one year old cat prefers wet food..

Q: My one year old cat prefers wet food and is not eating her dry cat food. Is it ok to feed her wet food only? We are mixing the wet food with rice and feeding her twice a day. Also can I feed her fish, chicken or mutton?
-Thelma, Kottayam
Dr KG Umesh: A typical wet food contains 70-120 Kcal per 100g, whereas a dry food contains around 350-400 kcal per 100g. Both wet and dry cat food from reputed manufacturers like Whiskas are complete and balanced food, the difference being water content. Therefore cat will drink more water while eating less dry food compared to wet food. Feeding only wet food also benefits urinary tract health in cats. Feeding one format may encourage the cat to eat the other, i.e. if cat doesn’t like dry food, you can add wet to encourage the cat to eat the dry food. A nutritionally balanced diet is crucial for the healthy growth and development of a cat in order to prepare him for an active, long, and healthy life. Cats cannot thrive on the same basic nutrients as human beings due to their different physiology and the nutrients are needed in proportionately larger quantities. Prepared pet foods from reputable pet food manufacturers come with a guarantee of nutritional adequacy, quality and safety. Our research indicated that most homemade diets/foods fed to cats in our country are inadequate. Therefore do not feed any supplements or home diet while he is feeding on commercial cat food from reputed manufacturer.