My cat is texture sensitive and will only lick or lap up her wet food (she has no teeth). She's never had much of a thirst drive and after going wet (canned) food only she doesn't seem to drink her water any more (it's clean, fresh). So I like to add a bit of water to her food, something like 1.5 oz food gets .4 oz water.
What I've noticed is that some brands and textures hold up to added water better than others. For example, Fancy Feast classic pate (chicken) does not hold up well. It gets grainy and separates into particles and liquid. This style is a no-go, she can't mechanically/physically eat it. However something like Blue Buffalo's Tasteful Chicken pate does hold together and just gets creamy. Hill's Savory Turkey Entree (minced) also holds together and just gets creamy.
My problem is I can't seem to find many Hill's canned and Blue Buffalo has had too many issues lately with bad lots going out. So far I've found two lots from the Tastefuls line that are a no-go (the product is like overcooked: dry, hard, no chicken smell). So I'm looking for other options in this price point that are available and have better QA. I've tried TikiCat's Chicken mousse and she wouldn't eat it.
Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Travis,
You can check out the following articles:
- https://cats.com/reviews/best-canned-cat-food
- https://cats.com/high-protein-low-carb-canned-cat-food
There's a good amount of recommended canned cat food to chose from...
One tip that worked for my cats, is to add some natural plants to a higher vase of water.
Have a look at it and let us know if those can work for you.
Hi Travis,
I thought it might also be helpful to add that as wet/canned foods have a high moisture content (70-80%) it's not uncommon to notice a decrease in water intake when your cat is fed an exclusively wet food diet.
You can also try to encourage your cat to drink water by offering a cat fountain (if she prefers running water) or by using her favourite type of water bowl. Many cats have preferences for the material, for example, metal or ceramic bowls and may prefer a shallow water bowl to prevent wetting their whiskers. And as you're already doing, providing access to multiple stations with fresh drinking water away from your cat's food and litter tray is also essential.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Dr Ellen Marcinkiewicz BVSc. MRCVS