Canned food freshness in fridge

raintyger

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In general, how long can I expect canned food to last once opened and put in the fridge?

I was purchasing 5.5 oz cans, but moved to a larger size to save $. I only feed one cat, however, and the other day I smelled some of the canned food I had stored in the fridge, it had a sour edge to it. So I ended up pitching it.
 
candie

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how long did you stored it? Get containers don't leave them in cans it has a weird smell to it if you have done that. I put mine in these cute 3oz containers and divide them up :) they can last up to 3 days top so best to finish it in 3 days maybe 4 i don't know but mine has lasted for 3 days
 
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Yeah, I'd say 3 days is about right, 4 would be iffy. A 13-oz can should last an average adult cat a little over 2 days, if the cat only eats canned food. So it should be OK.
 
sevenwonders

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Yes, it will stay much fresher if you take it out of the can and put it into plastic containers.

The little lunch meat ones with the snap on lids will work fine

if you don't have something smaller. In that case, if you put a little plastic wrap

over the food itself to keep the air off of it, it will stay even fresher.  
 
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raintyger

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Thanks for the replies!

I did put it in plastic containers. I think my problem is that she suddenly decided she didn't like beef flavor. So I tried using only 25% beef and mixing it in with other flavors she'd take. But that meant the beef flavor went slooooowww. I still have a can of beef left, so I want to know about how long I can stretch that for.
 
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You can freeze some portions of it (just put a dollop on plastic wrap, after it's frozen you can put the dollops in a baggie).
 
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raintyger

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Thank you! I did not realize I could do that!
 
 
sivyaleah

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I didn't know that either! One of mine doesn't like beef either.  I bought several cans of Instinct when he was ill and not eating much, at the recommendation of my vet, and he wouldn't touch it, but I also found that if I put a little bit of it into another type of food, I could sneak it in.

I was considering donating it, but now that I know this I think I'll go ahead and try it.  If nothing else, I could use it as little "treats" for our other cat, who seems to enjoy everything, probably because she is a rescue and got used to eating whatever she could find.
 
kalpanakitteh

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I clicked on your avatar b/c the gorgeous cat looks just like my Mithu, (judging from info on the web, I think he is a Norwegian Forest Cat).

This past November I started the transition from all dry to all wet for him and I also buy the biggest cans available of Wellness to save about $30 a month. One 12.5 oz. can lasts two days and I divide it into 4 even slices for his meals and store in the fridge in one medium-sized glass pyrex-type container.  So the longest it stays refrigerated is like a day and a half. I think 3 days would be a safe limit, but I think you did the right thing trusting your nose! I don't know why, but I never even considered freezing, I'd be interested to hear how that works out.
 
 
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raintyger

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kalpanakitteh said:
I clicked on your avatar b/c the gorgeous cat looks just like my Mithu, (judging from info on the web, I think he is a Norwegian Forest Cat).

This past November I started the transition from all dry to all wet for him and I also buy the biggest cans available of Wellness to save about $30 a month. One 12.5 oz. can lasts two days and I divide it into 4 even slices for his meals and store in the fridge in one medium-sized glass pyrex-type container.  So the longest it stays refrigerated is like a day and a half. I think 3 days would be a safe limit, but I think you did the right thing trusting your nose! I don't know why, but I never even considered freezing, I'd be interested to hear how that works out.
 
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I will assume when you say "gorgeous cat" you are talking about my Poppy! Yes, she is gorgeous, that is the first thing that anybody says about her. The moment I saw her I had to have her.

I've noticed the beef Wellness does have a bit of a sour smell right when you open the can, so it is hard to tell if it's gone sour or not. The time I threw it out it did seem a bit stronger, though. Yes, a waste of $, but a lot cheaper and less troublesome than antibiotics and a vet visit.
 
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