# How many times a day should I feed my cats?



## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

So I've been having a problem with my cats lately. I have two, Pistol and Treble. I got them at 4 months and 8 weeks respectively, and when we first had them, I was free feeding. Then I realized Treble was putting on weight too quickly and cut it back to twice a day- dry, kitten food. Everything was fine and dandy until recently. I feed them together because theres no way to do it separately. Treble eats everything in sight and if he knows its there and cant see it, he'll find a way to get to it. If Pistol gets to her bowl first, Treble will push her out of the way to eat from her dish. So I thought if there was going to be a food problem, it would be with him. Wrong.

The past couple of weeks, Pistol is ALWAYS DEMANDING food. I feed them in the morning while I'm making coffee and at night when I'm making dinner. Thats it. They hardly get treats. It started when Pistol was acting really strange, meowing at me and demanding my attention. I thought she just wanted to be pet but she was looking at me so intently that I asked her what she wanted and she led me straight to her food bowl. I said "No you had dinner" and went back to what I was doing. Ever since then she's been doing it more and more to the point where if I walk into the kitchen she RUNS from where ever she is and meows while sitting at her dish. Not ONCE have I fed her when shes done this yet she keeps doing it. When my alarm goes off in the morning, she hears it and starts scratching and meowing at my door. Which is absolutely annoying when its 5:30am and I'm trying to get another 15 minutes of sleep. And the paint is now coming off. I put double sided tape on the bottom and withing a day she had ripped it all off. 

If I get to sleep in, forget it. I'm up by 715 because she wont shut up outside my door. She doesnt want in, she wants food. Its 2:45 in the afternoon as I'm typing this and shes walking back and forth between me and the kitchen yowling. If I feed her now, Treble has to eat too, and she'll be harassing me again at 8pm!!! I cant win. I dont know what to do, its so frustrating. I just want her to stop. She has toys, scratching posts, window seats, blankets, beds, everything she needs! Why does she need to eat all the time!!!!!! UGH!!!

Would it make sense to break up the feedings 3 times a day instead of 2? They'll never let me feed them just one big meal a day. I tried that... they got into the rat food/guinea pig food/hay and destroyed the bags and Treble got on top of the fridge and ruined a new loaf of bread. Help me before I go ask Jackson Galaxy what to do!!!


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

My advice would be to feed two or three times a day, if that's what they want. also, check the food/amounts you're giving them. There's a vast difference in the quality (and thus ability to "fill up") a cat between brands, and depending on their lifestyle, will need more/less (i.e. if they're house cats, they won't be eating elsewhere, younger cats need more, etc).

Other than that, it could be just that they've learned to bug you until you feed them.


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Right now theyre getting 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup at night (or 3oz wet) which I think is a lot. They are young but theyre indoors so I worry about them putting on weight. Theyre eating Chicken Soup for the Cats Soul because the store was out of Taste of the Wild. Its good food.

But thats the thing, I have not once fed them if either was harassing me. I am patient, they are not. I will make them wait another half hour if theyre bothering me until they stop for a solid amount of time.

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## Roonel (Jan 27, 2014)

Maybe you should try free feeding again, but using a "light" diet food…?


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Roonel said:


> Maybe you should try free feeding again, but using a "light" diet food…?



"Diet" food generally means more crap filler (wheat, corn, soy) and less real quality ingredients. Here's Iams "adult weight control" first 3 ingredients:




> Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Grits, Corn Meal,


 Yep. Corn grits. For your obligate carnivore cat.

2 times a day probably isn't enough, especially if they were previously free feeders - I would aim for 3 or 4. You can buy a feeder with a timer if you find they are waking you up in the middle of the night.

Otherwise it's just a battle of patience. Don't give in to their poor "I'm starving" cries - they're just getting used to having that (completely normal) hunger sensation again.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Lol, Iams is crap, regardless of the version. (Here in the UK, at least...)


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## Dovahkiin (Sep 24, 2013)

I free-feed my cat in a puzzle feeder. She eats when she's hungry and if she wants more, she has to work for it so she doesn't over-eat. It also stimulates her mentally.

Breaking up the food into 3 meals is probably better than 2 meals a day. Everyone I know who doesn't free-feed does it that way.


I agree "weight control" is a gimmick. The added carbs from the fillers are anything but "diet" and you'll find your cat being fatter on "diet" food than a high fat high protein grain free. Iams is crap no matter what country you're in.


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Yeah I ignore what the bag "claims" and go right for the ingredients. 

The free feeding didn't last too long and I havent free fed them since mid-summer so they really are used to having 2 meals a day. 

I have a couple of those plastic balls with the holes so they have to play to get the food out, I think I might cut a handful of food from both feedings and stick them in the treat balls for when I come home from work. The demanding is what bothers me, I'm used to dogs that leave me along because I tell them to. I just dont get cats I dont know how to get my message across haha.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

Kittens do not need to be limited on food at all until around 6 months old.


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## Urithrand (Feb 12, 2008)

I always free fed my boy until I got a girl, and she would just eat and eat, then throw up because she'd overeaten, then carry on. I had to cut back to twice per day, but just made sure I really filled those little tummies when they got fed. I also found that they were both considerably more satiated from meat rather than biscuits.


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## Pilot. (Feb 11, 2014)

Why don't you feed them separately? It sounds like the male may be eating all the food and the other one may be left with very little. You could lock the male in your room until he finishes or lock the female in? I feed one of my cats separately from the other two because she just mauls her food down. I wait until the other two are finished then let her out, and she finishes hat the other two didn't.


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Pilot. said:


> Why don't you feed them separately? It sounds like the male may be eating all the food and the other one may be left with very little. You could lock the male in your room until he finishes or lock the female in? I feed one of my cats separately from the other two because she just mauls her food down. I wait until the other two are finished then let her out, and she finishes hat the other two didn't.


Honestly I thought that was the problem at first because hes so big and was gaining weight so quickly, I thought he was eating her food or eating too much. I was feeding them out of one big bowl instead of 2 smaller bowls. Once I switched to 2 smaller, I started watching while they ate (and I'm usually in the kitchen as I'm feeding them and myself). As long as I feed Treble first, he doesnt touch her food until she walks away. If it comes down to it, I will feed them separately but thats honestly my last resort since I dont think hes overeating anymore. 

I starting splitting their meals into 3 times a day and I noticed a difference-- I'm not being bothered so much today and everyone is blissfully taking an afternoon nap. I fed them maybe 1/4 cup each at like 630am and then I split another 1/4 cup into 2 treat balls around 1pm and they've been good! I also gave them wet food last night which I think keeps them fuller longer... I might have to start buying wet food in bulk. Anyone know a good site to do this?


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