How to Plan a Feeding Schedule for Your Cat
Consider your cat’s age., Consider your cat’s health., Adjust meals if your cat is throwing up., Watch for signs your cat is overweight or underweight.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider your cat’s age.
How often you feed your cat depends, in part, on its age.
Kittens need to be fed more frequently than adult cats, for example, because they are growing and expending a lot of energy.
Use the following guidelines to determine how many times a day to feed your cat:
Kittens up to six months of age should be fed three times a day.
From six months old to about one year old, you should feed your cat twice a day.
Adult cats (one year or older) and senior cats can be fed either once or twice a day.
Feeding your cat once a day is fine as long as it is healthy and doesn’t have any diseases that require a different feeding schedule. -
Step 2: Consider your cat’s health.
Some cats may develop health problems that require you feed them at certain times during the day.
For example, if your cat has diabetes, you may need to feed it when you give it medication.
For these situations, it is best to consult with your veterinarian on how often you should feed your cat.
If your cat does have a disease, treat the disease first before changing its feeding schedule.
If the disease is treatable, you should be able to return to a normal feeding schedule once your cat is healthy., Regurgitating before or after a meal can be a sign that your cat is either getting too hungry in between meals or is eating too much at once.
If you notice these symptoms in your cat, try feeding it small meals more often throughout the day—possibly up to four times a day.
Doing so will help keep your cat fuller throughout the day and allow it to eat smaller meals more frequently, both of which should help diffuse its need to regurgitate.A "slow feeder" or timed feeder that emits food in small increments will also help cats that eat too rapidly.
It is recommended that cats eat between 24 to 35 calories per day per pound (roughly 13 calories per kilogram), so split this amount up between the total number of feedings to make sure you’re not overfeeding your cat.If you change your cat’s feeding schedule, but it is still regurgitating consistently, take your cat to the vet to get checked out. , You can consult with your veterinarian if you’re not sure whether or not your cat’s weight is ideal, or use a visual "body scoring system" for cats:
Body score 1/5 (very underweight): cannot feel any fat, can see and feel hip bones and lower vertebrae, ribs visible for short-haired cats 2/5 (underweight): can easily feel ribs with minimal fat covering, visible lower vertebrae, visible waist behind ribs 3/5 (normal): can feel ribs with slight fat covering, waist visible behind ribs 4/5 (overweight): ribs difficult to feel due to fat, obviously rounded abdomen affecting waist shape 5/5 (very overweight): cannot feel ribs, no narrowing waist behind ribs, heavy fat deposits on lower back, face, and limbs.
Talk to your vet about dietary changes before trying anything extreme.
A rapid weight loss diet can cause fatty liver disease in cats. -
Step 3: Adjust meals if your cat is throwing up.
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Step 4: Watch for signs your cat is overweight or underweight.
Detailed Guide
How often you feed your cat depends, in part, on its age.
Kittens need to be fed more frequently than adult cats, for example, because they are growing and expending a lot of energy.
Use the following guidelines to determine how many times a day to feed your cat:
Kittens up to six months of age should be fed three times a day.
From six months old to about one year old, you should feed your cat twice a day.
Adult cats (one year or older) and senior cats can be fed either once or twice a day.
Feeding your cat once a day is fine as long as it is healthy and doesn’t have any diseases that require a different feeding schedule.
Some cats may develop health problems that require you feed them at certain times during the day.
For example, if your cat has diabetes, you may need to feed it when you give it medication.
For these situations, it is best to consult with your veterinarian on how often you should feed your cat.
If your cat does have a disease, treat the disease first before changing its feeding schedule.
If the disease is treatable, you should be able to return to a normal feeding schedule once your cat is healthy., Regurgitating before or after a meal can be a sign that your cat is either getting too hungry in between meals or is eating too much at once.
If you notice these symptoms in your cat, try feeding it small meals more often throughout the day—possibly up to four times a day.
Doing so will help keep your cat fuller throughout the day and allow it to eat smaller meals more frequently, both of which should help diffuse its need to regurgitate.A "slow feeder" or timed feeder that emits food in small increments will also help cats that eat too rapidly.
It is recommended that cats eat between 24 to 35 calories per day per pound (roughly 13 calories per kilogram), so split this amount up between the total number of feedings to make sure you’re not overfeeding your cat.If you change your cat’s feeding schedule, but it is still regurgitating consistently, take your cat to the vet to get checked out. , You can consult with your veterinarian if you’re not sure whether or not your cat’s weight is ideal, or use a visual "body scoring system" for cats:
Body score 1/5 (very underweight): cannot feel any fat, can see and feel hip bones and lower vertebrae, ribs visible for short-haired cats 2/5 (underweight): can easily feel ribs with minimal fat covering, visible lower vertebrae, visible waist behind ribs 3/5 (normal): can feel ribs with slight fat covering, waist visible behind ribs 4/5 (overweight): ribs difficult to feel due to fat, obviously rounded abdomen affecting waist shape 5/5 (very overweight): cannot feel ribs, no narrowing waist behind ribs, heavy fat deposits on lower back, face, and limbs.
Talk to your vet about dietary changes before trying anything extreme.
A rapid weight loss diet can cause fatty liver disease in cats.
About the Author
Lisa Ramos
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in pet care and beyond.
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