food intake, and 2) their kidneys developed the capacity to produce highly concentrated urine to conserve their body water in times when prey was scarce and water was unavailable. So when cats do not obtain water through their diets because their diet is composed mainly of dry food, their kidneys chronically conserve their body water by producing the highly concentrated urine they are capable of making. Their kidneys spend a lifetime working very hard in order to compensate for their decreased water intake when their diets are composed of dry matter; this water conservation mechanism was only meant to be used in temporary times of need - not as a long-term solution to be used for decades!
Why is water intake so important for cats? Because proper hydration, as obtained via wet diets, helps prevent many human-induced (via dry diets) lower urinary tract diseases and kidney problems.
Additionally, dry food often contains grain fillers (corn, wheat, potato, rice, soy, etc.) that are entirely inappropriate for obligate carnivores to be ingesting. Evolutionarily cats were not built to digest grains. And although there are now a few 'high quality' dry foods on the market that are not made with grains, the fact remains that dry food is still dense (97% dry matter), is hard on cats' GI tracts and still results in decreased water intake. Avoiding dry food and unnatural ingredients in your cats' diets (even the wet ones) helps prevent human-induced diseases (via diet) such as inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic enteritis, pancreatitis, triaditis, intestinal lymphoma, and many many more.
Myth #2: Animal by-products listed in the ingredients of cat foods means that the food is low quality and non-nutritious.
False! While most humans don't want animal by-products on their plates (by-products can include bone, skin, eyes, intestines, chicken feet, undeveloped eggs, etc.), they are still very nutritious body parts and in some cultures many by-products are even considered to be delicacies!
When cats hunt and eat their prey (eg. mice), they don't skin them, remove the muscle from the bones, and toss aside the viscera: they eat the entire mouse, rarely leaving any 'by-products' behind!
That said, kitties still need to eat muscle tissue along with the other bits and pieces that may be included in their suppers in order to get enough protein in their food, so a good quality cat diet should contain a significant amount of 'real meat' as well!
Myth #3: I don't need to regulate the amount of food my cat eats because, unlike dogs, cats can regulate their own food intake and will not overeat.
False! Many cats will indulge in overeating just like dogs and humans do. In fact, obesity is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem among North American cats, particularly for indoor cats who are fed dry food. Many cat owners allow their kitties to free feed on dry food, and the food bowls are just topped up with kibble every several days when they're looking a bit low.
Dry food is very calorie dense in comparison with wet food or a natural feline diet consisting of prey species, so the volume of food that is equal to an average cat's daily caloric requirements is relatively small.
This means that many cats do not feel satiated by the small volume of dry food that is equal to their daily caloric needs, and therefore they unwittingly consume excessive calories since they continue to eat more dry food in order to feel full.
Just a few of the reasons that obesity poses health risks to cats include the following: 1) obesity leads to diabetes (a disease that is now rampant in our domestic cat population), 2) early onset of severe arthritis, 3) increased risk of urinary tract problems, 4) increased risk of liver failure when obese cats become ill and stop eating, 5) decreased quality of life due to lethargy and low energy levels, and 6) decreased capacity to have thorough veterinary physical exams performed.
Additionally, unless the amount of food that is fed on a daily basis is quantified, it is very difficult to recognize when a cat stops eating if they are fed dry food. If the food dish is just topped up periodically, it may be a matter of days before their inappetence is noted, at which point illness may have progressed significantly.
Cats naturally eat ten to twenty small meals per day, so it is best to feed them as many small meals (of wet food!) as possible.
Myth #4: Cats only need to be fed once or twice per day.
False! Cats will naturally eat ten to twenty small meals per day, so it is best to feed them as many small meals as possible.
Logistically it can be somewhat difficult for working owners to provide this ideal number of feedings, but when possible, feedings should be done upon waking up, again in the morning before leaving for work, immediately upon returning home from work, and then once or twice more before going to bed.
Leaving a very very small amount of dry food or better yet, high quality freeze-dried meat treats, available in puzzle feeders while away from home during the day, and when in bed during the night, allows cats to enjoy small feedings at their leisure and will encourage natural foraging/hunting behaviors (and may help prevent your kitty from waking you up at 5 AM for their breakfast feeding!).
For practical reasons, wet food needs to be fed in small frequent meals because most cats won't eat wet food that has been out for longer than 30 minutes.
Once wet food has dried up from exposure at room temperature it loses its appeal to cats, and additionally, will grow bacteria, which means it won't be safe for cats to consume.
Wet food should not be left out for more than 15 to 30 minutes and if not immediately placed refrigerated once meal time is finished it should be thrown away.
Myth #5: My cat goes crazy over wet food, and wet food will make my cat fat.
False! While many people make the assumption that wet cat food is fattening, this is a gross misconception.
Intuitively it seems to make sense: wet food smells rich and enticing, many cats gobble their wet food with an enthusiasm they rarely display when presented dry food, and even the moistness of the wet food looks fattening! However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Canned food is approximately 70% to 80% water content, so while it may seem rich and delectable, it is actually very calorically dilute (literally!) in comparison to dry food. It's mostly made of water!
Dry cat food (kibble) is approximately 97% dry matter, and it is extremely calorie dense.
