this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2025
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I'm not your vet, so I'm sharing this for informational purposes, but your vet seems to have the opposite opinion of most vets I've spoken with. I foster with a few different organizations, so I've spoken with quite a few vets.
I had originally been feeding my own cats mostly kibble, but their vet strongly encouraged me to transition them to at least 50% wet. They won't really touch the wet if they also have kibble available, so now they only get wet food in their dishes, and kibble is reserved for use as treats. My oldest had his annual exam a few weeks ago and the vet said his teeth look great.
Studies have shown that cats that eat primarily dry food may drink more water than cats that eat primarily wet food, but cats on a primarily wet food diet overall consume more water. This is particularly important for their kidney and urinary health.
Dry food also tends to be much higher in carbohydrates, and cats really don't need carbohydrates, like at all. They need lots of protein and some fat.
Yeah I've heard the same thing. Wet food is better for them.
+1 this is what I have been told by vets and cat rescue organizations when we were going through the adoption process
Multiple vets and the university animal hospital adviced against wet food, so I'm going to follow their advice. But I will sure ask them again knowing this information. Thanks!
You know that many vets and universities get kick backs or receive funding from kibble companies right? I was training to be a vet nurse (I have the prerequisite qualification and only reason I didn't finish was because my disability worsened and I was unable to do the clinic hours) so I'm not just some rando giving advice.... We switched our cats to raw food a decade ago and they have never been healthier. Cats are obligate carnivores and in the wild they eat almost nothing but raw meat (a little vegetable matter in the guts of their prey and eating grass, etc). Cats have evolved over millennia to eat raw meat. Their physiology is not adapted to eat the high amounts of carbohydrates in kibble. Not to mention the high rates of kidney disease, diabetes, dental disease, etc. with feeding kibble. Kibble is a species inappropriate diet no different from humans eating junk food. For the same reasons humans get diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. from eating junk food, cats suffer poor health eating kibble. The kibble industry is a billion dollar industry with a vested interest in keeping vets and pet owners hooked. If you can't feed raw, feed wet. Its not ideal, bit it's far better than kibble. Your kitty deserves better than the bs the kibble industry spouts.
EDIT: While I'm thinking about it, do not feed cats beef. It is one of the single biggest contributors to allergies. Small cats eat small prey and cows are definitely not small. Again, their physiology is not designed to handle digesting meat from large animals. Beef is allergenic to cats.
I know vets have contracts with food companies, but these companies also sell wet food which is more expensive so you'd expect vets to try and sell you we food instead. These companies tell you to combine dry and wet food, they have charts to tell you how much of each for your cat. Instead, several vet offices with different contracts all tell me the same, as well as the university hospital, to stick with only dry food so I'm going to stick with that. Wet food isn't great for their teeth and it has too much protein making them fat. My cats are super healthy with a perfect weight. They just need water available at all times so I give them fresh water daily and they have 2 cat fountains.