How Long Opened Bag Of Dry Cat Food Last
Your cat is unlikely to finish an entire bag of kibble in one sitting. Therefore, you will most likely need to store the food properly.
Proper storage will extend the dry cat food life, but youll need to factor in how long it takes your cat to eat one serving of food.
If you open a bag of kibble and leave it out on the counter, or store it in an unsealed plastic bag or container, it wont last 6 months. Even if you put it in the original bag, your kibble will go bad if you leave it out on the counter for more than a few days.
This is not usually a problem if you have one cat because an opened bag can last up to four weeks if properly stored. You should also store your opened bag of dry food in the airtight food storage container.
The canned cat food must be kept in a cool, dark location for long-term storage. It should also be stored in a sealed container or plastic wrap to preserve its flavor and texture. Likewise, an open can should be wrapped within a plastic container or plastic wrap and used within 5-7 days. Its preferable not to leave it out on the counter to reduce the chances of bacteria growth.
Does Cat Food Show A Best By Date
You have a bag of pet food that is past its best-by date. You do not want to waste it, but you also do not want to make your cat get sick. Most pet food products come with a best by date. However, the term best by date is usually used to indicate the date when the manufacturer can not guarantee the nutrients in a product. It does not mean that the canned food is ruined after that date.
Although it is generally okay to feed your pet food that has been opened three months after its best-by date, it is important to note that it is not always as nutritious as it should be. For instance, canned food should be used up within five to seven days.
One of the most important factors that you should consider when it comes to packaging your pet food is the strength of the container. If the food is stored in a cool, dry environment, it should not experience any issues. In fact, unopened cans can last for up to two years, while the food that has been stored in its original packaging can last for a year.
Choosing Between Dry Food Canned Food Or Both
In general, you need not offer multiple flavors and textures to cats. They get very good at training their owners to add something else to the mix if the cat shows any hesitation to eat what is given. If the cat is otherwise acting fine, a choice to not eat what is offered can be normal, or a test by the cat to see if something better will show up. Very, very few cats need any encouragement to eat. The opposite is usually a goal.
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How Long Does Wet Cat Food Last Unopened
Unopened canned cat food is safe to eat even if it has beyond its best purchase date of less than a month. The date of expiry is printed on the cans. However, its shelf life is limited to one year from the date of manufacture.
Cans that have been opened should be kept in the fridge for a maximum of 5-7 days at 40-45°F. After that period, any leftover cat or dog food should be discarded.
What Happens When Food Goes Bad
Feeding your cat wet food that has been out for too long is dangerous because it is a very good medium for the development of bacteria and fungi. As the food begins to spoil, the chemical composition of the ingredients changes, and it becomes a good breeding ground for these pathogens.
Lets take an example. When you leave food out for a day or more, you will find it riddled with mildew. This is the massive development of fungi in the spoiled food medium. This is a fortunate situation because mildew is visible. When you see it on the food, you know that its no longer good to eat.
It usually takes about 24 hours for mildew to develop , but it takes far less for bacteria to develop on the wet food thats going bad. As the pathogens develop, they consume the nutrients in the food, thus altering the chemical composition, and they produce toxins that stay in the food.
When you feed your cat wet food thats been out for a long time, you are also feeding it the bacteria and the toxins that it has produced. Depending on the type of pathogen that has developed, the cat may start feeling ill and you might see some of the following symptoms:
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Keep The Dry Food Bag In A Sealed Container
If you want to preserve the nutrition and taste of your dry cat food properly, there is no better solution than keeping the high-quality original bag into a sealed container.
Both humidity and airspeed up to the degrading rate of pet foods and increase dramatically the risk of the attack of bacterial contamination. Thats why you should seal the cat food bag after every feeding.
How about canned cat food? Unopened one should be kept in a dry place at cool temperatures. Keeping it in a pantry is not a bad idea. And, opened canned cat food must be thrown away after several days opening no matter how much food left.
Otherwise, you should keep it in a sealed container and put it in a refrigerator. Also, you can transfer these dry cat foods to a metal container or a tin bin with a lid. However, there is one thing to notice.
Whether you want to retain the bag or not, dont discard the label and have it taped to the container outside! That way, you can keep your cat food fresh and wholesome as well as prevent it from the sudden attack of infestations.
