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What temperature should catfood be served at?

Cat advice - Feline care

Temperature plays an important role in food selection. Most cats prefer food at temperatures around 35 degrees centigrade.

This preference may be partly explained by the increase in food odour that occurs as the food is warmed but there are theories that this is also linked to the temperature of freshly-killed prey. With temperatures of 40 degrees centigrade and above, the preference for the food drops dramatically.

The length of time you can leave canned cat food out depends on room temperature. In the summer, lacking air conditioning, food shouldn’t be left out longer than 20 minutes, maximum. Likewise, in the winter, if the heater is on, or the food is in a warm kitchen, around 20 minutes should apply. The absolute maximum under optimum temperature, would be around 30 minutes.

Kittens should be given smaller meals more frequently and probably will finish their meal well before 15 minutes. It's better to give them only a tablespoon or two every three hours than to take a risk on spoiled food.

Canned food remaining in the can should be covered and refrigerated immediately after opening, and allowing the next serving to be warmed up. Zippered disposable bags can be used for storing uneaten food.

You can put servings of food in a clean microwavable dish, then cover with plastic wrap, and warm on a low setting for a short time. You don't want to heat the food, but warm it to room temperature so that the food is nicely palatable.