Tip: Never feed your cat with cold cat food served directly from the fridge.

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

7 to 10 seconds in the microwave

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FYI

For you raw feeders out there, please don't nuke the food at all. Most raw food has ground up bones in it. Microwaves don't cook evenly and even a short heating time could cook a bone enough to make it brittle.
Bones are good for cats, so long as they are still raw and pliable. It's the cooked bones that are dangerous for cats.

I warm up one of my cat's cold food, because I have to mix her liquid thyroid med in it, and I want it to smell as strong as it can when I mix them together so she will be sure to eat it (6 sec. in the microwave, before adding the med ). But if I make my other 3 wait any longer than the time it takes to give her her bowl, I think I would be wearing them! They get theirs cold!

I recently switched my cat to wet from dry. I microwave it for 3 seconds before serving. He only eats one tablespoon of wet every 4 hours. 3 seconds in the microwave is enough to get it room temperature, or warm enough for him to eat it. Before I was microwaving, he would walk away from the dish until the food warmed up enough for his tastes, the return and scarf it down.

Okay, that's another thing I have a problem with.

If I let it sit out, and then serve at "room temperature", how do I know when the bacteria begins to grow. ?

I've heard that you shouldn't let the food stay out more than 30 minutes because bacteria could cause the food to be unhealthy.

I know that I've left stuff out - guess it wasn't a room temp yet - then went to bed, and it was gone the following morning - with no ill effects ?? (Maybe they've got strong digestive systems?)

Mine don't want to "wait", either - don't like the added water, and was using the microwave, which I'm now rethinking because of the potential loss of enzymes (got to research that, could be that 7 seconds, like moggiegirl said, won't harm the food ? )

I did find one site so far: http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/enzymes.html

This is a paragraph dealing with destruction of enzymes....


What are Enzymes?

Enzymes are complex molecules, vital catalysts that are needed for every chemical reaction in the body.

There are two major types of enzymes - metabolic and digestive. Metabolic enzymes help build body structure. Digestive enzymes work to break down large food molecules into smaller, readily absorbable building blocks the body requires. Naturally grown foods contain the enzymes necessary to break the food down to the essential nutrients the body needs. Nature provides enzymes in food to aid in the digestion process so that the body doesn't have to use its enzyme reserves to do all the work.

But when we process, refine, overcook, or microwave our food, most if not all enzymes are rendered useless. At a temperature above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, all enzyme activity is destroyed. When we consume cooked or highly processed foods, our digestive system has to produce the enzymes necessary to digest what was eaten.

another problem, how to measure the temps in the microwave
Well, that's another thread.

I wasn't talking about raw food. I was referring to canned. I believe the way to make raw food room temperature is to put it in a plastic bag and let it sit in warm(not boiling water for a few minutes).

I've microwaved leftover refrigerated canned food many times for only 7-9 seconds and stirred it up with a spoon and all it does is make the food lukewarm or back to room temperature and enhance the aroma. In fact parts of it are still cold which is why I stir it up with a spoon to get it just right.

It's when you overcook it in the microwave that it's a problem. I'm pretty sure those pet food manufacturers have already cooked the food to very high temperatures and for a long enough time already. I haven't done anything to destroy it's nutrition.

Besides, I've been buying the smaller cans lately for convenience, so I don't always have to refrigerate and microwave.

Originally Posted by GloriaJH

Okay, that's another thing I have a problem with.

If I let it sit out, and then serve at "room temperature", how do I know when the bacteria begins to grow. ?

I've heard that you shouldn't let the food stay out more than 30 minutes because bacteria could cause the food to be unhealthy.

I know that I've left stuff out - guess it wasn't a room temp yet

- then went to bed, and it was gone the following morning - with no ill effects ?? (Maybe they've got strong digestive systems?)

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Cats have a very different digestive tract than you and I (it's much shorter) so they can handle consuming a certain amount of bacteria without it affecting them (this is why they are able to safely eat raw meat). I personally wouldn't risk feeding food that's going spoiled though. My personal limit would be as soon as it starts drying out (for canned food). Though my cats don't allow ANY food to stick around that long

That "never cold" advice doesn't make sense to me either. My cat doesn't like the food cold, so he just waits until it's room temperature. He seems content to wait... and he knows just how long that takes.

