Wet food for cats when you work long hours

The spoilage worry is real and completely valid — leaving wet food out all day in a warm flat isn't ideal. Here's the honest picture: wet food is genuinely better for cats. It keeps them hydrated, is more satisfying, and closer to what they'd naturally eat. But cost and convenience matter too, and for someone working long hours, a mixed approach usually makes the most sense. Before I point you toward something specific — is your Exotic Shorthair on any medication or dealing with anything like kidney issues, urinary problems, or weight concerns? And do you free-feed dry food right now, or are you trying to move away from that?

Good news — a healthy four-year-old Exotic Shorthair is exactly who a mixed approach works well for. Exotics are a brachycephalic breed, which means they can be prone to weight gain and benefit a lot from the higher moisture content in wet food. The spoilage problem is genuinely solved by one format: single-serve portion packs. They're sealed right up until you open them, so you give one fresh portion in the morning before you leave and one the moment you get home. Nothing sits, nothing spoils. What dry food are you using at the moment — do you know the brand?

Royal Canin indoor is a decent dry food, and you're right that hydration is the gap. Exotic Shorthairs are particularly prone to urinary issues as they age, so getting more moisture into him now is genuinely smart. My recommendation is Sheba Perfect Portions — the twin-tray packs designed specifically so you snap one half open, use it, and the other half stays sealed and fresh for the next meal. No leftovers sitting in a bowl, no film of cling wrap. Give him one tray in the morning, leave his Royal Canin available during the day, and give the second tray when you're home in the evening. He gets the hydration and protein hit twice a day, and you don't come home to anything rank. The chicken and salmon varieties tend to go down well with Exotics.

Yes, worth doing — Exotic Shorthairs are compact cats and can pile on weight easily. If you're adding two Sheba Perfect Portions trays a day (each half-tray is around 37.5g), dial the dry food back by roughly a third of what you're currently putting out. The wet food is more satiating than dry anyway, so he'll likely self-regulate a bit, but don't just leave the same amount of kibble and add wet on top. Watch his waist over the first few weeks — you should be able to feel his ribs without pressing hard. If he's filling out, reduce the dry a little more.

Available on Amazon UK with Prime delivery, and usually in the bigger Tesco and Sainsbury's stores too. The multipack boxes on Amazon work out noticeably cheaper per tray than buying them loose. Start with a mixed flavour box so you find out which ones he goes for before committing to a bulk buy of one flavour — Exotics can be opinionated about texture and taste.