Your dog or cat’s nutrition is the bedrock of their health. We’ve extensively covered what to feed your dog, what not to feed your dog or cat, which are the best treats for your dog or cat – and essentially sharing tips on what to feed pets based on their age, their health, and their allergies.
The content of your pet’s food bowl is one thing, but how often should that food bowl be presented to them and how much food should be in it? In this article, we look at how often you should feed your pet, their feeding times and how much to feed your pet in a day.
When to feed your pets
Think about it: when you wake up in the morning, your stomach is empty and you need to eat breakfast to get energy for the day, and to drink something to hydrate your body. Your pets will have the same ‘empty tummy’ experience. The first time to feed your pets is in the morning – either just after they wake up or as part of your own morning routine.
But… is it okay to feed a dog once a day?
Generally, dogs and cats should eat at least twice a day – morning and evening – if they are healthy and on a normal dog or cat diet. After eating breakfast, their digestive process continues for around 10 hours before their body alerts them that it’s time for food again, by which point it’s dinner time.
Some pets, especially those who are not food-motivated, won’t mind only eating once a day, although it’s recommended that most pets eat twice a day to support the health of their gastrointestinal system.
Should you leave pet food out all day?
Some pet owners will place their pet’s bowl down for the day, accepting that their furry friend will help themselves to a nibble whenever they feel like it. This is referred to as grazing or free feeding, and the method works for their routine and their pets’ eating habits. Many cats prefer grazing/free feeding to eating a whole meal all at once. As long as the kibble in the food bowl does not exceed the dog or cat’s recommended daily intake amount, pets who graze usually won’t gain excessive weight, especially if they’re more concerned about playing, exploring and simply being a dog or cat. It must also be said that grazing or free feeding is only suitable with dry pet food or kibble, as canned food or wet food from pouches will start to spoil very quickly.
If your dog or cat doesn’t seem to want to get into a feeding routine and they appear to be more of a grazer, speak to your vet if this is concerning for you. If your pet is a free feeder or grazer and you would prefer that they ate on a feeding schedule, try this to get your pet on a feeding schedule:
- Divide your pet’s food in half, to feed once in the morning and once in the evening. Keep these morning and evening times consistent, as this is what creates the routine. (It may be necessary at first to offer food three times a day, but the same concept applies.)
- Offer their food bowl for 10 – 15 minutes. Allow them to eat as much of the given food portion as they want to, then remove it. Even if they didn’t touch the food, take their food bowl away.
- If you want to entice your dog or cat to eat, mix a food topper or something you know they love, into their kibble.
- Only offer their food bowl again at the next feeding interval (in the afternoon or evening).
- Eventually your dog or cat will learn that they only have those two opportunities to eat, and will comply when they are hungry enough. Keep an eye on them throughout the day to ensure they are not scavenging from another source, as this will defeat the object.
What is a good feeding schedule for a dog or cat?
The best feeding schedule for your pet is one that suits their age, size, and overall health status.
- Puppies and kittens need a more regular feeding schedule than twice a day because they metabolise their food quickly. Small meals spread throughout the day will help to supply them with enough energy for their busy bodies, keep their blood sugar stable, and protect their sensitive stomachs.
- Senior dogs and cats may also need two to three feedings a day to protect their stomachs, especially if they need to take medication.
- Sporting or hunting dog breeds who are very active throughout the day will need to be fed more frequently to supply them with enough sustained energy for their activity levels.
- Dogs and cats with medical conditions like diabetes or bilious vomiting syndrome should have their meals spread out to stabilise their blood sugar and reduce gastric irritation, respectively. They can even be fed a snack late at night and/or in the early morning between meals.
- Overweight pets who are on a weight management diet would do better to have their daily calories spread throughout the day than eating a large meal or two and then feeling hungry in between.
Before changing any aspect of your dog or cat’s feeding routine, ask for your vet’s input and get their recommendation for the best feeding schedule or feeding intervals for your furry friend.
What time of day is best to feed a dog?
If you opt to feed your pets twice a day, have approximately 10–12 hours between feeding times, to support their digestive health. This is naturally the amount of time it takes for an adult dog’s digestive system to process their food and signal that they are hungry again.
