I know I'm late with replying to this, but, I'm really curious about where the foster mom got her information about feeding canned food because cats don't drink a lot of water. I've never heard that! I know that most canned food is sugary, too, and, that it doesn't do anything for the health of their teeth and gums. As for dry food, I don't recommend just leaving food out all day, but, I know a lot of people do and their cats aren't fat. But, I know that can lead to the cat eating too much. The last cats I had that I fed cat food to, I measured each of their amounts of food out daily and fed them in separate bowls at the same time. I think one of them got a 1/4 cup and the other got just about 1/2 a cup daily. I would just feed them a few times a day from their pre measured containers. It worked well that way, and, they never had a problem with weight. The cat my ex and I bought (Lock, the bengal, stayed with him when Finn and I moved out) eats chicken, fish, and, beef, so, he gets his water from that, and, the bones help clean his teeth. And, water still stays out all the time! I'm really curious about the desert theory, though. What cats is she referring to? I'm not trying to be a smart alec, I am really curious. I mean, I know cheetahs and lions are found in the desert, but, there are leopards and tigers found in forested regions with plenty of water.