Wet cat food: components, brands, choice, feeding schedule

So far, there has not been a consensus among veterinarians about which type of food is preferable for cats - dry or wet. Both product have both significant advantages and no less significant drawbacks, so when choosing the optimal diet for your furry pet, it is best to follow the recommendations of a specialist. Nevertheless, recent studies have confirmed that wet wet foods are more physiological, they are well absorbed and like by any cats, even the most picky and moody.

Wet foods in stores are usually presented in two options:

• in the form of small bags of spiders - they contain one portion of the nutritional composition;
• can of various sizes.

Wet food is pieces of food in a jelly-like gravy. A good product is 35% meat. Usually it is made from turkey, chicken, beef, veal, rabbit or fish. These are useful components necessary for the growth of a cat, maintaining its health and strong immunity.

20% of any food consists of protein, it can be egg or milk proteins, which are the optimal natural filler. By-products account for 10%, expensive foods contain heart and liver, cheaper ones use lungs, paws, skin, hooves and other ingredients.

Any products are enriched with vitamin-mineral complexes, they necessarily include vitamins of groups B, E and A, as well as calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron and manganese.

Depending on the components used, several classes of feed are isolated.

• Economy - The most budgetary products, well known to all breeders, and not only for active television advertising. These are Whiskas, Kitekat, Friskies, and Four-Legged Gourmet. They are cheap, but this is where the list of their advantages ends. The fact is that such feed mixtures contain a large number of artificial ingredients - preservatives, flavorings and flavor enhancers, the proportion of meat in them is small - usually it is replaced by proteins of plant origin. Such food is absorbed by the body of cats no more than 65%.

• Premium class - slightly better products, although they do not differ in a high meat content, but they are more in them than in feed marked “economy”, and nutritious offal is used. Usually they are produced in several lines - for kittens, for pregnant animals, for elderly pets, etc. Such a product is absorbed by 70-75%.

• Super premium - the cost of these products will already be palpable for the family budget, they include such food as Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin and others - the brand reputation speaks for itself, therefore the product does not need advertising. Such mixtures can only be purchased at veterinary pharmacies or pet stores. There is a lot of meat in the feed of this segment, and there are very few vegetable-type proteins, there are no artificial components at all. Similar compounds are absorbed by 90-95%.

• Holistic feed - these are the most expensive products that you can buy only in specialized stores by reservation. Only environmentally friendly products are used here: the plant part is made from crops grown without pesticides, and the meat does not contain antibiotics and hormones.

Wet feeds of domestic producers are little known among Russian breeders, however, some deserve attention.

TitBit is a feed based on natural ingredients at a reasonable price. However, veterinarians recommend using it not as a constant food product, but only as an additive that helps prevent the appearance of various eating disorders.

Mnyams is another wet food from our review, manufactured according to Russian technology at European production facilities in accordance with the highest quality standards. Among domestic products, this is one of the best products that you can offer your furry pet. The food is considered full-ration, therefore it does not require any vitamins and supplements.

“Zoogurman” is its one worthy Russian-made feed containing exclusively natural products without preservatives, glutamate and dyes. High-quality offal, ducklings, turkey, chicken, veal and beef are responsible for the protein component in it.

“Four-legged gourmet” is a product that has a balanced composition, however, the study of the label indicates the absence of such important additives as vitamins and minerals. Among the shortcomings, one can also note the presence of a gelling component of unknown origin, therefore, it cannot be confidently asserted that it has a non-synthetic origin. However, the first place in the list of its ingredients is meat, and not little-known grain mixtures mixed with fishmeal, so the product can be called quite suitable for feeding a pet.

Grandorf - this brand has appeared on the shelves of pet stores recently, but has already managed to gain recognition from breeders who regard the health of their pets with all the attention. This food is holistic, which directly indicates its exceptional quality. Despite the fact that the brand is registered in Russia, the product is manufactured in the shops of Belgium and Italy using raw materials of the Human-Grade category from ingredients suitable for human consumption.

