Should I warm up my cats wet food

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

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Should I warm up my cats wet food?

Cats can be finicky eaters sometimes. When it comes to wet cat food, some cats will eat the food straight from the fridge, while others prefer their food warmed up before eating. Warming up a cats wet food will enhance the smell and palatability of the food, so your cat will probably enjoy it more warmed up.

Lets learn more about preparing wet food for our feline friends.

Is it normal to heat up your pets food?

The final decision to heat your cats food is yours. It can be a bit of a hassle without much benefit. Thats why only 24% of cat owners bother to heat their feline companions food, serving them room temperature food most of the time.

However, heating your cats food is an excellent approach if you typically store your cats food in the refrigerator or if youre trying to encourage them to eat more. Otherwise, its up to you and your cats preferences.

The most important thing to take into consideration is ensuring your cat has optimal health. Cats have a normal body temperature of around 101 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Its important to make sure your cats food doesnt get too hot nor cold, so it doesnt burn them or lower their body temperature too much.

If you have any concern that the food may be too hot, check it against the back of your hand. If its too hot for your skin, then its even hotter for your feline companions mouth. You can also use a thermometer to double-check the foods temperature.

Although warm food can be delicious to humans, when feeding your cats, make sure not to anthropomorphize your cat too much or give them human characteristics. Most cats dont actually care whether their food is warm or cold.

Best cat food for indoor cats read about our choice.

Benefits of eating up wet cat food

If your cat doesnt seem interested in his cold wet food, or you just want to introduce some variety into his diet, you could try warming up some food for him. It has several benefits, including:

Cats can typically taste their food through its scent, meaning they begin to pick up their foods flavors before eating the actual food. Food that is warmed up to between 93 and 103 degrees Fahrenheit can increase this enticing aroma and make their meals even tastier and pleasant.
Since a cat is a natural predator, they should be able to catch and kill their prey, which usually remains warm as they eat their catch. This means that cats are naturally inclined to heat warm food.

One thing to note is that placing your cats food inside the refrigerator prevents you from serving it at room temperature. Most cat food brands advise that cat food should be eaten at least at room temperature. So, if you do keep it in the fridge for some reason, you will need to warm your cats food up before serving, bringing it to palatable temperatures.

As long as it is unopened, most canned cat foods dont actually need to be kept in the fridge. If you open the can and only serve half of it to start, the remaining half should be refrigerated.

Giving your cat raw meat

Cats have a natural appetite for protein. Considering their ancestry as wild cats, you may be wondering if they need raw or cooked food. It isnt always clear how packaged or commercial cat food is made, so if youre thinking of preparing your cats food yourself, youll need to know how to prepare their meals.

Keep in mind to never base your pets diet on a human diet because it wont provide enough protein for your cat and will cause health issues for them. Additionally, be careful when creating a raw food diet for your feline companion.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) doesnt recommend giving any raw food to your pets, especially if they have a weakened immune system. Thats because of the bacteria and other pathogens that come from raw meat can pose a considerable risk for your cat.

A cat can typically process raw meat, meaning you can add it to their diet. However, there are several risks involved for both you and your cat, though research about the issue is still scarce. If youre going to offer raw meat for your cat, wash your hands before and after preparing the food.

Here are other measures you should keep in mind:

Separate the meat and anything it touches from other foods.
Wash any item the raw meat touches quickly and thoroughly using warm water and dish soap.
Choose and purchase the best quality meat from reputable stores.
Ask your cats veterinarian if raw meat is suitable for your cat.
Keep an eye out for any changes in your cats health or symptoms.

Cooking meat for your cat

Domestic cats are perfectly healthy eating nutritious, high-quality, store-bought foods, but perhaps you want to give your feline friend an extra treat once in a while, like some plain chicken breast.

When cooking for your cat, make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked and has an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. This will remove any harmful particles. Its also best to keep the food safe by not adding any seasonings, as they can be toxic to your pets.

The bottom line

Many cats will refuse the cold, wet cat food that their owners are serving. This is because the cold wet cat food doesnt smell that strong compared to warm wet foods. Slowly and gently warming your cats food will release and increase the foods aroma, which makes the cat food more appealing to your cats. Just ensure you dont serve the food too hot for your feline friend.

Should I Heat Up Wet Cat Food? (3 Warm Up Tips For Your Cats Meal)

Lets face it; Its hard enough to get a cat to do anything you want them to, so feeding them food they dont want to eat or thats not appealing? Not gonna happen.

This is especially true of cold wet food. So, should I heat up wet cat food or at least give it a warm up to make it more appealing to my fur baby?

Should I Heat Up Wet Cat Food?

Yes, Its safe to heat up wet cat food or warm it up. After heating, its best to let the wet food cool to room temperature. Cats prefer their food at room temperature due to their natural instinct for warm blooded prey.

Below are a few considerations and tips to consider when deciding whether or not to warm up wet cat food.

Why You Should Warm Up Wet Cat Food

If youre serving your cat wet food, you may be tempted to heat it up. I like my food warm; why wouldnt my cat? Theres actually some sound logic behind this line of thinking.

