Cats are accustomed to getting most of their water from their food, so switching to, or adding wet food will help with water consumption. You can even add a bit more water to the canned food, to make it more of a gruel consistency (but don't make it too soupy).
– Adding extra water to wet food can also help increase water intake. Some cats will happily eat a food that resembles soup! – Start by adding a small quantity of water (e.g. 1 dessert spoonful) and gradually increase this over a period of several days if your cat is happy to eat their watered down food.
There's a handy measurement table on the side of each bag of kibble. You can choose your own dry-to-wet food ratio, but we recommend a minimum of 1/3 wet food and 2/3 dry food. Wet and dry food have different calories per gram, so you can't just interchange them.
Wet or canned food contains about 80% water where as dry food contains about 10%. A 4kg cat solely eating canned food may only need to drink about 30ml of water per day where as the same cat eating only dry food would need to drink more than 200ml of water per day.
Cats are neophiliacs, meaning they appreciate trying new things. They may get bored eating the same food the same way day in and day out. Mixing wet and dry cat food for a meal or feeding them at separate meals is a good way to give your cat the variety she not only wants, but also needs.
Cats can and should eat wet food every day because it agrees with the feline digestive system better than dry or semi-moist food. Wild cats hunt and eat bugs, rodents, and small birds.
Wet cat food and dry cat food each have their unique properties and drawbacks that help to offset one from the other. Mixing each together helps give the cat the best of both worlds. Dry food tends to be less expensive, can be stored easy and can be loaded into an automatic feeder.
You can feed your cat wet food daily. If you're wondering, “how much wet food should I feed my cat?” check the can or consult your veterinarian for feeding recommendations. In general, you can feed an average-sized adult cat one 3-ounce can per 3 to 3½ pounds of body weight daily.
Many wet foods come in three-ounce cans and recommend feeding approximately one can a day for every three to three and a half pounds of body weight. However, brands vary. A happy, healthy cat will maintain a good weight and stay active.
If your cat likes to drink out of a water glass, leaving one out for her at night can actually be a great way to get more moisture into her. That's important because cats have a low thirst drive that can lead to chronic dehydration. The risk of problems like kidney disease goes up when a cat doesn't drink enough water.
Try adding in some warm water to dilute the wet food and to give it an easier to chew consistency. If your cat still doesn't seem interested, try putting a small amount on the tip of their nose or paw. Sometimes that's enough to get them interested. Try switching it up!
Crush some dry food and sprinkle it on the top of the canned food. If you do not think it will upset your cat, try gently rubbing a bit of canned food or juice on the cat's gums This may get him interested in the taste and texture of the new food – but do it gently.
Many cat owners feed only dry food to their felines. "Dry food is fine as long as it is complete and balanced," says Dr. Kallfelz.
Cats are biologically programmed not to drink water which is near their food or near their toileting area - this is thought to be their instinctive avoidance of contaminating their water with potential sources of bacteria.
Even if your cat prefers to eat their food in a few sittings, don't be tempted to leave wet food out all day, as this increases the risk of disease-causing bacteria developing. After a maximum of four hours, throw out the old food and wash the bowl properly with soap and water before refilling with fresh food.
If you open a can of wet cat food and you only use half, keep the other half in the fridge and cover it securely.
That said, the general rule that I stick by is approximately 1/4 cup of dry food twice a day for adult cats, and approximately 1/4-1/2 can of canned food (grueled with more water) as a snack. Kittens typically require feedings 3-4x/day; consider weaning them to an adult cat food around 6-8 months of age.
So,no. They are not meant for the cat to eat from. If you don't have a dish, a small plate works just fine.
The Bottom Line. While Fancy Feast can be part of a balanced diet for your cat and provides complete nutrition, it may not be quite as fancy as the name suggests. As with any food, ensure the first few ingredients are high-quality, natural proteins like fish, chicken, or meat.
Cats should eat at least two meals each day, about 12 hours apart. But a breakfast, lunch, afternoon, dinner, and right before bed schedule is an equally great option. If more than 12 hours elapses between meals, the stomach can become hyperacidic causing nausea.
Feeding Both Canned and Dry Cat Food
To balance the benefits and drawbacks of both options, you may choose to feed a combination of both. This may be particularly useful with cats who require a higher water intake but enjoy eating dry better than canned.
While a cat's natural inclination is to have many small meals spread throughout the day, a healthy cat will be perfectly content eating once or twice per day as long as she is getting what she needs from those meals.
Often, we jump to the worst conclusions and forget the obvious reason why a cat might not finish their food: its stomach is full. Cats have small stomachs; on average about the size of a ping-pong ball, so their eating patterns can involve several breaks rather than eating an entire portion in one sitting.
Urinary Tract Health — When you feed your cat wet food, it can increase your cat's water intake, resulting in more urine production.