Free Feed Or Not?

[Kieka]

I do think it's likely more natural for them to get most of their liquid in food. When we brought her home she was drinking a ton, but it turns out that was a symptom of the coccidia (diarrhea and dehydration and all that) and once we got that under control her drinking seemed to slow down to a normal amount.

A 10 pound cat only needs 7-9 ounces of water a day. Most cats will only drink 2-4 ounces. Which means they get anywhere from 50-80% of water from their food. I figure going with the lower end of water drinking, 2 ounces, and the upper need, 9 ounces, means the get roughly 75% of water from food ideally. Assuming that the higher water drinkers are probably on a dry diet and drinking more because they are getting less from food.

My Cat Won’t Drink: How Much Water Cats Need & Dehydration Prevention
How Much Water Should a Cat Drink?

Paying attention to your cats water intake can help you know if they are getting enough, or like you found out, if they are sick and drinking more as a result.

 

[lucicat]

A 10 pound cat only needs 7-9 ounces of water a day. Most cats will only drink 2-4 ounces. Which means they get anywhere from 50-80% of water from their food. I figure going with the lower end of water drinking, 2 ounces, and the upper need, 9 ounces, means the get roughly 75% of water from food ideally.

My Cat Won’t Drink: How Much Water Cats Need & Dehydration Prevention
How Much Water Should a Cat Drink?

Paying attention to your cats water intake can help you know if they are getting enough, or like you found out, if they are sick and drinking more as a result.

Thanks. Your snoeshoe is so beautiful!!! I love that breed.

 

[Azazel]

Kieka

Perhaps we had a misunderstanding. I know you take good care of your cats. My intention was not to make you feel like I was putting you down. Apologies if it came across that way. You’re right that we are really passionate about our cats and I’m particularly passionate about feline nutrition because I think it’s essential to good health.

 

[BinxandBlaze]

I feel like you can decide based on the cat and if they’re keeping a healthy weight. My one cat was allowed to free feed and she stayed a good healthy weight and it was what worked best for her. Then I had to other boy cats who we tried to let free feed and they would eat until they puked and would go back and continue eating so we had to put them on a feeding schedule.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

My cat is still a kitten only 6 months old. I give 2 wet food meals daily and leave a high quality dry kibble out through the day for her to nibble. I might change to all wet as she gets older but I'm not sure. I can't afford to do all wet with the high quality wet food and worry that Friskies would be worse for her than Blue Buffalo wilderness

 

[sunflower7]

We adopted a shelter kitten a month ago and I've been reading a bunch of cat books. So far we've let her free-feed kibble and I give her about a TBSP of wet food morning and evening, plus some treats for training. She's healthy (after a round of medicine for coccidia) and eats anything I give her and is high energy.

But the books I'm reading don't agree on whether free-feeding is good for cats or not.

Wondering what others do and why. And if I were to stop free-feeding should I wait till after a certain age? I know she needs more calories now as a kitten.

When I left dry food down, as free feeding, my cats all gained weight. so now I feed 3 x a day, sometimes 4, and only put down dry if we are going away overnight.

 

[stacydc83]

I've always free fed. It works for some cats, some it doesn't. For instance, Lily, is quite overweight. I don't know why, it doesn't seem she eats very much. Zoe on the other hand, will eat a few times a day and she's skinny/ideal weight. Maybe Lily is more of a gourger. I don't think it would work for us doing only wet food, several times a day. They are not big wet food eaters, I've only found one brand they actually eat, everything else they just lick up the juices.
I'm trying to incorperate more wet food into their diet, but Zoe is just not interested. Lily will eat more wet food, but then she'll eat more dry on top of it. My plan with them, is to slowly cut back, and take it away at night maybe.
My only suggestion if you are going to free fed, make sure its a good quality dry food, meat as the first ingredient, and not a lot of fillers, without corn/soy. and high protein

 

[MissClouseau]

For kittens it's advised to free fed. For adults I think it totally depends on the cat. As it's been said the healthy way for them is to have several small meals throughout the day. It's better for their digestion and even decreases UTI chance. Also, cats have their own "thing." Like, my Hima never overeats but if she doesn't see food in her bowl at all times, she actually gets stressed and starts looking for food everywhere. And she eats fast when she sees food later. (I've been trying to feed her with more wet food but she still has like 20-30grams of kibble on the plate at all times.)

However, some cats just happen to be more food obsessed than the others. We have one of them in the family too. He has a timed feeder. What I do with Hima wouldn't work for him. A timed feeder wouldn't work for Hima.

 

[vince]

I've never been able to free-feed any of my cats. The two older ones will eat everything and leave nothing for their little sister. They also do the "scarf-n-barf." I have to feed them all several small meals daily and watch to see the little one gets to eat all that's in her bowl.

 

[RoofTopPigeon]

It Largely depends on the individual cat;
all cats are different; their just like people
with their own personalities.
Some Cat's Are Trickle Feeder's
(and) You Can Free Feed them.
HOWEVER; Other Cats are Gourger's
(and) You *Have to Meal Feed Them.
I would Suggest:
Trying the "Meal Feeding" First
and if they eat everything in their dish
at every meal; keep those has meal feeder's.
On the Other Hand;
If they Always Leave Left Over's When
Being Meal Fed; It's Probably
Safe Too Free Feed Those Cats.
Foot Note:
This Technique Really Only
Works Effectively In an One Cat House hold.