Feeding cats seperately -- all day long?

16 years ago

I have what may be an impossible conundrum.

A little background: When I took in my second cat, Chloe, she was more than a little overweight. I began giving her diet cat food in the prescribed amounts, and my Siamese put her on an exercise regime.

And it was working. She lost almost 2 of the 5 the vet wanted her to lose, over 12-15 months. But lately, she's seemed pretty chunky, and when I weighed her last week, she's pushing 15# again.

I should have thought something was up when I noticed that my whippet-thin Siamese seemed to be breezing thru his kibble at a fast rate, without looking a centimeter bigger. But for the last 18 months they've been very good about only eating out of their own bowls (Frankie in the kitchen, Chloe in the study)

Short of putting up a barrier to the kitchen that Frankie can jump over but Chloe can't, I'm not sure how I can keep them out of each other's food bowls. Like a lot of Siamese, Frank has a very touchy stomach. If he eats too quickly, he throws up, but he's paranoid about an empty bowl; as soon as you put something in it he wolfs it down. My only solution has been to make sure there's always a little something in his dish, so he can stroll by and have a bite whenever he wants.

I thought perhaps I could simply move his bowl up on the kitchen table, and have him eat there. (It's a small table used for prep and as a catchall, not sit-around-dining.) But I'm not thrilled having him on the table, and he seems very reluctant to eat up there. (No wonder; for three years I've been shooing him off the table.)

Before I commit to the table top (and having to explain to a cat why the kitchen table is okay, but the dining room table is off limits!) does anyone have any suggestions on how I can make sure the fat cat doesn't get in the finicky cat's food?

Thanks in advance.

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Comments (5)

laurief_gw
16 years ago
Several options come to mind.

You could feed the cats scheduled meals in separate rooms rather than leaving their bowls down all day. You can slow down Frank's rate of consumption at mealtimes by placing several clean rocks in his bowl.
The rocks should be heavy enough that he can't shove them out of the bowl, but light enough that he can move them around to get to the kibble. Having to move the rocks to get to his kibble will force him to slow down his eating.

You could switch Frank to a calorie-dense food like Innova Evo that would allow you to feed much smaller quantities. Less food bulk may be easier for his stomach to handle.

You could feed Frank on a raised surface NOT in your kitchen or diningroom - on top of your washer or dryer, perhaps, or on a bookshelf or dresser? If Chloe really can't jump a baby gate, you could use that to separate her from Frank's food.

You're certainly not in an impossible situation. You just need to make adjustments to accommodate the needs of your felines.

Laurie
alison
Original Author
16 years ago
The baby gate was the only thing I could think of, and it's not a great solution. If it's tall enough to keep Chloe out, it will be an annoyance for me, and I go in and out of the kitchen about a billion times a night!

I'll try the rocks. Hoepefully he'll assume his bowl is full of food when he walks by, and it won't trigger the panic eating. (He was a stray for an unknown period of time before I got him, and I think an empty bowl looks like the end of the world to him.) It seems to be the speed with which he eats that that's the problem, not what he eats.

Failing that, I may end up putting his bowl on the dresser!

As a side note, the problem only began a few weeks ago, after she got her first taste of Petromalt (for hairballs) She went nuts over the stuff, and began begging for it all the time. And shortly after that, she began skipping her food for his. Coincidence?
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You know, I think someone could make a LOT of money if they could make the following gadget: a cat food bowl that has an electronic sensor (probably triggered by something in the cat's collar) that would open up when that specific cat got a foot or two away. And then would close when the cat walked far enough away.

Not a flip up lid -- those are too likely to bop the cat in the face. But perhaps a spiral-top that opens circularly (if that makes sense).

I swear, if someone made that, they could be rich. How many threads are there in this forum about people trying to find ways to feed two or more separate cats?
alison
Original Author
16 years ago
I'd buy that!
moonbyte5
16 years ago
I have a dog door that only opens for my dogs' collar - it couldn't be that hard to make a cat bowl the same way! :-)

I'd buy it too, if my Bengal weren't such a terror. She'd still try to knock my other cat away and steal it, or sit there all day and paw at it lol!

I've finally had to just feed them in separate rooms. The Bengal gets put in the master bathroom and my other gets the roam of the house at night. They are having a hard time transitioning, but I feel sure this is healthier for them in the long run.

Feeding cats seperately -- all day long?

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laurief_gw

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Feeding cats seperately -- all day long?

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laurief_gw

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