Good eating habits are as important for cats as for humans. Cats benefit from routine and structure in feeding schedules. Good nutrition and eating habits will help your cat to live a long and healthy life. Feline obesity is a big problem among domesticated cats and obesity is often encouraged by unstructured eating.
Many cat owners offer an unlimited amount of food during the day. The problem is that cats will often overeat. Why do cats overeat? There are a number of probable reasons. They may be bored or anxious and find entertainment and comfort in eating. Cats that experienced times of hunger or scarcity of food in their lives may be prone to overeat because they feel a need to take advantage of a food surplus. Cats sometimes don’t realize that they now have a reliable food source. They still feel the urge to eat as much as possible while the food is available.
Feeding cats on a schedule is a good way to teach them to expect food daily. Most owners feed their cats two times per day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. Work schedules or other responsibilities sometimes make scheduled feeding seem impossible. But, technology can help! Automatic feeders distribute a measured amount of food at pre-specified times during the day.
Measuring the amount of food you provide daily also helps keep your cats at a healthy weight. Cat food packaging tells you how much to feed your cat based on weight. The suggested amounts are meant to maintain your cat’s weight and prevent them from gaining weight as an adult.
