Are sachets bad for cats?

Myth or truth? Article by Dr. Karla Lawrence, Veterinary Consultant at Cat Nanny Lisboa.

Brazee eating his wet food

Myth! Sachets, contrary to popular belief, do NOT have a high salt (sodium), fat or calorie content. If we compare 85g of dry food with the same weight of a sachet, the dry food will have, on average, between 11% and 23% fat, 0.1% to 0.4% sodium and 300 to 400 kcal, while the sachet contains between 2% and 6% fat, 0.05% to 0.1% sodium and 60 to 90 kcal. In other words, wet food tends to have lower values in proportion, compared to dry food. However, the main advantage of the sachet is not in these values, but in its large amount of water, which varies between 70% and 80%, compared to the 6% to 10% of dry food.

Since cats, by nature, do not drink much water and are predisposed to kidney disease, the sachet is an excellent ally in these cases to help them hydrate better. It is recommended to give wet food twice a day, half of the sachet in the morning and the other half at night. Feel free to mix it with more water.

What about the brand of the sachet? Does it have any influence? Of course, the better the brand, the better the formulation and quality of the nutrients. However, in a cat that eats high-quality dry food as its main food, the sachet serves, in these cases, to help it ingest more water, with the brand being less relevant.

So, did you already know this information? What do you think about introducing wet food into your kitten's diet every day?