Does dry cat food go bad? Yes, it does. Instead of wasting time and money taking care of your four-legged friend when he is ill, why not spend good money on his food?
For more Cat’s Health Guides and fun cat stuff, please visit Cattybox!
Initial Amount Of Bacteria
Bacteria multiply fairly quickly. Given the right conditions, salmonella doubles in numbers every hour. The more bacteria you start out with, the more youll get within a few hours. The severity of a salmonella infection depends on the amount of germs consumed, so the longer you wait, the more dangerous the food becomes.
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Does Cat Food Go Bad And How Can You Tell
Both wet and dry that has passed its expiration date will start to go bad. Signs to look out for include a change in smell, texture or appearance as the oils in the food begin to break down and it goes soft. Take a look at the packaging to see if there is mold or even bugs inside if the packaging is biodegradable.
Finally, watch your pet. If your cat isnt eating their food this is a clear indicator it could have gone bad.
Food can go bad whether it is open or not. The only difference is how quickly it expires. This will depend on the packaging or container its in, how it is sealed, where it is stored and its exposure to air, moisture and high temperatures. If your cat food is kept in unsealed packaging and stored in a hot, humid room it will go bad faster.
Teaming Up With Purina To Promote Wet Cat Food
If youre wondering why Im talking a lot about cat food lately, its because Im a kitty ambassador for Purinas wet cat food campaign. Because I eat the wet stuff and eat their products, they thought I would be a good feline reporter to write about wet food issues.
The Purina folks gave me a lot of coupons to give away cases of Fancy Feast to youmy fabulous readers. Theres nothing I like better than giving away great food to great kitty moms and dads. To enter to win, please leave a comment below on how long you keep your kittys food out and subscribe below to get the latest dose of fine feline living.
I hope this post helps you humans make sure your cats food is always fresh and healthy. After all, a proper diet is what makes all of us fabulous on the inside and out!
Purina graciously provided free product for the giveaways.This post contains affiliate links for which I earn income if you click through and make a purchase.
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Dry Cat Foods Original Bag Can Make A Huge Difference
There must be a reason why dry pet food manufacturers put a lot of effort into making these high-quality food bags. Each food bag has a fat barrier that makes sure that the freshness is maintained.
These barriers are perfectly designed so that it keeps the strange elements out and lock the best flavors in for as long as possible. If you use a plastic bag to contain dry food, you cannot make sure that the taste is preserved.
There is one more benefit of keeping the original cat food bags. Keeping them is synonymous with keeping the pet foods barcode, Best By dates, as well as batch code. They all are necessary product information, particularly when you want to check the date of manufacture or in case of your pet food recall.
What Is The Finest Feeding Food Plan For Your Cats
Cats ought to eat no less than two meals every day, about 13 hours aside. However, a breakfast meal, lunch meal, afternoon meal, dinner meal, and proper earlier than mattress plan is an equally nice possibility. If greater than 13 hours though between food meals, the abdomen can turn out to be hyperacid inflicting nausea.
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How Do You Know If Canned Cat Food Is Bad
You can know whether the canned cat food is bad by checking the expiration date of the food.
Of course, you cant determine a foods quality only on its smellmany pet meals, particularly wet cat feeds, have a strong odor.
However, if youre used to a certain brand or type of food, youll notice that it smells a little different, especially if youre hunting for it because its beyond its expiration date.
Checking the expiration or Best By date is one of the simplest methods to tell if cat food has gone bad. This date, often known as the Best By date, can be found on the foods package or label. It might be a stamp on the bottom of the can or a date near the nutritional information.
The fragrance of canned cat food isnt particularly attractive. However, when the product is no longer suitable for your pet, the stink might become even worse. Because most canned cat meals are moist, they have an unpleasant odor.
Because of the high moisture content, the product emits problematic odors when it interacts with other components. The fragrance of newly opened canned cat food is tolerable for many pet parents. However, if the smell becomes unpleasant, you should stop feeding canned food to your cat.
Mold thrives where suitable quantities of humidity and moisture are accessible, according to 2016 research. Many canned cat meals, thankfully, come in hermetically sealed canisters. If the can contains small openings allowing air to enter, mold can grow and spread.
