Just like people, your pet’s digestive system needs time to rest between meals and therefore it is very important to establish 1 or 2 meal times per day. Imagine what would happen to your body if you snacked on a 24-hour buffet, all day, every day. Free-feeding dogs and cats causes obesity, digestive issues, bloating, and a general loss of the excitement that tasty food otherwise produces. To get your pet used to a schedule, simply place his dish out at mealtime. If your critter is accustomed to free-feeding or “grazing”, he may walk around the dish, pick at it a little, and then leave the room. Remove the dish after 15 to 20 minutes even if he did not finish eating and do not return it until the next meal time. He will quickly learn that there is a new schedule and you both will appreciate his new motivation and drive for meal time.