When choosing food for your furry friend, you would not only want them to enjoy their meals but would want them to get the most nutrition out of them as well! Should you feed your cat canned food or pouches?
Pouches are lighter than canned food, which means their production requires much less energy. When needing to preserve the cat food inside tins, the contents need to be cooked twice, whereas pouches only need to be cooked once. This reflects that pouches are of better quality and are also more cost-effective because of the materials.
It’s no secret that cats are the pickiest carnivores you’ll ever hear of. Stay with us as we discuss the pros and cons of canned food and food pouches!
Why Do Cats Need Wet Food?
Many veterinarians recommend that cats eat a diet of exclusively or primarily wet food. Cat lovers and many veterinarians often have strong opinions on this question, which often leads to disagreements. The widely held belief is that canned foods and food in pouches are healthier for cats in two key ways.
Because cats are carnivores, their bodies are not designed to digest many carbohydrates. They cannot thrive on dietary carbohydrates, and canned food is low-carb compared to dry food. Therefore, other diets are much more likely to lead to diabetes and obesity, two common and severe feline health complications.
Secondly, most cats tend to drink insufficient amounts of water, and some even keep themselves on the absolute edge of dehydration. This is extremely bad for their health, and this is where wet food naturally provides more water in your kitty’s diet. Providing your cat with a moisture-filled diet will support its kidneys, urinary tract, and overall health.
Cats who tend to eat dry food seldom drink enough water. Not drinking enough water increases your cat’s chance of chronic kidney disease, as well as lower urinary tract diseases. Feeding canned foods maintain better hydration and promote dilute urine, reducing the risks of these life-threatening diseases.
Pros And Cons Of Canned And Pouch Cat Food
Most owners have their preferences when it comes to canned food and pouch food. The most important thing is that your fluffball eats good quality food formulated to meet their needs.
As long as you feed your kitty a nutritionally balanced food, anything will do! There are some pros and cons when it comes to feeding canned food or pouch food:
Pros
- Continual hydration. Since it is vital for all cats to stay hydrated to avoid complicated health issues, feeding them an all-wet food diet will have wonderful benefits! A wet food diet will help them avoid kidney and urinary tract. Cats are especially prone to getting kidney stones, and feeding them canned or pouch food can lessen their chance.
- Higher protein levels and fewer carbohydrates. There is a higher level of protein found in wet food. In most cases, having a higher protein level than carbohydrates is beneficial because you are bringing your cat close to its original, predatory nature. If you feed your cat a wet food diet, it stands a much lesser chance to develop diabetes or obesity. This is a huge benefit to every housecat, as they tend to move much less than an average cast!
Cons
- Looser stools. One of the only negative impacts of feeding your cat an all wet food diet is that it can cause your cat to produce loose stools. It will not cause diarrhea, but your cat’s stools will not be as firm as they used to be.
- Short shelf life. Wet food for all types of pets has a shorter life due to being canned or frozen in raw form. Because canned and pouch food has higher protein levels, it can expire much faster and be much more harmful to your cat. Wet canned food should be used quickly once opened, without overfeeding the contents to your cat. It is important to remember that even though wet food tends to expire quicker, it is always the healthier option to feed.
Is Canned Food Better For Cats?
There are a few safety hazards when it comes to feeding your cat food that comes in cans. These are factors regarding the health of your cat being compromised, as well as the shelf life of food provided out of tins.
There are health issues that come with the use of metal that is mainly focused on BPA use. BPA has been linked to a variety of health effects. You, as n buyer of canned foods, are unaware if it contains BPA or not. Having this chemical in your cat’s food should not be your only concern.
The thin layer that is used to line the cans can be compromised, especially with acidic food. Compromising the thin layer inside these cans can cause leakage of the tin or aluminum into your cat’s food. This could lead to contamination of your kitty’s food, causing gastrointestinal and neurological health problems. The worst part is that once you have opened your can, the chances for the metal leaking into the food are even more significant.
But the real question is, how does a pouch compare against a can when comparing its shelf life? A common myth states that the can offers a much longer shelf life than the pouch. This is not true at all.
When buying a can, its lifespan is typically two to five years. This timespan is not set because the food inside your cans will spoil but because the metal is more likely to transfer into your cat’s food after the period.
The most extended tested shelf life for packaging comes from a pouch. A pouch has a shelf life of eight to ten years. No packaging solution is recommended for over this amount.
Why Use Pouches Instead Of Canned cat food?
When fed in the correct amounts daily, pouches will be your key to a happy, healthy kitty! Be sure that you know the correct amounts for your cat’s age, weight, and body type. Like any source of food, too much can make your cat obese and lazy, and too little can make your kitty grow underweight and weak.
These cat food pouches alone can make the perfect feline food source. As a cat owner, you will never have to buy supplements in the form of other food or drinks. The use of food pouches to feed domestic kitties has increased in the past few years, and rightfully so!
Most of these quality pouches contain nutrient-balanced food that is considered suitable for your cat’s gums and teeth. The amount of wet food you need to provide for your cat daily depends on multiple factors, like your cat’s age and appetite!
Cat food pouches come in different shapes and sizes, usually just enough for one healthy, balanced meal! Cans are heavier products, and one can is overfeeding your cat, which can lead to health implications.
Small pouches are healthier for your cat because they are so much more hygienic. You can open them seconds before feeding your cat and throw them away after emptying them in your kitty’s feeding bowl.
Conclusion
Our role as overly concerned parents of our cats is to make sure that they benefit the most from their daily meals. The specific wet food diet is nutrient-rich, and the calorie content is the most important of all!
While metal cans are beneficial for some consumers, changing to a pouch to feed your cat is not only recommended, but it makes sense! You can microwave your kitty’s pouch so they can enjoy a heated meal; you can also freeze your kitty’s meals in pouches. While you can do all these practical things when using pouches, it’s impossible for food in cans.
Wet food diets from pouches are higher in moisture, and it is clear how this impacts the risk of urinary tract disease. It is positively assured that wet food will help owners control calorie intake and ideal weight in their cats.
Sources
- What are the Pros and Cons of Canned Vs. Dry Cat Food?
- Are Cat Food Pouches Healthy?
- 5 reasons to switch from metal cans to stand up pouches or pillow bags
- 4 thoughts on “Canned or dry food: What’s better for cats?”
- All Wet or All Dry Diet: Pros and Cons for Your Pet – Project Pawsitivity
- next Dry vs. Wet Cat Food: The Pros and Cons Explained
