Shaiasaur Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 As you all know, I have a cat, and his food bowls are always out for him to munch on whenever he wants to eat, but, could I do that for a husky too? I know I might get yelled at but I honestly do not believe in the whole "give them their food once a day" type thing. My family and I have always left it out for them to munch whenever they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PnkFlyd204 Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Hmmm, well to be honest, as soon as food is put down in my house, it is GONE. Leaving food down all day may add up to a fat Husky if you constantly refill the bowl. My dogs have two meals a day by the way... one in the morning and one at night. I think meal times are good because they may help you determine if something is wrong with your dog. Like if one of my boys suddenly decided not to devour their meals, it would be a red light to me that something could be wrong. Additionally, since I feed my boys BARF for their evening meal, I wouldn't want to leave that food out too long. It may start to stink (it is raw meat afterall) or could go bad and then harm the dogs (perhaps) if they were to eat it. I'm sure others will give their opinions on this as well. :-) I'll add- this would be difficult to do if you have more than one dog. Food aggression could become an issue and one dog may eat all the food, while the other gets little to none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollys_mum Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 I agree with Nikki: leaving food out would lead to fights in my house. Cats don't tend to have the same eating patterns as dogs; they frequently revisit their bowl. There is a reason for this but I can't remember what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaiasaur Posted May 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 I understand but what I'm afraid about is my cat because I don't want to give him food at a certain time. He's always ate when he wanted to. Unless I can put it in a room where the dog can't get into, but then again, I want the dog to have complete roam of the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duremite Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 I have my cats open eating food bowl high enough on a ledge that the cats can get to it and Niko can not. Niko still gets fed three or four times a day (because he's a puppy) but the cats can eat as they please. There was one point where I kept their food on the floor and I'd just walk Niko right past it since he stays where I am. Though, I'd also like to address free roam with a Husky and cat in the house. xD Remember not to let your Sibe free roam until you're completely certain he can be trusted with your cat. For some people they've found it can take up to two years before they trusted their Sibe with their cat. You do need to have a "cat only" space that your cats can "escape" if you will. For us the cats are allowed in the closet, which is completely inaccessible to Niko and they also have a really tall cat tree and high places that Niko can not get to in every room. I'd just like to point out as well that a few months ago we had to switch our cats to meal times to conserve food, and they switched over just fine. We did it gradually by limiting the food bowl to being out three times a day for two hours and cut it down a half hour every week until they were eating it all in one sitting (Or just about it all, anyway.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaiasaur Posted May 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Okay well I'll do that it seems better and easiest thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLuka Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 yeah i would never leave luka's food out all day. he gobbles it down pretty fast and he would be overweight if i just left it out. also you should seriously consider crate training atleast when your husky is a puppy, they get into EVERYTHING. and unless you're going to be watching him/her 24/7 you'll need some way to contain them. besides Luka loves his crate, half the time he goes in there and lays down by himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICE & SHADOW Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) I do not like free feeding for a few reasons ( my opinion and experince) could lead to over eating(weight gain) fights (if you have more than one dog/animal) and I like my boys to be on a schedule and know that I'm in charge of what and when they eat. 6am and 6 pm....both get 45 mins to eat (which the food is gone in the first 5 mins lol) and what ever is left, gets picked up... *and the cat food thing, I agree with putting in on a higher ledge....but I've also walked in on Ice counter surfing....so good luck with that...lol Edited May 14, 2012 by ICE & SHADOW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaiasaur Posted May 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Alright because I don't really know anyone who does that with their dogs here. I just have one cat, that's all. Plus, what happens if something comes up and I can't feed the pup when it's time? I just think it's a lot easier to just leave it out. I'm considering blue buffalo. Just we've never done that in my family and the dogs were always healthy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLuka Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 cats won't generally eat and eat and eat. dogs will. not to mention, huskies don't need as many calories as other breeds. it would not be in your best interest to leave food laying out all day. my parents have a lab and they even schedule his feedings . when we had our first dog (a golden retriever) not as much was known