Is Wet Food Healthy for Cats?

Cat owners have long debated the virtues of dry food over wet, but some experts are trying to change that perception by educating cat owners about the benefits of wet food.

  1. Benefits

    • Wet cat food provides much-needed water to the cat's diet. A cat might not be as interested in drinking water from a bowl as in eating wet cat food.

    Theories/Speculation

    • Cats have a lower tolerance for carbohydrates than humans. A strict diet of only dry food may be too high in carbohydrates. Wet cat food generally contains less carbohydrates than dry food.

    Expert Insight

    • According to Dr. Marcus Brown, co-founder of The Capitol Cat Clinic in Arlington, there is no difference in the dental health of cats fed wet food versus those fed dry food.

    Considerations

    • Dr. Brown even states that wet cat food is preferable over food and there is no need to feed a cat dry food when wet food is an option.

    Fun Fact

    • The compostion of wet food more closely resembles the foods eaten by domestic cats' ancestors.