Is it better to feed in meals or let them have free choice?

Question

For cats, should I feed them 2-3 small meals a day or let them have free choice. They have had free choice all their lives and are slightly overweight, but onyl by a pound or 2, they get quite a bit of exersize

I guess ill add a little more info. They are 3 cats of varying ages. One is 1 and pretty skinny, one is 3 and not really fat, but does have a flap of fat under her tummy, the third is also 3 and a pretty good weight. They get dry food(they have to to maintain their teeth) with the occational wet, and some bits of deli meat(this is to keep protein up when using dry food)

and how much should I be giving?

Answer 1

Hi there...ideally, cats are best fed on a schedule so that you can observe the portions served so that if one cat begins to show any signs of illness you will notice the lack or increase of appetites from their personal bowl. This also helps prevent overeating as a result of boredome which is the leading cause of feline obesity and associated health-related problems as well.

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine for Feline Health articles on how often you should feed cats and why:
How Often Should You Feed Your Cat?
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/news/feed.htm
Feeding Your Cat:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/feedcats.html

Answer 2

It really depends on the food you are feeding your cat as to how much they should eat. Now it is hard when you have a multi cat house hold with different sized cats to work it out but the packet on which you are feeding will have a feeding guide on the age and weight of your cat. I would give 1/2 of the recommended dose in the morning and then half at night.

Cats are not like dogs and don't need to be disciplined when it comes to food so you may leave the rest of the bikkies from the morning down all day and top up the rest at night remembering to keep with in the guidelines.
TIP : What the packets do not you is if you have an overweight animal do not feed it on the weight that the cat is now but the weight the cat should be. If you are unsure ask your vet next time you see him as to how much your cat should lose.

Remember a few pounds is not a lot on a cat, but will make the difference. Start of with that and make sure they are not stealing each others food, because they are naughty for that

Good luck Oh and by the way cats lose weight very slowly but be consistent and feed only cat food. If you give some wet food as well then substitute the difference with the biscuits

Answer 3

If your vet doesn't think they are overweight then free feeding should be just fine.
But a 'pound or two' for a cat is the about the same as 25-50 pounds on a human. So maybe, for the sake of their health, put some limit on the amount but still free feed within those limits. For example dish out 1/2 of the allowed food in the AM and the other half in the PM.

Answer 4

Really 2 schools of thought on what is better or more natural. On the one hand, cats in the wild will catch small prey and eat erratically throughout the day, so forcing them to gorge themselves at 2 or 3 meal times a day is unnatural. It may also force them to eat too quickly, causing stomach upset, or in some cases even eat more than they would if free fed.

On the other hand, cats in the wild don't naturally have free access to food whenever they want without having to work for it, so some cats will overeat when their food isn't limited.

Basically, I would try free feeding first, because it is more convenient to you, and you won't have a cat waking you up in the middle of the night wanting food, etc. If your cat begins to have a weight problem, you then need to switch to controlled portions. If you have multiple cats and any of them need a special diet, or controlled portions, free feeding is basically out for all cats in the household.

Answer 5

If you asked this to a room full of veterinarians, you would probably get all sorts of different answers. But here is my professional opinion and the reasons why I believe as I do...

A cat living in the wild would be constantly on the hunt for small prey. He would have several meals each day of small rodents, insects, birds, etc. Because of this, it is more natural for a household cat to have access to food several times during the day.

That does not mean I recommend "free-choice" feeding, however. Leaving out dry food all day for kitty to graze frequently results in overweight cats. Dry food is filled with carbohydrates, which kitties need very little of. Dry food was developed as a convenience to pet owners, but it certainly is not the best option for the cats! Nor does it really do the teeth any good. Most dry food kibble simply crumbles to pieces as soon as kitty bites into it, assuming kitty bites the kibble at all. Many cats swallow it whole. Also keep in mind that kitty is not expending any energy hunting his food anymore now that he has a comfortable existence in our home.

The best situation would be several measured meals of high quality moist food (high in protein and moisture content) throughout the day. However, most people are not home all day! It is unreasonable for most cat owners to feed their pets in this manner.

A good compromise is 2-3 measured meals of high quality moist food throughout the day. Feed before work, when you get home and right before bed. This should keep kitty's stomach satisfied. It also helps you monitor exactly what and how much kitty is eating. If kitty stops eating because of illness, you will know right away! If kitty is gaining or losing weight, it is much easier to adjust the amount fed to correct the situation.

In a multi-cat household, each cat should have his/her own bowl. My cats even have their own rooms. They are kept separated until they are finished eating, which usually is only about 10 minutes. Should I ever need to feed one of them a therapeutic diet for such problems such as kidney, diabetes or urinary disease, I can make sure that the right cat is eating the right food!

Answer 6

I free feed my cats dry, and give them a small amount of wet at night. The dry I use is a high protein food, with no grains in it. it seems to keep them full longer, and they eat less.

Also, you can try to use a low calorie or low fat food.

Make sure you get something good though. Avoid the regular store bought cat food. It's loaded with garbage (fillers) that don't do anything for the cat.

Go out and get a high end food. Innova, or Nutro. Something like that.

Answer 7

well we found that 3-4 meals are better because if you let them eat too much they get fat and start throwing up everywhere. so when you wake up (which should be early for best feeding effect) feed them then during your lunch feed them and if your not there then give them a slightly larger breakfast. then same with dinner and then right before you go to bed. i find a feeder with two sides is better that way you can fill them both up so they can snack on it later.
so if you think about it its kind of a free choice/meal type deal but if you do use a 2 sided feeder then if one side is full dont fill back up the other one until they filled side is gone.

Answer 8

If they are not obese, then free-feeding is better, cats like to graze. Plus it's really hard to meal feed multiple cats. Overweight cats need to be meal-fed. In order to lose weight, you must control calorie intake. You say they get a lot of exercise. Try a light or weight-loss formula, but you need to stay above 40% protein content (on a dry matter basis: you need to factor out the water in canned food) so that they don't lose muscle mass. You can also buy toys that have to be played with in order to get the food out, feed them with these toys instead of in a bowl. Get yourself a laser pointer, fish-on-a-string, anything to increase activity will burn calories.

Answer 9

There are allot of different opinions on this subject My cats have always been free feeders!! All animals are different. Both of my cats maintain there weight very well. If your are getting a little chucking try feeding a lower calorie food! There are plenty of the on the market right now. Ask you vet what he recommends.

Hope this helps

Answer 10

Free choice is fine, just don't pile the dish full to avoid over-eating. Make sure they are drinking plenty of water, ESPECIALLY if you have any males. Believe me, you don't want a crystallized urinary tract (broken penis syndrome) it's painful for the cat, and very expensive kitty surgery (600-1500) Ask me how I know this, right? Males need more water than females, and the occasional can of soft food helps too.