Whether you have a cat, bird, dog, rabbit, guinea pig or other type of pet there are several good reasons to feed on a schedule. Now some pets eat throughout the day like birds & many caged pets, but adding food & water daily on a schedule is still a good idea. Keeping a routine helps the pet to feel secure knowing when you will add food, clean water dish etc every day, & around the same time. Many pets like routine because it brings them security when they know what will happen when.
My Canary Elijah (shown above) looks forward to his basket of greens each AM. If I am running late he sometimes starts to make sounds that I recognize as his “where are my greens?” chirps. Elijah eats greens daily, he likes to eat more fresh than my other birds, all my birds get fresh veggies, fruits & greens 3 mornings a week (Sun, Wed & Fri). Daily doesn’t work with my work schedule as you don’t want fresh food to stay in cage for too many hours or it can start to rot/spoil.
When I fostered Guinea Pigs & Rabbits I fed them fresh foods every AM. Feeding fresh foods in the AM is wise because most animals are hungry in the AM unless they are nocturnal. Feeding them in the AM gives them an opportunity to eat them during the day. It shouldn’t take more than a few days to realize what is the perfect amount to feed your Guinea pig or Rabbit so the food is eaten before it can sour.
No matter the type of pet you are feeding a feeding schedule can have lots of advantages:
- You will know how much they eat, how quick your pet eats, you can monitor that your pet is eating normally. A change in diet can be the first sign that something could be wrong, physical ailment or emotional. Very few pets will skip a meal like we might, saying I’m just not hungry, animals digestive system doesn’t work that way.
- It is recommended that adult dogs & cats eat twice a day, puppy & kittens 3-4 times a day. It also should be a measured amount for your pet to maintain a healthy weight. I don’t recommend you get your information from the bag of food, they want you to feed more so you buy more. I have fed most dogs 1/2 cup food dry food for every 30 lbs (twice a day), more active breeds need more to keep up with their energy needs. Both my dogs are highly active breeds & eat more & are still on the thinner side.
- Feeding dogs & cats twice a day & not free feeding allows their intestines to build up flora in their intestinal tract which helps their body to absorb the nutrients from foods.
- Free feeding doesn’t allow you to see changes in eating & many pets are over weight if allowed to free feed. This of course doesn’t apply to most caged pets who need to have food available at all times.
- Feeding on a schedule also makes fasting before blood work or surgery a lot easier, you know when the pet last ate.
If you have any questions please feel free to email me at echoinggreatpetcare@gmail.com I hope your enjoying & learning from my blog. I have 153 other posts on this blog on a variety of subjects. You can find my blog table of content on my home page under the Show tab. Then go back to main page & scroll down to read the post # you want to read. I fostered pets for 20+ years, dogs for a number of years, but caged pets for a good 6-8 years. I have experience with Rabbits, Guinea pigs, Chinchillas, Hamsters, Birds, Ferrets & Hedgehogs.
My goal is to reach as many pet owners as I can & help them to take the best care of their pets they can. Many people just don’t know things & educating them about pet care can help them to better care for their pets. I can use your help to reach more people, & there are several things you can do to help me with this: Click the like button at the bottom of posts, Visit often & read several posts each time, Subscribe to my blog (you’ll just get an email when I post), Comment on something you have learned. Thank you, Debbie
Echoing Great Pet Care 