Why do cats need wet food?

Cats by nature are carnivorous animals. Their diet should consist of mostly protein, water, and very little carbohydrates. They are prey animals and like their big cat cousins who kill prey in the wild, they need a diet that consists of less than 10% carbohydrates. Because cats do not process carbohydrates like humans and dogs do, their diets need to be higher in protein. Wet cat food offers a high protein content while also giving your cat a higher moisture content, which is closer to their natural diet.

Obesity and the House Cat

Obesity is growing epidemic among cats. More than half of all cats are obese. The increase in overweight cats is due to the popularity of free feeding dry food. Dry food is high in carbohydrates and when offered in unlimited proportions, it can lead to obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. By feeding wet cat food, carbohydrate content is decreased and a habit of eating a meal is established so your cat can eat at certain times of the day. By feeding meals, you are in control of how much and when your cat eats, versus your cat eating unlimited amounts of food every day.

What if my cat refuses to eat wet food?

Cats are finicky. Some refuse to eat wet cat food. High-quality protein dry food diets that consist of  20% or fewer carbohydrates are available for cats and raw diets are on the rise. 

The folks over at Pet Things in Douglasville can help you choose the best cat food to feed your finicky feline. 

Written by Julie Gajewski, CPPS. Julie has been pet sitting and working in the veterinary industry as both a technician and hospital administrator since 1997. She is a pet business consultant and a guest blog writer for pet sitters across the world. She lives in Florida with her husband and furry children, 2 Pugs and 4 cats. You can find out more about Julie here.