Ensuring your cat gets the best nutrition isn’t just about choosing the best cat food to feed them. It also involves storing their food to keep it fresh, pathogen-free, and tasting great.
Proper cat food storage minimizes waste while maximizing health and taste. Here’s what to know about keeping your kitty’s food fresh.
Key Takeaways
- Properly storing cat food helps maintain freshness, flavor, and nutritional value while reducing the risk of contamination and waste.
- Dry cat food should be kept in its original packaging, but you can place the entire bag inside an airtight container.
- Wet cat food must be kept at room temperature before opening. Once opened, it can be refrigerated for a few days.
- Fresh cat food should be stored according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Damaged packaging or improper storage can compromise food safety.
Dry Food
Dry food, or kibble, is a popular choice for cat parents, as a bag can stay fresh for two to three months if properly stored. Dry food is also easier to put in puzzle feeders or automatic feeders that keep your cat engaged throughout the day.
How Long Does Dry Cat Food Last?
While dry food is shelf-stable and can be left exposed to air for one to two days, a bowl of dry food will go stale and invite pests if left longer. The same goes for the food in the bag, so be sure to clip the top closed after opening to keep out air and moisture.
Storing Dry Cat Food
It’s tempting to pour kibble into an airtight cat food storage container once the bag is opened, but many manufacturers have put as much science into the bag itself as the food they create.
Companies like Hill’s, Purina, and Royal Canin design their pet food bags for long-term storage and recommend keeping the food in its original packaging. That said, the opened food bag can safely be placed inside an airtight container to further protect it (and to keep your pantry neat).
Store dry cat food at room temperature and avoid humid locations, like the garage. Over time, even dry food can grow mold if stored in humid areas. Dry food is also susceptible to insects and rodents, which can transfer pathogens to your cats.
Keep track of the expiration date provided by the manufacturer. The stability and nutrition of the cat food can’t be guaranteed past this time, even if the kibble is properly stored. It’s tempting to buy large bags of cat food, especially if you’re feeding multiple cats, but make sure you can use it within a few months.
Wet Food
Whether in pouches, cans, or plastic packaging, wet food provides excellent, high-moisture, lower-carbohydrate nutrition for our cats.
How Long Does Wet Cat Food Last?
Left in its original packaging, most wet foods are shelf-stable at room temperature and will last until their expiration date without much fuss.
Canned products generally last longer than those in plastic packaging, but both options are safe as long as they’re stored according to the manufacturer’s suggestion. Damaged packages and dented cans should be disposed of in case the seal is compromised.
Storing Wet Cat Food
Allowing canned food to freeze or keeping it in very high temperatures will damage the packaging and can affect the taste, texture, and even the nutritional value of the food. It’s best to store wet cat food at 40–80 degrees F.
Once opened, wet foods will often dry out within a couple of hours. To avoid spoiling, they should not be left out in the bowl for longer than an hour. Refrigerated automatic feeders, like the Petlibro Polar Smart Feeder, are available to safely offer your cat wet food throughout the day when you aren’t home.
Once opened, wet foods will often dry out within a couple of hours. To avoid spoiling, they should not be left out in the bowl for longer than an hour.
Opened wet cat food should be kept refrigerated and airtight. Reusable can covers are available for storing opened wet food. Even when it’s refrigerated, discard opened canned food after three days to avoid bacteria or mold contamination.
Fresh Food
Some cats may prefer the taste of a well-balanced fresh food diet. Fresh foods are usually purchased frozen and should be stored according to the manufacturer’s suggestion.
How Long Does Fresh Cat Food Last?
Frozen products like JustFoodForCats can be kept frozen for up to a year. Do not refreeze these foods after thawing, as this may compromise their nutritional value and safety.
Once the frozen food is defrosted, opened packages of uneaten food need to be refrigerated and used within three to seven days, depending on the product. Unopened thawed products may also need to be discarded within the week, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.
Storing Fresh Cat Food
Fresh foods, like wet foods, should be served at mealtime, and excess food should be discarded within the hour.
Fresh cat food typically has fewer preservatives, so it might not be the best choice for automatic feeders, which are more prone to bacterial contamination that could make your kitty sick.
Cat Food Storage FAQs
What is the best way to store cat food?
Dry cat food should be stored in its original packaging within an airtight container for no more than two to three months.
Wet foods should be stored at room temperature until they are opened, at which point they should be covered and refrigerated for up to three days.
Fresh foods should be kept frozen or refrigerated according to the manufacturer’s suggestion.
Should dry cat food stay in the bag or go into a container?
Most dry cat foods are designed to be kept in their original packaging and should not be poured into another container. But you can store the entire bag in an airtight, animal-proof container for extra security.
How long can wet cat food sit out?
Wet food can be left out in your cat’s food bowl for up to an hour. When time is up, remove any leftovers so the food doesn’t spoil or dry out.
Does wet cat food need to be refrigerated?
Opened containers of wet cat food should be refrigerated with an airtight lid if they are not served all at once. Most should be discarded after three days in the fridge.
