How many times do I feed my cat a day?
Are you a first-time cat owner, or perhaps a long-time cat parent searching for the answer to the question “How many times do I feed my cat a day?” You’re not alone, that was something I struggled with when I had my first cat—Mal.
I couldn’t find a clear answer to this question, so I decided to read the research myself. I wrote this article to share the nuances of what I learnt, and hopefully provide you with the insights you need to make an informed decision about your cat’s feeding routine.
Note: This article focuses on how often to feed an adult cat (1 to 9 years old)—not kittens or senior cats. There are more details to cover for both of those categories, so we’ll leave it for separate articles in the future.
The information provided in this article is intended for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Healthy Kitty Care is not liable for any changes made or their impact on your pet’s health. Always consult with a qualified veterinarian before making significant changes to your cat’s diet to ensure their well-being.
TL;DR
- If your cat’s an adult (between 1 to 9 years old), and is healthy (no illnesses), it doesn’t matter as long as your cat doesn’t over eat (consume more calories than needed).
- Eating smaller, more frequent meals is preferable.
- Most people feed 2 to 3 times a day.
Understanding natural cat feeding behavior
Based on a study published in Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, housecats have likely adapted to eat a few small meals a day.
The study found that when given the freedom to choose, cats tend to eat between roughly 8 and 16 meals a day. However, it is unclear how feeding less frequently would impact the health or behavior of cats.
This is what I took from the study—what we know is that feral cats like to eat little but often, and there’s no conclusive evidence that eating bigger meals less often is “better” or “worse” for housecats.
How often do you feed a cat?
Okay, so then how often are you supposed to feed a cat?
There’s no “right” answer for this question—it’s highly dependent on your lifestyle and the cat’s needs and preferences. For reference many housecats are free-fed or fed twice daily1, and I personally feed my cats twice a day.
Your lifestyle matters
If you work from home or spend most of your time at home, you have the option to feed your cat more frequently. However, if you’re away for most of the day, feeding twice a day might be more practical.
If you have an irregular schedule, you can consider using an automatic feeder to maintain a consistent feeding schedule.
It’s important to stick to a routine to keep your cat healthy and happy. A study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science found that poor caretaking routines can cause chronic stress in cats, leading to elevated cortisol levels, altered hormone sensitivity, and reduced activity2.
Learning your cat’s behaviors
Cats learn when their feeding times are and can be more active leading up to their mealtimes1. This can be inconvenient if they start meowing early in the morning before your alarm goes off.
If your cat meows or exhibits other disruptive behaviour like stealing your food, you could try shifting their evening meal to just before your bedtime so that they’ll be less hungry (and meow less) in the morning.
Combining both the owner’s lifestyle and the cat’s preferences
To figure out how many times do I feed my cat, I’ll do the following:
- Start by feeding my cat twice a day. Pick 2 timings that I know I can fairly consistently (80% of the time) feed my cat.
- E.g. 8am and 8pm
- Monitor my cat’s behaviors. Does it meow before food? Does that bother me?
- Consider adjusting the feeding timings, and / or the feeding frequency.
Tracking and monitoring food intake
Regardless of how many times a day you decide to feed your cat, it’s important to track their food intake to ensure they’re eating enough and are not overeating.
To do this effectively, you should track the overall daily intake of your cat by weighing food with a scale1.
New to tracking calories? Here’s a detailed guide on calculating your cat’s daily caloric needs and determining the appropriate amount of food.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I feed my cat 3 times a day?
Yes. As long as it’s the total amount of daily calories are sufficient and do not exceed the recommended amount for your cat.
2. How many times do you need to feed a cat?
There’s no perfect answer, but feeding smaller meals more often is preferable. Most people feed healthy adult cats 2 to 3 times a day. You can feed you cat more times a day using automatic feeders and food puzzles.
Bear in mind that the amount of calories consumed is important, and I highly recommend that you calculate the amount of caloric intake for your cat.
3. Should I feed my cat once or twice a day?
If you can, you should feed your cat twice a day rather than once a day because cats generally prefer eating more meals throughout the day1.
References
[1] de Godoy, M. R. C., & Swanson, K. S. (2020). Companion animals symposium: Nutrition and behavior in dogs and cats. Journal of Animal Science, 98(7), skaa248. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa248
[2] Van Rooijen, J. J., & Middelkoop, J. (1993). A comparative study of the feeding behavior in cats (Felis catus). Behavioural Processes, 30(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(93)90062-T
