When it comes to choosing wet or dry cat food, the information can be overwhelming. Conflicting information and the sheer amount of choice on offer can all make choosing your cat’s diet seem difficult.
Go back to the basics with your cat’s diet in this article to learn all about the benefits and drawbacks of both wet or dry cat food, so you can make the right choice for your pet.
What do cats need in their diet?
Every cat requires a total of 41 essential micronutrients from their food each day – whether it be from wet or dry cat food. These micronutrients are ‘essential’ because they cannot be manufactured in the body, and they are necessary for normal, healthy function.
Cats are obligate carnivores who need to eat meat, and as such they can’t be fed a vegetarian diet without developing malnutrition problems. A proportion of their daily nutrients must come from animal sources, specifically the amino acids taurine and arginine, the fatty acid arachidonic acid, and pre-formed vitamin A.
What do cats like in their food?
Just like humans, when it comes to food, cats enjoy something tasty! Although they have far fewer taste buds than other animals—a mere 475 to dogs’ 1,700—they do have some interesting appetite quirks. A cat’s sensitivity to bitter tastes is 400 times greater than that of a dog’s, but they lack the taste buds to be able to enjoy sweet flavours. Texture and the shape are also important factors for cats when it comes to their kibble.
Cats’ sense of smell is superb, and is an essential part of appealing to their appetite. Food odours give pleasure, enhance enjoyment of food, and provide your cat with their own sense of nutritional information.