It is quite difficult to get this product; it is not sold in all stores and is not cheap. But the reviews of animal owners claim that pets on this food are less likely to get sick and do not gain excess weight. We can safely say that this is the best domestic feed, providing full-fledged growth and development of the animal.

Among domestic breeders imported food for cats is very popular. Let us dwell on the most popular.

Traditionally, this feed is classified as an economy-class product, but, nevertheless, due to the low price and active advertising in our country, it is one of the best-selling products.

The benefits of this food include:

• low cost;
• availability at any outlet;
• wide selection of flavors.

Of the minuses, it should be noted:

• the presence of preservatives, flavorings and flavor enhancers;
• low content of protein components;
• opacity of the composition.

Whiskas's reputation for feed is dubious; some breeders claim that the product worsens the pet’s health. However, no evidence has yet been obtained to confirm this opinion. The feed is manufactured in accordance with high quality standards. Nevertheless, veterinarians recommend not using Whiskas on an ongoing basis, and when using it, carefully monitor the condition of your pet.

The main advantage of this advertised product is low cost and beautiful packaging. The manufacturer positions his food as a delicacy for pussies, however, the meat in its composition is not more than 25% - this is more than in Whiskas, but at the same time does not reach the dosages recommended by veterinarians. The quality of the meat component is also doubtful, therefore the product is not recommended for frequent inclusion in the menu.

This food is much more expensive, but at the same time high quality. It is made taking into account the physiological characteristics of cats and is presented in several assortment lines - for kittens, for age cats, for animals with various pathologies. This brand is indispensable for pets with diabetes and suffering from obesity.

The benefits of feed include:

• high protein content;
• original series of vegetarian feed.

Of the minuses, the presence of soy in the composition, GMOs and the insignificant presence of preservatives should be indicated.

These are low-calorie wet cat foods made from beef or poultry. Such products are optimal for medium-sized cat breeds.

Of the advantages distinguish:

• completely natural composition;
• the presence of antioxidants to stimulate immune defense;
• the presence of additives that protect the state of the urinary system;
• prevention of obesity.

Reviews of these feeds are mostly positive, breeders note that with regular use of the product, the condition of the animal’s coat noticeably improves, and the stool becomes regular - this is the best indication of the good physical condition of the pet. In addition, the product has a pleasant smell for the owners of the animal, unlike many other feeds.

The composition of these mixtures includes meat or fish products, feeds are optimal for everyday use. In addition to the protein component, the mixture contains cereals, oils, fat and vitamin and mineral supplements. The product has high nutritional value and does not contain any fragrances and preservatives. Keep in mind that food of this brand is contraindicated for pets with excess body weight. The product does not contain soy and corn, which often cause allergies to animals at any age.

The main advantage of feed of this brand is the highest quality of the products used. It is made from fresh or chilled meat that has not been frozen. The meat goes directly to the production workshops from farms, therefore it contains the maximum amount of nutrients without loss of taste.

The meat share in the product is 95%, the mixture is rich in taurine, as well as a special bioactive complex MacroGard, thanks to which the pet's body successfully resists viruses. A marked increase in the effect of vaccination of the animal occurs.

However, its cost is quite high, so feeding it a pet can create a significant gap in the family budget.

Super premium class food, which directly indicates a naturally balanced composition and the absence of any synthetic additives and preservatives in the composition. Most often, fodder from rabbit meat, poultry meat and fish are on sale. Of the offal, only the liver is used. The products of this manufacturer for 65% consist of animal protein, as well as fiber, minerals and vitamins, useful for cats.

Thanks to the balanced composition, the cat fully grows and develops, the animal develops strong immunity, and after each feeding a feeling of fullness comes for a long time.

The meat content in the feed of this brand does not exceed 75%, but nevertheless it belongs to the elite category. There are no synthetic additives, only natural meat is used, as well as fresh vegetables and probiotics. The formulation of the food involves the use of brewer's yeast, which is an excellent source of vitamin B, contribute to the normalization of metabolic processes in the animal’s body and protects against allergic reactions. The composition is completely non-cereal.

