Switching the cat from dry to wet food. Any tips?
I plan to introduce it slowly along with her dry food and am investigating wet brands from solid producers with whole proteins, whole grains, low-carbs. Cat is about 8 to 10 years old (adoptive stray) and is indoor/outdoor. Any tips/insight welcomed.
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No added plant ingredients or gluten. Also commonly found in the grocery store as I'm too lazy to go to PetSmart if I can get good cat food at Giant.
My 9-month old kittens prefer dry food also as the home I adopted them from fed them Purina Kitten Chow exclusively. I switched them to Purina One Kitten dry and Sheba cans, with the intention of limiting their dry food (right now they have the "always filled bowl"
when they turn 1 so they eat more wet food and less dry. Right now they eagerly eat 1/2 the can of Sheba and leave the rest. I've tried feeding it half AM/half PM and they still won't eat that much of it.
To everyone: Please read this knowing it's written in a gentle, respectful tone. It may sound curt or obnoxious, but I truly don't mean it that way. Thanks. 
Avoid Science Diet and all grocery store cat food if you possibly can. Science Diet/Hill's still uses ethoxyquin in many of their foods. And the only reason it's so "popular" is because they give tremendous amounts of money to veterinary students if they agree to carry SD/Hill's in their practices.
If you can, use cat foods that are made from human-grade meats, vegetables and grains. All other pet foods contain 4-D meat and/or "euthanized" pets (dogs and cats).
I know that the additional cost can be difficult or impossible at times. Even though the additional cost is only minimal, it can matter greatly. So here's my caveat: If it's not possible for you (or anyone) to feed human-grade food, don't feel guilty. Do the best you can with what you have, which is all any of us can do (regarding anything).
Ideas:
- Consider transitioning your cat to raw ("BARF" diet). This is difficult and sometimes impossible with older cats, so don't worry. But some cats will switch instantly once they get a couple of fresh, raw chicken wings for breakfast or dinner. (You can look up BARF diet for cats for details.)
- Consider giving a high-quality, human-grade food once or twice a week. (Tiki Cat is a good example of whole, human-grade food, although there are many others.)
- Look for whole foods and not pates.
- Consider giving your cat "extras" from your own meals. Chicken, fish, brown rice, carrots, etc. (I had a cat who loved sunflower seeds and dry oatmeal. She didn't get a lot of either one, but she got enough once or twice a week to satisfy her. She lived to be 22.)
- Since she's already outside, making sure she has grass to eat isn't a problem.
- Vary the flavors, brands and types often (daily if you can). Cats can be little addicts about their food, and a variety is always better (for all of us).
- I don't think Purina's Beneful also has a cat food, but avoid it completely because there's a huge class action lawsuit regarding it.
Remember that the most important ingredient in caring for your cat is you. That you're looking for ideas speaks volumes about you and your relationship with her.
It's true that labels are supposed to be accurate and "meat" can refer to any mammal (roadkill, "euthanized" pets, etc.), but the FDA seldom, if ever, tests pet food for accuracy in labeling. The feed industry doesn't do it, either. There's also no oversight regarding 4-D meat, so if the supplier(s) are deceitful, the problem continues down the line until it's in the can. (There's so little oversight that downers are in the food supply for humans, too.)
Because of the pervasive dishonesty and the lack of oversight, it's generally better to avoid "grocery store" pet foods, but that's not always possible for people with limited funds.
It helps to hear from people whose vets (or others in the know) can recommend avoiding X or Y, as with the poster below who was told that Fancy Feast wasn't very nutritious.
Cats are very special beings.
I took him to the Animal Emergency Clinic that night to get him checked out, but they told me he was healthy and just to take him to my vet the next day. They gave him a can of Fancy Feast at the Clinic which he seemed to like, but he was quite hungry, poor little guy. 
When I went to the pet supply store to get more food and supplies, they told me that Fancy Feast wasn't all that nutritious, recommended Wellness brand to me, so I started him on their kitten food, then switched to the adult formula (he prefers the minced variety which has gravy ) after he turned a year old. For dry, I feed him Fromms, give him a can of wet food daily and he always has dry in his dish.
And I've been very happy with how well he's done on it. He has grown into a beautiful cat and has had no health problems - so far. He'll turn two in June by his vet's calculations. Wishing you the best of luck with your kitty! My last cat I rescued from outdoors when she was 12. Thank you for rescuing your older kitty! She was so fortunate to have found you! 