Feeding & Nutrition

Ask five cat owners and you get five routines, because cats are individuals and so are households. The honest answer to how often is: it depends on the cat, the food, and what you can keep up with. A few principles make the choice easier.

Most healthy adult cats do well with two meals a day, roughly twelve hours apart. It suits their metabolism and keeps you in control of portions, which matters in a world where feline obesity is quietly common.

Free feeding, explained

Leaving dry food out all day works for some cats, especially lean ones with no interest in overeating. But many cats graze into chubbiness, and once the bowl is always full it is hard to notice a cat eating less, an early sign of illness. Free feeding also does not suit wet food, which spoils.

If you do free feed, weigh the daily amount and check the cat's body condition weekly rather than trusting the bowl.

Why meals often win

Scheduled feeding lets you spot appetite changes fast, controls calories, and works better for multi-cat homes where one cat would otherwise eat everyone's share. It also suits interactive feeders that turn dinner into a bit of exercise.

Kittens and seniors are different stories, with kittens needing frequent small meals and some older cats preferring routine. For the average adult, twice daily with measured portions is a safe, sensible default that most vets are happy with.