What Is The Approach To Take When Storing Cat Food
Think about coolness and dryness. The environment around your cats food should be under 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius. These conditions prevent the foods vitamins from getting destroyed. Also, it inhibits the oxidation of fats, which could lead to rancidity. As mentioned in the introductory paragraph of this article, using the original bag is essential as it will help in flavor retention. Going over 100 to something like 120 and staying this way for over 48 hours is potentially damaging the vitamins will get degraded and destroyed faster than usual.
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The Dangers Of Expired Cat Food
Feeding your cat expired food can be worse than it just tasting yucky or stale.
- Lack of Nutrition: The best by or expiration date printed on your cats food isnt just there to let you know when the food is inedible. It also tells you when the food will no longer be able to provide its advertised nutritional value. Even if the food doesnt have any outside interference such as air, moisture, mold, or insects, the natural decomposition of the elements that make up the food will prevent your cat from receiving a balanced diet.
- Bacteria and Mold: Expired or improperly stored food can promote mold and bacteria growth. These unwanted additions to your cats food can make them very ill and disturb their sensitive gastrointestinal tracts.
- Bugs and Worms: Pet food thats expired is much more likely to attract and house creepy crawlies as opposed to fresh properly stored food. These insects can carry with them several diseases that can be passed to your loved one via their food.
How Long Does A 5ib Bag Of Cat Food Last
A bag of cat food typically contains 4 cups per pound of kibble. If the bag weighs 5Ib, there should be 20 cups of kibble in there. A regular cat will eat about 1/2 a cup per day. So, a 5Ib bag of cat food should last for 40 days with a single adult cat. This size of cat food would be appropriate if you only have one cat.
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If You Have A Larger Dog
No doubt about it, big dogs have big appetites. If youre looking to store all of that food, a larger dog food dispenser will come in handy. This container holds up to four pounds of dry dog food, and its narrow shape makes it easy to store in even the smallest closets. The pop-open lid and rounded pour spout make pouring out dog food a breeze, too. Two silicone seals help keep the contents fresh.
How Much Should A 3kg Cat Eat
It depends on the cats individual needs and health. Some cats may need more food than others, and some cats may need to eat more frequently than others.
Generally, a healthy cat should be eating around 2.5 to 3.5 cups of food per day, split into two or three meals. Some cats may need even more, while others may only need a small amount.
It is important to monitor a cats food intake and adjust their diet as needed to ensure they are getting the nutrition they need.
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Can Wet Cat Food Be Left Out Overnight
Even though it is clear now that leaving wet cat food out for too long will not be safe, there will be some that still wonder if they can leave it out overnight.
No, you can not leave wet cat food out overnight. This is because it is only safe if it is consumed within 4 hours. And, the chances are you will sleep longer than 4 hours. Meaning, you cant tell if the food will be consumed within this limit.
So, you have learned that leaving wet cat food out overnight is not a good idea. But, keep reading to learn how often you should be feeding it to your cat in general.
Store Dry Cat Food Correctly
It is a good idea to keep the cat food in its original packaging, with the barcode, batch number and expiry date. That way, if the manufacturer issues a product recall, you can check your bag! Another good reason to keep it in its original packaging is that the plastic has been designed to retain freshness, flavor, and moisture.
Keep the bag sealed so that the food is exposed to air as little as possible. Most good quality cat foods are packaged in plastic bags with resealable zips. Always reseal the bag and store in an airtight container. Prevent exposure to humidity, which speeds up the rate fatty acids are oxidized and increases the risk of bacteria contaminating the food. Keeping it in a plastic box has the added benefit of keeping the food safe from cats, who will scratch at the bag and make a mess trying to get more snacks.
Even before opening dry cat food, it should be kept out of direct sunlight, in a cool, dry, dark place. Dry cat pellets should never be heated above 38 degrees Celsius, as vitamins will denature, making the food less nutritious. Exposing an opened or unopened bag of cat food to sunlight will increase the humidity and temperature inside the bag, increasing the risk of Salmonella and other microbes.
You may be left with a little expired dry cat food in the previous bag and just add it to the new bag, not wanting to waste it. Do not mix old and new pellets, as you risk spoiling the while new bag.
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How Long Is Wet Cat Food Good For After The Expiration Date
However, with canned food, you can see rather long expiration dates such. Anywhere from 1 to 5 years. Cat snacks and treats usually last about the same sort of duration as dry food. This is a general guide because each individual product will have the expired and best by date clearly printed on the product.