regarding pet nutrition and my parents left food out for him all day. he wound up being overweight. overweight doggy = not happy doggy. being overweight can put extra pressure on their joints, and big dogs already have more joint issues than smaller breeds in the first place. i don't mean this to be rude at all, but you shouldn't really be thinking of the "easier" way to do things. if you don't think you have time to feed your dog at his/her scheduled feedings, then you probably shouldn't be getting one anytime soon, at least not until you have more time. also, in regards to what you've done with your other dogs in the past, i'm sure you know this by now but a husky isn't like other dogs in regards to blue buffalo, i don't know much about it, after reading everyone's reviews on here, i decided to feed luka taste of the wild. it's grain free, pretty affordable, and he loves it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duremite Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 With Niko's food I tend to give him usually 3 'meals' a day. He doesn't eat it all at once and what's left I usually just leave out for him to eat as he pleases until his next 'meal time'. It's kind of a 'semi-open' feeding if you will. xD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLuka Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 With Niko's food I tend to give him usually 3 'meals' a day. He doesn't eat it all at once and what's left I usually just leave out for him to eat as he pleases until his next 'meal time'. It's kind of a 'semi-open' feeding if you will. xD i do this too, lately though, since i've FINALLY gotten luka's portions right there hasn't been any left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaiasaur Posted May 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Okay I'll consider the feeding schedules but I'm not saying to r the easiest way literally, I'm meaning like for everyone. I'll know what to do when I get there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICE & SHADOW Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) Alright because I don't really know anyone who does that with their dogs here. I just have one cat, that's all. Plus, what happens if something comes up and I can't feed the pup when it's time? I just think it's a lot easier to just leave it out. I'm considering blue buffalo. Just we've never done that in my family and the dogs were always healthy You don't know anyone on here who feeds on a schedule? you can adjust there times...If I know I have something coming up, I will either feed them earlier or later. yea it's easier to leave it out, just as it's easier to own a Lab...As stated Huskies are not like the "typical" dog. But in the end, it's your dog, do what you want to.... Edited May 14, 2012 by ICE & SHADOW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaiasaur Posted May 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 You don't know anyone on here who feeds on a schedule? you can adjust there times...If I know I have something coming up, I will either feed them earlier or later. yea it's easier to leave it out, just as it's easier to own a Lab...As stated Huskies are not like the "typical" dog. But in the end, it's your dog, do what you want to.... No I meant in my area. My friend Jared has a Siberian Husky, beautiful dog, he told me he feed him kibbles and bits and leaves his food out for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICE & SHADOW Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 No I meant in my area. My friend Jared has a Siberian Husky, beautiful dog, he told me he feed him kibbles and bits and leaves his food out for him. Got it now... I wouldn't listen to Jared.....again my opinion.... Kibbles and bits is a terrible dry food, and again I prefer a schedule. Since you live in the states, I would look into EVO brand dry food....only if you are going to exercise the dog... If you do plan to leave the food out...leave a cup out at a time, and when it eats it all, give another cup...limit it to two cups a day....that way you won't have the schedule feeding you are against, and it will still be his daily reccomended amount.... Problem solved... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaiasaur Posted May 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Got it now... I wouldn't listen to Jared.....again my opinion.... Kibbles and bits is a terrible dry food, and again I prefer a schedule. Since you live in the states, I would look into EVO brand dry food....only if you are going to exercise the dog... If you do plan to leave the food out...leave a cup out at a time, and when it eats it all, give another cup...limit it to two cups a day....that way you won't have the schedule feeding you are against, and it will still be his daily reccomended amount.... Problem solved... I know Kibbles and Bits is bad, I was thinking of Blue Buffalo. People say it's amazing haha. Okay, I'll try that maybe! