Soft Dry Cat Food for Cats with Bad Teeth
Arguably, one of the most challenging aspects of being a cat parent is feeding your kitty appropriately. And this is mainly because of the difficulty of satisfying the nutritional needs of a carnivorous animal adequately. Finding the right cat food is also hard for older cats, whose physical condition may have deteriorated. This is especially true for cats with bad teeth.
However, the availability of canned, dehydrated kibble or moistened meat and meat by-products has made it possible for your cat to get the required nutrient and satisfaction from pre-packaged food even if you cat has bad teeth. But, this can only be true for your feline if you make the right choice by picking the best out of the many types and brands of cat food in the market.
Types Of Cat Food
The main defining factor for the types of cat food is the percentage of water content in each food type. But typically, cat food is divided into two categories, with an intermediate class in-between—namely, wet food, dry food, and soft dry food.
- Wet Food: As the name implies, this type of food contains more moisture, usually around 75-85% water content. Due to the high moisture content, wet food is considered as beneficial for providing felines with considerable amounts of water, which promotes urinary tract health.
- Dry Food: This category of food contains fewer amounts of water, typically about 7-10% moisture. Also known as dry kibble, dry food is generally believed to be a better option for cat’s teeth due to its bone-dry and crunchy texture.
- Soft Dry Food: This class of food is a type of tender cat food. It is quite similar to the dry kibble, except that it has a higher amount of moisture – around 50-60% – compared to the former.
Soft Food for Senior Cats
Soft dry cat food is neither too hard for your cat to have any trouble eating it nor too wet such that it does no good to your kitty’s oral health. This category of food offers an excellent intermediate option between wet and dry food options. And they are especially useful for appropriate feeding of cats that have no teeth or senior cats that have begun to have trouble eating the traditional kibble like they once could because they have bad teeth.
Additionally, soft dry foods give you a chance to feed your cat semi-moist food but without the unhealthy preservatives, added sugars, and high caloric density.
Semi Soft Cat Food
Semi-moist foods were once a favorite among cats as they seemed never to get enough of them. These foods looked more like soft kibble due to their higher water content. But unfortunately, this line of foods was pulled from shelves following findings of their unhealthy ingredients and artificial additives. Though, presently, semi-moist foods are commercially available, but only as treats that are given sparingly and not anymore as staples.
Choosing The Best Soft Chew Cat Food
As is typical with most pre-packaged foods, some cat foods contain low-quality ingredients, unhealthy preservatives, and artificial additives. And these can have significant impacts on the health and well-being of your cat. The following are some considerations for making the right choice of soft dry cat food:
- Brand Reputation: As with any product, stick to brands that are known for quality. Though you might have to pay a little bit more, it is better to buy from names you know and trust.
- Ingredients: Always check the list of ingredients on the packaging. Also, look out for mentions of high-quality ingredients like healthy additives, nutrients, animal-based fats, and whole meats.
- Carbohydrates: Steer clear of any product that lists carbohydrates as its main ingredient, and with little or no supporting ingredients like animal-based proteins, because such have low nutritional value.
- Price: Be willing to pay a little more for quality products. Do not allow price to be the primary determinant of your choice as inexpensive cat foods are made out of cheap ingredients.
- Reviews: Take out time to check out online reviews and other important information about particular brands you are considering before making a purchase.
Final Thoughts
Soft and dry cat food may be your best bet if you are tired of feeding your cat a mixture of dry and wet food. Plus, the moisture content and texture of this food makes the best choice for your cat. However, there is every need to exercise caution and vigilance to ensure that you buy only excellent quality food for your feline.
Please tell me where I can find Kitty Purrfect in the big jugs which Costco used to sell. I live in Calgary Alberta Canada. Thank you and stay safe.