Much like with humans, fresh food is important for cats. By necessity, humans have learned how to store food, especially those of us who buy in bulk. So, it only makes sense to take similar measures when managing Fluffy’s food supply. And how you store and handle cat food affects its freshness, its nutritional value, and your kitty’s health. Here are a few don’ts to keep in mind to keep kitty healthy and well-fed.
Don’t Store Dry Cat Food on the Shelf
Unfortunately, dry cat food is not non-perishable. It will get stale if left on the shelf for weeks on end. Instead, store it in the freezer, which will keep Fluffy’s morsels fresh for a long time. Amazingly, dry cat food will stay fresh for up to 26 weeks, which bodes well if you like to stock up on your cat’s food. Just be sure to thaw it down to room temperature before feeding it to your cat, and make sure it’s wrapped or sealed tight so moisture doesn’t get inside.
Don’t Get Rid of the Original Packaging
As tempting and convenient as airtight, resealable containers can be to store your kitty’s food, that’s not actually the best way to keep his food fresh. The bags that high-quality cat food comes in are actually designed to keep and maintain freshness for as long as possible. So if you decide to use resealable containers, be sure to keep the food in the bag before placing it in the container.
Something else too -the food’s expiration date, barcode, and batch code all appear on the original packaging. This information is important to have in the event of a cat food recall.
Don’t Store Cat Food in High Temperature or High Humidity Environments
Any kind of food -cat food included- shouldn’t ever be left to sit in high humidity or high temperature environments. Hot and humid spaces easily breed bacteria, so always store Fluffy’s food in a cool, dry place.
Don’t Expose Kitty’s Food to Air
Air exposure speeds up the rate at which cat food spoils so don’t leave your kitty’s food out in the open air. When exposed to light and oxygen, food materials start to break down. Any mineral or vitamin value will diminish and oil or fat-based ingredients will become rancid. These conditions leave the door wide open for bacteria to grow and kitty to get sick.
If you have any more questions about how to keep kitty’s food fresh, don’t hesitate to call us! Happy Holidays everyone!
