Can I cut half of a 3oz wet canned food and feed both of my cats?

VidiaZerena

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So both of my cats are 9 months old and are about to be fed 2 meals a day on wet canned food. One around 6 am and dinner time at 6 pm. There finishing up there last bit of dry food. When they both were on dry food my husband and I fed them 3 times a day, we’d sprinkle a little bit of water or chicken broth just to get them to eat it. I’ve decided to ultimately feed them wet canned food because I’ve heard dry food 24/7 isn’t all that good and wet food is a lot better. It’s more expensive but anything for my babies. Also my cats just LOVE wet food like it’s crazy! Anyways when we tried feeding them a whole 3 oz can each they could barely finish the whole can so my husband and I were thinking of taking 1 can of the 3 oz and splitting it in half between the two cats and saving the rest in the fridge for dinner time. Is that okay? I just want them to get enough food through out the day and not be starving 😩 But I also don’t want the left over wet food to be left in there bowls and be wasted.
 

FeebysOwner

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One can split between the two of them is no problem (as long as that is not all they are getting over the course of a day). If you open another can and they can't eat it all, it can be stored in the fridge for the next day. Some cats will eat food right out of the fridge; other cats need it to be warmed up to room temp. It is all a matter of experimenting. Also, canned cat food can be left out for many hours without spoilage - sometimes it just takes adding a bit of water and mixing it to bring it back to life. I leave out Feeby canned food for as many as 8 hours before I begin to think that is 'enough'; but I also add water to it throughout the day. to ensure it stays moist.
 
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VidiaZerena

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One can split between the two of them is no problem (as long as that is not all they are getting over the course of a day). If you open another can and they can't eat it all, it can be stored in the fridge for the next day. Some cats will eat food right out of the fridge; other cats need it to be warmed up to room temp. It is all a matter of experimenting. Also, canned cat food can be left out for many hours without spoilage - sometimes it just takes adding a bit of water and mixing it to bring it back to life. I leave out Feeby canned food for as many as 8 hours before I begin to think that is 'enough'; but I also add water to it throughout the day. to ensure it stays moist.
i wouldn’t be able to afford to feed them anything else in between. I’ve heard canned wet food is only good for two hours 🤔 but maybe I’ll try leaving it out and seeing what happens.
 
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VidiaZerena

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i wouldn’t be able to afford to feed them anything else in between. I’ve heard canned wet food is only good for two hours 🤔 but maybe I’ll try leaving it out and seeing what happens.
I forgot to mention we’re about to experiment with different wet canned food such as pet authority from pets smart, tiki cat to see what they like. But fancy feast will be what they’ll be eating the most since we tried that about a couple months ago and they loved it 🥰 plus I can afford getting it in bulk.
 

maggie101

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I of my cats it's a whole can in the morning then half a can her last to meals. So 2 cans. My other cat eats 1 1/2 can. And my 3rd eats less. It depends on weight,how active.
 

game misconduct

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i raised graycie that way splitting 3 oz cans in halfalong with dry food out to nibble as she pleases still feed her that way and she is a trim healthy solid 11 pounds
 

FeebysOwner

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’ve heard canned wet food is only good for two hours 🤔 but maybe I’ll try leaving it out and seeing what happens.
Nope, it is cooked food and can sit out for as long as I said - 8 hours - maybe even a bit more. My 17+ yo cat eats canned food that 'old' (with some added water as needed, of course) and it has never been an issue (btw, she also eats Fancy Feast for the most part).
 
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VidiaZerena

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Nope, it is cooked food and can sit out for as long as I said - 8 hours - maybe even a bit more. My 17+ yo cat eats canned food that 'old' (with some added water as needed, of course) and it has never been an issue (btw, she also eats Fancy Feast for the most part).
Okay, thank you! I’ll just give both of my cats each there own 3 oz can morning and dinner.
 

maggie101

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I have forgotten about open cans with cover and left them out,by accident, and the food is still OK. I sleep 9+ hrs! Problem solved so I am clocking out
 

Robyn5678

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A 3 ounce can for 2 cats would not be enough if that is all you are feeding them. I have 4 cats and I use five 5.5 ounce cans a day or 6-8 3 ounce cans a day. Kittens need more food than adults
 
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VidiaZerena

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A 3 ounce can for 2 cats would not be enough if that is all you are feeding them. I have 4 cats and I use five 5.5 ounce cans a day or 6-8 3 ounce cans a day. Kittens need more food than adults
It’s 3 oz can for each of them in 2 bowls for two meals a day.
 

