wet food question:

[nancyLA]

When should I feed my kitties the wet food, if I am feeding them mainly dry food. the wet food is a supplement, once a day. But I worry if I give it to them in the morning, they will start geting used to it, and meow at 5:00 am, demanding their wet food!! (I have heard horror stories about this!)

[spittles]

Get them used to a set time. Mine get their at 8am and 5pm every day. It is okay if you are a little late though.

IMO, canned food shouldn't be a supplement, it should be a staple food. Canned food is SO SO SO much better than dry. Maybe you should check out Dr. Jean's article on why cats NEED canned food.
http://littlebigcat.com/index.php?actio ... cannedfood

Take Care,
Abhay

[coaster]

I don't really think the cats differentiate between wet and dry food as far as when they're fed. I assuming your concern is because you are free-feeding the dry food? Just feed the wet portion in the evening, then.

[nancyLA]

yes, I free-feed the dry food, because I have no idea when they eat!!! they kind of pick all day! So I don't want them expecting wet food every morning at 6:00 am, it ain't gonna happen!

[lolakitty23]

Hello again, nancyLA! It's good that you are going to incorporate some wet food into your cats' diet.

As I said before, we feed our boys a 50/50 diet of wet and dry food. We feed them a 1/2 Cup scoop of dry food at about 6:00 AM when they wake up (we feed them, then go back to sleep!). Then, at around 5:00-5:30 PM, we feed them their serving of 3 oz wet food. And finally, at our bedtime around 11:00 PM, we give them about a 1/4 Cup serving of dry food as a night snack to hold them over until breakfast.

This schedule has worked well for our guys who have been on a feeding schedule since we got them. If you are going to free feed dry, when you do put down wet, always set it down at the same time of day...cats LIVE for routine. They will get used to it and will start eating accordingly.

Only leave it out for about 30 minutes and they should eat their fill in that time. Give them a week or two to get used to this routine.

I hope this helps. This is just how we do it. Of course, always do what works best for you (cost, availability, scheduling) and your cats (age, size, appetite, etc.)

Good luck!

[NewRagdoll]

when you do put down wet, always set it down at the same time of day...cats LIVE for routine.

You are right about routine. Unfortunately, we can't always or don't always do it on a clock so my routine has always been event or activity oriented. Morning food comes when I up, regardless of time. And, I will not get up just because the cat wants me to. So, I have found the cat will learn that pattern and adapt. Evening....is whenever I get home. Again, that time varies significantly, but it is a routine the cat can understand. Come to think of it, her feeding schedule is the same as mine...just she always gets her food first.

Amazing how easy it is to establish a routine. I've had one with my previous cats but hadn't had a kitten for years. However, Marli quickly adapted to know that I will get out of bed.....go to the restroom.....then go feed her. When I get up I may not see her. However, when I come out of the restroom she is there and she will then, as I start walking, take off toward her food dish in the kitchen, but not getting too far ahead of me.....starting...stopping....to make sure I am following the routine correctly. Then she will sit, waiting for the food.

Establish routines and stick to them. [/url]

[vanillasugar]

I'm the same way as NewRagdoll when it comes to routine. I'm a student and my schedule varies greatly from day to day, so Nya gets fed in the morning, which is when I wake up, and then sometime in the evening which is usually between 7-11, depending on when I get home. Nya has no problem with this "schedule" but then again, she's a pretty polite kitty, and if she's hungry the most I'll get is a pawing at my leg and a gentle mew (She's on an ALL wet diet by the way... there's dry food out for the kitten all day, but she wont touch the stuff! I feed her a 5.5oz can a day, half in AM and half in PM)