2 or 3 feedings a day?

[paziqi]

As I did when I was free feeding, I've been setting out my kitties raw/canned mix 2 times a day.  However, now that I'm picking it up after a half hour, I've noticed that they seem to be getting hungry (and grumpy) a lot more.  I experimented this weekend with 3 feedings a day, and noticed that it did seem to help their attitude a lot.

Now the problem.  I live 40 minutes away from where I work, I typically work a 9 to 10 hour day, and there are no shopping oportunities near home, so any errands I need to run need to be done after work, before I head home.  Which means I often am out of the house for 12 to 14 hours a day.  If I do a three a day feeding schedule, their going to have a long wait between the first and second feeding, and a very short time to digest the second before I give them the third.

We're experimenting with a three a day feeding schedule today, but I am wondering what other people think of this?  Will it work out okay?  Or should I just do 2 a day during the week, and the 3 a day on the weekends?

 

[ldg]

Can you afford to purchase a timed feeder? I know people use them - not sure which ones. But there's some way to use them with ice - or you can just put the frozen raw in the feeder, and it'll dethaw over a few hours, and you can set the timer to open then. Would something like that work?

OR... just feed them as early as you can before work, leave out frozen raw for them to dethaw and eat when it's thawed, and feed them when you get home? :dk:

I transitioned from free fed kibble to timed feedings. I have the luxury of working from home though, so I was able to feed them a number of small meals, and slowly increase the amount of food and lower the number of meals. This is a typical problem when switching to timed feedings. Feeding three meals seems to work for most, but it can take a little while before they learn to eat enough at each meal to tide them over to the next one.

 

[paziqi]

Two of my boys have to be locked up during feeding time, or they will push the other cats away and take their food.  I worry that leaving it out in a timed feeder would mean that those two boys would get all the food, and leave the others without enough.

Everyone was very hungry when I got home last night, but they all ate fine off of the second and third feedings.  I'm thinking of continuing with the three feedings, but making the first a bit heavier, so they'll have more in their tummies to tide them over until I get home.

 

[ldg]

Given what you just described, that sounds like a good plan.