As pet owners, we get a lot of satisfaction from seeing our furry friends relish their food at mealtime, whether that’s crunchy kibble, meaty morsels covered in gravy or jelly, or treats. According to our latest research, incorporating a variety of foods is an important part of pet ownership, as over a third (38%) of the UK believes that our furry friends should be able to enjoy a variety of foods and flavours, just like humans do.
With everything in moderation, enriching our pets' lives is important and mixed feeding is a fantastic way to nourish their health. Not only can it help keep your pet engaged during feeding time, but you can whet the appetite of even the fussiest eaters, providing them with a tasty complete and balanced meal.
Varied feeding is another way to give our pets extra goodness in their bowls with natural food and nutrition. However, when it comes to mixed feeding for pets, our research shows that almost three-quarters of Brits (73%) are feeding their pet just one type of food at mealtime.
It’s only natural to be wary of changing your pet’s diet and you’re not alone. Almost a quarter of Brits (24%) are cautious about the potential side effects of changing their pets’ diet, such as causing an upset stomach or whether they’ll enjoy it.
If you’re thinking of trying mixed feeding or your pet, our team at Harringtons is here to guide you on how to do this as stress-free as possible, with tips and our handy feeding calculators to ensure your cute companion can try a varied diet and still get all the essential vitamins and nutrients they need - variety is the spice of life!
What is mixed feeding?
Mixed feeding involves giving your cat or dog both wet and dry food at mealtime. You can mix feed in a variety of ways - it completely depends on your pets’ preferences, and yours. As long as you’re feeding your four-legged friend quality, natural food which provides them with a complete and balanced nutritional meal.
For example, you may feed your pet half dry and half wet food, or a larger portion of dry food to wet. Over two-fifths (41%) serve their pet a mixed portion in one bowl, whereas others prefer to feed their pets different foods in separate bowls (39%).
Mixed feeding can be tailored so that not only will it appeal to your pets’ appetite, but also to your budget. As a guide, UK households tend to spend £20-21 each on wet and dry food per month.
Do pets get bored of the same food?
Like humans, pets’ appetites change, particularly when they get older or while they’re in their early development stages as a puppy or kitten, exploring many new flavours and textures.
Naturally, every dog, cat, puppy, kitten and even senior pets’ appetite is different and it can evolve over time. With mixed feeding your pet can try both types of food; the gravy or jelly in wet food helps to whet a picky eater's appetite as it has a stronger smell. Combined with dry food, different textures can entice your pet to improve their interest in food and help them intake essential vitamins and nutrients required to nourish their health.
The benefits of mixed feeding wet and dry food
Many pet owners are unsure which food is better: wet or dry food? However, there are many benefits to feeding both types to your cat or dog:
Enriched diet
Varied feeding helps to enrich your pets’ lives, providing them with a satisfying diet of natural goodness per portion, in a nutritionally complete meal plan
Improved palatability
- Picky eaters can be enticed by the aroma of gravy or jelly chunks, and the texture of the meat, encouraging them to eat well and stay nourished
- This is particularly beneficial for young pups or kittens, whose palates are developing and exploring different flavours and textures in food
- Senior dogs and cats benefit from mixed feeding, as they can be enticed by the smell and consistency of wet food alongside their crunchy kibble
Maintains your pets’ dental hygiene
Both wet and dry food support your cat and dogs’ dental hygiene by reducing plaque and tartar build-up
An extra source of hydration
- In the summer when it is warmer, dogs and cats are more prone to becoming dehydrated and at risk of heatstroke
- Mixing wet food in with their usual kibble is a great way to hydrate your pet without them having to drink more water, due to its high moisture content
- This is especially beneficial for cats, who are notorious for not drinking enough water
- It also benefits pets who are prone to urinary problems, as wet food helps to increase urine dilution
Calorie controlled portions
- Feeding both wet and dry food provides pets with a tasty, calorie-controlled meal which fills them up and satisfied
How much wet and dry food should I feed my pet?
Whether you have a cat or dog, we have developed a feeding calculator to help you work out the right portion sizes for your pet based on their size, age, weight, and activity level.
When feeding a mixed meal, we recommend these simple steps to help your pet adjust to trying new foods:
- Start small - introduce portions of new foods slowly and in small quantities, for example, if you usually feed them dry food, mix in a spoonful of wet food and observe how your pet responds
- Observe how your pet responds to mixed food - if anything is leftover, adjust the balance so your pet is still getting essential nutrients from their meal
- Separate new food. If you notice your pet isn’t finishing their meal when it’s mixed in one bowl, try feeding each food separately in different bowls so they can adapt to the variety
- Look out for changes in your pet. Mixed feeding should leave your pet feeling energised and satisfied with their meal. If you notice a change in their behaviour, stool or their appetite, adjust the feeding mix and consult your vet if you’re unsure
- IPN Nutrition: if mixing foods, make sure not to leave it out too long, ideally no longer than 12 hrs to ensure the food is still palatable
Over a quarter of Brits are giving their cat or dog mixed food - will you join them? With so many benefits to feeding them a varied diet at mealtime, try our dry and wet dog food varieties, with wet and dry cat food options available too.
Dogs feeding calculator
Cats feeding calculator
Disclaimer
The recommended daily servings shown in the chart are a guide only. How much you feed depends on age, breed and level of activity and you should use your own judgement to determine the correct amount of food needed for your cat or dog. For active pets, add 10% more food. Young and growing cats and dogs require feeding little and often and to appetite. Always make sure that your pet has access to fresh water at all times. When changing your pet’s food, we recommend that you do so gradually.
Methodology
The research was conducted by Censuswide with 2,000 UK Nationally Representative Consumers between 29.11.24 to 03.12.24. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.
