Timed Feedings..does Kitty Usually Eat More Wet Food That Way?

[xenathecrazy]

I'm trying to get my cat to eat wet food more than dry if I can find one that agrees with her tummy since most wet foods give her soft poop or diarrhea. Has anyone noticed if timed feedings make kitty eat more than just having food out all day?

We are having carpets put in this week and things are all moved all over the place and I have had to put food down for her 2 or 3 times a day because I can't have my dog getting to her food. It's usually up on a higher place where the dog can't get it but I can't do that right now. I noticed that she will eat more food that way. She normally eats some dry overnight, nibbles during the day and eats more wet in the evenings. Twice she has eaten her wet much better this week and I'm assuming it's that she's hungrier without picking all day. Is it ok to do timed feedings for cats? She just turned a year old this month. I feed my dog twice a day and I wouldn't mind doing the same with her and feeding them at the same time. I know if she goes too long, she will vomit some foamy stuff and I wouldn't want that to happen either.

 

[Azazel]

Yes it’s perfectly fine to do timed feedings. I feed mine 3 times a day and I do notice that they finish their plate each time (which is a good thing for me because I feed raw and wouldn’t want the food sitting out for too long). Also if you stop feeding dry food they will have a healthier appetite. Dry food is like junk food, if they fill up on it they won’t have a big appetite for other things.

Sometimes for those cats that like to eat super fast I split a single feeding into 2. So I might give half the feeding, then give them a 20 min break and then give the other half. Just makes sure that they don’t start having kitty burps or puking up their food cause they are too much too fast.

 

[Pjg8r]

At a year I believe two timed feedings is good. Mine just turned a year and they get two wet meals a day and then a smaller snack midday. Most days that snack is also canned food but about twice a week I use a handful of kibble in a puzzle feeder. They definitely eat more canned food when dry is limited.

 

[Azazel]

Just wanted to add that the more small feedings you can do throughout the day the better. This more closely mimics what cats would naturally eat in the wild (up to 10 small meals a day!). But it’s understandble if your work schedule will only allow 2 or 3.

 

[duckpond]

I think yes, and no, isnt that always the way with cats? i leave out dry for free feeding, but i do feed two wet meals per day. 3 of my 4 love wet, the other one she may or may not eat a little wet.

1 cat he eats most of the can of wet when i first put it down, he eats a meal and will not go back and nibble any left overs. The other two nibble at thier wet, one will eat about half a can then go back over the next hour or so and finish it up. The other little girl she will go back to her bowl many times over a 2 or 3 hour period and nibble. It works out ok, they all like different foods, and very seldom touch the other cats bowl. Plus they all have their own spot i feed wet food, and thats where they want to eat. I feed wet right before work, pick up any left overs at lunch, may or may not put down some wet then. And i feed another wet meal as soon as i get home from work, leave that down until bedtime. So i often leave wet out 3 to 4 hours, if they have left overs.

I have one that will not eat wet, really. and one that if he goes too long without eating he throws up too. I keep Dr. Elseys chicken dry out all the time, no one over eats with it, and it keeps my scarf and barf boy from throwing up

 

[xenathecrazy]

I will probably leave her a small amount of dry overnight so she has some food in her belly and then just offer her some wet food later in the morning and maybe 2 more times a day. I don’t plan on taking away her dry food as I do leave dry out for her if I need to go away overnight or something like that so I want her to be used to it.

 

[2BSH]

I’ve never fed my cats any dry food not even when they were tiny kittens. I’ve always done timed feedings and yes they eat way more that way. So now my cats don’t recognize dry food as food. My boy thinks pieces of kibble are a toy and tries batting it around with his paw I’m really against dry food. It’s just not a natural source of food for them in the wild. To quote an article I once read you don’t see a cat in the wild chasing a bunch of crackers or dehydrating a mouse. Just my two cents.
Having said that I think in your situation since your cat can’t go too long without eating I think a little kibble overnight would be ok. I would just try to keep it to a minimum since you want to encourage wet food. So much better in the long run

 

[duckpond]

I’ve never fed my cats any dry food not even when they were tiny kittens. I’ve always done timed feedings and yes they eat way more that way. So now my cats don’t recognize dry food as food. My boy thinks pieces of kibble are a toy and tries batting it around with his paw I’m really against dry food. It’s just not a natural source of food for them in the wild. To quote an article I once read you don’t see a cat in the wild chasing a bunch of crackers or dehydrating a mouse. Just my two cents.
Having said that I think in your situation since your cat can’t go too long without eating I think a little kibble overnight would be ok. I would just try to keep it to a minimum since you want to encourage wet food. So much better in the long run

Wet food is really good for cats, no arguments there. But Dry food has come a long way, and there are a few good ones out there. They need the moisture from the wet, but for some of us additional dry food saves the day, and the night And our cats.

I promote wet food meals, but i also know that supplemental feeding of dry is often a good choice as well. For some, like my little white cat, dry is all that will work. Cats have different needs, and not one feeding plan, even the very best will work for all cats all the time.

 

[tinydestroyer]

Mine are about the same age as your cat, and I also do timed feedings of wet, with supplemental dry to keep them from starving while I'm at work. I have one cat who prefers the dry and one prefers wet. But I always offer the wet first, then have them split a tiny bit of dry after they eat the wet food. Mostly they nibble on it until the next feeding, but it's not enough to spoil their appetite. I feed my dog at the same time and stand by to make sure everyone gets their fair share.

 

[2BSH]

Wet food is really good for cats, no arguments there. But Dry food has come a long way, and there are a few good ones out there. They need the moisture from the wet, but for some of us additional dry food saves the day, and the night And our cats.

I promote wet food meals, but i also know that supplemental feeding of dry is often a good choice as well. For some, like my little white cat, dry is all that will work. Cats have different needs, and not one feeding plan, even the very best will work for all cats all the time.

I totally agree. Sometimes you have to do whatever works and is best for the individual cat.

 

[xenathecrazy]

In my case, I also have the problem that she hasn't done well on several wet foods I've tried. She either won't touch it or she gets soft stools or diarrhea. She used to eat pate style but now she just likes shreds, minced, or bits and I have a hard time getting her to eat pate. I'm in the process of trial and error to find what will work for her tummy and she'll eat. She digests the dry much, much better for some reason.