Switching to wet food for your cat

You've done your homework — the hydration research is solid, and switching a 6-year-old cat from dry to wet is genuinely one of the better things you can do for their long-term kidney and urinary health. Wet food is honestly closer to what cats are built to eat: high moisture, high protein, low carbs. Before I point you toward something specific, a couple of quick questions — is your Birman in good health generally, any kidney, urinary, or digestive issues? And are you looking to go fully wet, or keep some dry as a top-up?

Totally understandable — cats raised on dry can be stubborn about texture and smell at first. The good news is Birmans aren't usually the most difficult switchers. What matters most in the transition is choosing a wet food with a strong, appealing smell and a pâté or finely minced texture rather than chunks in jelly, which dry-food cats often reject initially. What brand are you currently feeding her on dry?

Royal Canin Indoor is decent dry food, so she's used to reasonably controlled ingredients — that's helpful. For the switch, I'd go with Animonda Carny Adult. It's a German brand, widely available on Amazon UK, and it ticks every box here: 70–80% real meat content, no grain fillers, strong natural smell that dry-food cats respond well to, and it comes in a smooth pâté texture that's much easier for switchers than chunks. For a healthy 6-year-old Birman, the variety packs let you test chicken, beef, and turkey so you can find what she's keenest on before committing to bulk. Transition over 10–14 days — start by offering a teaspoon of the Animonda alongside her dry, gradually increasing the wet and reducing the dry. Don't worry if she sniffs and walks away the first couple of times; that's normal.

Good question — wet food is much lower in calories by weight because of the moisture content, so the portions look very different. A typical healthy 4–5kg adult cat needs roughly 180–200kcal a day. Dry food is calorie-dense, so a small cup looks like a lot of food; wet food needs a bigger physical volume to match. With Animonda Carny, you're looking at around 2–3 pouches or portions of roughly 100g per day for a Birman of average size — check the kcal on the specific variant you buy, but that's a reliable ballpark. Weigh her every couple of weeks for the first month just to confirm she's staying stable.

Perfect. Start slow, stay consistent, and don't panic if she takes a week to really get into it — most cats come around once they realise that's what's on offer. You're making a genuinely good change for her, especially at 6 when you've still got plenty of time to protect her kidneys before age starts to become a factor. Good luck with her.