If you opt to feed your pets three times a day, you can feed them at your standard breakfast, lunch and supper times – perhaps 07:00, 13:00 and 19:00. Make sure you feed your pets at the same time each day. Not only does a consistent daily routine build your pet’s self-confidence and lower their anxiety levels, but feeding your pet at the same time each day ‘trains’ their stomach to anticipate feeding and to trust that they will be fed.
One of the best advantages of feeding your pets at the same time each day is that you can build the rest of their routine around their mealtimes.
Most dogs love their food. They look forward to mealtimes as much as they look forward to playtime or going walkies. If you’ve got your furry friend on a consistent daily routine, you’ll even find them sitting by their food bowl at the same time every day – anticipating the sound of their pet food bag being opened and their food being scooped into the bowl.
Just remember that you should not walk your dog or encourage energetic play for at least 45 minutes after their meal, as this could increase their risk of developing bloat or gastric torsion, which is a life-threatening medical emergency.
How much food should you feed your pet?
It’s great if you’ve found the best dog food to feed your dog or the best cat food for your cat, but since all animals are different, what is the right amount to feed your dog? And how much should you feed your cat? This all depends on the quality of the food and how active your pet is.
On every pet food bag, there is a recommended feeding amount guideline that takes into consideration your pet’s age, size and weight. What they don’t always spell out is your pet’s activity levels and breed-specific eating habits; that some breeds are more prone to weight gain (think Labrador, pug, beagle, Dachshund, basset hound, bulldog, Chihuahua, Jack Russell terrier); and that it makes a difference whether your pet is sterilised or not.
So, how many cups of dog food per day? We need to be more specific than that: measure your pet’s food in actual grams, for the most accurate amount of food to feed your pet each day. How to work out how much to feed your pet per meal:
Total amount of food in grams, divided by the number of meals you feed your pet each day. So, if the recommended feeding amount is 300g of dog food per day and you feed your dog twice a day, it will be 150g of dog food per meal.
You can measure your pet’s food with a kitchen scale or a super handy digital measuring scoop:
Use the numbers on the food bag as a guideline only, and record how much you are feeding your pet. If your furry friend is losing weight, seems hungry or is begging for food, add a little more to their daily portion until their weight stabilises. If your pet starts to gain additional weight or you notice an unhealthy roundness to their belly, cut back on that daily portion.
How do I train my pet to eat slower?
Meal times for pets should be calm and rewarding. However, some pets wolf down their food in under a minute and then stand and look at you expectantly for more. Often, this is the result of resource competition in shelter puppies, feeling anxious, or they are just that hungry and eat fast to satiate their hunger. This can be the case in dogs with parasites or with conditions like diabetes, which cause them to be hungrier than usual.
There are a number of ways to get dogs to eat slower, for example:
- Scatter their food on the floor, creating a ‘scavenger hunt’. Their nose will work until they’ve picked up every last piece of kibble.
- Hide food in their blankets or bedding, making them actively work to find each piece of kibble. They will need to use their sense of smell, coordination and dexterity to find every piece of food.
- Feed your dog by hand. Not only will this slow down their kibble consumption, but it will reinforce your bond with your dog, as you are the immediate source of nutrition for your furry friend.
- Use a slow-feeder bowl – which does exactly what it says.
- Treat toys like the Kong and lick mats, which require your dog’s tongue dexterity, will keep them engaged for a long time, and may even tire them out trying to get to every last morsel in what is essentially a feeding maze.
- Snuffle mats offer an engaging alternative to the ‘scavenger hunt’ approach of tossing your dog’s food on the floor. Your dog’s sniffing work will be richly rewarded.
- Puzzle toys that require your dog to problem-solve in order to be rewarded with kibble are pawfect for slowing down your guzzler dog’s fast feeding, also offering them a mentally stimulating meal experience.
Get to know your pet’s eating habits, their ideal feeding amount, and the upsides of feeding them two or three times per day. Your pet’s food is not simply about eating – it can be used to instil a routine to their day, reward their sniffing, searching, and engaging behaviour, and solidify a bond with their favourite human – YOU!
