When picking between wet cat food and dry cat food, one clear advantage of serving your cat dry food is that it doesn’t spoil nearly as quickly as wet food. However, this doesn’t mean that dry cat food doesn’t go bad.
While it can be tempting to leave a big bowl full of dry cat food for your cat to graze on over a handful of days, the truth is that dry cat food has a surprisingly short shelf life once it leaves the bag. The amount of time dry cat food has before it goes bad depends entirely on how you store it and when the food was packaged.
When Dry Cat Food Goes Bad in a Container
To find out how long dry cat food lasts in its original container, you need to figure out when the food was packaged. You don’t want to serve your cat anything that’s over a year old as the food does start to lose its nutrition.
Once a bag of dried food is opened, you can extend its shelf life by keeping it in a cool, dry place like a closed pantry or drawer in your kitchen. Also, many bags of dry cat food are resealable, so take advantage of this to keep the dry food fresher for longer. In general, a bag of dry cat food can last 5-6 weeks once opened, though many cats go through that much food in much less time!
Signs that dry cat food has gone bad
The easiest way to tell if dry cat food has gone bad is by checking for moisture. If moisture got into the dry food, then you should probably throw it out and buy a fresh bag. Clear signs of moisture getting into dry food are mold, foul smells, and even bugs.
Another way to tell that food has gone bad is that your cat becomes ill after eating the food. Of course it’s ideal to avoid this situation, so exercise caution before serving your cat suspect dry food!
Is it safe to store dry cat food in a plastic container?
While storing cat food in an airtight plastic container seems like a good idea, you should opt for a glass container. Plastic containers can contaminate dry food for pets including cats. Don’t worry about the original packaging though as it’s designed to hold food.
When Dry Cat Food Goes Bad Once Opened and Served
Opening a new bag of dry cat food doesn’t exactly start a timer as dry food can retain its freshness for weeks when stored correctly. Dry food served in a bowl is a different story.
A good rule to follow for your cat’s food — whether you serve wet, dry, both, and especially raw food — is to empty and clean the bowls at least once per day. This prevents old food from settling at the bottom of the bowl, and regular cleanings will kill any bacterial growth in the bowls.
Does dry cat food go bad in the bowl?
Dry cat food goes bad in a bowl in a matter of days, if not faster. Aside from getting exposed to air, wet cat food endures the same conditions as any food would. For example, your cat might drink water and then go to eat, unintentionally dropping water into the bowl of dry food. This makes the dry food spoil faster. Just imagine what else happens to food left out in the open throughout the day!
Final Thoughts: When Dry Cat Food Goes Bad
When stored correctly or kept in its original container, dry food can last for weeks. Food served in a bowl goes bad in a matter of days, but you should clean your cat’s food bowl once per day to ensure that your cat doesn’t eat spoiled food or bacteria.
FAQs for When Dry Cat Food Expires
Yes, all cat food including catnip expires over time. Unopened bags of cat food can last for about a year after production. After that, you should instead choose to purchase a new bag of food.
Dry cat food should be replaced each day just to make sure that your cat is eating the freshest food. While you can leave food in a bowl for several days, daily replacement and bowl cleaning can help ensure your cat’s health.
Yes, dry cat food goes stale if left out. Not only will dry food begin to lose its nutritional value as it sits out, but stale food can be off-putting for cats. Be sure to replace your cat’s dry food once per day.
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