This is a specific conversation about Wet vs dry cat food — the honest answer — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A 14-year-old with a shrinking appetite — that's one of the trickier situations with senior cats, because they need more calories per bite, not less. Wet food is genuinely the right call here: it's easier to eat, more aromatic (which helps with fussy seniors), and delivers hydration that older cats often need. Before I point you somewhere specific — is your cat losing weight, or just eating less? And are there any health conditions in the mix, like kidney disease or hyperthyroidism? Those would shift the recommendation quite a bit.
She's lost about 300g over the last couple of months. The vet checked her out and said no kidney disease, thyroid is fine — she's just getting old. He said to try higher-calorie food to help her maintain weight.
inparticular.ai
That's really helpful — and honestly reassuring that the vet has ruled out the big ones. For a cat in that situation, you want something with high protein and fat to maximise calories per small serving, because she's probably not going to eat a large bowl. What are you currently feeding her, and does she have any texture preferences — pâté, chunks in gravy, flaked?
She's been on a mix of dry food and cheap supermarket wet food. She seems to prefer the chunky stuff in gravy over pâté. I want to upgrade the wet food and make it the main part of her diet.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — chunks in gravy it is, and dropping the dry food as the main part is the right move for a cat her age and situation. My recommendation is Applaws Senior Wet Cat Food in the 70g tins — specifically the chicken breast with pumpkin variety. It's high-protein (around 75% chicken), low in fillers, and the calorie density is solid for its size. The ingredient quality is noticeably better than supermarket pouches, and the strong aroma tends to go down well with cats whose appetite has dipped. It comes in multipacks on Amazon UK so you can find a flavour rotation she likes without committing to huge quantities upfront. Feed her little and often — three or four small servings a day rather than two large ones — to make the most of her appetite on any given day.
That sounds good. Should I still give her any dry food at all, or go fully wet?
inparticular.ai
Given that she's losing weight and her appetite is reduced, I'd go predominantly wet — at least 90% of her diet. A small handful of dry kibble is fine if she gravitates toward it as a snack, but it shouldn't be a main meal anymore. Wet food will give her more usable calories per bite and keeps her hydrated, which matters more as cats age. If she's still losing weight after a few weeks on the Applaws, go back to the vet and ask about an appetite stimulant — that's a straightforward conversation and there are good options available.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll order the Applaws tins and try the rotation approach.
inparticular.ai
Good plan. The tins also keep longer than pouches once you've got a multipack, which helps. Keep an eye on her weight every couple of weeks — even just picking her up and getting a feel for her body condition. If she starts eating well and stabilises, you're in a good place. Hope she takes to it.
