It is advisable to leave dry food available at all times for the cat, while wet food is better served warm. Veterinarian Anastasia Yurichka answered popular questions about cat nutrition.
— How many times a day should an adult cat be fed?
Anastasia Yurichka: Veterinarian nutritionists believe that it is preferable to leave food available at all times. However, this feeding option is suitable only when feeding dry food. When feeding wet food, it is necessary to ensure that breaks between meals do not exceed 8–10 hours.
— Why is it better to leave food available at all times?
Anastasia Yurichka: A cat is a solitary hunter, with no clear sleep and wake cycles.
Our domestic cats have inherited introversion from their ancestors. They are known solitary introverts and prefer to hunt alone as well. To satisfy all their nutritional and energy needs, a cat cannot rely on just one mouse; it needs at least 6–10 mice a day. Therefore, cats are forced to hunt throughout the day and night. Their diet can be quite varied and is not limited to just mice. Cats are amazing creatures that can perfectly control their hunger and know exactly when they are full.
Cats also do not sleep like humans; they rest several times during the day and night, reflecting the saying: after a hearty lunch, one should take a nap. So don’t scold your cat if it runs around the apartment at 4 a.m. Your biological clocks simply differ from those of cats.
Thus, eating often but in small portions is the norm for cats. Their digestion is also set up accordingly.
— But won’t the cat overeat?
Anastasia Yurichka: Of course, domestic cats can overeat and gain weight. This most often happens because we do not control the daily feeding norm and simply fill a large bowl with food, constantly adding new portions. Automatic feeders can help control the amount of food consumed, as they will dispense food throughout the day and night (they can be set to dispense every 3–6 hours) but should not exceed the daily norm.
Some cats, in principle, do not control themselves well and try to eat everything at once. But this is more of an exception than the rule. Cats have a good sense of satiety and stop when they need to. This mechanism works at a biological level for them. Sometimes it can break down due to habit, for example, if a cat was taught from childhood to eat a couple of times a day, due to individual characteristics, or illnesses.
— If a cat is a hunter, shouldn’t it be encouraged to hunt for its food?
Anastasia Yurichka: This can certainly be arranged, but it is still better to separate regular meals from play. Cats have a very strong hunting instinct, and often it prevails over hunger (that is, a cat would prefer to catch a mouse before eating from a prepared bowl). There are now various toys available that can satisfy a cat’s hunting need: regular, mechanical, electric, treat-dispensing, intellectual, and others, and there are many instructions online on how to make toys from available materials. By the way, toys (any kind) can help keep a cat from getting bored and keep it in great shape.
— What if I feed my cat 2–3 times a day?
Anastasia Yurichka: That’s not a problem! Most likely, the cat has already gotten used to this routine, and transitioning to more frequent feeding may not suit it.
However, it is necessary to ensure that the breaks between feedings do not exceed 8–10 hours. The shorter the break, the better.
Hunger is detrimental to cats. Frequent long (over 12 hours) breaks in food can lead to irreversible negative changes in the gastrointestinal tract.
If it is not possible to reduce the time between feedings on your own, a smart feeder may help.
— What should I do if I only feed wet food?
Anastasia Yurichka: In this case, the same principle applies as in the previous point: it is necessary to monitor the duration of breaks.
Wet food should not be left in the bowl all day. It should be disposed of approximately 30 minutes after it has been placed in the bowl. By the way, cats prefer warm food, so it is advisable to slightly warm wet food before serving. If you store canned food in the refrigerator, be sure to bring it to at least room temperature. Frequent consumption of cold food can lead to health problems for the cat.
If you cannot feed your cat more often than every 8–10 hours, you should consider a mixed feeding type. You can continue to give wet food as usual, but leave dry food between feedings. Note that in this case, it will be necessary to adjust the amount of wet food and make a very gradual (over 7–14 days) transition to the new diet.
