Offering unlimited kibble: Go or no go?

As a pet owner, you want the best for your pet, but sometimes it takes some searching to find out what that best is. The same goes for food. Because can you just offer unlimited kibble, so that your cat can decide for itself when it eats. Or is that not a good idea? In this blog we will take you through this topic.

Why do some pet owners choose unlimited access to kibble?

In the wild, cats catch 10 to 20 mice per day spread out over the day. These mice are equivalent to small meals spread out over the day. It is therefore recommended to also offer several small portions per day to domestic cats, so that it comes close to their natural eating pattern. However, many pet owners encounter a problem here: It is not possible to offer small portions every day, because almost no one is always at home all day. The solution? Offer unlimited kibble so that your cat always has access to food and can decide for itself when it eats. Now the big question is; Is this a good solution?

The short answer

Although this solution will work for some cats (think of a mother cat or a cat that needs to gain weight), you will see that many cats cannot regulate their appetite well. Especially castrated or sterilized cats often have no control over their appetite . In other words: They cannot resist the temptation of those kibbles in front of them and continue eating. Which leads to overfeeding . Which ultimately leads to obesity with all kinds of health problems as a result. Not fun for your cat.

This overeating is also caused by a bit of natural survival . In the wild, a cat knows times of scarcity and times of abundance. In times of abundance, a wild cat eats extra much, so that he or she has built up a bit of reserve in times of scarcity. The problem with domestic cats, however, is that there are no times of scarcity when it comes to food. And in the case of unlimited kibble, there is always abundance …

A domestic cat is not a wild cat

This brings us to the next point, namely that a domestic cat generally leads a completely different life than a wild cat. A wild cat can decide for itself when it eats, but it has to work very hard for it. Some of the hunts fail. A lot of effort and exercise for nothing. Even the successful catches consist of a lot of physical effort . And how much physical effort does it take for a domestic cat to walk to that full bowl of kibble? Exactly. Hardly .

So then you have a cat that eats too much and is not challenged to exercise enough. In addition, you also have no insight into the amounts that your cat eats.

Our solution

In order to still make the different small portions per day possible, we have a wide range of feeders . Ideal if you are often away from home. With a feeder you can set fixed feeding times . The feeder then gives a certain amount of kibble at the times you set. You also have immediate insight into how much your cat eats! In this way, your cat has a natural eating pattern without being able to overeat. A nice side effect is that many feeders also have a camera , so you can keep an extra eye on things and see if the kibble has been eaten.

In addition, it remains important to stimulate your cat to continue to move sufficiently. Especially indoor cats. Think of fun toys , or places where they can climb. That way you keep a cat as healthy as possible!

The advice for cats is to give them several small portions per day, so that they are as close as possible to their natural eating pattern. However, offering unlimited kibble is not the right solution for most cats. Many cannot resist the temptation and will overeat, resulting in obesity. We recommend an automatic feeder . This way your cat can get small portions spread out over the day, without you having to stay home for it. The healthiest solution for your cat!