Robyn5678

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It’s 3 oz can for each of them in 2 bowls for two meals a day.
What is the amount of calories in the can? How much do your cats weigh? As I mentioned before, kittens need more than adult cats. My 8 month old kitten weighs 7 pounds so she needs like 200 calories a day at least. I would really recommend you talk to your vet to make sure what you are doing is appropriate for the cats
 

chelsmarie

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Nope, it is cooked food and can sit out for as long as I said - 8 hours - maybe even a bit more. My 17+ yo cat eats canned food that 'old' (with some added water as needed, of course) and it has never been an issue (btw, she also eats Fancy Feast for the most part).
Is this really true? I have always read that cooked food can’t sit out and will grow bacteria after a few hours. What are your sources because most pet sites agree not to let it sit out. Would you eat a cooked lasagna or any other meal that has been sitting out? I personally wouldn’t because of potential food poisoning. Am I missing something? 🤷‍♀️ It’s great that your cat hasn’t had any issues but I wouldn’t necessarily be recommending that to others.:):) Plus, wet food in my experience gets super dry and unappetizing the longer it sits!
 

Robyn5678

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Is this really true? I have always read that cooked food can’t sit out and will grow bacteria after a few hours. What are your sources because most pet sites agree not to let it sit out. Would you eat a cooked lasagna or any other meal that has been sitting out? I personally wouldn’t because of potential food poisoning. Am I missing something? 🤷‍♀️ It’s great that your cat hasn’t had any issues but I wouldn’t necessarily be recommending that to others.:):) Plus, wet food in my experience gets super dry and unappetizing the longer it sits!
My cat will eat wet food that has sat overnight. As FeebysOwner FeebysOwner said, it’s fine if it sits out. I always add extra water to it so I’ve never had an issue with it drying out.
Also cats eat alive and dead animals so not really sure you can compare that to lasagna.
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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Is this really true? I have always read that cooked food can’t sit out and will grow bacteria after a few hours. What are your sources because most pet sites agree not to let it sit out. Would you eat a cooked lasagna or any other meal that has been sitting out? I personally wouldn’t because of potential food poisoning. Am I missing something? 🤷‍♀️ It’s great that your cat hasn’t had any issues but I wouldn’t necessarily be recommending that to others.:):) Plus, wet food in my experience gets super dry and unappetizing the longer it sits!
I agree with this. Mainly that it gets beyond appetizing both in smell and consistency when it's left out for more than several hours. My cat very pointedly takes a hard pass on food that isn't fresh.
 

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If I understand correctly each of your 9 month old cats will be fed a total of 3 ounces of canned food per cat per day.

That doesn't sound like enough. My 11+ year old cats are each fed 6.5 ounces of Tiny Tiger pate per day. Your cats are still growing and could need even more - teenage appetites you know!

I understand feeding all canned food might be outside your budget. How about wet in the morning, put out dry in the middle of day, then wet again for dinner or bedtime.

Until you become "expert" at splitting a can of food into two equal portions - I use a kitchen scale. Weigh their empty dishes to be sure they weigh the same. Then portion the can of food in half, dump in each dish, weigh again. I've gotten to where it is within 1/10 ounce. Practice makes perfect!
 

maggiedemi

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I would give each cat 6oz per day. Is that what you are doing? Each cat gets 2 of the 3oz cans per day, one in the morning and one at night?
 

FeebysOwner

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I have always read that cooked food can’t sit out and will grow bacteria after a few hours.
I agree with this. Mainly that it gets beyond appetizing both in smell and consistency when it's left out for more than several hours
Of course, many of the canned cat food companies are going to go with the shortest amount of time possible - after all, that means we all buy more food more often!! ;)

But, yes even the FDA recommends no more than 4 hours. A lot depends on the food and the environment in which the food sits out.
Here is a TCS article about it as well.
How Long Can You Safely Keep Cat Food Out For? – TheCatSite Articles

So, while I will continue to tell people what "I" do, I will refer them to the above noted article.
 
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PushPurrCatPaws

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If I understand correctly each of your 9 month old cats will be fed a total of 3 ounces of canned food per cat per day.

That doesn't sound like enough. My 11+ year old cats are each fed 6.5 ounces of Tiny Tiger pate per day. Your cats are still growing and could need even more - teenage appetites you know!

I understand feeding all canned food might be outside your budget. How about wet in the morning, put out dry in the middle of day, then wet again for dinner or bedtime.
...
:yeah: Teenage cats are hungry critters, and still growing! They are very active kitties. Like C catapault I recommend still giving them "all they can eat" (re: still thinking of them as kittens) for a while longer, several months more, at least.
 

Twylasmom

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I would give each cat 6oz per day. Is that what you are doing? Each cat gets 2 of the 3oz cans per day, one in the morning and one at night?
Canned cat foods can vary widely in the amount of calories, with a 3 oz can ranging between 60 to 100 calories. So you need to figure out how many calories your cats need (200 per day for growing kittens) and figure out the amount from there. Dry food tends to be very calorie dense so if you can’t afford to feed all wet you can augment with some dry food to achieve the calorie goal.
 
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