Is it unhealthy for my can to only eat canned cat food?

Margaretta

My cats are about 2 years old, and one of them will only eat canned cat food. He will meow and follow me around until I give him some, even if there is a bowl full of dry cat food. Is this unhealthy for my cat, or should I not give in and wait until he gets hungry enough that hell eat the dry food?



Cedric

Its definitely not unhealthy to eat only wet food, although some cats do enjoy the crunch of kibble. An increasing number of American Veterinary Medical Association members, including board-certified veterinary nutritionists, are now strongly recommending the feeding of canned food instead of dry kibble. The three key negative issues associated with dry food are:1) type of protein - too high in plant-based versus animal-based proteins2) carbohydrate load is too high3) water content is too low



Herminia

It depends on what cat it is. I wouldent say canned food is unhealthy. But if it is just a little kitty give it canned food once it is a grown cat give it some solid food. But if the cat is a pedigree that u might as well give it some canned food.(make sure it is fancy:)



Hortensia

I have found from my experience with cats is that when they have only had canned food.. they put on too much weight.. too quickly. You may want to check with your vet on this one too.



Abby

I think you mean cat...instead of can. You should feed a combination of hard and soft cat food. You might want to consult your veterinarian for a healthy balance. With the pet food scare recently, I actually feed my cats protein and no grain. I feed soft food, but for dry food, I use the Ev or Evolutionary diet. It contains a minimal amount of grains, which actually is better for your cat.



Elenore

Nothing wrong with giving your cat can food. I have 2 cats that will eat can food as well as the dry cereal. The other one will only eat cereal and she is actually a little fatter than the other 2. My mothers cat is about 16 and love the can food. Her other cats lived into their late teens as well on can food. Not harmful at all.



Damion

Cats can be perfectly fine on an all-canned diet - as long as its high quality food! If your cat is even slightly prone to being overweight youll soon know about it if youre feeding anything like Whiskas, Felix, Fancy Feast, Sheba - that sort of stuff. Id recommend Iams or Hills Science Diet. The only other thing is that an all wet diet will probably mean the cat will need dental work by about twelve years of age. I would therefore suggest mixing just a few biscuits into the canned, preferably very hard ones, just to give her teeth the occasional crunch! Chalice



Ginny

Cats thrive on a wet food only diet. A cat needs a high protien diet with few carbs which a canned food provides. It also gives them the water that they do not get with dry food. Dry food does not help to keep teeth clean and can actually cause tooth problems because pieces break off of the dry food and become caught between the teeth adding to tooth decay. If you can afford it a wet food diet is one of the best things that you can do for your cat.



Aleshia

From my own experience, wet cat food has always made my cats have a messy litter box(if u know what i mean) and now there is alot of recalls on wet cat and dog food. my cats beg for wet cat food and scraps, but they eventually learn to eat dry cat food! =)



Carolina

Cats have preferences just like humans! Really, canned cat food is better for them anyway, as it contains a lot more moisture. Dry food is coated in fat to make it more palatable, and contrary to popular belief, it does nothing for their teeth! I would definitely let him eat canned food, I mean, if you really hated something it would be horrible if you HAD to eat it every day, wouldnt it? I wouldnt spoil him rotten, dont give in to every whim, but this one is reasonable, I think :) One of mine only eats canned, one mostly eats dry, and the other eats both! Regardless, be sure to provide plenty of water for them :)



Adam

Ive never experienced this with my own cats, but i have heard that it is bad for the cats kidneys.



Beula

No, its not unhealthy if you are feeding them a good premium cat food. The only concern is their teeth. If they are not eating hard, crunchy kibble, they could get a build up of tartar on their teeth real quick. You could mix a small handful of crunchy cat food in with their wet food and this may take care of the teeth problem.



Pablo

It is ok to feed your cat canned food but there teeth will not be as strong as they should be..



Karoline

Only if your can starts to get really big...then you need to put your can on a diet.:)



Carley

My cat was given 1/2 can of wet food in the morning and the other 1/2 at dinner. He also had unlimited good quality dry food (Nutro and Royal Canin) to eat. He ate both. I also feed him people food - he loved dairy, mangoes, and any dish with meat (even with hot spices). He lived to be 21 years old and was a very lively and healthy cat. In fact most people thought is was 10-12 years younger than his actual age. If you are really concerned, which there is no reason to be, than just feed your cat dry food but make sure it is a quality brand.



Arnita

It depends on the brand but wet food usually leads to obesity and bad teeth.



Cherie

Your kitty needs something hard to eat so that he can get the plaque off of his teeth. He is also spoiled, and will eat dry food if he has too. Yes he will meow and follow you and annoy you but it is good that he eats the dry stuff too.



Jonelle

Well...your cats need dry food to keep their teeth strong. if you dont feed them that then their teeth will rot out. try mixing the dry and canned food together. it usually workS!



Maryalice

Yes. Canned cat food can cause pancreatitis, kidney stones other weird things. Most vets will recommend a dry diet.