There are lots of wet cat foods that need to be stored in the refrigerator for maximum freshness. But serving a cat cold food is likely to lead to your cat not eating anything; the food is often unappealing both texturally and flavor-wise when its that cold due to a cats natural instinct to look for warm-blooded prey.

Cat Food Tip: Warming cat food makes texturally more palatable for a cat vs giving your cat cold food. Cats tend to prefer room temperature food because of the warm blooded prey they would hunt in the wild.

So, it can be a good idea to warm your cats food to room temperature before serving it. This puts the foods consistency back to normal and unlocks its aroma, making it significantly more appetizing to your cat and can simulate the prey instinct in a healthy way.

I may not like how it smells, but the cat sure does. It can also make a good cat treat.

On top of that, heating your cats food can help to kill any dangerous bacteria thats gotten trapped in it.

This is especially important if youre preparing the wet food fresh yourself; it needs to be cooked to at least 165 Fahrenheit. If youre feeding from a can, though, this isnt necessarily a massive risk.

Why You Shouldnt Heat Up Wet Cat Food

On the other side of this argument, heating up your cats wet food can cause a few problems.

Leaving food out to heat up for too long can cause it to spoil, which will not only waste that portion but may cause your cat to become very ill. Heating it up improperly can do this as well; I wouldnt want my kitty eating rancid food!

Another risk is burns. If youre heating up wet cat food to too high a temperature, you risk causing your cat to get burned when they try to eat it. Cats eat quickly, and having food at too high a temperature when they start eating can cause burns to their mouth, tongue, and throat before they can stop themselves.

Finally, wet cat food that is warmed improperly tends to dry out dramatically. Not only does this make it less appealing to the cat in terms of texture and flavor, it can also take away from the nutritional value of the food. Cats get a significant amount of their daily water intake from wet food, so over-drying it can lead to dehydration.

To combat the dryness, just add a little water prior to warming it up if youre going to put it the microwave. As far as whether you should heat up wet cat food, I think positives really out weight the negatives. Just pay close attention to what your cat likes.

Serving Warmed Up Wet Cat Food

Its often a good idea to give your cat a mixture of wet and dry food to meet their daily calorie needs. Ive done this in the past and not only is it good for the cat, but helps stretch my wet food dollar. Everybody wins!

Veterinarians recommend putting out a bowl of dry food with a dish of clean water that your cat has access to all day long, and then feeding wet food on a regular schedule. This lets your cat eat whenever theyre hungry without you having to worry about their food spoiling.

Speaking of spoiling, in the best of situations, you dont want to leave wet cat food out and exposed for more than 30 minutes at a time. In hot weather or heated conditions, that limit goes down to 20 minutes. Any longer than that, and you risk exposing your pet to dangerous bacteria.

You should also serve your cats wet food in a separate bowl to their dry food. Firstly, it makes cleanup significantly easier; you dont have to replace the whole bowl of dry food after every feeding! Second, it keeps the food appetizing and healthy for the cat. I wouldnt want to eat from a dirty bowl either.

How to warm up Cat Food

Should you decide you heat up your cats food, you can use any one of these three methods.

Warm up Cat Food Without a Microwave

There are two simple options to heat up cat food without having to put it in a microwave.

Run the sealed container under warm water until it is warm to the touch but not hot, then serve.
Mix warm water into the food in its dish. This is effective for cans not stored in the refrigerator.

Microwave Wet Cat Food

Put the food and a small amount of water in a microwave-safe container and microwave on low for a few seconds at a time until the food is warmed through.
Check the temperature either with a kitchen thermometer or by touch (be careful here). If its too hot for you, its too hot for kitty.

Consult your food manufacturers website for their recommendations when it comes to heating and serving suggestions.

About Microwaves

Microwave ovens are perfectly safe to use although some people think that microwave ovens use radioactive material (for example Cesium) to heat up food. If we did this everyones food would be unsafe, not just your cats. There is no radioactive material in common household microwave ovens.

Storing the Wet Food

Of course, your cat might not eat an entire can of food in one sitting. If they dont, pack the uneaten portion into an air-tight container (zip-top freezer bags are a lifesaver) and refrigerate it until the next feeding. Try not to keep any open portions of food for longer than a few days.

The most important thing about mixing your cats diet is making sure that the food you choose both wet and dry is high quality and meets your cats needs. Talk to your vet about your cats diet and follow their recommendations for caloric intake and nutritional value. This keeps your cat happy, healthy, and full for as long as possible.

Should I Heat Up Wet Cat Food? Summary

If youre like me, I always try to use modern conveniences where I can to help me with my cat and other pets. Hopefully youve learned a couple tips about your cats diet. Should I heat up wet cat food? Depends on the cat, the food, and the room its served in. The answer is going to change from house to house, and even from cat to cat.

How you serve it depends mostly on safety and personal preference. As long as your cat is getting the right kind and amount of nutrition from their food, youre doing it right.

Related Article: Mix Wet and Dry Cat Food; 6 Things You Need To Know