# How to keep wet food fresh while away?



## manekineko42 (Aug 30, 2010)

I've begun the arduous process of switching to wet food.

My major concern is when I go away for the weekend. If I can't find someone to feed the cat over the weekend, what do I do to keep the wet food out but fresh?

The best I've read is freezing 4 servings of food and placing them into 4 of the 5 dishes of one of those rotating food serving devices, then put ice packs in. That way the food thaws out slowly. I'm still worried about the food staying fresh from friday morning/afternoon to sunday evening. The obvious advantage of dry food is that it can stay good over the weekend, but I want Baxter to eat food that's good for him and I'm aware that switching foods suddenly (ESPECIALLY when you'll be gone for two days!) is not a good idea.

How do you cat owners that feed wet food handle this situation?


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Get someone to come in and feed the cat?


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## manekineko42 (Aug 30, 2010)

Huge said:


> Get someone to come in and feed the cat?





> If I can't find someone to feed the cat over the weekend


I certainly would for longer trips and definitely for the weekend if I could, but I'm looking for an option if someone isn't available.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I've used the freezing/ice pack/auto feeder method and the food will be room temp in less than 24 hours. This isn't a viable solution for being away 2 days. 

Professional pet sitters are always available...you could set up the feeder before you go and have a sitter come in on Saturday afternoon, feed a meal and set up the feeder for Sunday morning.


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## Kelly0900 (Sep 13, 2010)

You really need someone to come in and feed the cats to make sure they are eating okay and if they are old enough, to go out and go to the toilet, or someone to change their litter. I kindly ask my neighbours to take care of them for me, and I pay them when I'm back from wherever I have gone.


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## mimitabby (Apr 20, 2010)

I would not leave cats for more than 24 hours unsupervised.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

Sounds like a long time to be away without a check-in, but there is no harm in going with a 90% wet and 10% quality dry diet. In fact, some still argue that a bit of dry is beneficial so they have something to crunch on.

If you have to be away for a long time, give them wet right before you leave, and leave some dry out for them.

As long as you can attract them to water, which I'm very successful with using a few Drinkwell Platinum water fountains around the house, they will still get their required water intake which is the major concern with dry food.

In fact, I always leave dry out, but unless they are really hungry, they'll wait for me to bring out Wellness wet before they eat the Blue Buffalo dry.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Feeding dry for the weekend is no big deal as far as water consumption is concerned, it won't have any long term health risks if done occasionally. But I think the OP's problem is that she's in the process of making the switch and since the word 'arduous' was used, I suspect it's a challenge. Until they're used to (and prefer) wet, going back to dry for the weekend may be a major set back.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

Find a less tasty dry food. Like us, I'm sure they just go with the best option of whats regularly available (otherwise I would be dating a supermodel). 

Seems to me that the more premium the product, the less the cats like it anyway, so prolly good for their health.


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