Glossary

Free feeding

Leaving food out all day so a cat can eat when it likes, which suits some cats but often leads to overeating.

Also called: ad lib feeding, free-choice feeding, leaving food out, grazing

Free feeding, also called ad lib feeding, means keeping a bowl full so the cat can eat whenever it wants. Cats in the wild eat many small meals a day, and some manage this arrangement well, eating a little here and there and staying lean. It is easy for owners, and it can suit cats that dislike being hungry.

The drawback is that many cats overeat when food is always on hand, and indoor cats are especially prone to gaining weight. Obesity raises the risk of diabetes, arthritis and other problems. Free feeding also makes it hard to notice a falling appetite, which is an early sign of illness, and in a household with several cats it is hard to tell who is eating what. It works best with dry food, because wet food spoils, see dry food.

If your cat gains weight on free feeding, move to measured portions, see meal feeding, or use puzzle feeder devices to slow intake. Make the change gradually and ask your vet how much to give, see resting energy requirement. Do not stop food suddenly or cut food sharply, because cats that stop eating can develop serious liver problems.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

Meal feeding Feeding a cat measured portions at set times each day instead of leaving food out, which helps control weight and spot appetite changes. Dry food Cat food baked or extruded into small pieces with about 10 percent water, convenient and shelf-stable but low in moisture. Puzzle feeder A toy or tray that makes a cat work to get its food, adding exercise and mental effort to mealtimes. Resting energy requirement The calories a resting cat uses each day, a baseline vets multiply by a factor to work out how much food an individual cat needs. Wet food Cat food sold in cans, pouches or trays, containing roughly 70 to 80 percent water, which helps a cat get more fluid.

Related guides

How often to feed a cat How many meals a day suit kittens, adults and seniors, when free feeding works, and how to spot overfeeding or underfeeding.