Hello, human darlings,
We have a confession: the plan, this issue, was to *finally* break down, in a straightforward way, how much cats should be eating for their weight, age, and size. It's a hella confusing topic, with conflicting info…and, honestly, it's gonna take more work and more knowledge that we have right now to really do it justice.
So, we're sticking a pin in it, for now -- and pivoting slightly to still cover a food topic (this is the month of American Thanksgiving, after all): the differences between cat foods, and the age-old question of what is, really and truly, healthiest to feed cats.
Food, food, marvelous food
There are a lot of different types of commercially-available food. There's shelf-stable food (the cans and bags most familiar to us), and fresh food (refrigerated, raw, and/or dehydrated, all of which have grown in popularity over the past decade). There's also, less commonly, home-prepared food, made with human-grade ingredients.
So, there no shortage of foodage options.
But which one is best?
Welp. The short answer is this: the best food is the most densely nutritious one that you can afford and which your cat will eat. But let's meander through the long answer, shall we?
Picky fiends
Some cats love dry food. Others eat it grudgingly. A few like it for a snack, or to graze on, lightly, through the day.
Other cats are wet food freaks. And within wet/fresh/dehydrated/and home-cooked, there's the question of how wet (soupy to near dry) and all the various textures (pate versus shreds, or "morsels" as opposed to "bites," and so on).
Indeed, when hungry enough, a cat will eat beyond their preference -- and even dip into human foods that usually hold no appeal. But when regularly fed, cats will, without a doubt, indicate their joy or laser-sharp dismay at the fest laid before them.
And, as you'll notice, food they love one day will be the next day's punishment. This can be difficult and frustrating, but they are not trying to piss us off. Their fickle palate is hard-wired, and has been refined by evolution: cats, as we know, are obligate (strict) carnivores. They get the majority of their nutrition from meat, and have a limited capacity to digest carbohydrates (to the point where carbs act much like fiber does in our diets, indigestible matter which helps with digestion and pooping). In order to make sure they are getting a balanced diet, it was crucial that they eat a variety of meats -- hence, why they lurve turkey today, but won't glance at it tomorrow, but then when you finally give up on the standoff, dump the turkey, and offer them the tuna flavor…they nom it up.
Also, food tends to appeal more when it has a pungent odor (the smellier, the better, though, of course, not a foul/rotten odor) and when it is at room temperature. Again, hard-wired. Bad stink and cold/hot food, in the wild, signifies old meat, something cats wisely ignore.
Wet or dry?
Dry food is convenient. It's easy to deal with, has a good shelf life (if you keep the bag or container well-sealed), relatively inexpensive, and great for cats who like small meals throughout the day…or, more pointedly, for the cats that prefer the dry crunch.
Canned wet food is convenient and has a good shelf life (unopened). Depending on the size of the can, easy to deal with (unless it requires portioning). It's slightly more expensive than dry food, and, ordinarily, is the most popular type of food to cats. Few cats flat out refuse a good can of wet food. (I'm including dehydrated food, like The Honest Kitchen, Dr. Marty's, and ZIWI here, since it looks like dry food, but acts like wet food).
Fresh food -- which can be purchased at specialty and pet stores -- or cooked at home (this is a great site, but never start on homemade food full throttle without talking to your vet) is the opposite of all of the above. Pre-made food is spendy, needs to be refrigerated (then warmed to room temp), and spoils quickly (because it's often raw). There are good reasons to turn to fully fresh food (cats with severe food allergies or certain conditions) and many experts believe this is the best option for cats (I don't agree nor disagree…you'll see why). I don't think this needs to be an option though, unless your vet advises it or you are willing and able to commit the funds (for pre-packed) or the time (cooking).
So, which is best? You haven't answered!
Overall, a variety of fresh foods, made to exact veterinary nutritionist specifications, is going to be the best diet for a cat. It's closest to what cats eat in the wild. In a perfect world, that's how we'd feed our cats, like their ancestors.
Then again, hunting cats feed up to 20 times a day, a few mouthfuls at a time (birds and small prey are…small). We don't live in a perfect world where we can serve raw tapas to our cats that frequently, even if we want to.
So, stuck in our imperfect world, with limited time and money…it depends on your cat. You want to feed cats the best quality food (that you can afford and access) in the format they're most likely to eat, whatever that is.
The adage that wet food is always better stems from the fact that cats, in general, are not great at drinking water. Wet (including fresh) food provides not just food, but moisture.
That being said, it doesn't mean wet food is always more nutritious. It depends on the ingredients, not the consistency. You can find wet food that is the equivalent of Taco Bell, and dry food that's made from high quality, healthful stuff.
Look at the ingredients. You want the first several ingredients to be meat-based (and really, when it says "by-products," what's meant is pieces of an animal that don't qualify as "meat," but are edible parts -- feet, gizzards, organs, skin, and the like, usually ground up. It doesn't sound delicious, but isn't something to be feared). It's good to see taurine added -- it is an essential amino acid for cats, and is usually present in most animal products, but now all). Higher quality carbs/veg are also good, but they should be listed a good bit after meats -- pumpkin, brown rice, spinach are good quality, while corn and wheat are…less so. Labeling a food as "grain-free" is a good, initial indicator that the food doesn't have a lot of fillers (corn and wheat), but you should still look at the ingredients.
If you have a dry food lover, and the food they eat is decently nutritious, don't feel like you have to shoehorn in wet food. However, consider experimenting with ways to encourage them to drink water, for a healthy urinary tract (older boy cats notoriously get urinary tract infections caused by dehydration). See if they'll take to a kitty fountain or a lightly running tap if they aren't into a water dish (that you change frequently, amirite?).
Stuff that doesn't matter
You may have a personal, philosophical objection or preference, but cat food is no more or less nutritious if it's organic or non-GMO. Anyone who says differently is trying to sell you something.
Be wary of proclamations that cat food is "human-grade." Cool, cool, but humans don't eat the same things as cats (like, I'm not going to chow down on, say, a newly killed, raw mouse for lots of reasons, but for cats, that can be primo snackage). Human-grade means humans can eat it, but more specifically, humans would eat it (I mean, we could eat that mouse…but probably, barring unfortunate circumstances, won't).
Unless you have a yearning to literally share your cats' food, there is no reason it has to also be human grade.
Or…
Human foods cool for cats
If you really want to have a cat-human party, here are foods we both can happily and safely eat (almost all the ingredients for a kick-ass brunch IMHO):
Cooked for farm-fresh meat and fish (not preserved or processed, no bacon)
Cooked or farm fresh raw eggs
Cantaloupe
Blueberries
Plain bread
Watermelon
Apple slices
Pumpkin (not spiced, not pie, sorry)
Hard cheese
Bananas
Plain oatmeal (though throw in some bananas or blueberries, YUM)
And that’s the whole enchilada — unless you have more burning food questions, which are always welcome! You can write in to ask, or to request a topic, anytime.
Note: I'm not a medical professional. As always, you know your cat best. Follow your common sense and consult with your veterinarian. If you need low-cost veterinary services, the Humane Society has some options, but you can always call 211 for your area (in the US) to find out about clinics near you.
Next issue, we’ll answer some reader questions (yay!). Stay tuned; it’ll be a tasty issue.
Nom-ingly yours,
The whole Chowder of Clowder