Wet vs dry food for overweight cats: honest advice

Wet food is generally the better choice for cats — it provides hydration, keeps them fuller on fewer calories, and is closer to what cats are built to eat. For an overweight cat especially, that satiety factor matters a lot. Cost and convenience are real though, so a mixed approach is often the sweet spot. To give you a straight answer on premium wet versus mid-range dry for your Tabby: how old is he or she, are there any health conditions beyond the weight, and what are you currently feeding them?

Good — 5 is young enough that getting the weight off now will make a real difference long term. The honest comparison: Applaws wet is high-protein, low-carb, and genuinely good food, but it's light on calories per pouch which means you'd need several a day to hit her target intake, and the cost adds up fast. Hills Science Plan Light dry is a solid mid-range option with controlled calories, but dry food for an overweight cat has a real downside — cats don't compensate well for low moisture, so they tend to stay hungrier and can overeat. Before I give you my recommendation, one more thing: is she a grazer or does she eat meals?

That's the key piece. Free-feeding a cat who needs to lose weight is tough regardless of what food you use — they'll just eat to boredom. My recommendation is to switch to Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets OM Obesity Management wet food, fed in measured meals twice a day. It's specifically formulated for weight loss in cats, high in protein to keep her satisfied, low in calories, and the wet format means she's getting hydration and genuine satiety rather than just calorie restriction. It's available on Amazon UK and while it's not cheap per pouch, you're feeding controlled portions so the cost is more manageable than it looks. Pair it with a basic timed puzzle feeder to slow her down and make meals feel more engaging — that alone helps a lot with grazers.

Yes, mixing is fine as a transition — but keep the dry to no more than 20% of her daily calories and measure it precisely, don't free-feed it. The risk with mixing is that the dry becomes the part she eats freely and the wet becomes a topper she ignores. Weigh the dry on a kitchen scale rather than using a cup measure — it's much more accurate and makes a real difference when you're trying to hit a calorie target. Give the Pro Plan OM wet a month as the main food and check in with the vet on weight. Most cats lose steadily on it without feeling deprived.

Good luck — 1kg is very achievable in 3 to 4 months with consistent portions and meals. The twice-daily schedule will also help her adjust from grazing, and most cats settle into it within a week or two. Keep an eye on her energy levels; if she seems lethargic or stops eating entirely, check back with your vet, but that's rarely an issue with this food.