Question - Timed Feeding vs Free Feeding

[Tara and Scully]

Just a general question. Since Scully's FD diagnosis, we have switched her (and her brother, Mulder, who is not diabetic) from dry food to all-canned Fancy Feast Classic food (chicken, turkey and beef varieties.) They are 10 years old and have always been free fed. We continue to free feed the canned all day and night, although Scully does eat a breakfast and dinner about 15 - 20 minutes before her insulin injection. Lucky for us, she has always had a great appetite and getting her to eat is never an issue. Mulder will occasionally eat at breakfast and dinner with Scully if he's around and/or awake, but often he doesn't eat until a few hours later. He is truly on his own feeding schedule. By the way, we free feed canned food by freezing it and setting it out in the morning to thaw throughout the day so they can graze on it. We also put out fresh cans at night before we go to bed, so they can graze on these overnight as well.

My question is this: Since we feed a low carb canned food that is supposed to prevent or at least minimize food spikes in Scully's blood sugar, is there a benefit to timed feeding instead of letting Scully eat whenever she's hungry? I know I've read that frequent meals throughout the day are considered better for the pancreas, and free fed cats do eat small meals throughout the day. Do diabetic cats see better BG numbers if their meals are served at particular times as opposed to letting the cats free feed when they are hungry? Thanks for your time!

Tara (& Scully)

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

It's one of those Every Cat is Different things. Some cats do best with free feeding; others seem to do better with regular timed meals. If Scully is doing fine with free feeding, I'd stick with it.

 

[BJM]

I put. The food down for free feeding for the cats in with Gracie. Each has itds own bowl. I notice that Gracie tends to eat a fiar bit at first, then leaves the remainder for later.