Canned Cat Food Information

Cats are carnivorous animals that need to have meat in their diet for optimal health. Canned cat food offers a variety of meat for cats that can't get out and hunt or that do not have the natural instinct to do so. A cat's body is primed to use protein first for energy, unlike a human's body that uses carbohydrates.

  1. Variety

    • Cats have a tendency to become food addicted, meaning that they will become so finicky that they will eat only one flavor and type of food. Canned food has many varieties in flavor and consistency. Cats as hunters will eat mice, birds, rabbits and even insects. Cats' digestive systems work better with a variety of different flavors of canned food. Consistency also varies in canned foods, from being pureed to being stringy or chunky. This also helps keep a cat from becoming attached to one flavor or type of food.

    Strong Smell

    • Overweight cats are not uncommon but it is unhealthy.

      When opening a can of cat food there is always a very strong odor of the flavor of the meat or fat that is in the food. Cats are attracted to the strong smell of the meat or fats just as if they had a fresh kill to eat. The problem with canned foods is that many cats tend to overeat just because it tastes good and their owners continue to feed them because they think the cat is still hungry.

    Dehydration

    • Since the feline has ancestry of cats that have lived in the desert areas where water is very scarce, their kidneys are very efficient. The cat's body hydrates itself from the food that the cat eats more than the water that it drinks. This is why cats battle kidney disease and urinary tract infections. Some cats will not drink water until they are 3 to 5 percent dehydrated, so they need canned cat food in their diet. The moisture content in canned cat food is very beneficial compared to dry food alone.

    Dry Cat Food

    • Dry cat food is good to have down for extra food because it does help reduce plaque on the teeth and keep bad breath to a minimum. Dry cat food, however, is also dehydrating because there is little moisture content to it. Adding water or milk to the dry food does not help fluid intake because any bacteria on the dry food will only grow in the moisture and give your cat an upset stomach.

    Considerations

    • If your cat is not eating canned cat food already, gradually add canned food into the diet. You can do this by putting your cat on a feeding schedule. Put the canned food down first so that the cat will start to eat or at least lick at the canned food, then put the dry food down. Keep introducing the canned food this way and eventually the cat will start to eat more of it.