{"id":13781,"date":"2023-04-17T16:15:48","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T15:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/?p=13781"},"modified":"2023-04-04T18:08:33","modified_gmt":"2023-04-04T17:08:33","slug":"cat-feeding-methods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/cat-feeding-methods\/","title":{"rendered":"Cat Feeding Methods 101: Which is Best?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A cat\u2019s health is dependent on how it eats and what they eat. In nature, cats are independent hunters who prefer to graze and hunt anytime. It\u2019s assumed that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/cat-facts\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">domesticated cats<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also want the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However the same or different wild and domesticated cats are, their nutritional intake remains the same. Modern cats have varying feeding methods for their interests and specific dietary restrictions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To know more about these feeding methods, scroll down below to see which is the best for you and your cat and how to enhance these feeding experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='understanding-what-your-cat-needs-vs-wants'><b>Understanding What Your Cat Needs vs. Wants<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats tend to be picky about what they want to eat, and pet owners usually need help with which feeding method to apply to their cats. Cats feed on demand and tend to pester their owners for more food or treats until we give in. As owners, we need to be authoritative regarding feeding time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best way to deal with this is to find out what diet your cat needs. You can start by experimenting with which food to give, which pet food brand, their dietary needs according to their veterinarian, and what time of day they like to eat. The usual diet of a cat includes the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protein-rich meat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lifestage-appropriate food<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canned tuna or dry kibble<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These factors can help in the adequate feeding of cats. To further a better diet for your cats, you can employ a tailored feeding method from your local veterinarian to achieve maximum results.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='cat-feeding-method'><b>Cat Feeding Method<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many ways to feed your cats, depending on their diet, their household, and multiple pet households. The two most common are Free Feeding and Meal Feeding. However, another method that mixes both is Combination Feeding. Here are the three cat feeding methods, their advantages, disadvantages, and when to apply them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id='free-feeding'><b>Free Feeding<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One common way that people feed their cats is free-feeding. Free feeding is a method where food is readily available for a cat&#8217;s consumption. This is done by leaving food in a bowl that your cat can consume anytime or within the day, or owners fill the cat&#8217;s food bowl every time it empties. This works well for cats who prefer dry food, feed 1 or 2 times a day, and for owners who are periodically away at work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pros:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats can eat at any time<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best for healthy cats that eat specific portions of food in a day<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trains cats to eat what\u2019s available<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Cons:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Possibility of overfeeding and lack of appropriate nutrients<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incomplete diet as only dry food can be fed for this method<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harder to monitor feeds in multiple cat households<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">May cause starvation and malnutrition in multiple cat households<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free feeding is best to apply on cats who are healthy, well adjusted, and to owners with easy and flexible schedules.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id='meal-feeding'><b>Meal Feeding<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meal feeding is a method commonly called scheduled feeding or portioned feeding. This method involves carefully monitored and portion-controlled feeding at specific times or hours in a day &#8211; involving a routine for the cat and cat owners. In other words, you feed your cat according to schedule with a fixed amount of food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This method limits the amount of food your cat eats daily, and dry or wet food can be given. Meal feeding is appropriate for cats with health deficiencies, special diets, or households who prefer giving their cats a hands-on feeding experience while monitoring their dietary changes. The ideal time between cat feeds is 12 hours, which can be perfect timing for scheduling feeds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pros:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A complete and balanced diet of both foods<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promotes healthy diet and eating habits by setting controlled portions of food<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Helps sick cats in healing faster as medications can be hidden in wet food<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoids overfeeding and helps aid weight loss for overweight cats<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Cons:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats may not want to eat at set times and may ask for more food between meals<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeding multiple times can pose problems with multiple cat households<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats may waste their food and won\u2019t get the chance to eat again until the next feed<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, this method is best for adult and elder cats who are already used to feeding schedules and owners who have time to prepare and schedule a feed daily.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id='combination-feeding'><b>Combination Feeding<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combination feeding is a method that combines the joys of free feeding and the aches of meal feeding. It requires cat owners to feed their cats canned, wet food twice daily while leaving a bowl of dry food for cats to graze on when needed. This allows them to eat multiple meals daily with different textures for their palates while partially monitoring their food intake and acting as a complete and balanced meal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pros:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Owners can feed both wet and dry food.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Help cats get a complete and balanced meal within the day<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No worries about feeding schedules or forgetting to feed<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Cons:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leads to obesity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Causes over-eating<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expensive to maintain\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Result in nutritional deficiencies and poor diets if cats prefer one food over another<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combination feeding can help picky cats when it comes to feeding times. It opens options for them to feed freely and receive hydration and nutrition with wet food while monitoring their intake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='other-tips-to-enhance-your-cats-feeding-experience'><b>Other Tips To Enhance Your Cats Feeding Experience<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeding your cats not only involves food and choosing the time of day. It also involves tips to enhance their experience and make them gain proper nutrition and healthy brain function. Here are some tips to improve feedings.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduce food in puzzle feeders or puzzle trays to slow down feedings and helps in mental development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/history-of-cats\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let them \u201chunt\u201d their food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by placing different food or treats around the house to imitate how they would hunt in the wild.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow the guidelines from your veterinarian and on food labels before introducing a new diet or method to your cat.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consult experts and veterinary clinics for the best approach to feeding cats and the appropriate diet measures.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id='finding-the-best-method'><b>Finding The Best Method<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best feeding method will depend on what works well for you and your cat. Worrying about what\u2019s best and what\u2019s not will stress you and your cat. There is no wrong or correct feeding method &#8211; only the application and what you feed your cat matters. The best way to know which works for you is to try and try until you find one your cat likes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always remember to observe your cat for the kind of diet and feeding method they need and relate this to your veterinarian to help you know which one is for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='references'><b>References<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing the Best Feeding Method for Your Cat<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. (2010, December 23). PetMD. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https:\/\/www.petmd.com\/cat\/nutrition\/evr_ct_best_feeding_method<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cosgrove, N. (2023, January 19). <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 Benefits of Feeding Your Cat on a Schedule<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Pet Keen. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https:\/\/petkeen.com\/benefits-of-feeding-your-cat-on-a-schedule\/<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Llera, R., &amp; Downing, R. (n.d.). <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Cat<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. VCA Animal Hospitals. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https:\/\/vcahospitals.com\/know-your-pet\/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-cats<\/span><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meal Feeding vs. Free Feeding Cats: What&#8217;s Best?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (n.d.). Hills Pets. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https:\/\/www.hillspet.com\/cat-care\/nutrition-feeding\/how-to-feed-a-cat?lightboxfired=true<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walden, L. A. (2021, December 6). <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeding Methods for Cats<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Mallard Creek Animal Hospital. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https:\/\/www.mallardcreekvet.com\/dr-waldens-blog\/feeding-methods-for-cats<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A cat\u2019s health is dependent on how it eats and what they eat. In nature, cats are independent hunters who prefer to graze and hunt anytime. It\u2019s assumed that domesticated cats also want the same.\u00a0 However the same or different wild and domesticated cats are, their nutritional intake remains the same. Modern cats have varying [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/cat-feeding-methods\/\">Read More&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> from Cat Feeding Methods 101: Which is Best?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":13792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-cats"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}