Shelf Life of Cat Food

[FreebieGal]

I'm sorry if I posted this in the wrong section, I wasn't sure where to post it. But I'm wondering if anyone knows what the shelf life is for dry cat food? I have a bunch of great coupons for cat food but I don't want to get too much if it's going to go bad before I use it.

[Gertie2u]

"Most pet foods contain high levels of fat, and this is especially true of dog food (around 20 %). As soon as you open the bag, oxidation begins. That would be the same process that rots a tomato if you leave it on the counter. If you keep dry food in a dry place sealed up in some sort of resealable container, this can be helpful. Dry pet food keeps best when retained in the bag it came in, without any tears or holes, and then placed inside a sealed container such as those airtight 5 gallon pails.

Generally speaking, if you buy the more expensive all-natural foods, the natural preservatives such as vitamin E used do not work as long as the preservatives used in cheaper foods. They break down. This is reflected in the best used by date posted clearly on the higher end pet foods. Generally speaking, dry pet foods with natural preservatives may be kept under 85 degrees sealed in a container in the original bag for about 4 months, while foods with other preservatives may be kept as much as three years if kept properly sealed up cool and dry. Just kept in the bag, I would not keep dry pet food past three months."

The above came from my vet. What I gather is the issue with the dry foods is the fat content. My vet also mentioned, while it is not ideal, dry dog or cat food generally will not hurt young children who may nibble some out of curiosity. I gather these two questions are asked frequently by the sort of pat answer he had ready.