Hi Tabbytails,
Just wanted to say don't listen to the vet on this - they have limited training in nutrition during their education and this training is often sponsored by the dry food producers. Hence the 'dry food is best for everything' approach often seen in many vets.
You're absolutely right in wanting to feed your cats something that is more biologically appropriate than dry food.
I'd say you see what the vet thinks of the food you're planning to give once you go for the first appointment. You'll quickly know if the vet feels the same way as the person you spoke with on the phone. If they do, I suggest you change vets as you could risk the vet blaming any illness that may happen to your cats on the food - which could potentially lead to the real illness being overlooked.
Re. the complete/complementary issue: If you can order food online you can get a complete food that's identical to Applaws Chicken, it's called Porta21 and is sold through Zooplus. That way all the foods you'll be feeding will be complete.
Don't worry about giving raw chicken either! Raw meat has the highest content of taurine of anything you can feed them, so a little of that won't hurt. Just don't let it replace a meal, and remember that if you want to make raw a bigger part of their diet you will need to add liver and bone to make it complete.
And, lastly I think I may have mentioned this before but if you plan on feeding dry long term (as opposed to only when they're kittens because they need food more often and you won't be home to feed them during the day) I'd suggest you get a better quality food with less carbs. Orijen and Applaws are the best I know of.
Sorry for the long post! To summarise, you're right and the vet is wrong
