Dry vs. Canned Cat Food

Which cat food is better: canned or dry?

Many cat owners prefer dry cat food, which stores easily and makes litter boxes easier to clean. Dry cat food is great in terms of cost and handling (some people can't stand the smell of canned cat food), but canned cat food is closer to raw food and contains a lot of water, which helps cats get the hydration they need. Canned food also generally contains less filler and carbohydrates, though reading the labels carefully is key. For certain cats with kidney or bowel problems, dry food can exacerbate the condition, and if your cat has urinary issues, the water content in canned food can be especially valuable. So while dry cat food is more convenient for pet owners, and many cats seem to like the crunch of dry food, wet food is an important part of a cat's diet.

Experts, including About.com's Franny Syufy, emphasize that wet food should be your cat's main food. Some, such as veterinarian Lisa A. Pierson at CatInfo.org, go even further, saying that dry food should be eliminated altogether. "I would much rather see a cat eat any canned food versus any dry food -- regardless of quality level of the canned food," she writes, going on to include supermarket-grade foods in that assessment. Still, most experts say that small amounts of dry food can be used for variety, convenience and cost savings. Feeding half-dry, half-wet is still better than feeding only dry. Small amounts of dry food may be a slight help in keeping cats' teeth clean, though some experts say this is a myth.

Premium cat foods and cost

Although the best cat foods cost more due to the high quality of their ingredients, experts note that premium cat foods are so densely packed with nutrients and calories (a good thing for animals) that your cat can be satisfied with smaller servings, which benefits your pet's digestion and weight, as well as your wallet. Because these foods contain less filler, your cat absorbs more of the food consumed as nutrients, so less is passed as waste.

Premium cat foods do cost significantly more per ounce than the cheapest brands, but the amount of food your cat actually needs to eat can be reduced with higher-quality meals -- your cat can eat less and be satiated. You may be paying more per pound of food, but you will get more feedings out of each of those pounds. For example, Natural Balance recommends feeding one can of its Indoor Cat Formula (*Est. $1.10 for a 6-oz. can) per 8 pounds of body weight per day. A supermarket brand such as 9Lives (*Est. 50 cents for a 5.5-oz. can) is initially much less expensive. However, according to the can's feeding guidelines, a 6- to 8-pound cat should be fed two 5.5-oz. cans per day. That difference in recommended feeding size makes the higher-quality cat food cost-competitive. Some other premium cat foods cost a lot more than Natural Balance, of course, but the same principle applies, which serves to narrow the price gap.