Does this seem like a good feeding plan?

I'm trying to get more canned food in my cats' diet. In the past, I gave them 2 13-oz cans at night, which they rarely finished (which made the dogs very happy, but me, not so much), and just kept a big pan of dry food out at all times. But most of them are at least a little bit overweight, and they are getting older and I want to keep them hydrated. So I'm trying something different. For the last week, I've done it like this: I get home from work about 10 am (for "lunch"), and put out 2 cans. I get home from work at 5 pm and put out 5 cups of dry food (this is for 19 cats; 1 cat lives in the bedroom and is fed separately). Then at bedtime (10-midnight), another 2 cans.

I think this is enough; when I feed all canned food, they eat 9 cans a day when allowed all they want. And they still aren't finishing what I put out, even the dry food has some left over when I go to bed. They are doing better about finishing their canned food, but there's always a few bites left on the plates to make the dogs happy. BUT--the cats are mad about this change. They're constantly pestering me to fill their dry food dish, even when there's a fresh plate of canned food for them.

So, does this sound like a good feeding plan? Any suggestions or advice? How long will it take for the kitties to get used to not having dry food available all the time and stop pestering me?

Sounds good!

If they are older, feeding twice a day is probably enough though, no?

Just put out tons of dry food in the evening, and what they don't finish, you put away rather than leave out.

Ditto on the wet food in the morning, although you'd want to measure more accurately.

Once you get an exact schedule and stick to it, eventually they should realize there is no point in pestering you for food because its not 8AM or 9PM and thats feeding time, end of story. And they should be plenty hungry for wet since its been quite a while since their last meal. *shrugs*

Don't have personal experience with the plan, but mine don't pester me for food and DEFINITELY know exactly when its feeding time as about 30 mins before the automatic dry feeder dispenses they lay near it and wait for it to go off at 5:45AM and 10:45PM. Likewise if I walk into the kitchen close to 2PM, they expect its wet food time. They always lick the wet bowl clean (3oz for the two of em).

Yeah, twice a day would be fine, but the reason for 3 times is because if I put out 4 cans at once, it would go bad before being eaten. As long as I keep this work schedule, this will work fine.

They aren't really bugging me like they're starving. It's more of a "hey, food lady, our dry food bowl is empty. Could you fill it? K thanx" kind of pestering. If I filled the food dish when they bug me, they wouldn't even eat it--they just prefer to see it full. I'm sure they'll get over it eventually. Just that having that many dissatisfied cats is kind of a problem!

Mine eat 4 times a day but only cause I am now relatively housebound
three for healthy cats and kittens is enough and two is normally sufficiant

Boy!, your question is most likely something asked by a lot of people.

That dry food!!! What in the world is about it that the cats will pester, pester, pester to get some?! I sort of think it's a carbohydrate addiction - kind of like humans have with food cravings.

We have 8. Some are on a prescription diet, one is on a no-grain diet, and the others (stray and feral born) just like eating - although they are getting picky now that they are "inside only" cats.

Trying to feed healthy, not waste food, not break the Bank, and have a schedule that doesn't make me crazy is a goal that I try to achieve almost every day.

From what I read, sounds like you are on the right track - especially getting them on the canned food no matter how much they try to put a guilt trip on you. (I feel guilty a LOT - so I know what your cats are doing to you.)

We're feeding Wellness - Canned, Royal Canin Urinary SO - canned, and Royal Canin Urinary SO kibble. I just figured the cost out today - been trying to avoid the hard truth - but it looks like with each cat getting 1 can of food a day is costing us about $10.00 a day (not including the RC prescription kibble which I use very sparingly as treats).

So, in an effort not to waste food, I only feed each of them about 1/4 a can per feeding, which means I need to feed them about 4 times a day. Some days one cat is hungrier than usual, so I give him/her more food.

Usually the last feeding is around 10-12 midnight - so your schedule sure sounds about right to me.

8 a.m., 1 p.m., 7 p.m., and 10-12 midnight.