[quote]Per my vet, cats need more wet food than dry
[quote]dry food exclusively, it leads to kidney disease
[quote]the cat doesn't drink much, and when she does she dips her paw in the bowl, and then licks the water off of her paw.
Cats, particularly males, are prone to a buildup of ash (leading to urinary stones and eventually kidney problems) which is flushed out of their system with sufficient hydration and you should be careful to watch the ash content in the food. Dry foods are generally higher in ash content than wet foods, and don't include the moisture necessary to eliminate it from their systems. Regarding funny drinking habits: anything to get them to drink more water.
[quote]that's better food than I eat!
Then why aren't you eating cat food? I hate it when people say this. It only shows they know little about how and from what pet food is made.
[quote]I feed Honest Kitchen, which is a dehydrated food
Good choice but pricey for what you get. You're paying for their office and higher salaries inherent in San Diego (not a criticism but just an observation). It's the same for Grandma Lucy's, Sojos, et. al.
Regarding giving your pet people food, there is nothing wrong with that at all. You just need to make sure they're getting all of the vitamins and nutrients that they need, which is accomplished by giving them a bit of commercial food (or you can buy the vitamin pack and add it to their diet yourself). Look for anything labelled "complete and balanced" which is a legally-controlled phrase and only allowed on the package if the food meets requirements bestowed by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). And do not season the people food you give them as they don't need extra salt, sugars or spices (which can lead to stomach upset).
I've had pets all my life, work in the pet food/care industry, and have gone from feeding my childhood cat pretty much crap and he lived 18 years, to the most expensive raw food for my recent dogs which did little to extend their lives. The important thing is to make sure they're getting a balanced nutritious diet, keeping their weight stable, and whatever works for you whether it's kibble, canned, pouches, dehydrated, freeze dried or raw.