About cat feeding

[EssTer]

I wanted to know your thoughts....WEll I´ve heard, that best for cat is if the cup is always full of food, so cat, when he wants goes and eats his food... From other people I heard that better is to give for cat food for example in moring, middle of day and evening, in one time, but not many....


I wanted to know what way is better.... ;)

[catcrazylady]

I know lots of people have different ideas but this is what I do in my house. I leave dry food out for my kitties all the time. They get a little bit of canned food in the morning and a small amount again in the evening.
I think how you feed depends on your cat. If your cat has a weight problem then you may not want to leave food out at all times. If your kitty is in good shape and fairly active then dry food available at all times shouldn't hurt.
Thats how I do it!!
How is Buddy??? I hope he is as good as new!!http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/biggrin.gif

[EssTer]

yup, Buddy is OK now :) Just he´s careful with jumping ;)

Like you I´m leaving dry food for all day but this canned food Buddy gets in morings and afternoons ;)

[Edwina's Secretary]

We "free feed" the cats. That is...there are two bowls of food for them to eat throughout the day and night. They get a treat (honey roasted turkey --- no mere cat food for these spoiled ones!) in the morning and evening. Truthfully, I don't like the smell -- or sight -- of wet cat food.

[Tonya]

I used to free feed my cats, but Ron has a weight problem. So now, I just give him a bowl every morning. When that is gone, that is it for the day.

[RedHedd]

I had always "free fed" my cats until I adopted Mitzi and Mishi from the rescue shelter. Because they were rescues, out on the streets they never knew where their next meal was coming from, so if they saw food was available, they'd eat and eat and eat until it was gone. Even being adopted into a furrever indoor home with food available at all times, they still ate as if they would not be getting a next meal for a very long time. Mitzi was already very round and needed to lose weight; Mishi began gaining weight at an alarming rate, so the vet recommended I switch to feeding twice a day.

They've adapted to this feeding schedule. Mitzi is still round, although I can tell she's lost a bit - she looks healthier and has more energy. Mishi is big, lean and very muscular now. He's lost the paunch that was beginning to ruin his manly physique - now he's my hunka, hunka orangie Maine Coon love :D

Ask your vet for recommendations. The goal is healthy and happy cats :)

[Craftlady]

I leave dry out 24/7 I measure it out 2x daily in morning and around dinner time (sometimes they get an extra smig during the day) in 3 different eating areas. I top off the bowls before I go to bed at night.

With the arrival of Skinny and his wanting to play both Thumper and Butterscotch have dropped a lb each. :D Changing to the Nutro Natural Weight Maintance has made free feeding better. We previously were on Science Diet Light (they gained weight on that stuff) measured amts. SDL got to many fillers/by-products. I had always thought it was a good cat food until I got Nutro brand of food.

[Barbara]

Filou and Tigris get free food, wet food during the day and dry food during the night. But both are thin ( Filou 3,2 kg/ 7,5 lb and Tigris who is a big cat regarding the bones 5,8 kg/ 13 lb).

If they had a weight problem I would only feed twice a day.

[CatDad]

I free feed Bob and Joey, we put out food in the mornings and then I add a little some in the evening. It is only about a cup total.

Then Joey gets wet food in the evening. Bob is just not interested in it. He is really quite strange sometimes. Bob not eating wet food is really OK he has a little weight problem.:)

So far this has worked well.

[Uabassoon]

I leave dry food out for my kitties all the time and then in the evening they each get a little bit of canned food.

[Lixx]

We feed in "feedings"
One; because I found that the dominant ones would eat all the food and the more timid wait till they were done -and get non ( work full time and cannot be there to constantly refill the dish). The dominate ones were getting too large. I find it is much easier to control what each cat is getting with feedings, as you can watch.
Two; This came in effect later, but we are now on three "types" of cat food ( kitten, adult, mature) Feedings are the only way I can make sure the right one gets the right food.

As long as your cat(s) aren't gaining weight excessively & are all getting the right amount , you could free feed. I personally prefer feedings.