OK, the post title scared me, but now I see it's not a problem. You see at 3 AM when I've been awoke from a deep sleep the last thing I'm thinking about is heating up the 1 tbl spoon of food my vet suggested I feed to help them loose weight (I used to feed 1/8 cup dry)

Originally Posted by GailC

OMG if Ox had to wait another 30-45 sec for his moist food he might pass out!!!
I can't give it to him fast enough the way it is!!

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Gail, this has me crackin up!!!!

That is my LuckyGirl too. You would think that I never feed her by the way she acts in the mornings....

lol, you all are so cute. My trixter wouldn't mind eating cold food, but Smeagol is a different story. He will turn his nose up at it and walk away if it isnt reheated to room temp. After reading this, I will remmeber to only do it for 7 seconds now. I usually do 5 sec. intervals until its warm enough to stir to just right. Every microwave is different, though. I just dont want to take any of the nutrition out of it. My boys have to wait, but they do get impatient. Sometimes Smeagol will stand up against my (or whoever is feeding him at the time) back and stretch, "accidentally" poking, while I am getting the food ready. Grrr! lol If I tried letting the food sit to become room tem again, Trixter would eat it all before Smeagol even got a bite, and we have tried feeding them in seperate rooms; Smeagol will walk away from the food and look at me like "what the....". They are so anal! lol

Hi, it s been a while since I have posted but I was wondering, what is the most amount of time to let canned wet food sit and still be edible? I usually give Karma a 1/4 of a can a day, then put the rest in the fridge. So it usually sits for 4 days by the end of the can. She will eat it cold or warm, she really does not care as long as it is turkey flavor. Is four days in the fridge to long? when does bacteria start to grow? I dont want to make her sick.

Originally Posted by KarmasMom

Hi, it s been a while since I have posted but I was wondering, what is the most amount of time to let canned wet food sit and still be edible? I usually give Karma a 1/4 of a can a day, then put the rest in the fridge. So it usually sits for 4 days by the end of the can. She will eat it cold or warm, she really does not care as long as it is turkey flavor. Is four days in the fridge to long? when does bacteria start to grow? I dont want to make her sick.

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I don't think 4 days in the fridge is too long, but I wouldn't leave it in there longer than that. On some cans, it will actually say "refrigerate unused portion for up to 3-4 days". So I think you're fine.

Wonton will eat cold food...I think he prefers warm though. The strange thing is, he doesn't like it microwaved. Even when I only do it for a few seconds, stir it well, and swirl my finger around in it to make sure its not too hot, still, more often than not, he turns his nose up to it. So he either gets food warmed by setting it, in a plastic bag, into a bowl of warm water for ten minutes, or (if im in a rush-or he is) just cold from the fridge.

Originally Posted by GailC

OMG if Ox had to wait another 30-45 sec for his moist food he might pass out!!!
I can't give it to him fast enough the way it is!!

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I SOOO KNOW THIS... Chestnut and Angel act like i'm killin em when I am chopping up the soft food and just walking to their mat... Too funny!!!!

I don't post here much (and don't follow as many of you do w/the expensive foods) - the cat we had prior to this one, I had since she was 6 weeks old, made it to almost 22 yrs. - I fed her: one 1/2 can morning of wet (Friskies, Nine Lives, Whiskas, etc.) and had dry out all day, she got the other half of the can (from the 'fridge) for dinner.

The current cat is a diff. story, she was a feral that we were asked to take in (temporarily) after trap/spay/neuter - because she had most teeth removed and needed antibiotics - she as a feral had always let us pet her, been non-aggressive, etc. - so we decided to keep her. Problem is: she hasn't really adapted to no teeth, she likes us ok, but when sleeping anywhere, lap/blanket/bed - she drools disgusting brown stains from the food...

HOW to teach a cat to rinse? LMAO (NOT meaning to hijack thread)

My personal feeling is: feed the cat what he/she will eat... NOT to let them get overweight, but... It's a bit distressing to always hear about particular brands PUSHED.

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

The current cat is a diff. story, she was a feral that we were asked to take in (temporarily) after trap/spay/neuter - because she had most teeth removed and needed antibiotics - she as a feral had always let us pet her, been non-aggressive, etc. - so we decided to keep her. Problem is: she hasn't really adapted to no teeth, she likes us ok, but when sleeping anywhere, lap/blanket/bed - she drools disgusting brown stains from the food...

