Fasting & Irregular feeding

Absolutely Not! , that is probably the first response that you will get when you read up on fasting or irregular feeding of kittens. You’d be surprised that this practice has great benefits and is something that you should consider for your cats or kittens above the age of 8 months.

I must clarify that I am not a veterinarian.
This post is against popular beliefs.
I felt that it is important to have it out there so that pawrents can better decide and understand why it can be part of their care regime.
This is general information about intermittent fasting and a less restrictive diet schedule for your furbabies.

It's important to decide if it is appropriate for your cat before making any changes .
We should never deliberately withhold food for more than 24 Hours

Intermittent Fasting is defined as not leaving food out for your cat or giving them snacks in-between.
Only feeding them their meals at approximately 9 to 12 hour intervals for wet fed cats and 20 to 24 hours for kibble fed cats.

It is important, during the meal that the kitten or cat is given ample high quality food until they walk away from their plate. Food should be removed no longer than 20 mins after they first walk away. Water should be provided at all times.

While the concept of intermittent fasting has been widely discussed and studied in humans, there is limited scientific research specifically focused on its benefits for cats. The information provided here is based on on going studies , general knowledge of feline nutrition as well as observation on our cats and should be applied cautiously to yours.

Many pawrents feed their cats a diet consisting of kibble and wet foods. It is especially important that these pawrents fast their cats for a few days every other month.
Read the labels on these food and you will realize that kibble has approximately 45% digestible carbohydrates and wet food has approximately 25%.

These carbs provide a conducive environment for adverse gastrointestinal effects, contributing to symptoms mimicking allergies, arthritis, induce vomiting, slowed digestion leading to smelly poops and farts , increased hunger and over consumption leading to obesity.

It can take up to 20 hours for a cat to process carbohydrates and the resultant sugars from it.
This is one of the reasons why studies from the University of Guelph has published their findings showing, cats fed once every 24 hours were healthier, less hungry and stronger than those feed multiple times a day.
The better muscle mass and enhanced protein absorption meant that these cats were likely to be healthier and live quality lives longer.

We do not recommend this for any cat below 13 months of age. They should be fed at least twice a day 12 hours each time until they are full, before taking the food bowl away. This 24 hour feeding schedule may not be suitable for raw fed cats. If you plan on adopting such a schedule, you will first need to do so by slowly lengthening the times between each feeding and making some feedings less than others.

Fewer feeding times will result in less self-grooming, cats groom themselves thoroughly after each meal.

This may mean fewer hair balls but will require more brushing on your part.
Perhaps the time saved on preparing a meal can now be spent playing and grooming your furbuddy.

Your furbuddy will be less fixated on feeding times and will start becoming more mentally alert, play and hunt more.

It's important to note that not all cats may be suitable candidates for intermittent fasting.
Cats with certain health conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease, obesity should not embark on fasting and you should follow veterinary or nutrtionist advice to manage their disease.

Incorporate playing and brushing before each meal to reduce hairballs and encourage bonding

Certain pawrents are very apprehensive to start fasting their cats. Citing issues like vomiting bile or having a cat screaming for food throughout the day. Recognizing that this is concerning, pawrents can start by not allowing free feeding for the week and feed their cats 3 meals a day for that week.

Allow a heavy complete, animal based breakfast and dinner , giving a tiny amount of Freeze dried raw kniblets or whole food supplements consisting less than 3% carbs around tea time. If kibble is to be fed during this period it should only be once every 24 hours.

The freeze dried kniblets can be put into an interactive feeder that you may use to dispense whilst at work or out. Allowing you to check up on them as well as breaking the monotony of their day whilst you are out.

WinterForest avidly supports a good raw diet at least once a day due to the negligible amount of carbs and high bio availability.

We understand that it can be alarming for pawrents when their furbabies vomit but there are 3 types of hurling and each is different.

A cat hurls for a few reasons.
Overeating, excess nutrients (Regurgitation)
Obstruction ( Vomit or Regurgitation)
Intolerance ( Regurgitation)
White transparent( with or without food) or Yellow slim (Vomit bile or excess bad bacteria)
Poisoning ( Vomit or Regurgitation)
Worms and Parasite ( Vomit)

What this means is that when your cat hurls food, it can be a reaction from the bad bacteria in its GI and not necessarily from the food that has consumed?
It may also be many other reasons like the sudden high bio availability of vitamins and minerals from good natural foods as their body is used to working hard to get these essential vitamins and minerals from processed food.
When a cat hurls, it gives us a clue that there is something that needs adjustment.

Take a video of your cat vomiting including the substance that is vomited.

If vomit is regular or frequent, it is best to make an appointment with your vet and where neccessary they will send you to an internal medicine specialist.
The videos will help rule out the possibilities of worms or other more serious underlying issues.

Most vets are like our General Practioners, they are our first line of medical advisors. They will do their very best but may require a nutritional or internal medicine specialist to better narrow down the causes.

Why adopt irregular feeding? Every article encourages cats and kittens to have routine and strict feeding schedules , why should we not follow suit?
Timed automatic feeders are such a convenience, top it up and set it to 3 or 4 times a day, allowing us to even set the exact amount of food to dispense so that we do not over feed our cats.

