Wet Food Feeding Schedule

TofuHimmie

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Hi there,
My 3 years old himmie had digestive issues (mostly soft stools / sometimes diarrhea), and our vet advised to give wet food a try. It’s working well so far but I have an issue with food waste and my cat not eating enough.
Before the switch, she was free fed. I just left the kibbles on her food bowl and she’ll be set for the day. However, I can’t do free feeding with wet food because after a few hours it goes bad. I tried portion it but it seems that my cat likes to have many little meals throughout the day, which is hard because I’m working.
Any advise or solution?
Thank you 🙏
 

Maurey

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How long have you tried with strictly timed portions? Usually if you have 2 to (ideally) 3 set times a day you leave out wet food for a similar period of time (usually 10-15 minutes), then put away till next mealtime, for around a week, a cat will generally get the picture if you avoid giving treats or giving into wailing. This is generally ideal for cats health wise, as well. While cats will generally catch several small meals a day in the wild, they don't have free constant access to food, and don't eat more than a few times a day on average, either. Having a limited set number of mealtimes a day assists with keeping their blood sugar levels in a more species-appropriate cycle.

If she's really resistant, though, feeding smaller portions around 5 times a day with a dish timer feeder that has accommodations for an ice pack might suit better. That said, I'd give 3 feedings at breakfast, lunch, and dinner times more of a try if you haven't already.
 

LTS3

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Canned food doesn't go bad after a few hours. It's a cooked product. It can be left out all day in a bowl unless the room temp is hot and humid or you have issues with ants and other pests. Uneaten food should be thrown out at the end of the day.

Use a programmable timed feeder to give your cat small meals during the day. Some feeders have ice pack features to keep food cool. You can also freeze canned food into portion sizes and put the frozen block into the feeder to slowly defrost.
 
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TofuHimmie

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Thank you all very much for the advice. I didn't leave any food out last night, and this morning she ate half a bowl (which is A LOT). So, I will test with the ice gel packs this time and leave food out in the morning before i go to work (i have a separate bowl with a small amount of dry snacks just in case). And then another feeding in the evening.
 

kittenmittens84

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My cat purposefully leaves some of his wet food to eat later on or overnight - it’s ok for them to eat some food that’s been out for a while, it’s not raw meat.

if you need to feed him 3 separate meals a day and can’t do lunch because you’re at work, they do make timed feeders for wet food. You put a portion into the chamber (usually it has an ice pack) and then it opens at the time you pick.
 
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