Chances Are, You’re Feeding Your Cat Wrong

It turns out the laziest way might be the correct way for feeding the cat.

Research from the University of Guelph suggests cats should eat less. They say feline obesity is the most common nutritional problem facing domestic cats today.

Cats need at least two meals a day, according to VCA Animal Hospitals. One at breakfast and once at dinner time, about 12 hours apart.

How often the cat should really be fed is dependent on their age. Younger cats burn more energy, so they need more food.

Kittens up to the age of six months really should have three meals a day, according to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

From six months up, two meals a day will do the trick, according to the college, but a new study says they only need one meal a day.

One meal closer replicates what they would eat if they were in the wild.

"This is based on the idea that cats in the wild eat multiple small prey per day, although some bigger cats like lions eat larger prey and might not eat as many meals," Professor Adronie Verbrugghe from the University of Guelph in Canada said.

Cats are creatures of habit, and tend to tell you when their schedule is out of whack. Many times, they won't necessarily need the meal, but eat because "this is when I eat."

In the study, cats that ate once a day had higher post-meal levels of three key appetite-regulating hormones. This means they were satisfied. They also were found to burn their fat stores, which is key in keeping a lean cat.

Read more at Daily Mail