Years ago, when it was Lucian, Meow and Ripley, they were always fed on the dryer, to keep the dog out of the food. But they ate dry food and I kept it full so they could eat when it appealed to them. That's the problem with Lucian. He wants to eat every 2-3 hrs, so he wakes me all night. He's always eaten at will but won't touch anything that has sat out for 30 min, frozen or not. No leftovers for that boy!