Theory and practice often don't match. Just like the idea that all cats have the same needs – that they are all ‘the same’. Cats are like us humans: What is true for one is not necessarily so for another. And that's a good thing, because it's precisely these differences that make us all different, isn't it?
The term 'sweet tooth' is no coincidence. Our most beloved pets are true gourmets. Their natural diet includes small mammals like mice, as well as lizards, frogs, insects, spiders, and fish.
It's impossible to say exactly how many meals an adult cat needs per day. Roughly, you can assume about 8 to 12 mice or 12 to 20 small animals, such as birds or fish. Of course, several factors play a role in the requirement: What type of prey does the cat eat? What are the cat's individual energy needs, which depend on size, breed, age, etc.? Is the cat neutered? The latter means that while cats need up to 30% fewer calories per day than before, their appetite increases.
One thing is clear: In nature, food does not come to the cat. The prey animals are not ready to be eaten at a specific time. The logical conclusion is therefore that fixed feeding times are not in the nature of cats. It is not for nothing that cats are often referred to as ‘munchers’ – their diet consists of several small portions that they enjoy throughout the day. Depending on their hunting luck, cats in the wild eat 10 to 20 times in 24 hours. Their stomachs are therefore also designed for several small portions per day.
Our domestic cats also rely on their natural instincts and like to pack their meals into several small bites. For example, you may notice that the cat nibbles a few bites of dry food or nibbles a little wet food in peace and then goes its own way again. This happens several times a day.
