How many times should you feed cats?

Question

I have two cats aged 3 years and they rarely seem to be satisfied with their food. I feed them two big cans of Whiskas a day in two meals, which is what the can suggests, but if their bowl is empty they are not happy. They are wormed and vet checked regularly and all is well health wise, in fact the vet said they are a little overweight. What is their problem?

I used to feed them dry food but had to change to wet food as my male cat couldn't tolerate it.

Answer 1

Cats are just greedy, if they think they can get more food out of you they will! What you're feeding them is fine, don't give in to the emotional blackmail!

Answer 2

Hi there...overweight problems in cats today are controlled by a scheduled feeding regimend rather than be free fed (leaving food out all day). Dry food left out all day contributes to obesity in most cats (very few cats are nibblers is why) because of the corn, corn meal or soy ingredients. They are high in carbohydrates and are used as fillers to bind the dry food together so they will not break down in the packaging.

Servings of canned food should be only one 6 oz. can a day for a cat. Consider dividing this in half to help gradually lower the weight off your cats.

Some of the grocer's cat food products do not provide the best of ingredients so cats feel hungry much of the time. One must purchase higher premium foods that do not contain by-products and fillers such as corn, corn meal or soy ingredients.

Authority (http://www.petsmart.com/global/search/search_results.jsp?TS=2%7CAll&N=2033690) brand canned cat food is a good alternative food as it doesn't contain too many of the by-products found in Whiskas, Iams, Science Diet, Purina and many others. This can be purchased at many pet food stores.

Please keep in mind however that it's alright for the kitties too feel a little hungry. As long as you are offering a healthy measurement every 12 hours they should be alright and gradually lose weight as well.

Answer 3

Don't give in to their demands! Only feed them what it says is recommended on the can. Especially if your vet is already saying that they're a little overweight. I was fool enough to leave dry food out between meals for my cats and they ended up being real porkers just because I felt guilty.

My vet's recommendation was to stop feeding them wet food altogether (it's not very good for them) and to only give them small bowls of dry food twice a day. Just like humans, they may be eating their wet food so fast that their brains haven't caught up with their stomachs to tell them they should be full. They'll eat dry food slower because it takes more effort to chew. Try it for a week and see what happens. It helped mine!

Answer 4

I think this should be enough. I mean - two large cans means two 400 gram/ 5.5 oz? One such should be quite all right for an average-to-large cat (bigger cans would be too much). I know cats are not happy with an empty bowl, but offering them more food (like kibble) will just give them more calories and may lead to obesity. I know they complain and visit their bowls often, my cat does too, but 12 hours without food is way within normal for cats (I have read that a cat can go 3 days without food without being harmed by it - a predator may fail catching prey for days at a time). I think you are doing great. Keep on, and enjoy, and good luck!

Oh, and if the vet said they are a little overweight, you might want to spend some time actively playing with them - I know indoors cats are usually a bit underexercised. Making them chase toy mice or stick-with-a-bird toys or balls around for a bit of time will let them burn off their energy without harm. You my try varying their food a bit, to check what may cause a bit of loss of weight (like, some foods free of corn, soy, and rice). I have read just about everywhere how good home-made food is for cats (you may find some info at www.catnutrition.org) but I think that it is not imperative for your cats. I am going to start making my cat's own food... as soon as I get a bit of break from work to get myself started.

And, on another answer - it is highly NOT recommended to feed milk to cats. Also, kibble food is 1. cooked, which depletes stores of stuff necessary to cats; and 2. dehydrating. Feeding cats one can of food each, a day, in two meals, is quite all right.

And, cats willingly overeat. Regularly. Sort of makes sense - a predator will eat all that is accessible, to take stores for times when prey is not available. And yes, some cats overeat from boredom. I say, rely on good-quality canned food, according to the manufacturer instructions. Whiskas, although it's good, is not very high-quality (because of by-products and additives). You can get a list of high-end canned foods (although none too cheap, from what I get) at www.catinfo.org . And, as a person who takes care of MANY cats, the cheapest wet food is better than most of the very expensive dry foods. As you already found out for yourself...

Answer 5

To be honest what you are feeding them is way too much. Do you feed them TWO LARGE cans each or betwwen them? Either way its far too much i;m afraid. Remember a cats stomach is much smaller than a humans, your cats r just being greedy and so is whiskas. (of course the tin will say feed the cats a lot, whiskas is trying to make more money)

reduce the consumption to ONE large can between the cats. Then give them a snack during a different part of the day (small handful) of good quality dried food (whiskas good) and/or a saucer of milk. Good luck.

PS - remember cats no matter how domesticated should be out hunting at night for food to eat (birds, mice etc.) and sleep most of the day to conserve energy. They sometimes hunt during the day as well.

Answer 6

You Are Probably Not Giving Them Enough. Give Them Three. My Cat Is The Same And He Is Fine, But Don't Feed Too Much To Your Mews Because They Will Get Diabetes.

Answer 7

I suppose it depends on the cat. My cat used to eat a whole can of food or more a day, usually divided into 2 meals. Now he's mostly on wet food as he has long hair and can get hairballs, causing him to throw up.

Remember this, the cat will eat if he's hungry. So if they leave some food, and they're not loosing weight, I would not be worried.

Answer 8

We have 5 cats and they get 2 tins a day (1 in the morning and 1 at night) between them and we have dry food down all the time. They eat when they feel like it and none of our cats are over weight or under weight.

Answer 9

I feed mine little and often - cats prefer the "grazing" type of feeding. If you're using large cans they might be getting bored with the same food all the time - try them on the little trays. I've been told that cats rarely overeat, so will leave food if they're not hungry. I always leave dry down for them to nibble at if their plates are empty. You say that one of your cats can't tolerate that - have you tried the semi-moist food? That might work.
Have you spoken to your vet about their diet, and amount they're eating? I'd have a word with him, and ask his advice. It might be indicative of a digestive problem, or a psychological one.
Best of luck!

Answer 10

The back of the catfood brand "DAD'S" box says it depends on the weight of the cat.

5 -9 lbs = 1/2 - 3/4 cups a day.
10 - 13 lbs = 3/4 - 1 1/4 cups a day.

Answer 11

You are feeding them too much honey, even the vet says they are a little overweight. I would reduce the amount if anything, cats do hunt for food as well so they get food from other sources.