Practical Tips for Serving Fresh Cat Food

Welcome to Sunday’s Cats.com Newsletter.

In this week’s newsletter, we’ll answer some common questions about fresh cat food and offer some simple tips for serving it. 
 
Thanks to your help, our fundraiser for Huck and Finn is a massive success. Read to the end to see how our boys are doing.

Fresh Cat Food Doesn’t Have To Be a Hassle.

Whether you buy it at your local pet store, make it yourself, or have it delivered to your door, fresh cat food can be a healthy alternative to dry kibble and highly processed canned food. But maybe you have some questions about it. If so, you're not alone! There have been several posts on the Cats.com community forum about it lately.

1. Can you warm up fresh food? Yes, if you do so gently. Try floating the bag in a dish of warm water or simply let it warm to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
   
   
2. Can you cook raw cat food? Yes, but if your cat doesn’t like raw food, consider an already-cooked alternative to avoid nutrient loss caused by heating the food.
   
   
3. How long can you leave fresh food out? Cooked cat food can be left out for one to two hours, but raw food should be refrigerated if your cat doesn’t finish it in 30 minutes.
   
   
4. What's the best way to store leftovers? Leftover portions should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and used within three days of thawing.

• The Best Cat Food
• The Best Cat Litter
• The Best Cat Litter Boxes
• The Best Cat Insurance

It’s best to keep fresh cat food frozen until you’re ready to serve it, so thaw the next day’s food in the fridge overnight.

Always serve fresh cat food in a clean dish, and follow safe food handling practices—especially if the product is raw. Wash your hands after serving the food, and be careful to avoid cross-contamination with storage containers and utensils used for human food.

Check below for some products to help you keep your cat’s food fresh.

Keep Fresh Food Cool with This Automatic Feeder.

Rest easy knowing that your cat’s fresh, raw, or homemade food will be kept cool when you serve it in a Cat Mate digital automatic feeder. It comes with a reusable ice pack you can freeze overnight and reuse each morning.

The Cat Mate C100 features a single 14-ounce bowl, but other models can accommodate up to five scheduled meals. The bowls are fly-proof and tamper resistant to help keep your cat’s food as fresh as possible.

Maximize Shelf Life with an Airtight Dry Food Storage Solution.

Proper storage is essential for all food types, not just fresh cat food. Once you open a bag of dry cat food, it should be used within four to six weeks. To maximize the shelf life of your cat’s dry food, store the entire bag in an airtight container like this one.

Made from heavy-duty BPA-free, food-grade plastic, this food storage tub features an airtight seal and an easy-open screw lid. Choose from a wide array of sizes from 4 pounds (perfect for travel or treat bags) up to 35 pounds.

• Cat Mate C100 Automatic Dog & Cat Feeder
• Gamma2 Vittles Vault Pet Food Storage Container

Cats.com receives a commission on purchases made through this product recommendation. This helps us to continue our mission of giving you the best cat information on the web. Thank you for your support!

JOIN CATS.COM TO SAVE LIVES

We’re excited to announce that our fundraiser for Huck and Finn is a huge success, and we couldn’t have done it without our amazing readers. The boys are doing great and are almost ready for adoption!

A Sneak Peek At Tuesday’s mailer.

Do you really need to brush your cat’s teeth every day? In Tuesday’s mailer, we’ll talk about the risks of neglecting your cat’s oral hygiene (and discuss practical options besides brushing).