Great storage ideas to keep cat food fresh

Storing dry cat food and keeping it fresh and tasty can be difficult, especially when their food comes in oversized bags and cans, leaving you stuck with the leftovers. Rather than giving in to the frustrations, explore your options. There are a lot of creative and easy tips that will make you a food-storing pro. Check out efficient cat food storage solutions that will help keep it not only organized but also fresh.

Keep it closed

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Many dry cat foods come in resealable bags, allowing you to keep it fresh by zipping it back up after use. While it can be easy to leave the bag open or slightly ajar when you’re in a rush, it is important to take the time to properly close it. By doing so, you’ll save yourself money and save your cat from eating stale, unappetizing, dry food.

Recommended Videos

Even the slightest opening in a resealable bag can expose your cat’s food to bugs, dust, dirt, and air, causing all kinds of things to settle and grow inside. Oftentimes, pet food bags offer low-quality zippers, so if your cat’s resealable food bag is one that has very poor zipping ability, it may be best to check out some of the more airtight options below.

Freezer bags for the win

You can’t go wrong with a box of high-quality zipper bags when it comes to secure food storage. These bags can be utilized for your cat’s wet and dry food, making it a quick storage option for anyone who feeds their cat both types.

When it comes to dry food, it is as simple as pouring the food into the freezer bag, zipping it up, and leaving it in your pantry until further use. If you feed your cat wet food, but oftentimes don’t use the entire can for one feeding, freezer bags can become one of your best storing options. You can purchase smaller-sized bags that will create the perfectly petite airtight space for your cat’s wet food.

Regardless of what type of food you store in freezer bags, they are perfect for labeling. Labeling becomes especially important when you have a lot of food to store. If you have a large bag of dry food, write the expiration date on all of the freezer bags before pouring the food into the bags. This will allow you to keep track of the dates, even months later, when you forget when you bought that bag of food.

Get creative with mason jars

Brett Sayles/Pexels

A popular trend that continues to grow is to use mason jars as food storage. While many use it for dry foods like dry pasta, snacks, uncooked beans, and more, it can easily be used for dry pet food, too.

You can store your cat’s dry food in mason jars for durable, strong, airtight storage. You can even add some of your cat’s favorite dry treats to another mason jar to keep them fresh and tasty.

Try some fancy automatic feeders

Automatic pet feeders are becoming all the craze lately with creative features, endless options, and undeniably easy convenience. This option is perfect for any cat parents with busy or unpredictable schedules. It will ensure that your cat is fed delicious, fresh food at the same time every single day.

Pretty much all automatic pet feeders offer airtight storage for your cat’s food, so it is as simple as pouring in the food and letting the feeder do all the work.

Designate some Tupperware for your cat

Syed Hussaini/Unsplash

Everyone has a cabinet overflowing with endless Tupperware, so assigning a few to your cat’s food is no big deal. Tupperware can be used for both dry and wet food, making it a great, versatile option. Whether you have leftover wet food that you’ll be using later that day or a pound of dry food that will last your cat weeks, just pour it into some Tupperware and close it up for super simple storage.

Keep the expiration date in mind

The best way to ensure your cat is enjoying fresh food is to keep the expiration date in mind. If you choose to transfer your cat’s food to another type of container, it is important to label it with its expiration date. It can be as simple as writing directly on the container or using some tape and a permanent marker. Regardless of which one of these methods you find the most helpful, you’ll have your cat’s food staying organized and fresh for years to come.

When it comes to storing any kind of food, it really comes down to keeping it airtight, organized, and labeled. These key tips are a fool-proof way to take all the fuss out of cat food storage. You’ll enjoy how much more organized your cat’s food will become. Keeping it fresh and tasty for your cat will ensure that even the pickiest of cats can’t resist.

Editors' Recommendations

When can kittens eat dry food? The lowdown on what you should feed them
Tips on feeding your new kitten

Caring for kittens is hard work, but it's one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime. Not only are you responsible for the most adorable little lives, but you get to watch them grow and thrive! Preparing to keep them fed and happy, however, is a lot more work. 

Just like human babies have different nutritional needs than adults, kittens have different dietary requirements than adult cats. With few exceptions, your new feline fur baby is considered a kitten for the first year of life. (Large cat breeds like Norwegian forest cats and Maine Coon cats mature more slowly and don't reach adulthood until they're two years old.) Have you ever asked yourself, "When can kittens eat dry food?" We'll give you the full scoop on what you should feed your kittens — and when to change their diet.
Do kittens need wet and dry food? 

Read more
Why do cats lick themselves? It goes beyond just cat grooming
This totally normal behavior could mean a few different things

Cats spend the majority of their time doing one of a few things: eating, resting, grooming, using the litter box, or causing havoc. Their routines can become predictable at times, so it's not even worth a second glance when you catch your cat licking themselves as obviously -- and loudly -- as possible. Cats groom themselves all the time, after all, but when does licking become a bit too much?
Even though cat grooming is completely normal, if it becomes noticeably excessive, your kitty may be licking themselves -- or even licking you -- for another reason. Luckily, we can help you understand why cats lick themselves and how you can tell what may be going on. Here's what you'll want to know and what to look out for.

Is my cat grooming? When licking is normal

Read more
Why do cats open their mouths when they smell? It’s for a really cool reason
The Flehmen response is a little-known reaction in felines that allows them to take in more of their surroundings

Think of the last time you smelled something foul. How did you react? If you're truly made of steel, you may not have reacted at all, but for most people, it's impossible not to flare your nostrils at least. You may have even made a face! All of these reactions are perfectly natural, though humans aren't the only species that reacts to smells, both good and bad. Even your cuddly cat sniffs out the world around them sometimes,
If you've ever noticed your cat reacting to a smell, you're not alone. Some folks have even noticed their cat opening their mouth -- and even sticking out their tongue -- while smelling, but it's not so clear what this means. Is this a reaction to a scent, or is it just a way to get an extra thorough sniff? Whatever it may be, we're here to find out.
Needless to say, you're not alone if you're wondering, "Why do cats open their mouths when they smell?" We've scoured trusted sources to find out, and this is what we know.

Why do cats open their mouths when they smell?
Watching your curious cat open their mouth in a kind of sneer while they get a good sniff of something can raise a lot of questions -- it's understandable. When people do this, it's usually a response to an unpleasant smell, but when cats do this, they're actually trying to get a better understanding of the scent in the air.

Read more