dry feeding routines

I'm wondering how you all feed you cats if you use dry food. Ie: Do you feed them a measured ammount a few times a day or do you just leave dry food out for them to eat at their discression.

I currently feed them twice a day but when we go away I leave food out (obviousely) and they don't seem to eat any more than when I'm there to feed them. I guess I'm wondering if I change to just leaving it out if that will keep them from getting me up at 4am for their wet food.

I free feed, but obviously this will not work for every cat.
Most cats are pretty good at eating only what they need, but some do develop weight problems with free feeding.

We free feed Abby and she seems to do just fine. I don't know that we could do it any other way, as she gets quite upset when there isn't enough food in the bowl. Even if she doesn't want to eat it, she just wants to know that it's there. (Probably leftover mentality from being a stray). So, she gets a handful or so of dry food whenever her bowl starts getting empty, and a tablespoon of wet at morning and night as a little treat (Interestingly enough, if my husband and I accidentally both give her the wet food in the morning, she'll only eat the one portion)

I free feed my foster kitties a MEASURED amount of dry food, with a canned food in the morning and evening.

I free feed.

I free feed a measured amount also....

When I fed more dry food than I do now I gave them a measured amount at set meal times. It was dry food at breakfast and supper time, with some wet at teatime. Free feeding was a non starter with Jaffa as he'd eat whatever you put out as soon as you put it out (inc his brother's rations)

I free feed and also give my kitten cooked food twice a day.

I bought a dog pan from walmart and I fill that up(holds about 3lbs of food and its hard for themn to knock over). It gets eaten in about a day and i just dump outside anythign left over for the strays and wash/refill. If I tried to feed at set times they tend to fight and then eat to fast and majority will puke the food up within a few minutes. Also makes them less nutty at night when I feed them some canned or meat. RJ