Tiny Kibble

[all4mom]

Oh, I see. I didn't realize they could swallow the dry whole without at least attempting to chew and possibly hurting their teeth.

That what they naturally do if it's small enough.

 

[Kflowers]

But Rini how will she be sure the food hasn't gone off before the cats eat it if she leaves it out in the morning? I know people say you can leave wet food out all day, but it's meat, not smoked meat. Is there any reason at all that it's different from say the beef or chicken you made for dinner? would you leave that out all day then come home and eat it?

 

[all4mom]

But Rini how will she be sure the food hasn't gone off before the cats eat it if she leaves it out in the morning? I know people say you can leave wet food out all day, but it's meat, not smoked meat. Is there any reason at all that it's different from say the beef or chicken you made for dinner? would you leave that out all day then come home and eat it?

Right. You can't leave wet food out all day. Besides, he likes it warmed to just the perfect temperature. Yes, he is spoiled.

 

[Rini]

But Rini how will she be sure the food hasn't gone off before the cats eat it if she leaves it out in the morning? I know people say you can leave wet food out all day, but it's meat, not smoked meat. Is there any reason at all that it's different from say the beef or chicken you made for dinner? would you leave that out all day then come home and eat it?

Well the ideal would be for the cat to eat it quickly.

It's not really a great solution for snacking during the day, but I am suggesting if she feeds higher protein timed meals it may reduce the need for snacking. I think some members do leave wet food out with an ice pack but I'm not totally sure.

If she wants to feed small dry food IMO she can still do that.

 

[all4mom]

Again, the problem is that he refuses to eat more than a small amount of wet food at a time. He literally takes a few bites, walks around the room. Takes a few bites, goes to the litter box. Takes a few bites, lies down for a nap. Grazing is his preferred method of eating -- not gorging -- so getting enough food into him is very time-consuming. I currently feed him four times a day, and it takes at least 30 minutes each time. Any more feedings, and I'd have to quit my job. He needs to be able to take in more calories while I'm gone.

 

[Rini]

Again, the problem is that he refuses to eat more than a small amount at a time. He literally takes a few bites, walks around the room. Takes a few bites, goes to the litter box. Takes a few bites, lies down for a nap. Grazing is his preferred method of eating -- not gorging -- so getting enough food into him is very time-consuming. I currently feed him four times a day, and it takes at least 30 minutes each time. Any more feedings, and I'd have to quit my job. He needs to be able to take in more calories while I'm gone.

Ok well good luck with the small dry food.

 

[LTS3]

Right. You can't leave wet food out all day. Besides, he likes it warmed to just the perfect temperature. Yes, he is spoiled.

Canned food is a cooked product so it's fine to leave out all day. It won't spoil. There are ways to keep canned food fresh such as freezing canned food and placing the frozen food into a programmable timed feeder.

 

[maggiedemi]

I have the opposite problem, I think most kibble is too small nowadays.
Can you show us a picture of what kibble is too big so we can get an idea of what size you want?

 

[LTS3]

Maybe these similar threads will help?

Iso Small Kibble
Need Small Kibbled Cat Food

 

[all4mom]

Canned food is a cooked product so it's fine to leave out all day. It won't spoil. There are ways to keep canned food fresh such as freezing canned food and placing the frozen food into a programmable timed feeder.

It may not "spoil," but he won't eat it once it's cold and dried out.

 

[Rini]

It may not "spoil," but he won't eat it once it's cold and dried out.

LTS3 and several others in this thread have made very helpful suggestions regarding the small dry food you asked about. People were just trying to suggest alternatives to give your cat with dental issues as many options as possible.

If the wet food solution isn't right for you or your kitty, you are of course free to disregard it.

 

[all4mom]

The kibble they always ate was about 1/4" across and round like a pebble; very hard.

UPDATE: the coffee grinder didn't work any better than the other methods; it either left pieces intact or reduced all to dust.

I'll look into kitten kibble since it tends to be smaller, but I hate to buy a whole bag not knowing in advance the size -- not to mention whether or not they'll like/eat it.

Also, thanks for the links! I'll take a look.

 

[Rini]

The kibble they always ate was about 1/4" across and round like a pebble; very hard.

UPDATE: the coffee grinder didn't work any better than the other methods; it either left pieces intact or reduced all to dust.

I'll look into kitten kibble since it tends to be smaller, but hate to buy a whole bag not knowing in advance the size -- not to mention whether or not they'll like/eat it.

Chewy sometimes has pictures of what the food looks like in the bowl, so you can see the size before you purchase it. That may be helpful.

 

[cheesycats]

I think blue buffalos cat foods are pretty tiny. A rescue I work with uses that and the life source bits and kibble are pretty small. Maybe take a look at their kitten formula. Just feel through the bag to gauge size.

 

[Kflowers]

@LT53, I was taught that cooked meat, chicken, beef, fish and the like that wasn't smoked shouldn't be left out for several hours and then eaten. Is this the new view that meat is safe to leave out? I remember my grandma told stories of people making Sunday dinner and covering the food on the table with a cloth to keep the flies off then eating the remainder for supper. So, are we back to that? It really would save a lot of worry.

 

[all4mom]

I dated a guy who used to keep his leftovers (take-out Chinese;whatever) in the microwave overnight and eat it the next day. No ill effects. Cast iron stomach?

 

[Kflowers]

I would consider the guy's age in that determination.

Your cats are human age what 60 -79? They might be a little more fragile than
human age 17-21.

 

[maggiedemi]

Rachael Rays dry food is tiny. Just don't get the Indoor one, my cats hate it.

 

[maggiedemi]

I just opened a bag of Diamond Naturals from Tractor Supply and it is really tiny kibble. I think I read that this brand is similar to Costco Kirkland brand. We don't have a Costco here.

 

[jcat]

A all4mom We just got a feline boarder at the shelter who's 14 and needs tiny kibble in addition to wet food. His owners give him Purina One Kitten Formula (1 - 12 months). The kibble is slightly bigger than the RC Baby Cat, but not by much.