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Cat Food Storage Mistakes

December 1, 2021

Your kitty appreciates fresh food just as much as you do. For survival’s sake, humans learned how to store our food, which is something today’s “bulk buyers” have mastered. So it only makes sense to take care in managing Fluffy’s food supply in the same way. How you handle and store cat food affects not only its freshness but also its nutritional value, not to mention your kitty’s overall health. Here are a few don’ts to keep in mind to keep your cat healthy and well-fed.

Don’t Store Dry Cat Food on the Shelf

Dry cat food may seem like it would be non-perishable, but it will get stale if left on the shelf for weeks on end. Instead, you can keep Fluffy’s morsels fresh for a long time by storing them in the freezer. In fact, dry cat food will stay fresh for up to 26 weeks, which bodes well for those of you who like to buy in bulk. Just make sure you seal it up tight so moisture doesn’t get inside. And too, always make sure to thaw it down to room temperature before feeding it to kitty.

Don’t Get Rid of the Original Packaging

As convenient and tempting as it is to store dry cat food in an airtight, resealable container, that’s not the best way to keep your kitty’s food fresh. Interestingly, the bags that high-quality cat food comes in help to keep and maintain freshness for as long as possible. So be sure to keep the food in the bag and place the bag in the container if you do decide to use resealable containers.

Something else about the original packaging – it has the food’s expiration date, barcode, and batch code on it. These are all important to have in the event of a cat food recall.

Don’t Store Cat Food in High Temperature or High Humidity Environments

All types of food-cat food included- should never be kept in hot temperatures or high humidity environments. Heat and humidity naturally breed bacteria, so always store Fluffy’s food in a cool, dry place.

Don’t Expose Kitty’s Food to Air

If you leave Fluffy’s food exposed to air it will increase the rate at which it spoils. Whenever food is exposed to oxygen and light, it starts to break down. Any existing vitamin or mineral value will expire and oil-based or fatty ingredients will become rancid. These conditions promote bacterial growth.

If you have any more questions about how to keep kitty’s food fresh, don’t hesitate to call us! And don’t forget to have a Happy Holiday!

Contact us, your local animal clinic in Waterdown, ON!

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