Feeding Routine for New Rescue Cat?

[Millys Mum]

Now his wet food is eaten within 1-2 hours

Made me laugh, my lot clear their dishes, within a couple of minutes every bit has been licked  no free feeding round here so always keen for their next meal.

Hiding his dry food is a good idea but i think he will soon twig all your hidey spots and still manage to eat it all in a short amount of time 
3 smaller meals is better than 2 larger ones so i would stick to his current routine 

[Leanne]

My boys have a pouch between them first thing in the morning usually around 5:30am , then another pouch between them about an hour later around 6:45am.

Milo has biscuits down all day (RC on the work top so Jess can't get them) and Jess gets 5g of urinary biscuits on each portion of wet food.

Then in the evening they get half a pouch when i get in from work usually around 5:45pm and another half between them around 9:30pm.

So over all they get 2 pouches each a day, Milo gets 20g of biscuits a day but doesn't normally eat them all and Jess gets 20g of biscuits over the course of the day.

[Den]

My indoor cat is on half a tray/pouch of wet, usually felix or 1/3rd tin of c/d in the morning and the same at 7:30pm. Then he gets a small handful of dry encore/applaws when I go to bed. I used to give him dry food alongside his wet, but he got into the habit of scoffing it all in one go and was too full to eat his wet, so he would spend hours picking at it and not always finishing it before his next meal. Now his wet food is eaten within 1-2 hours, he still scoffs his dry far too quickly!

[clarenmax]

As Noah loves his food ('inhales' was the word used by Jen from Adel CP!) I don't think I can leave dry out without him eating the lot! Thinking of feeding wet and dry in a bowl twice a day, perhaps 9/10am and 9/10pm, and then only dry in the day but hidden around the flat - I have read the article on indoor cats and there are some good ideas. He might be scared of an automatic feeder as he is nervy of random things like the back of his grooming mitt!

He sounds like my Poot!!!  He will eat any food put in front of him, and just hoover the lot down!!!

He's a growing lad, so I'm feeding him between 2-3 pouches a day, and a handful of biscuits, but he constantly pesks for food all day if either of us are around 

[Fire Fox]

Thanks for all the replies! At present Noah has two and a half pouches of Felix which I want to switch to a higher meat content food and reduce to probably one small/ medium tin per day. His dry food is JWB which I am going to leave as is for a while so there aren't too many changes, but have bought some Orijen and requested samples of others.

As Noah loves his food ('inhales' was the word used by Jen from Adel CP!) I don't think I can leave dry out without him eating the lot! Thinking of feeding wet and dry in a bowl twice a day, perhaps 9/10am and 9/10pm, and then only dry in the day but hidden around the flat - I have read the article on indoor cats and there are some good ideas. He might be scared of an automatic feeder as he is nervy of random things like the back of his grooming mitt!

[Bazsmum]

I sleep very odd times and my wonderful cats kindly work around me....I have dry down all the time plus 2 pouches each per day is the average! 

Average being cos I have a couple of dry only and wet only (their choice not mine!) 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

MIne have dry food out all the time with two wet food meals a day for my big cats.

The birmans get more cos of one being ill.

I have now started putting less dry food for the big cats down as they tend to be up all night and eat every time they walk past the dishes LOL and at 6kgs and 6.5 kgs+ it has to be regulated by me LOL

I would use automatic feeders too if I was sleeping at odd times

[Gillian Harvey]

Obviously I need to keep an eye on his weight, so don't really want to leave dry food out all the time. Ideally I would like to carry on feeding three times a day as he is used to it.

Yes, I think you are right not to leave dry out all the time - cats don't need food available at all times. I'd stick to his 3 meals a day if thats what he's used to for now, and use Helen's method with the automatic feeders for the times you are not going to be around for one or more of the meals. The feeding balls are a good idea too. 

[Tiggy's Mum]

I work shifts so am not always at home to feed my cats at their 'normal' feeding times (7am & 7pm) so have automatic feeders instead.  If I'm not working I don't do early mornings so the feeder is set for most mornings unless I'm on an early shift so will be up anyway or just coming home from a night shift. My two don't even bother me in the mornings now as they know it is futile and that Mr feeder will supply them with their grub  On the odd occasion I have forgotten to set the feeder it has taken me several hours to realise as they didn't even pester me 

I personally leave a bowl of biccies out for them to munch on and then they are fed wet food in the morning and in the evening.  Neither of mine have a weight problem and seem to regulate their dry food intake themselves. If you're not keen on leaving a bowl of dry oiut then the treat ball is a good idea and will also keep him occupied and stimulated.

Mine are mainly indoors (they have a catproofed garden but only go out when it's light and I am home) so I try and leave them stimulating things to do while I'm out, most of these involve Whiskas Temptations which they would sell their soul for 

[Kay and Penny]

adult cats don't really need to be fed three times a day - twice a day is ample

and I don't see any harm in putting out a day's supply of dry  food at one go, as long as you weigh it - your bedtime might be a good time, as I assume that is fairly regular

I put out a measured amount of dry just before I go to bed, which my three are waiting for, and offer wet food in the morning and around 6pm, but they are rarely that bothered about it, and half of it is usually chucked out

[Fire Fox]

I am adopting the gorgeous Noah from Adel CP  to be an indoor cat. At his foster home he is fed a mixture of wet and dry foods three times a day and loves his grub! Obviously I need to keep an eye on his weight, so don't really want to leave dry food out all the time. Ideally I would like to carry on feeding three times a day as he is used to it. Although I only work sixteen hours a week this is spread over two evening and one day shift; so I won't always be able to feed at the same time of day. As I have insomnia (for which I take medication) I also don't do early mornings tho obviously Noah may change this!

Does it matter that I won't always be able to feed Noah at the same time of day? I have purchased a SlimCat feeding ball, a puppy Kong and a plush cube that things can be hidden inside so could attempt to feed one meal by making him work for it. Not convinced that I should introduce a new way of feeding as he is settling in?? He will be on the same brand of food.