HOW to teach a cat to rinse? LMAO (NOT meaning to hijack thread)

My personal feeling is: feed the cat what he/she will eat... NOT to let them get overweight, but... It's a bit distressing to always hear about particular brands PUSHED.

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She may have been a drooler with her teeth. Some cats just drool.

As far as certain brands of cat food being pushed, what you are reading is from individuals who have used those brands or know someone who does and are aware of how well their cats do on them.

Many of us have learned to read the lables and want to try and provide a littler better quality to our cats all because of this forum. I used to feed my cats whatever I could find that was the cheapest because I was absolutely ignorant about nutrition for cats. Now that I have learned a little bit better, I try to do a little bit better.

I have to say that although I did change the dry food i was giving, I still bought the cheap Friskies wet because my cats were resistant and I did want them to have their wet food.

Fortunately, the past few months I have been trying a little harder to make a wet food switch with them and it is finally working out. Most have accepted the change and those that are hold outs are at least getting a high quality dry. My cats coats feel thicker and softer than I remember them being in the past and they are eating less food just as other said would be the case.

I'm very happy that I decided to try some of the suggestions and I have only known that they are but suggestions. No one has come and forced me to make one change.

What I am saying is.... pleased don't feel anything is being forced on you because it isn't. This is just a large group of people sharing what has worked for them and many of us can be extra zealous in our sharing.

Again, about your cat... she may just be a drooler and it would probably be a good idea to keep towels on hand for her.

LOL - right now, we have a ratty old sofa (covered w/a sheet) - the drool strains are permanent, but we aren't concerned as the sofa will be trashed when we HOPEFULLY sell/move next spring - concerned though about getting "nice" furniture... she doesn't like to lay on towels (she does like a fleecy throw on the spare bed which is also ruined, along w/the conforter, stains will NOT come out) - thanks for your take on the food issue, I was feeling a little paranoid -

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

LOL - right now, we have a ratty old sofa (covered w/a sheet) - the drool strains are permanent, but we aren't concerned as the sofa will be trashed when we HOPEFULLY sell/move next spring - concerned though about getting "nice" furniture... she doesn't like to lay on towels (she does like a fleecy throw on the spare bed which is also ruined, along w/the conforter, stains will NOT come out) - thanks for your take on the food issue, I was feeling a little paranoid -

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Have you tried Nature's Miracle for cats? this product will get out most/any stains. I have used it on urine, throw up stains and it does work.

Originally Posted by Cat Mommy

Have you tried Nature's Miracle for cats? this product will get out most/any stains. I have used it on urine, throw up stains and it does work.

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I used it previously when we had doggy "accidents" I didn't think of using it on something like a sheet/towel, etc. - thanks for the tip.

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

I wasn't talking about raw food. I was referring to canned. I believe the way to make raw food room temperature is to put it in a plastic bag and let it sit in warm(not boiling water for a few minutes).

I've microwaved leftover refrigerated canned food many times for only 7-9 seconds and stirred it up with a spoon and all it does is make the food lukewarm or back to room temperature and enhance the aroma. In fact parts of it are still cold which is why I stir it up with a spoon to get it just right.

It's when you overcook it in the microwave that it's a problem. I'm pretty sure those pet food manufacturers have already cooked the food to very high temperatures and for a long enough time already. I haven't done anything to destroy it's nutrition.

Besides, I've been buying the smaller cans lately for convenience, so I don't always have to refrigerate and microwave.

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This is what I do too with any leftovers. Of course, my 7 older cats won't eat leftovers to begin with; they snub it. So the 5 kittens get the leftovers. But they won't eat it cold, so I have to nuke theirs for 5-10 seconds, then stir it. Meanwhile, Kirby's baby food is sitting in a bowl of warm water because a., she won't eat any cat food period, and b., she'll only eat chicken baby food, not even turkey - must be chicken, and it has to be slightly warmer than room temp but not too warm.

Lordy, my cats are spoiled. Every time I explain this feeding ritual to people, I get this look like I'm completely nuts. At least the cats are happy, lol.