Switching to wet-food-only for a 7-year-old cat

So you're ready to drop the dry completely and go wet-only with your Selkirk Rex — that's a solid move, especially at seven years old when hydration starts to matter more. Wet food is genuinely the better fit for most cats: it mirrors their natural prey diet, keeps the kidneys ticking over nicely, and tends to keep weight in check. Before I point you toward something specific, a couple of quick questions: does your cat have any health conditions I should know about — kidneys, teeth, weight, anything like that? And what wet food have you been using in the mixed routine so far?

Good to know — a healthy seven-year-old with a fish preference, coming off Whiskas pouches as a once-daily top-up. That's actually a straightforward switch. The main thing to do is increase the wet gradually over two weeks so her digestion adjusts, and drop the dry in parallel rather than all at once. In terms of upgrading the food itself — because if you're going wet-only, it's worth feeding something better than Whiskas — I'd point you toward Applaws Tuna Fillet in Broth tins. They're a significant step up: the tuna is the first and pretty much only ingredient, no fillers, no artificial anything, and the broth adds extra fluid which is exactly what you want from a wet-only routine. They come in 70g tins which is the right size for one sitting, and most cats who like fish take to them immediately. How many meals a day are you planning to do?

Twice a day is perfect for a healthy adult cat at a normal weight. For a Selkirk Rex at seven, you're looking at roughly 150–180g of wet food per day total — so two 70g Applaws tins plus a small top-up, or two slightly larger servings if you buy the 156g tins instead. The 156g size works out cheaper per gram and is easy to split into two meals, keeping one half covered in the fridge for the evening feed. One thing worth watching in the first couple of weeks: some cats get slightly loose stools when dry food is removed entirely, just because the fibre profile changes. If that happens, it settles on its own within a week or so. Any concerns about her refusing the switch, or is she pretty adaptable with food?

That's completely normal for cats, and Selkirk Rexes can be a bit particular. The best approach with a mildly fussy cat is to warm the food very slightly — just a few seconds in the microwave, then stir and check it's not hot — because the smell becomes much more appealing at just above room temperature. With Applaws tuna broth especially, the scent is strong enough that most fish-preferring cats come around quickly. Stick with the tuna fillet variety to start rather than mixing flavours early on, so she gets used to one consistent thing. Once she's fully transitioned and eating well, you can introduce other Applaws varieties if you want some rotation. You're in a good position — healthy cat, clear preference, simple switch. I'd expect her to be fully on the wet-only routine within ten to fourteen days.

That's the right call. Start by replacing one of her meals with the Applaws and keep one dry meal for the first few days, then shift to wet-only by the end of week two. You should notice she's drinking less water from her bowl — that's a good sign, not a bad one, because she's getting fluid from the food instead. Good luck with the transition.