Hey guys,

So I need some advice on what diet I should provide my two cats. I have done quite a bit of research and found that dry food alone is NOT nutritionally complete. Now, with that being said I have a budget of about $80 per month for both cats. I come to realize that I probably will not be able to afford a high quality wet food diet. The companies that I am interested in are Weruva and Best Feline Friend, but they would set me back $90-120 per month.

Although I would love to switch them to an all wet diet, I simply cannot afford it. What I think I should do is switch them to a dry/wet food mixture. I did some research and found Orijen dry food. They have some great ingredient and my cats seem to like it from the sample I took home. Now that I found this dry food, I don't know how to provide them with the moisture that they need. Please help!

I am not sure if I should just wet the dry food a little to get the moisture they need. Maybe I should give them a little wet food mixed in twice a day... or once a day. If so, should they get wet food just in the morning or at night? Currently, I feed them twice a day and will continue to do so once I switch their food. Furthermore, to make things more difficult they are both over weight from eating food from the big box stores. They clearly need a diet that will help them lose weight.

Please let me know if there is an affordable wet food that you recommend. Also, please advise what you think I should do regarding their diet.

Thanks!

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Kudos of reading up on this stuff and obviously making a big effort to figure out how you are going to feed your cats. I'm not sure why you say that dry food is not nutritionally complete though. There are many criticisms of dry food, but that is not one of them (in anything that I've read). That would certainly be news to Orijen and other dry food manufacturers!

One thing you absolutely shouldn't do is add water to dry food. That ruins it. It won't last, it will collect bacteria etc., and I'm not sure what you would be accomplishing anyway. You can do water on the side, either in dishes or a fountain.

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The little monsters 3

As you've probably seen, several people are making their own raw food, which I believe will be the highest quality for price you can achieve. This might still be too expensive for you though.

If you are going to be feeding a mixed diet, I would probably add extra water to the wet food.

Are your cats good drinkers though? One of mine doesn't drink AT ALL, and has already had problems with crystals at 4 years old. My other cat drinks regularly after eating dry food and he's ok. It might be good to keep on eye so you know how much of a problem their water intake is/isn't.

I also had one that got fat in the last few years, but I didn't change his food, just fed him less of it! Basically no ad lib dry, and smaller wet meals. I kept an eye on his body score and he is looking much more fit these days.

Good luck.

For $80 a month, you'll be feeding your kitties mostly dry food, which is fine for them. Millions of kitties get by on dry food alone. It's cheaper than canned food. Making sure your kitties have access to plenty of water is the key. You can supplement the dry food with a can of wet food (you can even split a can between the two kitties). You should be able to stay within your budget that way. Once you find the dry food they love, purchase it online in the largest size bag they have as it will be cheaper that way, too. If you're in the US, Chewy.com is great. Their prices are competitive and their shipping service is amazing. Free if you spend $49 and I get my order in 2 days. Some of their products even offer you a discount if you auto ship monthly.

Thanks for the advice guys. I understand that dry food IS considered nutritionally complete, but what I meant to say in my post is that it doesn't contain the moisture needed for a healthy diet. especially since my cats dont drink a whole lot of water.That is why I am trying to add a food that is higher in moisture than dry food alone. Also, I noticed today that my bengal doesnt really like the Orijen that much. Is there anything else that is recommended? Something that similar to Orijen? maybe there is a wet food I should try that is more affordable?

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Forgot to mention that I am not interested in the raw diet, but thanks for your input! I dont think my bengal would even eat it. He is very picky.

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The dry food I leave out for my cats during the night/day to snack on is Applaws All Good. It is one of the top quality dry food brands. They don’t like it as much as the cheaper/crappier stuff but they still eat it if they’re hungry.

Although mine are fed mostly a raw diet, I do occasionally mix in some Applaws canned wet food – very good quality food, only 100% ingredients, no fillers or preservatives at all. I highly recommend Applaws. There are heaps of flavours to choose from so you’re guaranteed to find one your cats will like. It is not a complete meal, though, and does need to be fed in conjuction with either dry food, or a mix of raw food.

This is the only brand I have found and and can recommend with 100% certainty for their quality. All others I have come across contain other ‘nasties’.

I know you said you are not interested in feeding raw, but economically it is the best option, for me anyway. You can buy in bulk and divide up into portions and freeze. Much cheaper than buying cans for $1-2+ each and only lasting for 1 meal per cat. Just something to think about if budget is a concern.

Cats are picky eaters and you're not going to get your cat to eat something it does not like -- so your best bet is to find something the cats will eat. There are lesser expensive foods that are just as nutritious for your kitty.