We have all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” When it comes to cats and cat food, this statement has never been truer. Cats have very specific nutritional needs, so it is essential to carefully consider the form and type of food you provide to best support their optimum health. While dry and canned cat foods are both readily available, recent studies suggest that canned cat food may be the healthier choice.
Until recently, dry food was considered the “best” option for cats and was extensively advertised and widely recommended by veterinarians. However, opinions have shifted in the last few years, revealing that feeding dry food may actually have detrimental effects on your cat’s health. In fact, diets consisting of dry cat food have been linked to a higher incidence of chronic dehydration, urinary tract disease, and renal failure.
Today’s cats are descendants of true carnivores. Evolved in the deserts of Africa, cats adapted to their environment by meeting their water needs solely through the moisture found in their prey. This natural diet contained at least 65% water, while commercial dry food contains no more than 10% moisture. Since drinking water is a learned behavior, not a natural one, cats often do not drink enough to compensate for the lack of moisture in their diet. In contrast, commercially prepared canned food typically contains 40-45% water—much higher than dry food, though still not as high as the moisture content in their wild prey.
The Importance of Hydration
Renal failure is a progressive and ultimately terminal condition for which there is no cure, only supportive care. The kidneys perform several essential functions in cats, including filtering waste products from the blood, regulating electrolytes, and producing and concentrating urine. As kidney failure progresses, these functions gradually decline. Chronic dehydration and reduced water intake contribute to an increased load on the kidneys, potentially leading to renal failure. Additionally, grain proteins found in dry food release more waste upon digestion, causing further strain on the kidneys to expel waste materials.
Urinary tract problems are often linked to dehydration and reduced water intake. The incidence of urinary tract issues—such as infections, stones, and crystals—is significantly higher in cats that consume a dry food diet compared to those that eat canned food.
In the wild, cats thrive on a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, which consists of approximately 1-2% carbohydrates. In contrast, commercial dry foods often use carbohydrates as a source of calories and to increase bulk, comprising up to 45% of a dry food diet. Cats primarily metabolize fat and protein for energy, leading the liver to convert most carbohydrates into body fat. Canned cat food, on the other hand, has a much lower carbohydrate content, providing the essential nutrition your cat needs for energy.
Compared to dogs, cats require a much higher amount of protein in their diets due to their inability to regulate the breakdown of liver enzymes. If a diet is insufficiently high in protein, the body will start to utilize and break down the cat’s own muscle for energy. Canned cat food, which lacks fillers like wheat, grain, and corn, generally has a higher protein content.
Despite the advantages of canned cat food, not all canned options provide the same standard of nutrition. Some contain less actual meat and derive protein from other sources. Since real meat is the most critical ingredient in cat food, it should be listed as the first ingredient on the label. Moreover, if a food is named specifically for its main ingredient, such as “Chicken Cat Food,” that ingredient must constitute at least 70% of the total weight. If a food name includes the words “dinner” or “formula,” like “Beef Formula,” the named ingredient only needs to be at least 25% of the total weight, often resulting in fillers making up the rest of the content.
Canned cat food is increasingly recognized for its greater nutritional value and its role in disease prevention. It is vital to be proactive in choosing a canned cat food that meets your feline friend’s unique nutritional needs.