I will be honest, I loathe these feeders. Unless you have a single cat with health issues or traveling for a few days, there really should not be a need for such a device.
Healthy Cats ( and dogs) are able to self regulate.
When fed a high quality animal based diet, you will see your kibble bowl go largely untouched.

They will be able to recognize their hunger as well as feeling full. Oftentimes, our pampered pets have never really felt hungry or full. Pawrents weigh them and follow instruction labels restricting them from over eating or going hungry. They would not have learned how to recognize these feelings themselves. They start to graze non stop as a means to curb boredom, the effects of extra calories in treats and kibbles releasing positive reinforcement for this behaviour. Increasing the magnitude of the problem when it starts to surface.

You may ask, isn’t this restrictive feeding contrary to our policy on free feeding?
WinterForest uses freefeeders. We top up the gravity free feeders once in 4 days or a week. They go largely untouched but are there just in case we do not lay down enough raw for the sudden growth needs of entire clan.

Our cats and kittens are on a flexible schedule. They are aware that feeding time is roughly between 7 to 10 am and 8 to 10pm. It is never on the dot and may sometimes not occur ( due to human emergencies) The kibbles or freeze dried raw takes care of tea time munchies and emergency lapses if they do feel the need.

Each cat or kitten gets between 80g to 200g of raw a day, large plates are put down and is finished within 10 mins of placement.

As our feeding window spans a few hours, this doesn’t program their bodies to produce digestive fluids at a specific time but to recognize when food is being prepared and the body gets ready for a meal.
During meal times, the atmosphere of excitement is palpable and hierarchies are reestablished at every feeding. Their brains get a work out, figuring out the best places to wait or means to get to the shared plate first. We do not allocate a plate per pet, choosing to lay out large communal plates instead. Placed in strategic places around the home. Decision making comes to play , should the cat abandon this plate and go to the next ..etc their brains will assess and calculate what the best approach and which cats will they be able to share with, it is all mental stimulation that many indoor cats lack.

Everyone learns their place or is put in their place by the reigning empurresses in our household. They learn very quickly that this is food and its feeding time. They do not associate human meals on our dining table as theirs. They do however assume that each time we are preparing food , it could be theirs, sadly the raw food in our kitchen meant for cooking may sometimes be up for grabs. We do not permit such behavior, but who can fault them for trying.

Despite the potential benefits, it's important to note that cats and kittens thrive on routine and consistency. Adjustments should be gradual. Their growing bodies require regular, balanced meals to maintain energy levels, support healthy development, and prevent issues such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It is generally recommended to establish a semi consistent feeding schedule to ensure their well-being. Never allowing them to go hungry for more than 24 hours.

Their gums, inner ears and paws should always be pink and healthy looking.
Eyes, ear and chin should be clean and always alert and active.

If your cat fails to eat for 24-36 hours, even with normal water consumption, Significant, and even life- threatening problems can occur . Especially if a cat is completely not eating for a few days.

Although a cat can go without food for up to 2 weeks, We will usually force feed any feline if they have not eaten in 3 days.

After three days of a cat not eating, their extra fat begins breaking down. You may think this is a good thing especially if you cat is obese, but what happens is that the body starts to access all that plentiful fat. The suddenly available fat starts to build up in the liver and causes a build up called hepatic lipidosis—AKA a fatty liver.

Under NO circustances should you allow your cat to go without food for more than 3 days. You should always contact your vet if your cat or kitten is refusing food completely for more than 24 hours and although not an emergency arrange for an appointment within the 3 day window to prevent liver damage.

Remember that when you are fasting your cat, you have to allow them to consume till they are sated. You may worry that allowing them to eat till they are full may result in over eating with or without regurgitation and obesity. But unless your cat is suffering from underlying issues like a hypothyroid, your cat should be able to adjust when given the opportunity.

During the initial period, your cat may not understand what is happening. Why food is not forth coming. What it feels like to be full and may over eat the moment food is presented. It is highly inconvenient as they may hurl but they will start to recognize the feeling and this behavior will stop.
This is why the heavier meals should be raw or wet. Kibbles if used during this period should be half the usual amount or omitted entirely where possible and if given only once every 24 hours. We are not having them eat less. They are still getting their required calories and nutrition but in smaller windows and larger sittings with lesser or no carbs.

Without carbs, or less carbs in their system, their bodies will start to recover and regardless of the amount they consume , proteins and fibers in a natural diet are unlikely to result in obesity in a healthy cat. Their digestive system should start to normalize and gastro intestinal and skin issues will slowly resolve.

But what if your cat is obese or has health issues and you would still like to apply the above.

What is safe for your cat if it is obese or has liver issues?

Consult your vet and switch from a kibble to a wet diet, lowering the carb intake by 20%.

If your cat does not like the texture of wet food , switch to a freeze dried raw diet with less than 3% carbs. This will help them slowly regain their health. No matter how costly freeze dried raw diets maybe, this switch should be less costly then most veterinary diets.

Do this introduction slowly. Its not about the fastest or most weight loss. It is always for the long term health of the pet.

Never fast a obese pet or one with liver issues. Opt for diet changes till they are closer to the acceptable weight, reconsult a vet before attempting to adopt long fasting windows.