Confused about complete vs complimentary cat foods

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OK I understand complete, but why would anyone even want to give their cat a wet food which isn't complete?
I've just wasted £5 on food that's apparently complimentary - what is it supposed to compliment? Other complete wet foods? well why not just buy them complete wet foods anyway?

To avoid wasting my money and this food, how many times a week could I give it out without risking health/satiety?

Do you feed them anything else or was this intended to be their main food?

Complimentary is for people who are feeding a complete dry food but still want to give their cat some wet food each day (i.e. as a treat, or to mix with the biscuits) without worrying about unbalancing it's diet. But it is a big con really.

Ours get a bowl of Arden Grange dry food measured out each morning which they eat throughout the day, but they still come in shouting for something wet every evening. They don't even eat it - they just lick off all the good stuff and then bugger off to eat some dry food, leaving the rest behind. So we put out one small pouch for them to share, whatever is on offer in the supermarket - currently Whiskers 'oh so fishy', which is full of sugar and crap but apparently tastes delicious. We've tried them on tinned tuna and sardines, Nature's Menu 70% meat pouches and PAH 90% meat trays, but they turned their noses up at it all. "Real meat? Pah! I can get that from a mouse. I want the graveeeeey" It doesn't really matter though, because they get everything they need from the AG, the wet stuff is just a bribe so they'll shut up treat.

MrsL123 one of mine is also a gravy fiend! I specifically bought him a Pets At Home stocking for Christmas cos it had 'turkey gravy drink' in it, but it was all watery and he didn't like it, little swine. Other cat won't touch wet food at all, also turns his nose up at a bit of leftover chicken or tuna. Weird creature.

MrsL, I stupidly assumed it was a comeplte wet food. No intention of using a dry food for them, so I won't be buying these wet foods again (Feline Fayre), was just in a different supermarket and this was 60% and therefore better, so thought I'd give it a try, looked interesting for the cats with whole bits of pilchards in them, thought it would be a nice change for them from the high % they normally get which is only in two meat flavours, no fish ones.

They'll just have to put up with it till the other box is gone now

I was confused by this too but MrsL's post explains it re. dried diet etc.

If you end up buying it again, the Feline Fayre stuff in the black pouches is complete, the turquoise pouches are not. I used up the complimentary food by using it to replace a meal once every two days - no harm done.

I was advised against a dried food diet by the RSPCA but my cat loves the biscuits, hoovers them up, so I bought him some Purely dried food from Pets at Home for a treat alongside his wet diet (it is complete). I was shocked when I measured out the 40g daily that he is allowed if he were only eating this food. It is nothing! My cat would eat that all at once, how do you dried food people manage?

The more nutrition/meat% in a dry biscuit, the less they'd need of it I assume.

I really don't like dry food but won't get into the whys and hows as I feel I would be a lone voice!

Have you tried Nature's Menu? It's 70% meat and it smells/looks lovely, and comes in a good range of flavours. I just wish mine would eat it!

The dry food doesn't seem much when you put it out, but it does last all day and they've never tried to wolf it down in one go - usually there'll still be a couple of stray biscuits left by morning. They really enjoy it, and often turn up their noses at 'real' food in favour of it. But then again, they get a lot of yummy bird and mouse snacks because they're both good little murderers hunters, so I guess tinned tuna doesn't taste as good as fresh sparrow! They seem to like crunching the biscuits too, probably because it sounds like little bones snapping!

I've always been wary of dry food because I know it can cause urinary problems, but they drink plenty of water from their fountain, and obviously mouse blood is a good source of hydration too! And most people don't realise that a lot of these big brand 'complete' dry foods are full of sugar and additives but only contain as little as 4% meat, so I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. But as dried food goes, the arden grange is one of the best around (orijen being the best). They only use human-grade ethically-produced meat, there are no artifical additives in the finished product or in any of the raw ingredients, and there are a few goodies added like cranberry for urinary tract health, glucosamine for their joints, and something else to prevent furballs. And it's really cheap because I get a breeder bag - it costs me about £8 a month to feed my two. The mice are free

Fountain? Tell me more about that as it sounds interesting to say the least

Lol no, just one of those pet mate ones with the filter! They used to drive us mad crying for the tap to be put on, so we caved in and got one. Although I have to admit, they spend as much time washing their feet in it as they do drinking! They're just twisted, they'll drink from the dog's bowl when it's full of muck and slobber, but used to turn their noses up at their own clean bowl and demand that we turn on the tap. I think they just enjoy watching their slaves jump through hoops!