How Much Dry Food Should Be Fed to an Indoor Cat?
- Many cats like to eat 10 to 20 small meals a day and would benefit from a free feeding. This method simply means that the cat has access to food at all times and the owner adds more dry food to the bowl whenever it's low or empty. Many cats, especially younger ones, can control the amount of food they eat so that they remain within a healthy weight range.
- According to Dr. Ronald Hines from 2ndChance.Info, an adult cat that weighs 4.8 to 9.9 lbs. and is not very active should eat 1.7 to 3.2 oz. of dry food a day. Because 20 to 40 percent of cats become overweight on free feeding, they need the right amount of food to be prepared at certain times during the day.
- Because an indoor cat usually has less opportunity for exercise, it has a higher risk of becoming overweight, especially on free feeding. According to Stanford Cat Network, a cat should not eat dry food on free feeding. Instead, it should ideally eat two to three meals a day that total about 1.7 to 3.2 oz. of dry food.
