How to Soften Cat Food? [7 DIY Ways]

Wondering, How to soften cat food? Are There some Easy Ways to do it? There are two food choices for a cat: wet food and dry food. In fact, you can feed your cat alternatively with these two foods.

Also, this will give your cat a change in taste. Nonetheless, talking about the best, dry food is the better option. But, you can also make wet food out of dry food. To do this, there are different methods to do so. We will discuss all these in detail.

1) Add warm water to dry cat food

It is the most common way to soften your cat’s dry food. Adding warm water to dry food is the most effortless thing you can do. 

Just place a small quantity of dry food and pour one tablespoon of warm water over it. After that, mix both the things slowly. If you see it moister, add more water and repeat the procedure. 

Things to remember-

• Do not use hot water. Normal water works best
• Don’t make the food soupy
• Do not leave the wet cat food

2) Microwave the dry cat food to soften it

This procedure needs- 

• Water
• Microwave
• Dry cat food
• Paper towels

Steps to follow-

1. Add 2 tablespoons of dry food on a paper towel.
2. Fold it in half two times.
3. Put it in the microwave for 10 seconds.
4. Open it and check the kibble for moisture.
5. If there is a suitable amount of moisture then it is ready. If not, microwave it for another 10 seconds. 

Things to remember-

• Do not leave the food open
• Check whether your microwave is working properly or not
• If you are taking a huge amount of dry food, then it is better to microwave it in a number of batches

3) Use a wet paper towel

You will need a big bowl, dry food, and a paper towel. Again, I would say that this procedure is very effective and easy. 

Steps to follow-

1. Keep the food on the plate.
2. Pour 1 tablespoon of water(warm) on it.
3. Place the moist paper towel on the dry food and press it down.
4. Let it be for 3 minutes.
5. Check whether the kibble is soft or not.

4) Make a creamier texture 

This method is effortless and you just need some extra ingredients to do it. The most important ingredient here is the extra virgin olive oil. 

Steps to follow-

1. Add 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to two tablespoons of dry food.
2. Mix it well.
3. Check whether the cat food is moist enough and does not contain hard chunks.

Things to remember-

• Do not add too much olive oil. Your cat may not like it
• Just make sure you have achieved a smooth texture

5) Use canned food to soften the dry food

You can easily use canned food to soften the dry food. It will prevent the food from turning into hard chunks. 

Steps to follow-

1. Take a small section of canned cat food and keep it under a low flame.
2. Keep stirring it.
3. Mix it easily with the dry food.

Points to remember-

• Do not make the canned food very hot. It should be lukewarm
• Don’t cook until the canned food is mushy

6) Use a fork 

A simple fork can be used to soften the dry kibble. This will make your kitty eat the food instantly. Keep this option for the last. This is because the kibble owns up for a clumsy texture that may bother your pet.

Just add a bit of water to break the clumps and make them softer. You do not need much water for this, else it will affect the quality. Now take a fork and rub it over the kibble to make it soft. This process will take time. But if your pet loves wet food then you must do this for it. 

7) Add flavors to the dry food

This is also an easy way to soften dry cat food. You can use gravy or meat broth rather than water. It will add a good flavor to the kibble. 

You can buy the canned broth or use the broth from boiled meat.

Steps of follow-

1. Add 1 tablespoon of meat broth or 2 tablespoons of dry food. 
2. Mix it well to make a creamy and smooth texture.
3. And you are ready to feed it to your cat. 

Points to remember-

• For more flavour, you can add boiled chicken.
• Do not add too much broth. It will make the kibble damp.
• You can sprinkle some parsley to make it more appealing

Does dry cat food go stale?

You can keep dry food for a longer time. Due to this, many cat parents leave the food throughout the day.

However, it is a good hygiene practice to throw dry food at the end of the day. Also, wash the bowl to keep the food fresh. 

However, the dry food will not go off as wet food does. When you leave the food over a day, its nutritional values start to degrade. Dry food can be kept for long but its taste will decline. 

The time duration of leaving the food depends on the feeding routine you follow. Eg, if you feed your cat at certain intervals of time, then leaving food overnight is not a good option.

If your cat decides when he/she wants to eat, then you can keep the food in the bowl overnight. However, many cats love to spend the night without having food. 

How to crush dry cat food

1. By using a blender

You can use a blender to crush the dry cat food. This is a good option if you do not have a food processor because the blender can compact the food all in one go. Therefore, it will not take much time to blend the food. 

2. By using a food processor

It is the easiest way to grind the cat food. Food processors are simple because they will make the pieces fine and will be easy for you to feed them to your cat.

In fact, a food processor makes it easier to measure the amount you need to feed. Hence, this thing makes it a great choice if you do not want to have any hassle on the counter.

3. Manual grinder

If you wish to save some money, then you should go for a manual grinder. This is because it is cheap and can do great jobs.

4. Food chopper

You can also use a food chopper to grind the dry food. This is similar to the previous one. The only difference here is that it has a handle for cranking the food into fine pieces. 

Can you warm dry cat food?

Warming dry cat food is normal. In fact, its aroma helps to entice the cat to eat. Just make sure you are not cooking or heating it at a high temperature. Just let it be at room temperature or slightly warm it on the stove.

Make sure that you are not using a microwave in this procedure. Microwaves make changes in the fat molecules.

In addition, it makes the fat molecules less digestible. Hence, it will be harmful to your cat to consume such microwaved food. 

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Final words

Most cats love dry cat food. However, as cat parents, we want to ensure they are hydrated. Soaking dry cat food is step one in assisting them to hydrate properly.

Also, softened dry cat food provides different benefits, particularly related to oral, digestive, or urinary problems.

If you suspect your cat isn’t always eating sufficient fluids, it is really well worth seeking to soften its dry cat food. 

In fact, if we speak approximately whether or not it is essential to soak dry food, professionals don’t have anything about this feeding method.

Additionally, the foremost thing is to stick to only some recommendations. It is likewise advocated to go to a vet beforehand.

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Frequently asked questions