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
Your vet is giving you solid advice. Cats who rarely drink are at real risk of urinary and kidney issues over time, and wet food is the most practical fix — it delivers hydration directly through the food rather than relying on your cat to drink enough. For a 5-year-old Burmilla, this is a great time to make the change before any problems develop. Before I point you to a specific product, a couple of quick questions: is your cat currently on any dry food you want to keep, or are you starting from scratch? And is she indoor-only, or does she go outside?
She's been on Royal Canin dry her whole life. We'd like to keep some dry in the mix if possible — the vet said even adding wet once a day would help. She's fully indoor.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — a mixed approach is genuinely the sweet spot for a lot of cats in your situation. Keep the dry as her baseline if she's doing well on it, and add one wet meal a day to boost hydration. The key thing for a cat who's reluctant to drink is choosing a wet food that's high in moisture content and not too rich or heavy — you want her to actually enjoy it rather than turn her nose up. Has she shown any preference for fish versus meat flavours, or is it too early to know?
She loves tuna-flavoured treats so I'm guessing fish is a safe bet.
inparticular.ai
That makes it easy. My recommendation is Applaws Tuna Fillet in Broth — the pouch or tin version. It's around 80% moisture, which is exactly what you need for hydration support. The ingredient list is clean: real tuna, broth, nothing artificial. It's not paté, it's actual flaked fish in liquid, which means she gets the moisture from the broth as well as the food itself. For a cat who's never had wet food before, the light broth texture is usually a much easier introduction than a thick paste. Give her half a pouch alongside her usual dry once a day, ideally in the evening. Most cats take to it within a few days. If she's hesitant at first, try warming it slightly — about 30 seconds in a bowl of hot water — to bring out the smell.
That sounds really manageable. Should I be worried about her not eating the dry food if she decides she prefers the wet?
inparticular.ai
It's a real thing — some cats do hold out for the more palatable option. The way to manage it is to feed the wet food at a set time, give her 20 minutes, then remove it and leave the dry available freely. Don't leave wet food down all day. That routine teaches her the dry is always there but the wet is a meal event. Most cats stay happy eating both. If she does start refusing the dry entirely, that's worth knowing about — but at her age and health status, it's not a likely issue as long as you keep portions sensible.
Great, that's really helpful. I'll order the Applaws and see how she gets on.
inparticular.ai
You're in a good position — catching this early, acting on the vet's advice, and not having to overhaul her whole diet. Applaws Tuna Fillet in Broth is widely available on Amazon UK, usually in multipacks which work out cheaper. Start with one meal a day, give it a week, and you should notice she's better hydrated just from the food alone. If you ever want to explore other flavours or brands as you go, come back and I can help you compare.
