Food secure

People often wonder what to feed their cats, how much, and how often. Dry, wet, raw, or homemade, kitten or regular, and which kind. It all depends on your cat. What we do is free feed dry. Our adult cats and kittens have access to dry food 24/7. We feed wet food three times a day to the adults, and four to five times a day to the kittens. Maine Coons continue to grow until about 4-5 years, which means their intake has to accommodate that. How do you keep your kitten/cat from overeating when you free feed dry? That's where food security comes in. Our cats know that at any given point during the day or night they can go eat if they feel hungry. They do not have to wait hours or in some cases half a day before being fed again. They know there is plenty for everyone and therefore don't gorge themselves. Their caloric needs change just like ours do. On lazy days they may not want to eat as much, and after a wild zoomie session they may need a bit more than usual. Allowing them to eat when and how much they need teaches them that their needs will be met and there is no need to overeat.