How long does canned food last in the fridge?

[Pursestan]

How long does canned food last in the fridge?
I almost exclusively fed my previous cat kibble (hey, didn't know any better). I'm trying to get prepared for my new kitty and plant to feed canned (I may eventually try to add in raw, but it's not realistic right now).
Anyhow, I saw that some brands (specifically Wellness) sells 12.5 oz cans, which is cheaper overall than the smaller cans. Obviously, my ONE cat isn't going to eat that in one day so I'd have to store it in the fridge. Will it be okay for a day or two in the fridge?

Thanks.

[anie]

absolutely!
on a can it is even written that after opening can food should be stored in the fridge. i have stored cat food in the fridge up to 48 hours after opening. i always warm it up before serving, usually take it out to room temp hour or so before feeding and also add a bit of hot water to it just before serving.

I have tupperware airtight little box that i store cat food in (in the fridge, after opening, just don't like the idea of food sitting in open metal tin, i do the same for our human food )

[grrawritsjordi]

I store my cat's wet food in the fridge and they go through about a can every week (I feed them half wet (Innova) and half dry (Taste of the Wild). The food keeps for the whole week. I just put aluminum foil over the top but there are "can savers" you can buy which are much better and keep the food a lot fresher. The link below is for some. I am sure you can find them at any store.

Amazon.com: Petmate Kitty-Kap Can Cover: Pet Supplies

Amazon.com: Petmate Kitty-Kap Can Cover: Pet Supplies

[grrawritsjordi]

Originally Posted by anie

absolutely!
i always warm it up before serving, usually take it out to room temp hour or so before feeding and also add a bit of hot water to it just before serving.

My cats just eat it cold. Is it suggested to warm it up? They haven't had a problem, so far. They eat it right up.

[Pursestan]

Thanks for the quick responses!

[scottd]

Originally Posted by grrawritsjordi

My cats just eat it cold. Is it suggested to warm it up? They haven't had a problem, so far. They eat it right up.

Heating it up probably makes it taste/smell better. I do know it makes it smell stronger.

[anie]

Originally Posted by grrawritsjordi

My cats just eat it cold. Is it suggested to warm it up? They haven't had a problem, so far. They eat it right up.

then you are one lucky cat owner!
my cats are picky and warming up makes the food smell more intense, so they eat it with less fuss. also, some of canned food gets kind of dense when cold (i.e. wellness) and i noticed that my cats eat better if it is more "soupy" and hot water helps here.

anyway, no, if your cats eat ok cold, it's perfectly fine

[Marcia]

I warm it up using the defrost cycle for a few seconds. I keep it in the fridge just like I would keep any other meat product - up to 3 or 4 days. Probably would keep longer, but with 6 mouths to feed twice + a day, it doesn't hang around here long!

[grrawritsjordi]

Originally Posted by anie

then you are one lucky cat owner!
my cats are picky and warming up makes the food smell more intense, so they eat it with less fuss. also, some of canned food gets kind of dense when cold (i.e. wellness) and i noticed that my cats eat better if it is more "soupy" and hot water helps here.

anyway, no, if your cats eat ok cold, it's perfectly fine

My cats don't mind the denseness. In fact, my one year old would swallow it whole if I didn't cut it up for her into little pieces. Innova gets denser as well.

thanks!

[gharrissc]

I usually only leaved canned food in the fridge for 24 hours. Before I feed the refridgerated food, I leave it out because they won't eat it cold.OTOH they don't like the microwaved food.