How do you feed (in terms of meal feed, free feed, ect.)

I'm just curious especially those with multiple cats.....

I used to free feed my cats dry food and in the evening they would split a can of canned food. Because some had gotten pudgy I stopped free feeding (sort of) and started measuring the food however they were free to eat it through out the day but did'nt get any more until the following day. That really was'nt working either because the fat ones were still eating too much so for the past several months I've been meal feeding. They get 1/4 cup each when I get home from work and 1/8 cup at night. Sometimes they split a large can of food at night instead of the 1/8 cup dry. The fatties seem to be slowly sliming down except for Bella. I'm currently thinking of a new plan for her.
Anyway, I just wondered how others feed especially those with multiple cats and even more so those with fatties and ideal weight cats living in the same house.

 

i basically free feed...

they come get me when they are hungry, which is usually Lex. :mrgreen: no wonders why he's the plump one.

Vet said Raz is perfect weight for his size, and to continue what i'm doing.

i would try to put Lex on a diet, but where i leave Raz's food out all the time i dont want Lex going to town on the kitten food. i cant win.

So, i let Lex be Lex, and Raz be Raz. If of course one was obesely fat, i would have to rethink my situation.

 

I free feed Kyrre dry food. It's the only thing his sensitive tummy can get, at least if we want to avoid the butt scootin' boogie :? Today I started to introduce adult food, he's started to grow a belly under all the fur, and I don't want him to get overweight :mrgreen:

 

i feed my cats dry food. i try to keep buster's bowl full so that he don't get into shadow's food. it don't really work but i have to keep shadows bowl full because busters on a special kind of food and shadow hates it. so they eat when they're hungry.

 

I free feed dry food - but then there's Zeus (why does it always have to be Zeus?). He doesn't care for dry food and if canned food sits for more than 10 minutes he snubs that too!!!

He will eventually eat dry food but the look on his face - he looks like a little kid who is being force fed veggies :roll:

I open a can in the morning which Zeus scarfs right down, then I have to open another can which Missy and Tilly will share (if they get there before Zeus for his morning snack). I go home at lunch and in self defense I give Zeus a little more canned cause he won't leave me alone. If he wants to eat again it's dry food.

The fosters they split a can of food at night - I don't want them to get too spoiled on canned food cause I don't know how their new owners will feed them and I don't want them refusing dry.

 

I feed Moe a little bit of canned food in the morning (about 1 tablespoon) and Artemis gets about a 1/4 can. He scarfs down his food and then eats whatever is left in Moe's plate.

I leave a bowl of dry kitten food out all the time on the floor and Moe's dry food I put on a high shelf that the little monster can't get to yet. Moe has been eating the kitten food instead of hers though. :roll:

I also feed Moe a handful of "treats" throughout the day - a tooth diet dry food. When she gets her "treats", I throw a piece of kitten food to Artemis and he thinks it's a treat. He's so easy to keep happy!

 

I free feed dry food 2x a day. 4 cups in the AM and 4 cups at night. They share a can food in the morning and again at night. They are all big cats- 13-14 lbs but their vet said they are healthy and have normal weights.

 

Hi Nern. I wonder if you could get your "fatties" to exercise 10-15 minutes more per day. Use the laser pointer or those cat fishing poles with the feather at the end. Remember last year when I asked everyone how much they feed their cats and I couldn't believe how much more Handsome ate than the rest of the kitties here, even though he was not overweight? Well, I'm actually feeding both Romeo and Juliet the same amount as I fed Handsome and they too are both at a good weight. The thing that Handsome and Romeo and Juliet all have/had in common is that they get a lot of exercise. They just love to play with the laser pointer and a bunch of other toys. Juliet's favorite game is to play fetch with her toy mice.

Anyway, here is the amount of food they get per day:

As much dry food as they want (Wellness) all day long.
Breakfast: they split 2.75 oz of soft food (either Wellness or Newman's Organic)

Lunch: split 2.75 oz of soft food

Dinner: split 2.75 oz of soft food

 

I free feed the cats dry food all day.

I have two huge cats (they could use a diet)
I have two regular cats
I have one 7 month old who still looks like she did months ago. She's tiny.

So, I leave the food out and they eat when they want. The vet said that was the best idea for the situation I'm in.

Once in a blue moon my cats get some canned food as a treat.

 

ollie has meals am and pm the same amont he has wet n dry food i sprinkle the dry on top thats the only way he will eat it! he dont eat alot reallt they have the recomed amont but he dont eat that much i leave it down for 1 1\2 hours well hes health and thats all that matters

 

I basically free feed. Punk always has dry food and I give him a can of wet food every night. He rarely eats it all at one time so he nibbles throughout the day.

 

Very good point. I have yet to replace their lazor light. That is probably the best thing to use to get them more active since they all go nuts over it. I have a new fishing pole toy so maybe I better start spending a little more time playing with the fatties individually. Chieve is a toy hog so sometimes its hard to keep the others playing until Chieve is pooped out. Maybe I'll try doing 15 minutes extra for each fattie without the other cats around.

 

I give Tiger dry food whenever I see that his bowl is empty (because I'm not quite sure whether he's eating all that or if the dog is getting it, she does that ALOT)

The SPCA warned me about getting him hooked on wet food but I was feeding my dog wet food in the mornings and evenings and Tiger kept trying to get into it causing fights between them SO I started giving Tiger 1/2 a small can of wet food every time the dog was eating breakfast or dinner.

Now it's weird because if I'm not watching them closely enough, the dog starts eating the cat food and the cat wants the dog food! Tiger even loves DRY dog food.

Does anyone know if this is harmful? I sure hope not or I'm going to feel guilty.

Tiger's getting a poochy belly and that worries me a little. He gets tons of excercise though.

 

Eating dog food regularly could be harmful because it lacks several nutrients that are essential to cats. If he only steals a few bites here and there I would'nt worry about it. My dogs are on scheduled feedings so they consume their meals in 5-10 mins and the cats don't have a chance to get at the dog food. I feed the cats on a utility table to keep the dogs from eating their food.

 

I free feed Dry food...it is out all day w/ plenty of water...My boys still get one can of food in the AM before i leave for work, they are only 9 months and growing..lol...My vet told me to stop giving them the canned food..but they luv it so i wont deprive..lol...i sound just like a mommy..but Jazz refuses canned food...all she will eat is dry food and fish, like tuna or sardines..so i tend to buy her at least 2 cans a week..i know its bad for her..but thats all she likes..