The benefits of dry food
Cat Info Description
Convenience
The main benefit of dry food is that it is convenient for the owner – it’s easy to measure, easy to feed and easy to store. Because dry food is very low in moisture it can be left out for cats to graze or free feed on.
Higher in energy
If your cat finds it difficult to maintain condition or if she is a nursing mum where the energy requirements of milk production are very high and make it difficult for her to eat enough, a diet that includes dry food is a good food choice. Ideally this diet should be a kitten or growth diet to help ensure that the nursing mum is getting all she needs.
Dental benefit
There can be a dental benefit for your cat from eating dry food depending on the dry food chosen. The dental health benefits from eating a dental formula dried food are derived in two ways:
- By mechanical action of biting and breaking up the dry food. To gain the full effect of this the biscuit needs to be specially designed to have the desired rubbing/abrasive action.
- Certain chemicals can be added to the formulation to reduce the build-up of tartar on the teeth.
Just like humans, for the best dental protection you go to a dental specialist for a clean or in a cat’s case, a de-scale. It’s always good to take your cat along to your vet for an annual checkup which should include their teeth. Even some cats as young as 18 months of age can show signs of dental disease.