Two Cats Feeding Problem

I have two tabby cats. I have had them both since they were kittens, one is 5 years old and the other is 3. They get a long good with each other, except for the occasional cat fight which can get pretty loud sometimes but they don't hurt each other. I have never had a problem with feeding them together until I noticed something about a week ago. Sometimes Simba (the smaller, younger cat) will hiss and claw at Jake (the bigger cat) while they are eating like he hasn't eaten in days. Jake sometimes gets scared and will back away, while the other cat eats his food. I find it kind of ironic because when they are fighting Jake is usually the one who is in control.

Should I start feeding them separately or is there anything I can do to fix this problem?

Thanks,
Kevin

I feed the cats that horn in on the other's food in a separate spot. Muddy and Koko get the utility room, Scarlett gets her spot on the counter, and Stumpy is fed in the dining room. The rest get a group spot in the kitchen. I also stand guard over Stumpy as he has no teeth, has special food and is fed smaller amounts more frequently than the rest. I have actually trained the other cats to sit politely around him until he is finished. If they interfere, they get put on the floor. If they sit quietly, they get to lick the bowl when he is done. It took a while for them to do this, but it eventually worked. Being polite pays back.

I suggest that you put their bowls further away from each other first to see if that helps. Stand guard over them and stop Simba if she goes after Jake's food. Then reward her when she doesn't do it. Cat's will go after the reward once they learn that they will get it.

IMO every cat should have their own bowl. For now I'd get separate bowls and feed them in their own room. That way you can monitor how much each is eating. If one cat is eating the other's food, you're gonna have a fat cat in a short time - its hard to take off the weight.

Charlie and Ling eat on the one counter downstairs - in separate bowls - they know their own bowl too. Sometimes they might eat out of each others if one leaves, but that's rare.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

I feed the cats that horn in on the other's food in a separate spot. Muddy and Koko get the utility room, Scarlett gets her spot on the counter, and Stumpy is fed in the dining room. The rest get a group spot in the kitchen. I also stand guard over Stumpy as he has no teeth, has special food and is fed smaller amounts more frequently than the rest. I have actually trained the other cats to sit politely around him until he is finished. If they interfere, they get put on the floor. If they sit quietly, they get to lick the bowl when he is done. It took a while for them to do this, but it eventually worked. Being polite pays back.

I suggest that you put their bowls further away from each other first to see if that helps. Stand guard over them and stop Simba if she goes after Jake's food. Then reward her when she doesn't do it. Cat's will go after the reward once they learn that they will get it.

Click to expand...

thanks a lot for the advice.

What are some examples of rewards I could use?

For rewards, maybe moist cat treats or freeze-dried pieces of chicken (like the Halo Live-a-Littles treats). My cats go crazy over the freeze-dried treats and they are healthy too.

Feeding them in seperate rooms would be a very simple solution though if it doesn't work. I do this with my 2 cats. I have a spare bedroom/office that has a litter box and water and that's where I feed Matilda now. That way Matilda doesn't eat Chloe's high-calorie kitten food and Chloe doesn't eat Matilda's food. (They always seem to want what's on the other one's plate, so typical )

Originally Posted by fatcat27

What are some examples of rewards I could use?

Click to expand...

Rewards in my house are often a "good girl!" or "good boy!" with extra scritches and loving on them. They know what this means.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

I have actually trained the other cats to sit politely around him until he is finished. If they interfere, they get put on the floor. If they sit quietly, they get to lick the bowl when he is done. It took a while for them to do this, but it eventually worked. Being polite pays back.

Click to expand...

We have one anorexic slow eater and two hogs, and thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s pretty much what I have to do too. There is no aggression around food but unfortunately the skinny guy will not stand up, and if big brothers nudge into his cup he will just assume his dinner is over and leave.

Now Killeâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s biological brother Ossi has already learnt (with occasional lapses in memory) that he is only allowed to take what Kille leaves behind – not harass Kille off the plate. New bro Teppo is now in training and he is the most terrible hog, I think I am going to have to be harder on him than I was with Ossi. By now he knows he is not supposed to poke but is barely able to sit and wait. Matters are made so much worse by the fact that Kille is such a dreamer when he eats – he takes his time and munches every niblet with passion.

I think I will need to start rewarding better. Sometimes Kille does not leave much for the big brothers to make it worth the wait. I am thinking of giving Feline Greenies in Killeâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s cup for the big boys if they wait nicely. Kille does not like them anyway, so he will leave the dish, and that part gets reinforced. Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s no fair to tell them to wait nicely till Kille is finished and then there is nothing left!