Hello all!
I was just wondering what the pros and cons are between leaving a bowl out 24/7 and having specific meal times. I see the need if you're feeding wet food which shouldn't stay out, but I only feed dry. I normally just put out a cup of food per cat in the morning and let them eat as they please throughout the day. However it seems to me that they are beginning to think that there should ALWAYS be food in their bowls and they act like they are being starved - which they certainly are not! I have been woken up sometimes as early as 4am because they want more food in their bowl - and it appears that they just want to see it there, not eat it. If they were previously ferals or outdoor cats I would think that they were assuring themselves that they had something to eat, but I got them as just weaned kittens and they have only known a loving, safe, providing home. Also, they are indoor only cats and I'm concerned about them becoming obese at a later date if I keep giving into that heartbreaking mewing. I've also got the sneaking suspicion that Smudge, my dominant, might be eating more than his share and I don't want Nermal to suffer any health problems.
If it IS better to have specific meal times how in the world do I switch them over??
I was just wondering what the pros and cons are between leaving a bowl out 24/7 and having specific meal times. I see the need if you're feeding wet food which shouldn't stay out, but I only feed dry. I normally just put out a cup of food per cat in the morning and let them eat as they please throughout the day. However it seems to me that they are beginning to think that there should ALWAYS be food in their bowls and they act like they are being starved - which they certainly are not! I have been woken up sometimes as early as 4am because they want more food in their bowl - and it appears that they just want to see it there, not eat it. If they were previously ferals or outdoor cats I would think that they were assuring themselves that they had something to eat, but I got them as just weaned kittens and they have only known a loving, safe, providing home. Also, they are indoor only cats and I'm concerned about them becoming obese at a later date if I keep giving into that heartbreaking mewing. I've also got the sneaking suspicion that Smudge, my dominant, might be eating more than his share and I don't want Nermal to suffer any health problems.
If it IS better to have specific meal times how in the world do I switch them over??