Dry Food: Do you leave it out all day?

ashley45

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Ever since I got my cat I've just always left his bowl full of dry food. He's not at all fat (quite small, actually). Is this bad to leave it out for him to eat whenever he wants?
 

mom2raven

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I "free feed" dry, which means I leave it out all day. I measure a certian amount for the day though.
 

catpapa

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I leave mine out all the time, but I would like to know as well if it's the wrong thing to do. I just work crazy hours sometime and it's hard to keep them on a feeding schedule. So I think I just feel better knowing that if I get stuck at work, there's SOMETHING to eat.
 

typix

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I also free feed, but I wonder how much you should put out? I find that while I'm at work, both cats eat about 2/3 cup. Then I put out another 2/3 cup for the evening. I don't feed wet right now, but that still seems like a lot.
 

faith's_mom

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With cats, I have always free fed dry food...never had a fat cat yet
 
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ashley45

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okay. good to know I'm not the only one doing this!
 

mistressotdark

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I leave dry food out for my 2 cats all day..although I've left it down to 1 bowl.. I found out that he just jumps in the window and eats out of her bowl....
I was wondering why his bowl never seemed to go down but the one in the window is empty when I get home...
silly cat..
 

eilcon

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I was free feeding up until a month ago when our vet put my youngest female, Claire, on a diet. She needs to lose 3 pounds!

Anyway, we've since gone to scheduled feedings with measured amounts of food. It wasn't near as difficult as I anticipated getting my crew to adjust. They all get their wet food in the morning and I put their dry down, but only until I leave for work. Then, I put the dry down again in the early evening and leave it for a couple of hours.

The arrangement seems to be working for everyone. My other cats, who are at healthy weights, are getting what they need, and Claire has already lost a little weight.
 

goldenkitty45

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We feed a certain amount of dry in the morning - its gone by lunchtime - sometimes sooner. Then they get canned at night.

Most cats if left to free feed all day do become fat. There are exceptions - sounds like you have one. But I'd still keep an eye on him so he doesn't get fat. Its a lot harder to get weight off once they gain too much.
 

alleygirl

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Most cats if left to free feed all day do become fat. There are exceptions -
I have to disagree with this statement. In my experience, (having and being around cats my entire life, as well as experience with hundreds of cats at the rescue I work with) most cats will not get fat, and it is the exception that does.

I would guess that nearly everyone in the general population free feeds, but not nearly everyone has a fat cat.
 

eilcon

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Originally Posted by AlleyGirl

I have to disagree with this statement. In my experience, (having and being around cats my entire life, as well as experience with hundreds of cats at the rescue I work with) most cats will not get fat, and it is the exception that does.

I would guess that nearly everyone in the general population free feeds, but not nearly everyone has a fat cat.
I agree and think it really depends on the cat. I've been free-feeding for as long as I've had cats and Claire's my first one with a weight issue. I would have continued to free feed if her weight hadn't become a concern, since the it's not an issue with my other three.
 

littleraven7726

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I free feed, but a measured amount. I've figured out how much they eat in a day and that's what I leave out. My one cat has issues that cropped up when I tried strict meal feeding. He gets very obsessed with the bowl (and the fact that it's empty), gobbles his food too fast, then barfs it back up. He does better with snacks out between meals. I've always done variations of free feeding (except when we tried strict meal feeding for a while--which failed and I went back to free feeding after a few months). When my cats chubbed, it was either time to switch foods or measure it out.

Mine also get 2 wet meals a day.
 

sibohan2005

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I put out about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dry food for a 24 hour period Sibohan is a slow eater and eats sporatically throughout the day. If she hasn't eaten it all I top it off a bit but there is never more than 1/2 a cup in her bowl. She gets her 2tbsp of wet food when I get home from work and she goes on that for most of the day.
 

goldenkitty45

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Well most of my experience in "fat" cats were those that were eating 24/7 with food left out all the time. You're probably right, there may be more that don't.

But you'll have to agree that once they do get overweight, its hard to cut back the food and have a crying cat all the time looking for that next bite of food he can't have
 

eilcon

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Well most of my experience in "fat" cats were those that were eating 24/7 with food left out all the time. You're probably right, there may be more that don't.

But you'll have to agree that once they do get overweight, its hard to cut back the food and have a crying cat all the time looking for that next bite of food he can't have
I'll go along with that. While the others adjusted to the scheduled meals fairly quickly, Claire did let it be known she was missing her food. She didn't cry, but she spent way more time hanging out in the kitchen than normal, plus she followed me around licking and nipping at my legs.
 

picasso

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My cat has unlimited access to food. She eats as much as she wants, and doesn't get fat - but that may be because she never stops running around!
 

alleygirl

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Originally Posted by eilcon

plus she followed me around licking and nipping at my legs.
I'm so glad Riley isn't the only one that does that! I swear he's part cattle dog or something
because he is herding me! He nips my legs the whole time in the morning until his wet food plate actually hits the floor!
 
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