Feeding a hunting farm cat — is it necessary?

A 5-year-old farm cat who hunts regularly — you're probably wondering if putting a bowl down is even doing anything useful. Honestly, it is. Hunting is inconsistent, nutritionally incomplete, and carries real risks like parasites and toxoplasmosis. That said, wet food is generally the better choice for cats: it provides hydration, is more satiating, and mirrors a natural prey-based diet more closely than dry kibble — which matters less for a hunter but still counts. Cost and convenience are real, so a mixed approach often works too. Tell me a bit more: does your cat have any known health issues, and are you feeding to supplement hunting or trying to keep the cat close to home as well?

That makes complete sense, and dry food in a barn setting is genuinely practical — no flies, no spoilage, no waste. But here's the thing: if keeping her coming home reliably is part of the goal, wet food is a stronger pull. Cats are much more motivated by the smell and palatability of wet food than dry. If she's hunting and supplementing herself, she's also likely getting reasonable protein — so the main gap is hydration and that reliable daily incentive to return. Is she coming home consistently now, or is it hit and miss?

Right — a wet food feeding in the evening is one of the most reliable ways to anchor a roaming cat to a routine. The smell travels, it's a clear daily reward, and cats are creatures of habit once a ritual is established. For a farm cat who's otherwise healthy and self-sufficient, I wouldn't overthink the nutrition side — she's clearly doing well. What you want is something high-quality enough that she genuinely looks forward to it, but practical enough that you're not fussing over it every night.

I'd go with Lily's Kitchen Adult Wet Cat Food — the multipack pouches. It's a proper wet food with named meat as the first ingredient, no nasty fillers, and cats tend to go genuinely enthusiastic about it rather than just tolerating it. That enthusiasm is exactly what you want to create a strong evening routine. One pouch per night is enough alongside whatever she's catching during the day — you're not trying to fully feed her, you're anchoring her. It's available on Amazon UK in multipacks so you're not running to the shop constantly, which suits a farm setup. The variety packs also help keep her interested so she doesn't go off it after a few weeks.

I'd keep a small amount of dry out during the day — it's low-maintenance and gives her something if she comes back between hunts. Just don't overdo it, because if she's full on dry kibble by evening she'll be less motivated by the wet food arrival. Think of the wet food as the main event and the dry as background grazing. That split works well for farm cats and keeps the feeding routine sustainable for you too.