by Kimberly Schiller

Created on: June 24, 2009

Deciding what to feed your cat can be so confusing. There is an entire aisle in the supermarket brimming with choices and experts everywhere with an opinion. In addition, you need to take into consideration what your finicky feline will be willing to eat. Many owners think of dry food as a snack for their cats, but there are health benefits to feeding your cat dry food.

Just as eating crunchy food is good for your teeth, it's good for your cat's too. Chewing crunchy foods helps to rub moist food particles and plaque off the surface of teeth. Crunching into something hard also helps to strengthen the structure of the tooth, much like resistance exercise strengthens the bones.

Another benefit of dry cat food is the ability to leave it out for a longer period of time. While we may be put off by the thought of our feline companions continuing to eat that bowl of moist food throughout the day, they don't seem to mind. But any moist food left in open air is at risk for spoiling and being an inviting stop for bacteria and germs. You can feel better about leaving some kibbles for your cat to munch on while you're gone, and the cat can eat at it's leisure without having to worry about it disappearing into the garbage pail before you head out the door!

Despite these benefits, it is generally not healthy for a cat to eat nothing but dry food. Even the best dry foods are higher in carbohydrates and lower in protein than a cat's natural diet would be. A cat eating mostly dry food will also have to drink quite a bit of water to make up for the lack of moisture content, and many cats have difficulty drinking enough. Dry food is cooked to a much higher temperature than moist commercial food is (in order to dry it out), thus destroying more of the nutritional value.

There are several dry foods out on the mass market now that are all natural, even organic, and nutritious. It is important to check the label for the ingredient list. Many "cheaper" dry food brands have corn or soy as the first ingredient, but there are options that have real meat at the top of the list. Feeding your cat nothing but grain-based dry food can lead to serious digestive, urinary, and weight related health issues.

If your hectic lifestyle makes it necessary for you to leave food out for your cats during the day, the most healthy option is feeding a combination of wet and dry food. You can put down moist food in the morning when you wake up. Before you leave, dispose of any uneaten moist food and put down a measured amount of crunchy food for your cat to munch on throughout the day. Then at night, put down more moist food. It's easy to overfeed using this strategy, so be sure to read labels and measure out the appropriate amounts of food. If your cat is uninterested in the evening serving of moist food, try cutting back on the amount of dry food you leave out during the day.

While good quality moist cat food is generally more nutritious and closer to a cat's natural diet, you don't have to sacrifice the convenience of dry kibble. Be sure to monitor portion size and your cat's weight on a regular basis. You can make life easier for you and healthier for your cat when you take advantage of both moist and dry cat food.

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