What is best to feed your cat on, dried or wet foods (tinned)?
One of the most important things you can do when searching for a great, healthy food to feed your cats is make sure it does not contain wheat gluten. Wet or dry food can contain this ingredient and it can really harm your felines.
Wheat gluten is highly allergenic and also hooks onto to the intestinal lining and really harms the intestinal tract. Cats are very sensitive to this ingredient and depending upon the cat, the side effects can be very apparent (hair loss, excessive scratching, bad temperament, diarrhea) or less so (eventual bowel obstruction, lethargy, poor nutritional absorption).
Many cats are just lazy, so it is hard to tell if your cat is just nap happy or feeling under par. Because the gluten sticks to the lining of the intestinal tract, much of the nutrition from food does not get absorbed causing unnecessary malnutrition. After enough build up, the cat can experience digestive obstruction, which is a very serious issue.
Whether you feed your cat wet food or dry, wheat gluten should be avoided. Vets usually say to feed a combination of both wet and dry food, limiting the wet variety to 3 to 5 time per week. This is better for both the kidneys and you cats teeth. A steady diet of wet food can lead to your cat having a weight problem, as most have a high carbohydrate content.
Wellness Brand claims to be grain free and does not use wheat gluten in their products. Fancy Feast brand of wet food has several varieties that are gluten free as well
The following are Fancy Feast flavors contain NO wheat gluten and are below 10% carbs:
- Tender Beef Feast
- Tender Beef & Liver Feast
- Tender Beef & Chicken Feast
- Gourmet Chicken Feast
- Turkey & Giblets Feast
- Tender Liver & Chicken Feast
- Chopped Grill Feast
- Flaked Fish & Shrimp Feast
- Savory Salmon Feast
- Flaked Ocean Fish Feast
- Tuna and Oceanfish Feast
Do read the label, as there are many similar sounding names. If the name on the can includes the word "gravy" it is sure to have the wheat gluten and should be avoided.
*Remember that it is a good idea to limit serving fish to just a few times a week.
On a personal note, once I removed wheat gluten from my own cat’s diet, they began to act like kittens again. Their coat began to gleam and their temperament improved substantially.
Hi there, GREAT question! There is a lot of misinformation flying around the internet about cat food, and television ads in the USA are ripe for spreading this information. Far more interested in making a profit than really feeding felines what they need to keep them healthy and fit, they go to extremes to sell their products and make them sound like the owner is the “best” provider. I just love the ads for “Cat food designed for the indoor cat” and show a cat eating dinner surrounded by a forest or another magnficent outdoor scenario. I mean give us a break! Then of course the “dental care” aspects of dry food; ” Use our dry food which will keep your cat’s teeth and gums healthy”. Sigh! I have never had one of my cats chew dry food thoroughly. In fact I give them Evo cat and kitten food as a treat and reward. One of my cats has no teeth and he just swallows it whole! The only way to keep teeth and gums healthy and clean are to brush them and have regular dental care with their vets. H
