Food is a fundamental aspect of cat care. In addition to choosing the best food, caregivers also express doubts about its administration. How many times a cat eats or the possible variations depending on whether it is an adult cat or a baby, are among the issues that concern people who live with these animals.
In this article on our site we are going to give recommendations for feeding our cat correctly at any age. So, we explain how many times a cat eats a day.
How many times does a cat eat a day in the wild?
In the wild it is common for cats to hunt alone small prey several times a day These prey are rodents, birds or even reptiles. They all have in common their high percentage of water, around 70%. Bringing these eating habits to the domestic sphere, we can think that the best thing for our cat, the most adapted to its physiology, would be to provide it with food in small quantities distributed throughout the day. In addition, the food must contain a significant percentage of moisture, since cats, accustomed to prey with a high intake of water, hardly drink.
But in our homes variations are introduced that modify the natural pattern. For example, there are other cats to compete with for resources, we feed him feed that only provides 8% moisture, or we adopt an orphaned kitten that can't even feed himself. All of these factors influence how many times a cat eats per day, as detailed below.
How many times should a newborn cat eat?
Unfortunately, especially at certain times of the year, it is not uncommon to find orphaned kittens that heartless individuals have literally thrown away. They are so small that they do not even open their eyes, they do not regulate their temperature and much less can they feed themselves. In these cases we will have to raise them with a bottle, always using a milk specially formulated for kittens that we can buy at veterinary clinics and specialized establishments.
These newborns, at least for the first 10-15 days of life, will need to eat every 2-3 hours both during the day and at night. Little by little the feeds will be spaced out and may happen every 3-4 hours, then every 6 and, approximately, at 3-4 weeks of life we can start offering food formulated for kittens, always continuing with milk until weaning..
Consult this other article in which we detail all the care that these little ones need: "Care for newborn cats without a mother".
How many times does a baby cat eat?
When we adopt a kitten, ideally it should come home at a minimum of eight weeks old. Until then, it is very important that he stays with his mother and siblings, not only for breast milk, which nourishes him and provides him with defenses against disease, but also for the teachings that he will only be able to receive from his feline family and that are fundamental. for your psychological balance in the future. The socialization of the kitten begins there, that is why it should not be adopted before.
However, it is not always possible to wait that long, as many times we pick up much smaller kittens on the street. In those cases, the first thing is to go to the vet to check it out and determine its age. That way we will know if she is still breastfeeding and we have to offer her specific milk, as we explained in the previous section, or if she can already eat solids without any problem. In that case, if it is approximately one month old, it is usual to choose to leave food and water within her reach throughout the day so that she can eat whenever she wants. It is a good option if we give him a feed-based menu, which can be kept in good condition throughout the day. But, as we have seen, the feed provides very little moisture. For this reason, it is recommended that, at least, the diet be mixed, that is, that it combines dry food with wet food.
The problem is that canned food, if left in the trough all day, will dry out, spoil or attract insects. To avoid this, we can divide the daily ration into several feedings that the kitten can eat immediately without leaving anything on the plate. Thus, one option is to leave him the feed on demand and offer him some four times a day or more his ration of wet food
It is very important to calculate how much dry and wet food he needs according to his age or weight to give him half of each and, in turn, divide the can into the different portions. An excess of food puts the kitten at risk of obesity, which is not only an aesthetic problem, but also has repercussions on he alth by increasing the chances of the appearance of some diseases, complicating others and reducing tolerance to heat, exercise or anesthesia.
Now that you know how many times a small cat eats, look up the approximate amount: "Amount of daily cat food".
How many times does an adult cat eat?
With adult cats it is possible to follow the pattern set for kittens, that is, leave them the feed on demand and give them some four or five times a day its corresponding ration of wet food This option can work well in households where there is only one cat, but also in those where there are several. This is because free access to food limits the stress of competition for resources. But if any of the cats suffers from obesity, we run the risk of eating more than its fair share, perpetuating and aggravating the problem.
In addition, a low water intake can be related to different he alth problems that affect the kidney and urinary system. It has been proven that cats that are fed several times a day and not on demand, drink more, which improves their hydration and unfortunately common problems such as kidney disease or crystals in the urine.
In conclusion, in he althy cats we can choose to feed on demand or in small portions, which can be three, four, five, etc., depending on the needs of the cat. In those specimens with some physical or psychological problem, it will be more convenient to opt for one or the other option. That is, if we need the cat to drink more, it is better to ration On the contrary, if stress problems are diagnosed, it will help to always have access to food because rationing you can increase it. If in doubt, consult your veterinarian or ethologist.
If you offer a homemade diet and ask yourself how many times your cat should eat a day, the answer is the same as with the wet food, four times to five or even more, depending on the needs of each cat and what they usually eat at each feeding. Thus, it is essential to know our animal to adjust meal times to its routine and needs.
