How long should I leave wet food out?

mezlo

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
304
Purraise
1
Location
Ad Astra Per Aspera
The past couple of weeks I've been working on feeding Junior later in the morning and evening so that he sleeps later. The problem is most mornings now Junior isn't finished eating the wet food in the morning by the time I need to leave for work.

Is it safe for me to leave it out when I leave? I'm feeding him about 45 minutes before I leave and while the bowl is empty when I come home for lunch, I don't know when during the morning he finishes it. He hasn't shown any signs of illness yet so I assume so far the food has still been OK.

Mez
 

jenwales

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
357
Purraise
11
Location
Maryland
I leave mine out too. Jack is fed when I get up (around 6:00) and when I leave for work at 7:00 there's always a small amount left. When I get home it's gone. I've been doing this for years and he's never gotten sick from it.
 

yosemite

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Messages
23,313
Purraise
81
Location
Ingersoll, ON
Originally Posted by jenwales

I leave mine out too. Jack is fed when I get up (around 6:00) and when I leave for work at 7:00 there's always a small amount left. When I get home it's gone. I've been doing this for years and he's never gotten sick from it.
Same here. I'm not a morning person so the kitties are lucky I get up in time to even feed them, never mind waiting until they finish it.


Mine haven't been sick either so I assume they are eating it in a timely manner.
 

exoticbabee

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Sep 4, 2007
Messages
169
Purraise
1
Location
Florida
My kitty is the same way. I have an hour to leave her wet food out. She eats most of it but when it's time for me to leave for work, I toss the rest of the food. I have read that the bacteria starts multiplying and it's not best to leave wet food out for more than an hour. I leave some dry food for her to snack on until I come home for her evening meal.
 

butzie

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 22, 2007
Messages
5,299
Purraise
1
Location
Secret Santa Land
Butzie doesn't leave much in her dish and she is skinny! I feed her wet food twice a day and leave her some dry food in between. About 1 1/2 cans of food and she still weighs less than 8 lbs at age 2 1/2.
I have 2 feeding dishes and mats so I just have to swap the bowls.
I am with Yosemite. I wasn't a morning person until I adopted Butzie. Now she wakes me between 5:30 and 6:30 and I still love her!
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
How much food is left after the 45 mins? If its only a small amount, I'd leave it, but if its any more then a bite or two, I'd take it up and maybe reduce the morning wet by how much is left. And increase the evening meal so that you are around for him to finish.

Personally I would not leave wet food out more then 45 mins to 1 hour at the most.

Charlie and Ling take about 15 mins (maybe 20) to eat their portion of canned food in the evening. Its competition for them - if one doesn't eat quick enough, the other will "help" out!
 

yosemite

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Messages
23,313
Purraise
81
Location
Ingersoll, ON
Originally Posted by butzie

I am with Yosemite. I wasn't a morning person until I adopted Butzie. Now she wakes me between 5:30 and 6:30 and I still love her!
I lucked out with Bijou - he'll just stay snuggled up with me sleeping until I'm ready to get up. As long as I'm in bed he's happy to be there too. Mika is much the same - our daughter lets her out of her bedroom in the early morning, Mika comes into our room, gets up on the satellite converter where it's nice and warm, and goes to sleep until I get up.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

mezlo

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
304
Purraise
1
Location
Ad Astra Per Aspera
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

How much food is left after the 45 mins? If its only a small amount, I'd leave it, but if its any more then a bite or two, I'd take it up and maybe reduce the morning wet by how much is left. And increase the evening meal so that you are around for him to finish.

Personally I would not leave wet food out more then 45 mins to 1 hour at the most.
Junior takes up to an hour and a half to eat a 3oz pouch and does it in 3-4 sittings spread out over that time when I'm home. There's usually about a 1/4 left in the bowl by the time I leave for work. However, I think he sleeps most of the time when I'm gone so I don't know if he still finishes the food in that time frame or if he takes a nap between sittings. My concern is the bacteria as ExoticBabee mentioned, yet based on calories I need to feed him 2 pouches each day. I don't go home for lunch most days so morning and evening are the only times I have to feed him.

I guess I'll just keep leaving it out and see how it goes.

Thanks for the replies,
Mez
 

vrgchs

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
344
Purraise
1
Location
California
I put out as much wet food as I think they will eat in an hour. Whatever is left after an hour (which usually isn't much) I toss out.

Valerie
 
Top