My cat is healthy free-feeding. Should I switch to scheduled meals?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | Male | 5 years and 8 months old | 9 lbs
For the past 5 years my cat has been free-fed. I know there are chances of obesity, diabetes and more if you free feed them. But my cat is not overweight, seems pretty healthy. Should I change it to meals or keep the free-feeding if my cat is doing fine?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 24th, 2018
if your cat is of normal weight and gets enough exercise, you can leave it at that. If you prefer to feed individual meals (2-3 times a day) you should slowly transition to wet/canned food and slowly reduce the dry food. Wet food overall is better for your cat, especially when a cat gets older. It contains less carbohydrates (cats are obligatory carnivores, so mainly need protein, not carbs), lessens the chance of your cat becoming a diabetic, and ensures that your cat gets more moisture with its food rather than having to drink more. If you feed canned food, stick with pate-type food, as cats tend to only lick off the gravy in chunky type foods. They prefer the ground mouse approach :D
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 18th, 2018
Give your kitty about 1.5 oz of canned cat food at a time (twice daily and refrigerate the rest of the can. Warm up the food when it comes out of the fridge. Do not leave dry food out for the cat to feed on all day. This way the cat is hungry when you feed her and will finish her food timely before it spoils. Put out fresh food at every feed as cats will not eat wet food if it starts to smell funny (happens within a few hours). Some cats will eat a bit right away, then come back to it 1/2 hr later to finish the meal. So, feed less more often and there will not be any left overs, If your kitty does not eat a particular flavor, then she may not find it appetizing and you need to find another flavor she likes. Cats are that way. They need food to taste good to them or they will not eat it,
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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