With so many people keeping a pet cat in their home and so many cats being picky eaters, a new trend has emerged of mixing cat food brands to create new flavors that are not available as a standard food option directly off the shelf.
Not only does this allow people to keep the diet of their pet cat more interesting but it also allows them to play around with different ratios of different foods to make sure that they are able to try and find something that a cat who is a picky eater will actually eat and enjoy.
Due to the number of different cat food brands you can mix being so large as well as all the different flavors also making it more complex, we often see people reaching out to ask if mixing cat food brands is a good idea.
Due to this, we have decided to publish this article going over our thoughts on mixing cat food brands to try and help as many of our readers as possible.
Is It Ok To Mix Two Different Cat Foods?
The majority of the time, it is perfectly fine to mix two different types or brands of cat food together.
As long as the foods are similar in texture and form, there should not be any issues when mixing them together.
The only time that you may run into an issue is if you are trying to mix a dry food with a wet food as this can often result in the wet food going bad much quicker.
Not only this but it can also make it more difficult for your cat to eat as they may not be used to the texture of the wet food.
Another thing that you need to take into account is the fact that some brands add different supplements or nutrients into their food.
This can often result in one food having a much higher or lower concentration of certain nutrients which can then lead to problems if too much or too little is ingested.
While it is not necessarily dangerous, it is something that you should be aware of and take into account when mixing food brands together.
Wet Cat Food!
As we briefly touched on before, it is generally not recommended that you mix wet food with dry food.
This is because the wet food can often go bad much quicker when mixed with the dry food and this can then cause health problems for your cat if they eat it.
Not only this but the texture of the wet food can often be too different for your cat to enjoy and they may not eat it as a result.
If you are going to mix wet food with another type of food, we recommend that you only mix it with other wet foods.
This way, you can be sure that the texture will be similar enough for your cat to eat and that there is no risk of them becoming sick from eating food that has gone bad.
Dry Cat Food!
When it comes to dry cat food, you have a bit more flexibility as to what you can mix it with.
Not only can you mix it with other dry foods but there are also various liquid toppers that you can mix dry cat food with.
Although its not technically mixing cat food brands, more and more people are starting to add water or other liquids that are safe for cats to consume with dry cat food too.
In our opinion though, this is usually only worth it if your cat has trouble eating its food normally as we covered in our article on if it’s worth adding water to dry cat food.
How To Mix Cat Food Brands Together!
Now that we have answered the question of whether or not you can mix cat food brands, its time to give you a few tips on how to do it effectively.
The first thing that you need to do is make sure that the foods you are mixing together are similar in texture.
This means that if you are mixing a dry food with a wet food, you should only mix them together if the wet food is in a puree form.
If the wet food is in chunks, it can often be too difficult for your cat to eat and they may not touch it as a result.
Another thing to take into account is the fact that some brands add different supplements or nutrients into their food.
This can often result in one food having a much higher or lower concentration of certain nutrients which can then lead to problems if too much or too little is ingested.
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend mixing two foods together that have similar nutrient profiles.
This way, you can be sure that your cat is getting everything they need without over or under-doing it.
Finally, make sure that you slowly introduce the new food into your cat’s diet.
You should start by mixing a small amount of the new food in with their old food and then gradually increase the amount of new food while decreasing the amount of old food.
Doing this slowly will help your cat to get used to the new food and will also help to prevent any digestive problems that could occur from eating a sudden change in diet.
And there you have it!
That is everything you need to know about mixing cat food brands together.
As long as you follow the tips we have given you, you should have no problem mixing different brands of food together.
Just remember to do it slowly and always keep an eye on your cat’s health to make sure that they are not having any problems with the new food.
What Happens If You Mix Cat Food Brands?
As all cat food products sold in North America and most parts of Europe have to meet a set minimum nutritional standard and preparation quality by law, there is usually a minimal downside to mixing cat food brands other than risking your cat not enjoying its new meals.
As we touched on earlier in the article, in some cases, you may end up having problems with your cat food turning bad quicker if you mix wet food with dry food due to the dry food pulling the water out of the wet food too so keep that in mind.
The Advantages Of Mixing Cat Food Brands!
There are a few advantages to mixing cat food brands that we want to touch on.
The first advantage is that it can often be cheaper to mix your own cat food than it is to buy a single brand of cat food.
This is especially true if you are able to find coupons or take advantage of sales when buying the different products.
Another advantage is that you can tailor the nutrient profile of your cat’s food to better suit their needs.
This is especially useful if your cat has any allergies or sensitivities as you can avoid any ingredients that they are allergic to.
You can also add in supplements or extra nutrients that your cat may need if they are not getting enough from their food.
For example, if your cat is not getting enough protein in their diet, you could add in a can of tuna to help boost their intake.
The Disadvantages Of Mixing Cat Food Brands!
There are also a few disadvantages that you need to be aware of before mixing cat food brands.
The first disadvantage is that it can be more time-consuming to mix your own cat food than it is to simply buy a single brand of cat food.
You will need to take the time to research the different products and make sure that you are mixing them together correctly in order to ensure that your cat is getting everything they need.
Another disadvantage is that there is a greater chance of making a mistake when mixing cat food brands together than there is when simply buying a single brand.
For example, if you accidentally add too much or too little of one ingredient, it could throw off the entire nutrient profile of the food and cause your cat to become sick.
Conclusion
So, while there are both advantages and disadvantages to mixing cat food brands, we think that the pros outweigh the cons.
As long as you are careful and do your research, we think that you will be just fine mixing different brands of cat food together.
We hope that this article has been helpful and that you now have a better understanding of what happens if you mix cat food brands.
