Those Little Tubes of Creamy Cat Food Are Actually Good For Your Pet

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While we typically associate those nifty little tubes of creamy cat food as being along the lines of a really special treat that can only be doled out from time to time, they do serve other purposes. Particularly if your pet is ill, aging, or dealing with dental issues, that can make them super-picky eaters when it comes to their regular food and/or ability to eat harder kibble.

In fact, you may be surprised to learn that these handy little lickable treats can actually be good for your pet. Especially, if you look at some of the low-calorie, high-protein, low-carb options out there.

Let’s start with this. Did you know that on average, cats should consume 20-30 calories per pound of body weight? So, if you have a 10-pound cat, you’re looking at 200 to 300 calories per day. Like humans, this can vary based on age and activity levels. For context, a 3-ounce can of something like Fancy Feast has around 70 calories, a 5.5-ounce can of Friskies (in gravy) has around 130 calories, and a 1-cup portion of Meow Mix dry kibble comes in at 310 calories.

So, let’s look at how adding those popular wet cat food tubes to your pet’s diet can benefit your pet without adding a lot of empty calories.

Benefits to Your Cat

Hydration

• Wet foods are super-high in moisture. Where dry food/kibble contains 10% moisture, wet foods provide closer to 85%. Making them an easy way to ensure your feline gets her daily hydration needs, which is typically around 8 ounces of water (1 cup) for a 10-pound cat and around 3 ounces more for every five pounds over that. Hydration is crucial to proper kidney and urinary tract function, and if your feline is older, ill, or recovering from surgery, meaning less inclined to want to drink, it’s a great way to induce her.

Digestibility

• Taste and texture factor large in how well your cat enjoys their meal. And the savory smell and texture of wet food along with her ability to easily consume and digest make it an easy enticement when age, illness or dental issues have you concerned about dehydration. While some are loyal to dry food it’s important to ensure that your kibble-loving feline is squeezing sufficient moisture into her diet to prevent constipation or dehydration. Adding one or two wet food tubes to her kibble meal – either squeezed across the top or used as a treat – is an easy solution.

Weight Management

• Wet food tubes are a great solution to managing your cat’s weight. Rich in protein, low in carbohydrates and with just a handful of calories, the wet texture makes your cat feel full sooner and keeps her satisfied for longer. And those rich nutrients ensure she’s getting everything she needs to stay fit and healthy on fewer calories.

How to Introduce

• Straight out of the tube as a treat
• Squeezed over your cat’s kibble as a topper/supplement
• Spread across a licking mat to engage and encourage soothing stimulation
• Presented on your finger when delivering medication
• Dispensed into a portion-control spoon to encourage interaction

If your goal is to help an older, ailing, less-active pet stay healthy without gaining weight, this low-cal, grain-free, squeezable cat food option from Churu is just the ticket. Each tube contains just 0.5 ounces of tasty, pureed meat that’s easy to digest and perfect for cats with dental issues or a reluctance to feed. At just 6 calories per tube and a whopping 91% moisture level, you’re not only hydrating and nourishing your feline with this Vitamin E-infused soft food, you’re indulging her in a tasty treat that she’ll look forward to.

When your goal of using a lickable wet cat food is to help sneak pills or medications into an ailing feline, the spoon-style format of this creamy purée from Hartz is a perfect choice. Unlike the squeeze tubes, this option’s small, spoon-shaped bowl makes it easy to add pills or liquid meds, then hand-feed to your pet. The benefit is that you can see she has actually consumed the pill and not spit it out. No struggles, no guesswork, and your cat indulges in a creamy treat made from real chicken and salmon and free from grains, fillers, by-products and preservatives.

If your feline roommate isn’t the sort that appreciates hand-feeding or squeezable tube-type treats, you may want to boost her hydration and health with this single-serve wet cat food from Nacho. Made with cage-free chicken, grass-fed beef and sustainably caught salmon, these 3-ounce pouches use bone broth to amp up the hydration factor, and you simply squeeze the contents out of the packet and into her bowl… then let her enjoy at her own pace.

Want to kick-start your cat’s nutrition levels in a way she’ll love? Why not introduce a creamy, lickable cat treat that’s guaranteed to gain her buy-in? This chicken and liver option from Catit is not only free from artificial flavoring, preservatives, and grains but also infused with taurine. Never heard of taurine? It’s an essential amino acid for cats that’s crucial for proper digestion, heart function, maintaining normal vision and building a healthy immune system. I’m loving that at 50 tubes per pack, this nutrition-infused wet cat food is always handy for use as a topper or just-because treat.

Pet food manufacturer Nala has created a range of mousse-style cat tubes specifically designed to tackle various health issues. Try the tuna recipe for brain and heart health, the chicken and prebiotic for digestive health, or the tuna and salmon option that supports a healthy coat and skin. Each tube is just 6 calories and is non-GMO, grain-free, and prepared without artificial flavors and colors. Squeeze it onto your pet’s dry kibble, offer as a between-meal snack, or use it as a special, low-cal treat your feline can enjoy every day.