How often should cats be fed?

My kittens have gotten into the habit of begging for food any time someone walks too close to their food dishes. It's an absolutely heartbreaking sight. They act as if they never get fed and are starving to death. Since they are both still fairly young, I feed them wet food three times a day, and they have a constant supply of dry food. Should they be getting more? If try to give them another can of food they may take a few bites and then it will sit there until I throw it away. I'm constantly paranoid that maybe they aren't getting enough food.

Based on the number of times you feed them, and the availability of the food, I think you're feeding them enough. I think cats have tendencies to be sensitive of what others eat, so I think they have this curious desire of eating what everyone else eats. This is what usually happens to the cats in my bestfriend's house, but I also see them being regularly fed.

(04-01-2014 12:27 AM)brianapaige619 Wrote:  My kittens have gotten into the habit of begging for food any time someone walks too close to their food dishes. It's an absolutely heartbreaking sight. They act as if they never get fed and are starving to death. Since they are both still fairly young, I feed them wet food three times a day, and they have a constant supply of dry food. Should they be getting more? If try to give them another can of food they may take a few bites and then it will sit there until I throw it away. I'm constantly paranoid that maybe they aren't getting enough food.

My cat use to do the exact same thing and it was part of the reason why we switched to dry food later. He still pulls that whole "pity me, master, please share some of your fair viddels" but he gives up the act when no one pays him any heed and he goes back to eating his dry food.

My mom feeds her cats wet food twice a day and they have a container of dry food available all day long. They also have a water supply all day along with a bowl of kitty milk with supper. You are feeding your kitties more than enough.

I only feed my cats dry food, and we have an 'open bowl' but since my cats are Persians, and very picky, the will only eat the food for the first 3 minutes after it is put in the bowl, the rest is considered "old" and won't be eaten. I asked my cats how often they feel a cat should be fed, and the answer was unanimous. ANY time they are asked to be served fresh food.

Seriously, if they are that hungry and dry food is out, and if they only eat a bit of it if you open a new can, I'd say you are feeding them plenty.

My step-mother does that with her cat, and as a result, her cat is spoiled and bad tempered. Cats only need to be fed twice a day; we usually give them a small bowl of dry foods in the morning, and a bowl of dry food in the evening. Over feeding them isn't good, because your cats will become over weight. And feeding them every time them meow at you teaches bad behavior, and makes your cats spoiled and bad-tempered. My step-mothers cat being the case in point!

Also, since they're so little, it's better to try and "train" them now. I think you'd be just fine feeding them wet food twice a day, and leaving a bowl of dry food for them to munch through out the day if they feel like it.

It sounds like your cats have simply learned that they can beg for food whenever they see you in the kitchen, and are now doing that whether they are actually hungry or not. Basically, by feeding them whenever they do this, you have been rewarding that behavior, and have actually taught them to do this.
Now, you need to take steps to un-train the behavior; or it will continue. So, firstly; stop rewarding the meowing, don't feed them every time they do it. In fact, feeding them dry food that can sit in the bowl, will help a lot. That way, you know that they can have food if they are actually hungry. Feed them the canned food only once or twice a day, on the schedule you want to establish.
Soon the cats will learn that they are not going to be fed, and will stop yowling for food.