Kibble is similar in concept to a human meal-replacement bar; it's a compact little item that contains all of the nutrients and calories that are required but, who feels full after one little bar?! It would take four or five meal bars to actually feel physically full as though one had eaten an entire meal, and the very same problem exists with dry cat food.
Only a small volume of dry food provides the calories necessary to meet cats' daily caloric needs, but since most cats do not feel satiated by the tiny volume that equals their daily caloric needs, they eat larger volumes than they actually require in time, this leads to obesity which frequently results in diabetes over time.
Myth #6: My cat can eat the same type of food at all stages of life.
False! Kittens, adults, and geriatric cats all have slightly different nutritional requirements, and it is important that they be fed appropriate diets for their stage of life. Additionally, some cats may have particular diseases that may require specific diets to aid with their disease management.
Myth #7: Cats who eat dry food drink more water, so dry food is healthier than wet food.
False! While cats who eat dry food may appear to be ingesting more water (and they certainly do spend more time visibly drinking from their water dishes), in actuality they only consume one third to one fifth of the amount of water over the course of a day as cats who eat canned food do!
The reason that cats who eat canned food ingest so much more water than those eating dry food, is because canned food is anywhere from 70% to 80% water content (in comparison to dry food which is only 3% water content).
Despite the fact that cats on dry diets appear to drink large quantities of water from their water bowls, they actually do not compensate nearly to the point of actually equaling the amount of water that cats who eat wet food consume on a daily basis.
Cats were originally desert creatures and they evolved to have the capacity to concentrate their urine very highly.
Thus, cats who eat dry food only take in enough water to remain adequately hydrated while their kidneys work in overdrive day in and day out, producing highly concentrated urine to bridge the gap for them. In turn this chronically concentrated urine causes urinary crystals, bladder and kidney stones, kidney disease, idiopathic cystitis, urinary obstruction, and many more serious health problems.
Myth #8: Cat treats are not a significant source of calories so I give my kitty lots of them.
False! Depending on the type of cat treats that are being fed, they can be a dangerously high source of calories!
Over-treating your cat can be a contributing factor in the development of obesity, so it's a good idea to know the caloric content of the treats you feed your cat.
For example, Pounce treats are 10 kcal/treat; Temptations are 2 kcal/treat; and MediCal treats are 1 kcal/treat.
So if you give your cat 5 Pounce treats in one day, this is equal to 50 kcal.
Since the average adult cat needs approximately 200 to 250 kcal/day, 5 Pounce treats is actually about one quarter of an adult cat's daily caloric requirements! Which means that their meal portions for that day would need to be significantly reduced.
5 Temptations treats, on the other hand, are only equal to 10 kcal, and so are a relatively low calorie choice.
The bottom line is that you can feed your cat treats, but you need to include your cat's treat calories in their calorie count for the day.
Also, keep in mind that many cat treats are similar to dry food in that they can include many inappropriate ingredients for our little carnivores, including food coloring. For this reason, I tend to stick to freeze dried meat treats - they are much healthier and contain no added ingredients!
Myth #9: Organic cat foods and holistic cat foods tend to include veggies and fruits in them, which means that they are wholesome, higher quality, and more nutritious for my cat.
False! It is true that many organic and holistic cat foods contain veggies and fruits in their ingredient lists. But while the concept of organic cat food is a good one, the fruits and vegetables that are frequently included in these diets tend to actually detract from their overall healthiness and suitability.
Organic food is an important part of healthy living, but unfortunately many organic cat foods that are commercially available today include inappropriate ingredients in their make-up. Vegetables and fruits are included in cat diets purely for marketing purposes. This tactic is very effective because we humans - the consumers! - have the preconceived notion that these items are healthy and wholesome: which they are, but that's because we are omnivores!
Cats are obligate carnivores which means that their digestive tracts are built solely for the purpose of ingesting prey, and are not designed to digest herbivorous food. If cats were pushing their own shopping carts through pet store aisles, the food companies would not be marketing their feline diets with veggie and fruit ingredients, and nor would they be enhancing their diets' appearance with artificial food coloring!
Cats are primary protein users for energy, and the only veggie matter that would normally be ingested by cats would be the very minute amount present in the intestines of their prey, which is already digested. Blueberries, apples, carrots, etc., are simply not appropriate for the feline diet!
Myth #10: Making a home-cooked diet for my cat is easy. I will simply cook some meat for my cat, or perhaps find an online recipe for cat food.
False! Cats have very specific nutritional requirements, including essential amino acids that absolutely must be obtained dietetically.
Significant diseases can develop as a result of vitamin imbalances and amino acid deficiencies, and it is imperative that before switching your cat to a home-cooked diet or a raw diet that you consult with your veterinarian and obtain a balanced recipe and all of the appropriate supplements that must be included.
Top Ten Cat Food Myths and Misconceptions
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The information provided in this article is for educational reference purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice and care of your veterinarian, nor medical diagnoses or treatments. All questions regarding your cat's health should be discussed with your veterinarian.
Dr. Ko is a passionate believer in the importance of preventative medicine and educating cat owners about its benefits for their cats. It was this ideal which was the motivation for the creation of the Dr. Ko website.
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