How to store wet cat food: opened pouches, the fridge and Indian summers

An orange tabby cat on a kitchen counter eating wet cat food from a steel bowl, next to a CanDost Chicken wet cat food pouch

Last updated 7 October 2026

Keep unopened wet cat food in a cool, dry cupboard until the date on the pack. Once you open it, cover it, put it in the fridge straight away and use it within the time printed on the pouch, usually one to three days. Pick up food left in the bowl within an hour, and sooner on a hot day.

That's the short version. Below are the details, including what changes in an Indian summer, what to do in a power cut, and how to tell if a pouch is still good.

How long wet cat food keeps: a quick guide

Chart: how long wet cat food keeps, from unopened in a cupboard to frozen in portions

Where the food is How long it keeps What to do
Unopened pouch or can, in a cupboard Until the best-before date on the pack Keep it cool, dry and out of direct sun
In the bowl, at room temperature Up to 1 hour Throw away what's left. Never put it back in the pouch
In the bowl on a hot day (above 32°C) Less than 1 hour Serve smaller portions, more often
Opened, covered, in the fridge 1 to 3 days, or what the pack says Check the pouch. Some brands say 24 hours
Frozen, in single-meal portions Up to a month; one to two weeks in a single-door fridge's freezer box Thaw in the fridge and use within 24 hours

Storing unopened pouches and cans

Unopened wet food doesn't need a fridge. Pouches and cans are sealed first and then cooked under pressure, so the food inside stays safe until the date on the pack.

  • Pick a cool, dry spot. A kitchen cupboard away from the stove is better than a store room under a tin roof, a sunny balcony or a car boot in May.
  • Check the pack before you open it. Don't use a pouch that is swollen, torn or leaking, or a can that is dented or bulging. Damaged packaging can let bacteria in.
  • Use the oldest first. Put new stock at the back so the earliest best-before date gets used first.

Does wet cat food expire? Yes. Every pouch carries a best-before date. Many Indian packs print it as a manufacturing date plus a line such as "best before 18 months from manufacture", so add the months to the date to find the last day. Don't feed it after that, even if the pack looks fine.

How long can wet cat food sit out?

Up to an hour, and less in hot weather. Wet food is mostly water, which is why cats like it, and bacteria grow well in it at room temperature.

The US food safety agency (USDA) says bacteria grow fastest between 4°C and 60°C and can double in as little as 20 minutes. Its rule for perishable food is no more than 2 hours out of the fridge, or 1 hour when it's above 32°C. A vet writing for PetMD gives cat food an hour in the bowl.

In much of India, a kitchen is above 32°C for months of the year. So treat one hour as the limit, and expect less in May and June.

  • Never top up old food with fresh. Throw out what's left, then serve the new portion in a clean bowl.
  • Wash the bowl after every meal with soap and hot water. Leftover film is where bacteria start.
  • Serve less, more often, if your cat grazes. Half a pouch at a time means less goes in the bin.
  • Keep ants out by standing the bowl in a shallow plate of water.

Can wet cat food be left out overnight? No. By morning it has spent hours in the temperature range where bacteria multiply fastest. Throw it away.

Storing an opened pouch in the fridge

Leftover wet cat food in a covered glass bowl on a clean fridge shelf

  1. Put it away as soon as you've served, not after your cat has finished eating.
  2. Cover it tightly. Spoon what's left into a small steel or glass container with a lid. Or fold the top of the pouch over twice, clip it, and stand it in a cup so it can't tip.
  3. Keep the fridge at 4°C or colder, and put the food on a middle shelf rather than in the door, where it's warmer.
  4. Write down when you opened it. A strip of tape on the lid is enough.
  5. Use it within the time on the pack. Most guidance gives an opened can or pouch one to three days. We print 24 hours on our own pouches. Our recipes have no preservatives, so we keep the window short.

Can wet cat food be refrigerated? Yes. Once it's open, it has to be.

What to do in a power cut

A closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours, according to the USDA. If the power is off for longer than that, throw out opened cat food. The same goes for any time it has been above 4°C for more than 2 hours.

  • Keep the fridge door shut as much as you can while the power is off.
  • During long cuts, open one pouch at a time and serve it in two halves a few hours apart, rather than keeping leftovers.
  • When in doubt, throw it out. A pouch costs far less than a vet visit.

Can you freeze wet cat food?

Yes. Food kept at −18°C stays safe for as long as it's frozen, says the USDA, though the quality drops over time. Many Indian homes have a single-door fridge, though, and its small freezer box is usually not as cold as a full freezer. If that's yours, use frozen portions within a week or two. The other catch is texture: gravy can separate and turn watery, and some cats refuse it after thawing.

  • Freeze single-meal portions in an ice-cube tray or small lidded containers.
  • Thaw it in the fridge overnight, never on the counter.
  • Use thawed food within 24 hours, and don't refreeze it.
  • Don't freeze unopened pouches. There's no need: they keep in the cupboard until the date on the pack.

Warming food from the fridge

Many cats turn down food straight from the fridge. They prefer it closer to room or body temperature, the way prey would be.

  • Let it stand for 15 minutes, but no longer: it is now out of the fridge.
  • Stand the container in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
  • Stir in a spoonful of warm, not hot, water.
  • Microwave only in a microwave-safe bowl, for a few seconds. Stir it and check with a finger for hot spots. Never put the pouch in a microwave: most pouches have a foil layer.

Signs wet cat food has gone bad

Throw it away, without tasting or sniffing closely, if you see any of these:

  • A swollen, puffed-up pouch or a bulging can. Gas inside a sealed pack means something is growing in it. Bin it unopened.
  • A hiss or spurt when you open it.
  • A sour or unusual smell, fizzing, mould, slime or a change in colour.
  • A best-before date that has passed.

One more cue: if your cat sniffs a food they normally eat and walks away, check the food before you blame your cat.

Common questions

Do I need to refrigerate wet cat food before opening it?

No. Sealed pouches and cans are cooked in the pack and keep at room temperature until the date printed on them.

How long does an opened pouch last in the fridge?

Usually one to three days, covered, at 4°C or below. Always follow the pack, as some brands give 24 hours.

Can I put leftovers from the bowl back in the fridge?

No. Only food that never left the pouch or container goes back in the fridge. Food that sat in the bowl goes in the bin.

Can wet cat food go bad in the heat?

Opened food goes off faster in hot weather, so give it less time in the bowl. Unopened pouches are sealed and cooked, but keep them out of direct sun.

Is cold wet food bad for cats?

It's safe, but many cats won't eat it. Let it stand for a few minutes or stir in a little warm water.

Can I freeze a whole pouch?

You can freeze an opened pouch's leftovers in portions. There's no reason to freeze an unopened one.

About CanDost pouches. Each 100g pouch is sealed and then cooked, so it keeps in your cupboard until the date on the back, with no preservatives. Once it's open, cover it, refrigerate it and finish it within 24 hours. See CanDost wet cat food

Sources

India has no consumer guidance on storing pet food, so this guide uses US food-safety agencies. Their timings are about how fast bacteria grow, so they hold here too, and we've adjusted them for Indian heat.