I let mine eat when they want to. Both of them normally sleep way past when I am feeding the cats although Sammy wants outside first thing. She then comes back in and finds her spot by my computer chair and goes back to sleep for an hour or so. After that she wants to come out with me to feed the Catty cats. She gets to lick out the cans.
By the time we come back in she is usually ready for a bit of food. Keesha I try to get food into whenever she is ready. She lets me know by wandering around and crying.