When dry food is too tough for cats to consume, it can be made more palatable by adding moisture and softening it.
This can be a convenient and affordable way to feed our pets when they are poorly or elderly without changing the diet that they are used to.
Additionally, it can assist in effecting diet changes such as weaning kittens from milk or switching from a wet food diet to one of dry food.
Softening dry food does not only make it more edible, but the additional water assists in preventing dehydration.
Dehydration commonly occurs in cats because they have low thirst drives and drink water sparingly.
Also, softer food is easier to digest but more difficult to gulp down than dry food, limiting the incidence of health issues such as bloating.
For fussy eaters that refuse to eat dry food, softening the food may help to create an appetite for it.
Softer food reduces the likelihood of obesity in cats, causing them to become full much faster.
Cats smell their food before eating it and adding water release more aromas and flavors, which can increase interest in the food.
Softened food also has a different mouth feel, which can be of preference to some cats.
It can help prevent urinary tract infections due to increased water intake.
5 Method to Soften Cat Food
Dry cat food is softened by simply adding water to it. Different textures, consistencies, and flavors can be achieved by adjusting the technique.
1. The Basic Method:
Add 1-part warm water to 3 parts kibble and leave to soak for 10 to 15 minutes, then serve.
What We Love About This Method
It is simple, quick, and does what it is meant to do.
2. For A Chewable Texture:
Add 1-part warm water to 3 parts dry food, soak for 5 minutes, and drain away excess fluid.
Leave the food to stand for another 5 minutes to absorb all the moisture, then serve.
What We Love About This Method
It is ideal for cats that like textured food or as a transitionary food from a wet to a dry diet.
3. For A Creamy Texture:
Add 1-part warm water to 3 parts dry food and soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, mash the mixture using a hand masher or blender and serve.
The food can be crushed before adding water to aid in mashing it.
Additional water can be added during the mashing process to help smoothen and thin out the consistency.
What We Love About This Method
It is ideal for cats with chewing difficulties, particularly ailing cats and elderly cats, or as a weaning food for kittens.
4. For Added Flavor:
Using any of the above methods, substitute water with a homemade unsalted meat broth or gravy.
Alternatively, you can mix the dry food with wet food, which will soak up moisture and flavor from the wet food while adding texture to the wet food.
What We Love About This Method
It improves dry food’s taste and nutritional quality while also softening it.
Additionally, you get to add flavors of your choice. It is another excellent method to make transitionary meals between wet and dry food.
5. For Weaning Kittens:
To introduce solid foods to kittens, water can be replaced with kitten formula and used to make creamy and smooth meals (as laid out in method 3).
Over time, less and less formula can be used by substituting it with water.
A transition to more chewable meals can then follow (using method 2) before completely introducing wet or dry solid meals.
What We Love About This Method
It is an excellent way to introduce new textures and flavors to kittens in a gradual manner. This aids in developing a diverse palate and identifying foods a cat may be allergic to.
What Not to Do
Listed below are essential points that must be understood before attempting to soften any dry cat food and implemented accordingly for the health and safety of your cat.
Do Not Forget to Consult Your Veterinarian
Before making any modifications to your pet’s diet, it is vital to consult with a veterinarian to check that it is safe to do.
This is particularly important for pets on prescription diets. Many pet foods are formulated to meet specific dietary requirements.
And uninformed modifications can have serious adverse effects.
Do Not Leave Out Softened Food for More Than an Hour
The food must be served as soon as it is prepared and removed within an hour, even if it has not been consumed.
It is best to ensure that the food is consumed immediately and removed when it is extremely hot.
All this is important because while the high temperatures used to cook pet food kill germs, bacteria and other microorganisms often settle on the food in the subsequent drying and packaging steps.
Adding moisture to dry pet food activates the growth and multiplication of any microorganisms present. This can spoil food within hours and make pets ill.
Do Not Use Too Much Liquid
It is important to accurately measure the liquid required for your cat’s portion size. This way, we can avoid adding too much water, which may dilute the food.
Too high a dilution may dampen the taste of the food and put off your cat or satiate your cat before it consumes enough nutrients.
Do Not Use Milk
It is perishable and can spoil quickly, making it dangerous for your feline.
Furthermore, the majority of cats are lactose intolerant after kittenhood.
As a result, added milk may cause digestive issues such as diarrhea.
Softened Cat Food Is a Good Way to Feed Any Cat When Done Correctly
As we have shown, it is easy to soften dry cat food to increase its water content.
It also makes it more edible, more digestible, and more flavorsome.
This is beneficial knowledge for any pet parent, as it offers an option to provide moist food that is not traditional wet food.
Not only is it cheaper than purchasing commercial wet food, but it means we can give our cats softer foods without changing their diets drastically.
That may have significant consequences, such as introducing allergic ingredients or offsetting nutrient intake.
Our suggestions are simple and fun to try, but always remember to consult your veterinarian on any diet changes you intend to make for your cat.
Purrfect n’ Pawesome is the brainchild of Amanda, who has been into researching and writing about pets to help other pet parents in nurturing their adorable pets. Currently, she runs Purrfect n’ Pawesome along with her team of experienced and dedicated pet experts. Along with being an awesome writer and entrepreneur, Amanda is a cat mom to two innocently spoiled cats, Balanca and Scruffy.
She has been writing about pet care and nurturing and wants to share her readers’ experiences, learnings, and knowledge.
Over the years, she had the opportunity to work with various pet owners having multiple breeds, and that exposure gave her experience and the lessons of a lifetime.
Her family, her entire universe revolves around her two cats, who give her endless support and inspiration to move ahead with her objectives in life. Amanda is a live example of a balanced approach to all parenthood questions we all face in life.