However, there were some shortcomings. Products are sometimes not to the liking of animals, especially adult cats, which have been eating cheaper foods for a long time, literally “stuffed” with flavoring fragrances.

When choosing cat food, you need to pay close attention to the information on the packaging, in some cases it is better to refuse the purchase and return the package back to the shelf.

If you notice that the mixture contains sugar, starch or cellulose, then such a feed will be extremely harmful to your pet.

The presence of E127 is another reason to choose a different feed. The fact is that this is an artificial dye that acts as a factor that provokes the development of tumor processes and oncological diseases.

Offal in the feed is extremely nutritious and useful, but only if they are of high quality, and their share does not exceed 10%. If this parameter is greater, then most likely the manufacturer included in the product such unappetizing and devoid of nutritional value ingredients as beef or pig skin, as well as waste from the slaughterhouse.

The inscription “meat” does not guarantee at all that the feed contains a real meat product. It’s worth buying only one that contains a transcript, that is, a complete list of those types of meat that were used to make feed.

According to accepted standards, in the list of ingredients, the components are arranged in decreasing order, that is, those products with the maximum share are at the top. However, some manufacturers are cunning and include several cereal and plant components with minimal concentrations in the feed. Thus, they are all listed at the very end of the list. Be sure to calculate their amount - it is possible that you will find an unpleasant surprise and the total mass of such components will be more than the weight of the meat.

Another common ploy of irresponsible producers is the term flavor, which means “tasteful” in translation.

By the way, the definition of “100%” or “all” is also a ploy by marketers, and in many countries their use on packaging is prohibited. The fact is that they assume the presence of only one ingredient in the jar, and this completely contradicts the technology of making cat food.

Some attentive breeders do not trust liquid factory feeds and prefer to make them at home according to proven recipes.

To prepare such a diet should take:

• 2 kg of beef or poultry;
• 300-500 g of the heart of the same animal from which the meat was obtained;
• 100-200 g of raw liver;
• ligaments and tendons;

• 2 glasses of water, preferably mineral without gas;
• 4 egg yolks;
• 2 sachets of gelatin;
• 4000 mg high-quality fish oil;
• 200 mg of brewer's yeast is additionally introduced, best with selenium or zinc, as well as oily vitamin E - 800 IU;
• 1/3 tablespoon kelp powder;
• 5-7 tablespoons of bran.

The meat is ground and mixed with the remaining components until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Ready food is laid out in containers or special packages for the freezer.

The daily requirement for wet food is:

for an animal weighing up to 3 kg - 200 g;

• 4 kg - 220-250 g;
• 5 kg - 250-260 g;
• 6 and more kg - from 300 g.

Older cats, as a rule, have reduced immunity, their metabolism slows down and their teeth deteriorate, so after 7-8 years of age, one feeding a day is enough for them.

When choosing a cat food, it is important to consider how useful it will be for the pet. According to the reviews of the breeders, high-quality wet mixtures include a sufficient amount of protein and fat, which have a beneficial effect on the pet's well-being and condition of its coat. It is advisable that the percentage of carbohydrates is minimal, otherwise the animal may face obesity.

It is very convenient that wet foods contain water, this is useful for those pets who do not like to drink.Owners of cats claim that animals that use wet mixtures eat more quickly due to the high protein content, in addition, these foods prevent obesity in cats after castration.

However, despite the fact that in general wet food looks more attractive, it still has some disadvantages.

• Wet food is a soft product that does not protect the cat from plaque and gum disease. Breeders recommend using special balls and bones for dental care.
• The contents of open packages must be consumed as quickly as possible - they are not allowed to be stored in open form for more than a day.
• It should also be noted that wet foods are much more expensive than dry ones.

Many feeds on the market do not inspire the trust of cat owners. According to consumers, they lead to the formation of urolithiasis, therefore, before deciding to transfer your furry pet to such a diet, you should always consult a veterinarian.

A comparison of wet feeds can be seen in the video below.