As a cat owner, of course, you only want the best for your kitty – but how do you know what is best? For example, how many times a day should you feed your cat? Once, three times or even more? Your animal world knows – and tells you.
No matter who you ask – every cat owner will have a different opinion about how much food is right for a cat and how often we should feed it…
No wonder that your head is spinning.
It is also a difficult decision! If you feed your cat too often and too much, he will become overweight. On the other hand, if it does not get enough food, it lacks essential nutrients when in doubt. So both have negative effects on your health.
In fact, your kitty’s need for food depends on several factors – and can therefore vary from animal to animal. Therefore, you should know in advance: If your cat is very young or very old, sick or pregnant, you should ask your vet for advice. When in doubt, the experts know best what, when, and how much your cats should eat.
How often should you feed cats now?
How often you should feed your cat a day depends on various factors:
- How old is the cat
- In what state of health is she?
- Has the cat been neutered?
- Is it an outdoor cat or an indoor cat?
Furthermore, as a cat owner, you would do well to imitate your kitty’s natural eating behavior. Because cats in nature often eat between 10 to 20 small servings throughout the day. Also, they tend to be slow eaters who like to take their time for their meals. They also want to be undisturbed while they are eating.
If you want to do something good for your cat, you should give it at least two to three food servings per day. But four to five small feed rations are also possible.
This is especially true for indoor cats, which cannot enjoy a mouse in nature in return for being outdoors.
Now, most cat owners are certainly at work or not at home all the time for other reasons. In this case, buying a feeder can be a sensible investment. For example, we can easily provide the cat with a food ration at lunchtime or in the afternoon. In principle, however, it is advisable to establish fixed feeding times that the cat can get used to.
Morning and evening and at night, shortly before going to bed, are ideal times to provide the fur nose with a portion of food.
Outdoor animals, for example, are not only dependent on the feed ration at home. You can also go out looking for food – and catch a mouse in between, for example. And young kittens need more food than adult cats. They should, therefore, be fed more often.
The natural eating behavior of cats means that they are more likely to eat several small servings throughout the day than one large one. So it is usually best to feed your cat in smaller amounts two to three times a day.
“Kittens up to six months old might need three meals a day,” explains Dr. Francis Kallfelz from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. “After that, most cats will be able to eat two meals a day.” In fact, many healthy cats have no problem with being fed only once a day. But four to five meals are also possible. It is best to observe which feeding routine your cat is most comfortable with.
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Which cat needs how much a day
The number of meals a cat has to eat depends, of course, on several factors, just like us humans. The rule of thumb two to five meals a day applies to healthy cats and non-overweight cats. And obesity is – as you as a cat lover probably know – a common problem for indoor cats. Because of the lack of exercise in your own four walls, they quickly set in. Therefore, you should definitely provide some playful variety.
Your cat’s two to five meals are best made of meat.
Not all of us have time to prepare cat food regularly. That’s okay too. Because the feed industry has brought many high-quality products onto the market over the years. The same applies here: Pay attention to the ingredients and nutritional information! Because in addition to high-quality and cat-worthy products, there is unfortunately also a lot of food, which mainly contains grain. It’s cheaper to make than meat. And that really doesn’t belong on a cat’s natural diet. Therefore, you should use food in pet shops, which is made entirely of meat. This is the only way to keep your cat healthy and have a beautiful coat. We also recommend up to five small meals well distributed throughout the day for ready-made feed.
If you want to please your darling with ready-made cat food, you can use meat-containing wet or dry food. These two types of food can be wonderfully combined, depending on your cat’s taste and needs. However, some cats prefer either one or the other.
The advantage of wet food also lies in the fact that cats hence liquid record. This is not the case with dry food. But it doesn’t matter which food you choose: You should always offer your house tiger at least one drinking bowl.
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Free feeding
Some keepers provide their velvet paws with a large bowl of dry food in the morning, which they can devour throughout the day. This is generally possible – but only if your cat can manage its food well. Conversely, if your cat likes to snack in between times without being hungry, this can lead to obesity. And dry food should also be fresh and changed every day.
Another challenge is that if several cats live in a household, one cat could feed the entire portion out of food envy. The other kitties then go away empty-handed. In this case, it is better to give the cats their own portions at feeding time, which they will eat immediately.
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Advantages of dry or wet food
Cats are foodies. Just like you and me 😉
It is important to them that their food tastes good, and it should definitely be fresh. Our majestic indoor cats disdain stale and dried out wet food.
A quick look at the bowl is all it takes, and the cat is already stalking past it with its head held high to show you that they would like fresh food, please. That’s why we suggest that you divide up the wet food.
A serving of 50-100 g per meal is usually sufficient. But since every cat is different, you might want to observe how much your cat needs for a meal at the beginning of your life together. Because this is the only way you can sensibly portion your feed quantities.
You can store the rest of the food in the refrigerator. One to two days it works without any problems, without it spoiling. You may also have concerns about storing the opened cat food next to your own food. However, these concerns are unfounded. It is sufficient to close the opened can with a plastic bag or special can lids. This way, you definitely don’t get anything from your own food.
Conclusion: When it comes to food, there is no general recipe for success. Try to recognize your cat’s needs and meet them optimally. And if in doubt: ask the vet!
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