Author Topic: Warming canned food w/o electricity  (Read 5052 times)

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Offline Pookie

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Warming canned food w/o electricity
« on: August 26, 2011, 09:38:35 AM »
So I'm in New Jersey (thankfully inland, so flooding shouldn't be an issue), and it looks like Irene will be paying the Garden State a visit.  Just in case I lose power, I'm looking for suggestions on how I can warm Pookie's canned food.  I normally use a microwave (it's probably not a good idea, but don't know what else to do) and nuke it for a few seconds just to warm it up a bit, esp. if it's been in the fridge all day.

Any tips?  Thanks in advance!
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2011, 09:44:54 AM »
Follow-up question:  if I keep the can covered, is it okay to just leave it out instead of putting it in the refridgerator?  If so, then that solves the "warming" problem.

Thanks!
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Offline Shadow

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2011, 12:18:03 PM »
I would not leave the food out, can you get ice and an ice box? start freezing water in milk cartons and then you have them ready to put in a cooler. The only way you could warm it up is in a plastic baggie or ziploc soaking in water. If you have electricity I guess you wont have to worry about it. The storm looks like its  a cat 2 now, so im hoping its going to subside even more for you.
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Offline Lola

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2011, 12:53:24 PM »
No tips, but hoping you and yours stay SAFE!!!!

Keep us posted.   grouphug
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Offline KatieAndMe

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2011, 02:50:33 PM »
Do you have a fireplace? You could make a small fire and put the can in a pot of water and heat the water in the fire. Kind of a lot of trouble but if the only way she'll eat the food is warmed at least it will work. Even an outside BBQ would heat the water in the pan.

You're all in my prayers and I hope the hurricane weakens as it hits the coast.

Offline Pookie

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2011, 02:54:27 PM »
Hi Katie,

No, no fireplace or barbeque.  I could hold the can over a candle flame but that would probably be a bad idea for a variety of reasons.   :D

Between Tuesday's earthquake and this hurricane, Mother Nature must be having some serious PMS . . .
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Offline The Kittens

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2011, 03:43:28 PM »
You should never, microwave, wet food. I forget now why, but, its a really bad idea.  I warm my wet food, by mixing it with hot water, so its real real soupy.  The coldness, of the wet food, counter acts, the hot water, and it makes it like room temp. I know, I felt it, before I gave it to him. You should be mixing wet food with water anyhow, even if it is right from the cubbard.  You need to keep them flushed out and hydrated. Especially with little boy kitties, you need to keep them flushed out, to keep the crystals from forming, per say.  It also prevents the urine from being too concentrated. Too concentrated urine can cause bladder inflammation and kidney issues. One should have the urine concentration checked, at least twice a year.  They insert a needle into the bladder, and test the urine, its called urine specific gravity, normal is ballpark 1.035, Bump just had his checked, and his is 1.036, they also checked his creatanine, and that is normal.  The creatanine is done by a blood test, and that gets sent to Antech, turnaround is 24-48 hrs.  If ya got an issue, best to catch it early.
Bump gets tested because of his health issues, for him, anything not normal, it is critical to catch his early.

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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2011, 05:56:17 PM »
How I warm cat food:

Run hot water over the (glass) dish.  Leave a little in the dish (if it is for the cat that tolerates that) or place the dish with food in it into another dish with hot water and let it sit until the food warms up (stir it a few times to help disperse the heat)

Of course, with no electricity, I guess you have no hot water.  In which case I recommend you keep the opened can cold as advised above in this thread, and just take out one serving at a time and let it sit a half an hour before serving it.

Good luck and stay safe, keep us posted on how you are doing.  All we're going to get is a lot of rain.

Offline KatieAndMe

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2011, 06:42:43 PM »
Hi Katie,

No, no fireplace or barbeque.  I could hold the can over a candle flame but that would probably be a bad idea for a variety of reasons.   :D

Between Tuesday's earthquake and this hurricane, Mother Nature must be having some serious PMS . . .

There ya go... use the candle to warm up the water a little.

People say they wouldn't live in California because of the earthquakes. At least we don't have the violent weather east coasters have so now you guys are going to have to come up with a different reason why California is a bad place to live. LOL If you want any suggestions I have several for you. LOL

Offline FurMonster Mom

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #9 on: August 26, 2011, 11:56:52 PM »
This is why I keep my camping gear in good condition.  Even if I don't use it for the year. 
With a little creativity, you can do lots of things with a little single burner backpack stove.
I bet a candle would work just fine... I'm suddenly recalling those ceramic potpourri & candle thingys that were so popular in the 90's.

Stay safe out there.

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Offline Pookie

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2011, 11:01:20 AM »
People say they wouldn't live in California because of the earthquakes. At least we don't have the violent weather east coasters have so now you guys are going to have to come up with a different reason why California is a bad place to live. LOL If you want any suggestions I have several for you. LOL

On the bright side, at least we know well in advance when the nor'easters and hurricanes are coming.  Earthquake?  No such luck.   :D

Winds are still calm, though we just had a rain shower.  I've never seen such lines at the gas station before.  And good luck finding "D" batteries.  The funny thing is, my area isn't going to see the worst of it.  Oh well, I guess we'll be prepared come snow-storm season, lol.

I don't have any glass bowls, unfortunately.  Are Correlle okay to use?  I've been wondering about finding a different way to warm his food for a while, but this storm gave me the push to ask.  I don't like using the microwave because I keep thinking I'm zapping all the nutrients out of the food, and maybe changing the food in a bad way.  So these ideas will help after the storm, too.

Thanks!  Please keep the tips coming!
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Offline The Kittens

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2011, 05:25:21 PM »
so.......nobody read my post.......right?   >:(   :'(   CatsterBath2 bumpgif

Offline CarnivorousCritter

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2011, 10:55:38 PM »
There are air-tight food storage containers called "Lock & Lock" that have made life in my house tons easier  :)
You could put the food in one of these and leave it out longer than usual. It's as good as though it was still in an unopened can JMHO. That's how air-tight these things are.

We always used to refrigerate stuff like Onions and Tomato after they've been cut (ewww they get funky when refrigerated)  and L&L's have made it possible to leave on countertop and these foods are just fine the next day.

Bumprr, I have always read not to microwave pets' food, one reason being: who is going to taste test it for temperature? That's a biggie.

Offline Pookie

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2011, 04:19:49 PM »
Just checking in.  Almost 6 inches of rain here.  I lost power for about 8 hours so I gave him his first portion of food (opened a new can) without any warming just to see how he'd do.  He brought that up for another look  :(.  So the next time I fed him, I gave him a much smaller portion and warmed it by putting it on a spoon and holding the spoon over a lit tea candle.  IT WORKED!

I read your post, Bumpurr, I swear I did!   :)  The problem is that if I don't have power, I can't warm the water and he's not used to eating his food without it being warmed up a little.  I'm not sure if he barfed up his food because it wasn't warm or if he was just worked up from the whole situation, but I can certainly try your suggestion now that the power's on (knocks wood).   thumbsup1

CC, I always test the food temperature with my finger before I give it to him.  I make sure it's warm, not hot, so he doesn't burn his little tongue.   ;D
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Offline Lola

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Re: Warming canned food w/o electricity
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2011, 05:48:02 PM »
Pookie,
Glad to hear you are hanging in there!!! 

As far as microwave warming.  I remember hearing (years ago) not to heat baby bottles and such because a microwave cooks food from the inside out.  So, testing the temp wouldn't be accurate.  And...doesn't food continue to cook, even after the microwave shuts off? 
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