Can I Feed My Cat Different Brands of Food?
Written by: Dr. Jean Hofve, Holistic Veterinarian, DVM
Can You Mix Cat Food Brands?
Question:
Can I feed my cat different brands of food? Can you mix cat food brands? Is it ok to change cat food? And what about leaving out dry kibble for them during the day while I am gone?
Answer:
There is nothing wrong with feeding a variety of brands and flavors of natural wet cat food. In fact, it is actually a good way to ensure they are receiving a well-balanced diet and supports cats with food sensitivities.
It is not a good idea, however, to free feed the dry kibble, even natural dry cat foods. In the long run, you are not doing your cats any favors.
Commercial dry food diets can be heavy on grains and cats are not designed by nature to digest grains. Feeding free choice also keeps them snacking all day, which does not support healthy digestion.
Feeding free choice dry food may also contribute to the development of bladder and kidney problems. Cats can go for many hours between meals and commonly do so in the wild.
Freeze dried foods can be better than more highly processed dry kibble and wet foods but are still not as beneficial as raw food. Here is one more link about feeding a raw diet to cats: http://catnutrition.org/
