I am currently feeding my two kittens IAM's for kittens (as directed by the vet). My girlfriend and I work 9-5 so we have been leaving a bowl out (topped up every morning) all the time. Is this a bad idea? Should we let them eat in the morning, take the food away from them when we leave for work, and then reintroduce the food when we get home for dinner? I'm worried that they may over eat and get fat if food is available to them all the time.
2006-09-07 02:50:14 · 15 answers · asked by Darryl 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Vets receive very little if any training on food brands and ingredients- not only is Iams a lower quality food it is linked to cruel animal testing (it was a good food until Proctor & Gamble bought out the company and dumbed down the food will useless and potentially harmfull fillers like by-products)
go to a pet food supply store and get a better food (read the ingredients yourself) all foods from grocery or wal mart are crap! You may pay more but your cat wont eat as much (because no filler) and you will get less poops
they should have dry food available ALL the time and a small amount of canned once or twice a day (small amount = 1 teaspoon canned) mix 2 teaspoons of water with the canned to make soup as this helps their urinary tract chicken - turkey - lamb
NO fish - fish is actually bad for cats, as is milk
cats dont over eat but they do need to eat more when its a lower quality food because they have to eat through the fillers to get to the nutrition
2006-09-07 03:15:54 · answer #1 · answered by CF_ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kittens shouldnt over eat and need little and often as they have stomachs the size of a tumbnail so leaving food out is fine. However dont go leaving out canned food as it can go off if not eaten.
Dry food can swell up in their stomachs and if eaten too quick can give them the runs so try soaking it in water first. Also always make sure they have plenty of fresh water.
Also - dont just top up the food - regulary throw out the old stuff and replace it with new.
Hope that helps!
(I completely agree with the top few posts - there's right and wrongs for dry and wet. So give a mixture. Every cat is different and you will soon realise what your cat likes and dislikes. If changing their food remember to do it gradually though.)
2006-09-07 03:22:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your cats might over eat if they believe food is not availible whenever needed so it might be a good idea to leave the food out. However, if your afraid your cats are ganan get fat, then just make sure thers a little food in there all the time. That way they can eat it when they're hungrey, then come back later after they worked of the food, and have some more. You could also try playing with them, so that they stay fit.
2006-09-07 02:58:20 · answer #3 · answered by Kertcralwer 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It would be fine to leave a controlled amount of food out through the day, that way the people who believe their cat's may over-eat and become fat will be satisfied and so will your cats.
A kitten has a small stomach, they can only hold a very small amount of food in their tummies at a time, they eat small amounts throughout the day and I have yet to find a fat kitten!!! Cats tend to become obese after they are spayed/nutered. Kittens are growing and changing daily, you need to have food available to them, so they can grow properly and regulae their own bodies. They have tiny tunmmies, they will not overeat at this age.
We have 2 kittens, one is fixed and one will be next month and we also have a 6 year old cat who is fixed... they have food out 24/7 and then dishes are topped off when they are just about empty and none of them are fat.
Our vet told me to do what he does feed 1/2 in the a.m. and then 1/2 cup at night, but that just doesnt work for us, we got a cat because you do not have to walk them or worry about feeding times, so we leave the food out and there is no problems at all, no one is fat or obese and everyone is active and healthy. I have proved him wrong and now he backs off and sees proof that like humans, cats/animals can be very individual as well.. I would have though in vet school they would have learned that!
As far as the one poster above about dry food being bad... I read that site... funny how my cats and my families cats AND neighbors cats ALL eat dry food, not one has any of the mentioned health problems, none are obese and all have perfect teeth. But when one of us have either gotten a cat who ate only canned food, or tried to wean the cats onto canned food, their feces were softer and messier and would stink up the house.. so if you want your cat to stink up your home then I guess canned food is the way to go. And the one and only time we needed dental care for our cat was when she went to canned food.. the only time she was sick was when she was on canned food.
EVERY CAT is different and you can not take a blanket approach and say dry is bad and wet is good or vise versa, you need to try and see what happens. ALL canned and dry food has by-products and fillers.. even the ones that say all natural bla-bla-bla I have read every lable and between myself and other cat owners have tried everything from the vet, the web and in stores... unless you allow your cat to hunt its "natural" prey than no diet is natural. Since cats are domesticated they are designed to eat commercial foods.
2006-09-07 03:06:46 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most containers say on the box or can.. kittens need to eat several meals per day for a health start..don't forget, they had access to mom 7-8 times a day...even if it was just a top up.. leave some dry food out for them, feed them wet first thing, and then put some fresh wet just before you go out.. change it often..never add to a dirty plate either.. always a clean one. Kittens are not like puppies, they will quit eating when not hungry.
2006-09-07 02:57:57 · answer #5 · answered by oneblondepilgrim 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My kitten Hamilton is and all white, very rare, Maine Coon who is 8 months old. In the morning, we feed him one can of wet food and leave his dry food out. Then, in the evening, we give him one more can of wet food. (We always keep the dry food out, and separated from the wet food.) We have been doing this ever since he was 1 month old. He isn't fat and is a very healthy and happy little guy. Hope this helps.
2006-09-07 04:59:05 · answer #6 · answered by Searching4Love 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats aren't like dogs. Dogs will eat everything site and keep eating until it's gone. Cats only eat until they get full and then they stop. But they do eat a little bit all day long. We have 3 cats. I feed them in the morning when I get up, and then again when I get home from work. And I leave the food and water bowls out all day for them.
2006-09-07 03:02:23 · answer #7 · answered by kj 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
When there kittens they need more food because they are growing like a baby needs to be fed all the time same for kittens and puppies, it all depends on the age of the cat if its really young leave the food out all day.
2006-09-07 02:58:12 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I Feed My Cat Tuna Fish . And Sience Diet. I Let Her Eat When Shes Hungry.
2006-09-07 03:20:07 · answer #9 · answered by mks 7-15-02 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm going to grow tired of repeating this, but I have to.
DRY FOOD IS NOT GOOD FOR CATS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
Read this;
http://www.catinfo.org
Seriously, read it. It's an eye-opener.
(And some cats DO begin to eat out of boredome, despite what anyone else says).
2006-09-07 03:01:14 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