More than 46 million households in the United States have a pet cat who they love dearly, but the vast majority of these pet owners are feeding their furry friends the wrong food.
A veterinarian recently went viral on TikTok after he told his followers that one particular kind of cat food is really quite dangerous for cats. The vet uses his knowledge of cats and their genetic makeup, evolution, and personality types to explain why dry food is not good for cats and why they should be eating wet food instead.
Dry Food vs. Wet Food for Cats
When shopping for cat food at the pet store or grocery store, you will see that there are generally two options: wet food and dry food.
Wet food, which is moisture-rich and soft, is packaged in cans or pouches, whereas dry food, which consists of small, hard bits of kibble, is most often sold in bags.
Veterinarian Dr. Drew Is “Exhausted”
The veterinarian, who has gone viral, called himself @thejunglevet on Tiktok, but his real name is Dr. Drew and he works out of Tampa, Florida.
The vet posts dozens of video clips on the popular social media platform, offering important and often overlooked information for pet owners around the world. In his viral post regarding cat food, Dr. Drew explained that he is “frankly exhausted” and “frustrated” that other vets are not talking about the dangers of dry food.
Why Is Dry Cat Food Not Good for Cats?
Dr. Drew went on to explain that dry food is not a great option for cats because it doesn’t have the moisture that the animals need to both survive and thrive.
He explained, “Cats are meant to consume the majority of their moisture through their diet, and they cannot do this with dry food.”
Cats in the Wild Get Most of Their Moisture From Food
And he is not wrong; as popular pet food brand Purina reports, cats in the wild, the natural ancestors of house cats, “deriv[e] most of the water their bodies nee[d] from their prey.”
Therefore, house cats should be fed food with substantial moisture, like they would eat in nature.
Cats Often Avoid Drinking Water From Bowls
Additionally, unlike dogs, cats don’t receive a significant amount of moisture from drinking water as these furry friends often avoid their water bowls. According to Purina, there is a biological reason for this characteristic.
They report that the number one reason why cats don’t drink from water bowls is because they associate a pool of water with bacteria and disease. This is another evolutionary development that helps them in the wild but can hurt them living in a home.
A Lack of Moisture Can Lead to Serious Health Concerns
Dr. Drew also explains in his video why it’s so important to pay attention to your cat’s moisture intake.
He said, “A high moisture diet is critical in preventing a large amount of diseases that we see develop in cats, one of the main ones being urinary tract obstruction.”
Many Physical Ailments Can Be Cured With a Moisture-Rich Diet
Dr. Drew continued, “[urinary tract obstruction] is an extremely common disease. We see this occurring in veterinary medicine regularly, especially in an emergency.”
However, he also said that it is “extremely preventable.” All pet owners need to do to ensure their cat stays happy, healthy, and obstruction-free is to change their diet to include ample wet food.
“My Cat Is Happy”
Dr. Drew mentioned his continued frustration when he tells cat owners about this fundamental truth.
He said, “Almost every time it’s brought up, it’s met with some lackadaisical response such as ‘oh my cat’s on dry food and he’s fine’ or choosing to die on the hill that dry food is an appropriate diet for a cat when’s there’s plenty of studies showing this is not true.”
Every Cat Is Fine… Until They’re Not
Dr. Drew also said, “Every cat is fine up until they develop a urinary tract obstruction and pass away suddenly. Or every cat is fine until they develop cystitis and associate their litter box with pain and start urinating everywhere else.”
Clearly the veterinarian feels extremely passionate about this reality, and is desperate to have all cat owners understand this simple truth: Wet food is absolutely necessary for cats.
Some Wet Cat Food Brands Are Better Than Others
Dr. Drew also explained “[Dry food] only contains 10 percent moisture compared to wet food, which contains 75 percent moisture.” As well as the fact that it contains vital minerals and vitamins like iron, zinc, and biotin, all of which dry food doesn’t have.
In a follow up video, Dr. Drew explains that there are some wet cat food brands that are better than others. His recommendation is Fancy Feast; however, he also reiterated that any wet food is better than an all dry food diet.
Keep Your Cat Happy and Healthy
Of course, Dr. Drew is not the only veterinarian who feels this way, but there are also others who disagree with his instructions.
At the end of the day, it’s important that all cat owners speak to a veterinarian that they trust to create the perfect diet for their specific cat. Like people, they are all different, and learning as much as you can about what will keep your cat healthy and happy is always the right call.
