Printable feeding schedule for dogs and cats

What’s inside

• A dog and a cat version, in US Letter (pounds) and A4 (kilograms).
• Your pet’s food, the daily amount and your vet’s details, under a plain line: amounts come from your vet or the food label.
• A meal plan, four meals on the dog sheet and five on the cat sheet: time, food, amount and notes.
• Two weeks of “who fed”: a row per meal, treats and fresh water, a box per day for initials or the time.
• Treat rules, food changes and notes.

How many meals a day?

For dogs, the ASPCA’s guide is four meals a day for puppies 8 to 12 weeks old, three from 3 to 6 months and two from 6 months to a year. After the first birthday one meal a day is usually enough, though some dogs, including larger ones and those prone to bloat, do better on two smaller meals.

Cats naturally eat several small meals a day, so the RSPCA suggests splitting a cat’s daily food into several small portions, unless your vet advises otherwise. A new kitten settles best on the food and the routine it already knows, with small, regular meals.

How much goes in the bowl depends on age, activity and health: take the amount from your vet or the food label.

How to use it

1. Fill in the meal plan with your vet or from the food label: the time, the food and the amount of each meal.
2. Keep one scoop or a kitchen scale with the food. In a University of Liverpool study, portions measured with a cup came out anywhere from 18% too small to 80% too large.
3. Put the sheet where the food is kept and check it before you fill the bowl, not after.
4. Write your initials or the time as soon as the bowl is down. Use the treats row too, so extras don’t pile up across three people.
5. Mark fresh water every day. The ASPCA says dogs should always have clean water, with bowls washed often, and that cats’ water bowls should be washed and refilled daily.

Treats and people food count too

Extras add up. The ASPCA says additions such as cottage cheese, egg or vegetables shouldn’t make up more than 10% of a dog’s daily food, and that treats should be no more than 5 to 10% of a cat’s diet. Write a daily treat limit on page 2 and who may give them.

Keep people food to a minimum: the ASPCA warns that it can unbalance a dog’s diet and lead to picky eating, and the RSPCA points out that some foods, such as onions, are poisonous to dogs and cats.

• Weekly pet care schedule template