Are automatic feeders (gravity controlled) ok for cats under 1 year and older than 6 months?

I just got 2 cats a little over 6 months and I'm wondering if they're not ';old enough'; to be able to eat by themselves/on their own schedule. I'm not talking about the electronically controlled feeders.


Thanks for your help!Are automatic feeders (gravity controlled) ok for cats under 1 year and older than 6 months?
Well, usually cats aren't very good at self-regulating their diets and end up overweight. I would go ahead and just put all the food they're apportioned for each day in there, and when it's gone, it's gone.


This way, they can eat at their leisure and you won't have to do feed them more than once a day. Just look at the directions on the packaging, and if it says 1 1/2 cups for each per day, just go ahead and put in three cups of food for both of them. Then just refill 24 hours later.


Best of luck!!Are automatic feeders (gravity controlled) ok for cats under 1 year and older than 6 months?
This article is about domestic felines. For other uses, see Cat (disambiguation).


';Cats'; redirects here. For other uses, see Cats (disambiguation).


Semi-protected


Cat[1]


Other images of cats


Other images of cats


Conservation status


Domesticated


Scientific classification


Kingdom: Animalia


Phylum: Chordata


Class: Mammalia


Order: Carnivora


Family: Felidae


Genus: Felis


Species: F. catus


Binomial name


Felis catus


(Linnaeus, 1758)[2]


Synonyms





Felis catus domestica (invalid junior synonym)[3]


Felis silvestris catus[4]





The cat (Felis catus), also known as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from other felines, is a small predatory carnivorous species of crepuscular mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin, snakes and scorpions. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years.[5]





A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn on their own to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs. Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including meowing, purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting.[6] Cats may be the most popular pet in the world, with over 600 million in homes all over the world.[7] They are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets. This hobby is known as the ';cat fancy';.





Until recently the cat was commonly believed to have been domesticated in ancient Egypt, where it was a cult animal.[8] However a 2007 study found that the lines of descent of all house cats probably run through as few as five self-domesticating African Wildcats (Felis silvestris lybica) circa 8000 BC, in the Near East.[4]


Contents


[hide]





* 1 Physiology


o 1.1 Size


o 1.2 Skeleton


o 1.3 Mouth


o 1.4 Ears


o 1.5 Legs


o 1.6 Skin


o 1.7 Senses


o 1.8 Metabolism


o 1.9 Genetics


o 1.10 Feeding and diet


+ 1.10.1 Toxic sensitivity


* 2 Behavior


o 2.1 Sociability


o 2.2 Cohabitation


o 2.3 Fighting


o 2.4 Play


o 2.5 Hunting


o 2.6 Reproduction


o 2.7 Hygiene


o 2.8 Scratching


o 2.9 Fondness for heights


* 3 Ecology


o 3.1 Habitat


o 3.2 Impact of hunting


* 4 House cats


o 4.1 Domestication


o 4.2 Interaction with humans


+ 4.2.1 Allergens


+ 4.2.2 Trainability


o 4.3 Indoor scratching


+ 4.3.1 Declawing


o 4.4 Waste


o 4.5 Domesticated varieties


+ 4.5.1 Coat patterns


+ 4.5.2 Body types


* 5 Feral cats


o 5.1 Environmental effects


o 5.2 Ethical and humane concerns over feral cats


* 6 Etymology and taxonomic history


o 6.1 Scientific classification


o 6.2 Nomenclature


o 6.3 Etymology


* 7 History and mythology


o 7.1 Nine lives


* 8 See also


* 9 References


* 10 External links


o 10.1 Anatomy


o 10.2 Articles


o 10.3 Veterinary related





Physiology





Size


Diagram of the general anatomy of a male cat.





Cats typically weigh between 2.5 and 7 kg (5.5鈥?6 pounds); however, some breeds, such as the Maine Coon, can exceed 11.3 kilograms (24.9 lb). Some have been known to reach up to 23 kilograms (51 lb) due to overfeeding. Conversely, very small cats (less than 1.8 kilograms (4.0 lb)) have been reported.[9]





The largest cat ever was officially reported to have weighed in at about 21.297 kilograms (46.952 lb) (46 lb 15.25 oz).[10][11] The smallest cat ever officially recorded weighed around 3lbs (1.36 kg). [12]





Skeleton





Cats have 7 cervical vertebrae like almost all mammals, 13 thoracic vertebrae (humans have 12), 7 lumbar vertebrae (humans have 5), 3 sacral vertebrae like most mammals (humans have 5 because of their bipedal posture), and, except for Manx cats, 22 or 23 caudal vertebrae (humans have 3 to 5, fused into an internal coccyx). The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's enhanced spinal mobility and flexibility, compared with humans. The caudal vertebrae form the tail, used by the cat as a counterbalance to the body during quick movements. Cats also have free-floating clavicle bones, which allows them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their heads.[13]





Mouth





Cats have highly specialized teeth for the killing of prey and the tearing of meat. The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently functions to shear meat like a pair of scissors. While this is present in canids, it is highly developed in felines. The cat's tongue has sharp sp
I read somewhere that cat's are like bored eaters, so when you let them free feed, they will munch munch munch all day off an on, and then they tend to gain weight. Much like people!
try it for a couple of days as a test to see if the cats can control themselves enough to use it, then you will know for sure if you should use it or not
As a rule cats do not overeat, the feeder should be fine for your cats.