Warm/Cold "Wet" Food

Hey everyone! I have a quick question. I usually feed my cat Kira "wet" food. And I'm not really sure if it's okay to leave unrefridgerated after opening up the can. Usually after I opening it up I put in a plastic container and refridgerate it.

Could you help me out? I just figure that Kira would probably like it better if her food wasn't cold.

Thanks!

i zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds.

I mix in a little warm water or nuk it

Yes, you should refrigerate it, and it should be at least body temperature when you feed it. I nuke also.

I put specific amounts into a container and thaw by putting the container in hot water.

leftovers..what a concept lol. Seriously tho when I had just one cat he used to eat fancy feast(one in am one im pm) If it was cool in house I'd leave it down for a few hours as long as it did't get crusty. With my gang now I usually plop down 10 5.5 oz cans at night(not every night tho) and its gone within the hour.(thats in addition to thier dry food) RJ

I refrigerate and then feed... I have never warmed it up or anything, my cat doesn't really care.

I either stick the can in warm water or nuke it also, I think they like it better warm, it actually has more smell

I've tried both ways with my cat. Usually he doesn't care as long as you don't keep him in suspense. lol

somedays though, he's incredibly picky and will yell at me for giving it to him the wrong way.

Canned food should be refrigerated after opening because it is perishable. Many cats prefer their food warmed up a bit. You can zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds (stir afterward to mix up any hot spots), or add a bit of warm/hot water.

I put some warm water on it and mix it in. Before he had his UTI I would just nuke it, but now he needs as much water intake as possible.

My cats love them frozen in the summer!!! That way I can leave them all day long.

Refrigerate, definitely. DH takes the open can out of the fridge when he gets up in the morning and leaves it on the counter to come up to room temp. I usually feed them about 20 mins later, and add some warm water to the dish.

I also take it out of the fridge for a few hours to warm up. Sometimes I put the can on the stove for a bit if I'm in a hurry. I was afraid of germs, but she never eats it all at once anyway, so anything that is going to develop will, regardless. Miss Arizona has not died yet.

However, when I've tried to nuke the food, even just to room temp, with mixing and all, she gets spooked and starts pawing at the food rather than eating it, like she's afraid it may be too hot.

And straight-from-fridge food just gets me scolded.

Originally Posted by krissie

And straight-from-fridge food just gets me scolded.

Click to expand...

The train us well.

When we first got our cat he refused wet food period, but I was concerned that he wasn't getting enough protein, so I would slip him some cooked chicken or cooked pork every once in awhile. I realized her wouldn't eat it if it was even at room temperature. That got me thinking. I know most cats Luke their milk room temperature with just a touch of sugar for easier digestion. Not our cat. I noticed he would drink milk if it was cold, so that got me thinking. Could the same thing work with wet cat food? I bought some friskies, and out it in the fridge is overnight. I gave him just a little bit, and he demolished it. I thought it was a fluke, so I tried again for dinner, again, all gone straight from the fridge. He had never had wet food the first three years of his life, and now he can't seem to get enough of it!!!!!!!! The only time he really pukes is when the stray cats in the neighborhood are up on our roof staring in at him. Then he does his nervous eating, where he stuffs himself and pukes.

I have the small single-serving cans, and Zoey used to leave a little bit for later. I wouldn't let it stay out more than about an hour, and put the rest in the refrigerator (if there was enough), and then add a bit of hot water and stir it up.

Refrigerating any leftovers does tend to dry it out just a touch, plus most cats love to lick all of the "gravy" first, leaving the meat bits for last, so adding hot water seems to be the best overall remedy that I've found. Even if you just give half a can and put the other half away, that gravy will get a little drier in the refrigerator than it was when you first opened it.

Zapping it leaves hot spots, so if you go that route, be sure to stir it up thoroughly - and don't go any longer than 10-15 seconds. You want it warm - think "baby bottle milk warm" at most -  but not hot.

I tried giving Zoey some that was just right out of the refrigerator (she was being insistent), but then she turned her nose up at it until I warmed it up. I don't blame her, really...I wouldn't want to eat a cold turkey paté either! Yuck!

However, now that I have Abby, they're both so competitive that there aren't any leftovers at all after about 15-30 minutes between the two, so no muss, no fuss! 

Like most posters said microwave it for a few, I have the same problem with Nikolai he won't eat even half a 3 oz can of food at a time, then I discovered Nutro Perfect Portions, it comes in a plastic tub thats split in 2, so I feed him 1/2 a tub, and even then he won't eat the whole thing in one sitting, I just noticed in the supermarket Sheba also has a Perfect Portions line, I might try those as well.

I always refrigerate the leftover food immediately. At the next feeding, I add a few tablespoons of warm, filtered water which warms up the food and also adds the water that she needs.

NEVER microwave cat food. It will zap all those good added supplements, minerals and vitamins. We no longer nuke human food either. Microwave went to the donation center over a year ago, and we do not miss it.