Food and proper feeding are some of the things cat owners are most interested in. Dry food, wet food, brand; finding the right food for your little furball can be challenging with so many products available on the market.

To help you make the right choice, in this article, we take a look at what dry cat food is, its benefits, and how much to feed your cat.

What Is Dry Cat Food?

As the name suggests itself, dry cat food doesn’t contain much water. In fact, it contains only around 10%. The other 90% are dry matter such as vitamins, minerals, carbs, and fat. Depending on the product, it may also contain probiotics.

Dry food for cats is made by combining the ingredients and then cooking them at a high temperature and pressure. This preparation method makes the starches and the food, in general, more digestible.

Dry Cat Food Benefits

Convenience

Dry food for cats is easy to use. It allows free feeding and you can use it with food dispensers, which not only serve food but are also toys for mental stimulation.

A Lower Risk of Bacterial Growth

Dry cat food has a lower risk of bacteria developing in it. Hence, you can leave it out all day thus supporting your cat’s natural grazing.

Supports Dental Health

Chewing dry food helps prevent, reduce, or slow down plaque and tartar buildup on your cat’s teeth.

Budget-Friendly

Dry food comes in larger bags and has a longer shelf life than wet food, even after opening. Also, a bag of dry food usually costs less than a bag of wet food. Hence, when you buy dry food for your cat, you not only spend less at the moment of buying but also save money in the long run.

How Much Dry Food You Should Give To Your Cat?

The easiest way to find out how much dry food to feed your cat is to calculate it based on your cat’s weight. Cats should consume about 1.4 oz of dry food per pound, with the total divided by 3. Hence, if your cat weighs 8 lb, you should feed it 3.73 oz of dry food per day.

Alternatively, you can use your cat’s weight and calculate how many calories it needs per day. A healthy adult cat needs around 25 cal per pound of weight. So, if your cat weighs 8 lb, it should consume 200 cal per day. Considering that an 8 oz cup of dry food has around 500 cal, your cat should consume 3.2 oz dry food per day.

Based on both calculations, we can say that an 8 lb cat, which is the average weight of adult cats, should consume ⅓ – ½ cups of dry food per day.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Fill the Bowl!!!

When feeding your cat with dry food, make sure you don’t fill its bowl to the top. Cats tend to eat everything that’s in their bowl, so, if you stuff it, your cat may eat all there is, which will lead to obesity.