Transitioning from free feeding to scheduled meals

I am trying to Transition my cat from free feeding to scheduled meals. She's a long haired domestic part main coon. she;s 15 pounds and did well the first couple days. and @ 830; there'd be a small amount left that i'd put up and put down a new portion between 5 and 6 am;

but tonight she hasn't touched her second meal yet and i dont know if i should put it up @ 830.  the doc said to schedule two 1/2 hour meals; but i have no idea how to modify her grazing behavior at her age.

so usually @ around 5 pm there'd be a small amt off food, that i'd reweigh and put down.

any help is greatly appreciated

I feed am and pm with no dry everything is eaten, food flavors rotated daily.

nickay said:

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• nickay
• Jun 15, 2015

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beautiful

She's gorgeous! Is there some reason you feel uncomfortable just leaving it out if the food is actually portioned? My cat eats ~8 oz of food daily spread over 3 meals but sometimes, depending on how into she is of what she's eating - it might take her as long as an hour to finish a meal.

no not at all. i think thats absurd. lol

what i am having trouble with ; is there is a fair amount of food left before i put it up @ 830  pm

Thank  you for the  compliments. She says "I know. " 

A "how-to" article on transitioning to timed meals. http://www.thecatsite.com/a/transitioning-free-fed-kibble-kitties-to-timed-meals

Cats with access to free feeding are grazers. Figure out how much kibble she eats in 24 hours over a few days, then portion that amount into as many small meals a day as possible. Have a set place, set times, and a set "call" that identifies meal times. Leave it down for 10 or 15 minutes or until she walks away. Then drop one of the small meals, increasing the amount of food at the other meals. Keep doing that - SLOWLY - until she is eating enough food at just three meals a day.

Three meals is the minimum number I would feel comfortable feeding, based on their physiology. They do not need to be evenly spaced. Most feed before work, after work, and before bed. That generally works fine.

The main thing? Neither of you should stress through the process. I transitioned too quickly and gave my cat bleeding ulcers. They are not used to hunger pangs, and they create acid they don't use. Thus it is best to feed multiple smaller meals at first and go slowly. There does not need to be a rush.