# To fridge or not...



## MaloreyAnimal (Aug 28, 2008)

I was wondering, is it better to fridge wet cat food, or to just keep it out? I have been putting it in the fridge, but it just seems so chilly when I take it out, although I'm not sure if that matters, so that's why I'm asking.


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

If it's been opened it has to go in the fridge. You can add hot water or even nuke it for a short time to see if that'll warm it back up. However if the cats don't seem to care, you don't need to do anything. Some cats may vomit up cold foods but many do fine.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Definitely needs to be refrigerated.


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## 2daneMom (Sep 1, 2010)

Yes it must be kept cold. I dont care to microwave mine, so I add just a bit of warm water to it. My cats love the "gravy" part of any wet food the best anyway, so this just adds more


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

Yes it has to be refrigerated. It can go bad and make your cat sick. I microwave 1/4 of a 5.5 oz can for 11 or 12 seconds and mix it well. I do check to make sure there are no hot spots. Don't warm it up in plastic though. Use glass or ceramic dish.

Kathy


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I had heard that even <15 seconds of microwaving can destroy nutrients in canned food so I stopped m'waving it. 
Instead:
I will mash it into a plate to spread it out and help exchange cold-canned/plate-temp between themselves. 
Run hot water over a plate and mash the cold canned food into it. 
Leave a bit of hot water on the plate to mash up and make a bit of a firm-ish-slush.
With older cats (_not small kittens who can get easily chilled_) I will sometimes serve it cold from the fridge, especially in the hot summertime, as I feel that sort of makes it like an 'ice-cream' treat.

I feed from the large cans of EVO and a purchased lid easily snaps over the top for fridge storage.

Quick Google search:
Is it bad to warm up my cat's food in the microwave? - Yahoo! Answers
_"Taurine, a vital nutrient to cats, is heat sensitive and can be denatured by microwaving. Taurine is added back into the canned cat food after the cooking process. It is also added to dry food as well, after everything has been cooked. The manufactures assume the food won't be exposed to the heat necessary to denature it once it is packaged and sealed."_


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Amazingly, despite being an incredibly fussy cat, Peggy will quite happily eat cold cat food.


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

One of my cats will eat her canned food straight from the fridge. My other one will not touch it until it warms up. I usually put the can that was in the fridge into a bowl with hot water to warm it up. Then I serve the picky cat her food. Such a princess she is!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

It is so funny to see the things cats choose to be picky about. They'll happily eat dirt-coated bugs and small critters yet turn their noses up at cold canned food.
LOL
_...though I imagine that has a lot to do with 'odor', as cold-canned doesn't smell as enticing as warm-canned food._


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Heidi n Q said:


> It is so funny to see the things cats choose to be picky about. They'll happily eat dirt-coated bugs and small critters yet turn their noses up at cold canned food.
> LOL
> _...though I imagine that has a lot to do with 'odor', as cold-canned doesn't smell as enticing as warm-canned food._


LOL. Mine also refuse cold food, but if I ever have ice cream, they're all over me hoping for a lick...go figure!

I put my unused wet food in a small plastic Tupperware container, and then put the container in a bowl of hot water for a minute to heat it up.


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## MaloreyAnimal (Aug 28, 2008)

Awesome, thanks everyone! He eats it just fine chilly, but just wanted to check.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

I did not know that about nuking the food. Will stop that habit.


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

How interesting. Am I really the only person who doesn't refrigerate canned foods? I feed my fosters 3/4 canned ~ every six hours, just covering and setting aside the leftovers in between.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I think if I were feeding as often as you, I'd probably not 'fridge it either. I only feed ours one canned meal a day and I feel 24hrs is too long to remain un-refridgerated. Shasta gets a smaller mid-day and just-before-bed canned meal out of a small Fancy Feast can, but that can will give her 3-4 meals, so I feel it needs to be re-fridgerated for the 24hrs it will have been opened.


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