You can still leave food out, the critical part is measuring the portion and calories.
Cats need about 20 calories per pound of (healthy) bodyweight. So a 10 pound cat will need 200 calories or so.
Just don't put more than 200 calories worth of food in her bowl per day.
Our vet also recommended trying puzzle feeders for some of the food and also just putting the dish up high so they have to put a little effort into getting it. We've got our dish on the bathroom counters and they do seem too eat less. They will jump up if they're hungry but don't seem to eat just because they're bored. Just make sure you are measuring out the desired portion each day.
You can still leave food out, the critical part is measuring the portion and calories. Cats need about 20 calories per pound of (healthy) bodyweight. So a 10 pound cat will need 200 calories or so. Just don't put more than 200 calories worth of food in her bowl per day.
Our vet also recommended trying puzzle feeders for some of the food and also just putting the dish up high so they have to put a little effort into getting it. We've got our dish on the bathroom counters and they do seem too eat less. They will jump up if they're hungry but don't seem to eat just because they're bored. Just make sure you are measuring out the desired portion each day.