11/26/2025
🚨 Disclaimer: This is not medical or veterinary advice.
It is my personal experience and opinion as a cat owner, cat rescuer, and someone who has worked in medical settings with cats for over 20 years. Always consult your veterinarian before making changes to your cat’s diet.
People always ask me about cat food, so here it is straight from the heart:
Dry food is not good for cats.
Kidney disease and bladder issues are incredibly common in felines, and both are associated with chronic dehydration. Cats are naturally poor water drinkers. In the wild, they receive about 80% of their hydration from the food they consume. Their bodies are simply not designed to rely on standing water bowls to stay hydrated.
That’s why feeding wet food is essential. Dry food doesn’t just fail to hydrate. Over time, it can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and arthritis. And yes, many cats will eat dry food all day long… because it’s basically potato chips for them. Cheap, crunchy, addictive.
I know some people say dry food is good for oral health. But have you actually watched your cat eat? Most cats don’t chew kibble, they swallow it whole. That does nothing to prevent plaque.
The only exception I use occasionally are specific dental formulas like Hill’s T/D or Oral Care, which have larger pellets that actually force chewing. I like them as treats, not as a diet, for all the reasons mentioned above.
To support hydration, I always recommend getting a cat water fountain. Cats are stimulated by moving water and will often drink more from a fountain than from a bowl. Still, it’s important to keep multiple water bowls around your home, hallways, bedrooms, kitchen, anywhere they naturally walk past. The more access they have, the better.
If you decide to eliminate dry food or switch diets, do it gradually over at least 7 days to prevent gastrointestinal upset.
Make sure your cat is getting the recommended daily calories appropriate for their size.
And please, buy a baby scale for home use. They’re around $45 on Amazon and are one of the best tools you can have to monitor your cat’s weight and catch changes early.
Our cats rely entirely on us.
The food we choose for them truly matters. ❤️🐾