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLuka Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 i would't go as far as saying blue buffalo is "amazing". unless youre going to go with the wilderness blue buffalo i would choose something grain free, or atleast close to being grain free. kibbles and bits is one of the worst dog foods out there. i would NEVER feed my dog that. taste of the wild, EVO, orijen, and blue buffalo wilderness are all ranked 5 star, with kibbles and bits being a 1. regular blue buffalo is ranked 3 stars. that should tell you something about the quality. i'm not sure if you know or not, but good dog food isn't cheap, but it's worth it. i can honestly say you can tell a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenwolf Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 As you all know, I have a cat, and his food bowls are always out for him to munch on whenever he wants to eat, but, could I do that for a husky too? I know I might get yelled at but I honestly do not believe in the whole "give them their food once a day" type thing. My family and I have always left it out for them to munch whenever they want. Honestly, it depends on the dog. I've known people who free-feed their dogs (especially farm dogs) and for some it's just fine. Others get obese. Especially house dogs, who can be prone to eating out of boredom. I've always fed twice a day, but, since owning huskies, I learned that my boys only want to be fed once a day! If I fed them twice a day they would just end up skipping meals or picking at them, but if I put their 2 cups down all at once at the end of the day they ate everything, every day. They get a big cookie in the morning, a smaller bedtime cookie at night, but only eat one meal in the evenings. So I wouldn't be stuck on what you "believe" in - if the dog is happier being fed once/twice/three times a lady, er, day, then go with what works. And for fun, since a few people mentioned it, not all cats free-feed well, either. I've owned two cats who got fat doing that, and had to be carefully managed with only 2 meals a day. My current one is a 15 pound beast even when he's in good shape! @LittleLuka - Haha, I can attest to just how bad Kibbles & Bits is as a dog food - Wyatt was on that when we got him. His body and coat condition were so poor we didn't even use up the last of what we were given along with him, but transitioned him onto Acana as soon as possible! I call it the McDonald's of dog food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austinville Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 I also have a cat and one counter surfing lab/rottie cross (and on occassion one counter surfing husky - if I must be honest! LOL) The cat has food available 24/7 on the island in the kitchen. The other two devils are fed a.m. and p.m. The cross gets kibble both times and the husky chicken in the a.m. and kibble in the evening (Taste of the Wild). I've found that the lab/rottie cross is much, much worse at stealing the cats food that the husky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaiasaur Posted May 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 i would't go as far as saying blue buffalo is "amazing". unless youre going to go with the wilderness blue buffalo i would choose something grain free, or atleast close to being grain free. kibbles and bits is one of the worst dog foods out there. i would NEVER feed my dog that. taste of the wild, EVO, orijen, and blue buffalo wilderness are all ranked 5 star, with kibbles and bits being a 1. regular blue buffalo is ranked 3 stars. that should tell you something about the quality. i'm not sure if you know or not, but good dog food isn't cheap, but it's worth it. i can honestly say you can tell a difference. No I said others said it was amazing. And the Wilderness one. Or, I might get TOTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaiasaur Posted May 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Honestly, it depends on the dog. I've known people who free-feed their dogs (especially farm dogs) and for some it's just fine. Others get obese. Especially house dogs, who can be prone to eating out of boredom. I've always fed twice a day, but, since owning huskies, I learned that my boys only want to be fed once a day! If I fed them twice a day they would just end up skipping meals or picking at them, but if I put their 2 cups down all at once at the end of the day they ate everything, every day. They get a big cookie in the morning, a smaller bedtime cookie at night, but only eat one meal in the evenings. So I wouldn't be stuck on what you "believe" in - if the dog is happier being fed once/twice/three times a lady, er, day, then go with what works. And for fun, since a few people mentioned it, not all cats free-feed well, either. I've owned two cats who got fat doing that, and had to be carefully managed with only 2 meals a day. My current one is a 15 pound beast even when he's in good shape! @LittleLuka - Haha, I can attest to just how bad Kibbles & Bits is as a dog food - Wyatt was on that when we got him. His body and coat condition were so poor we didn't even use up the last of what we were given along with him, but transitioned him onto Acana as soon as possible! I call it the McDonald's of dog food. I'll just try different things and see how they work out. That's all I can do I suppose lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaiasaur Posted May 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 I also have a cat and one counter surfing lab/rottie cross (and on occassion one counter surfing husky - if I must be honest! LOL) The cat has food available 24/7 on the island in the kitchen. The other two devils are fed a.m. and p.m. The cross gets kibble both times and the husky chicken in the a.m. and kibble in the evening (Taste of the Wild). I've found that the lab/rottie cross is much, much worse at stealing the cats food that the husky. Hmm okay lol I'll have to try putting the cats food up high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxkristinx Posted May 26, 2012 Report Share Posted May 26, 2012 I hope no one minds me asking but what do you feed your cats? Is it a dry or wet based diet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenwolf Posted May 27, 2012 Report Share Posted May 27, 2012 Mostly dry, but supplemented with all-meat canned stuff. My cat is a porker and cannot free feed, so he gets a ration am and pm, and sometimes half a dry ration is replaced with the canned stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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