2 Meals vs. 3: Does It Matter?

[NRD]

I've been feeding my Fab Four three times a day--a wet breakfast, an EVO dry lunch, and a wet dinner. This seems to work fine for them, and me, except when I have to go away and leave them in the care of a pet-sitter. On those occasions, I leave them a timed dry breakfast and the sitter gives them a wet mid or late-afternoon meal.

I know this change in meal protocol bothers at least a couple of them whenever it happens, though maybe it's part of the disruption of my being away.

I thus was wondering if it made more sense to get them used to being fed two bigger meals a day--breakfast and dinner--rather than three smaller ones, in the hope that routine would be close to what happens when I am away. I also wonder whether a larger number of smaller meals--3--is any better for them healthwise than 2 meals. I am usually away only for 2 or 3 days at a time.

My cats are 2, 1-1/2, 1 and 7 months. I had also figured it was better for the youngest, Little Hersh, to be fed 3 times a day as well. Maybe this is not a big deal, but, then again, I hate to set them up for expectations they get fed every 6 hours or so, as we have it now, if it bothers them when it doesn't happen. I do try to vary lunchtimes, so they are not on too rigid a schedule.

Thanks for any advice/comments you can offer.

[dweamgoil]

If you are going to be traveling often and having someone take over for you, you should try to keep feeding as consistent as possible, whether you choose to do 2 or 3 meals. To be perfectly frank, I am not sure if 2 or 3 meals helps their metabolism or digestion as it does with us humans or has any other benefit once the cats are out of kittenhood, but just for them to be able to rely on the fact that feeding is at regular intervals and consistent, I would just get them used to one routine. In your post you already mentioned they have objections to their routine being disrupted, so why not follow their lead and keep it the same?

[NRD]

Fair enough, and thanks. Their objections have mainly been that one of them has gotten what I'll call stress diarrhea that goes away as soon as I come back. I don't travel often, but once or twice every month or two is often enough. The sitters I have used to date have other jobs and can only come by once a day, that's the problem. Also, a sitter twice a day for a few days in my area seems to cost around $50 a day, so the costs add up quickly. I take the point about consistency, which is exactly why I asked. But I do try to vary feeding times, if not frequency, so they are somewhat adapted to a schedule that is not TOO regimented, and they are fine with that.

[dweamgoil]

Trust me, I know how you feel. I will need to leave my cats with a sitter when I go away on vacation in February for 10 days at $75/day. It does get pricey and that is just once or twice a year, but it's good for them to not have too many upsets. You leaving is probably stressful enough for them.