Last updated: May 2026
Cats evolved from desert animals. They do not have a strong thirst drive. A wild cat gets most of its water from prey — mice are about 70% water. Your indoor cat? Not hunting mice. Probably hunting your charger cable.
Wet food is 75-80% water. Dry food is 6-10% water. A cat eating only dry food needs to drink significantly more water to stay hydrated. Most do not. This is why urinary issues are so common in cats — crystals, blockages, infections. All linked to dehydration.
My vet put it this way: "Feeding dry food exclusively is like you eating crackers and hoping a glass of water covers it." It does not.
Here is where people mess up. A 3-ounce can of wet food is about 80-100 kcal. A half-cup of dry food is about 200 kcal. But the can looks like more food. It is wet. It has volume. The dry food is tiny pellets that do not fill the bowl.
So people feed "one can plus some dry for grazing" and wonder why their cat is overweight. That "some dry" is probably 150 kcal. The can is 90. Total: 240 kcal. For a 4kg indoor cat that needs 180. You just overfed by 33%.
Wet food is actually better for weight control. Same calories, more volume, more water. The cat feels full. With dry food, they eat the calories and still feel hungry because the volume is not there.
"Dry food cleans teeth." No. It does not. It is like saying eating crackers cleans your teeth. Dry food shatters when cats bite it. It does not scrape plaque. The kibbles are too small and too brittle.
If you want dental health, brush your cat's teeth. Yes, it is annoying. Yes, they hate it. But it works. Dental treats help slightly. Water additives help slightly. But nothing replaces brushing.
Wet food does not cause worse dental health than dry. That is a myth perpetuated by dry food marketing. Both require dental care.
Dry food is cheaper per calorie. No question. A 10-pound bag of mid-range dry food costs about $25 and contains roughly 16,000 kcal. That is about $0.0016 per kcal.
A case of 24 cans of mid-range wet food costs about $30. Each can is about 90 kcal. Total: 2,160 kcal. That is about $0.014 per kcal. Roughly 9x more expensive.
But here is the thing — you are not just buying calories. You are buying hydration, better satiety, and potentially fewer vet bills for urinary issues. For some cats, wet food pays for itself.
Most vets recommend a mix. Wet food for the main meals, dry for occasional treats or puzzle feeders. This gives you the hydration benefits of wet plus the convenience of dry.
My setup: two cans of wet food per day (split into morning and evening), plus about 10-15 pieces of dry food in a puzzle feeder. The puzzle feeder keeps her mentally stimulated. The wet food keeps her hydrated. Total calories: about 190. Perfect for a 4kg indoor cat.
Use our calculator to figure out the exact split for your cat. Do not guess. Cats are terrible at self-regulating, and we are terrible at eyeballing portions.