Keeping the cat out of the dog food

I think the title says it all.

Nuts wasn't eating like he was supposed to, he was eating very little so I gave him an appetite stimulant pill that I have from Attitude(she never used them she crossed the bridge before she was even given the first one.) My vet isn't open until Mon and I didn't want to wait and see since I don't need a cat in liver failure. Well, it worked too well. Now he keeps trying to eat the dog food. He has his own food(I just put more food into his bowl even though it wasn't really that empty) and he's eating it just fine but he keeps trying to sneak over to eat Dexter's food. This is obviously upsetting Dex since it's his food(he won't do anything to the cat, he's still afraid of him.)

I'm sick of yelling at Nuts and I've had to get him by the tail a couple(like 3 times) to pull him away from the bowl. It doesn't hurt him and I only did it because it was the closest thing to grab and I'm not pulling hard. Me yelling(raising my voice in a stern tone, not truly yelling) at the cat is also upsetting the dog who I don't think knows his own name. He keeps looking at me like 'what did I do?'

I have no place I can put the dog's bowl where the cat can't reach it, and even if I could it would obviously no longer be within the dog's reach. Dex isn't eating that great so there is food in his bowl and I haven't started switching his food yet so it has Purina One in it so it's filled with crap. I just tossed Nuts in the bathroom for the night. He has food, water, a litterbox and a bed so he has everything he needs for the night. I just need a longer term solution for this since he has been randomly grazing out of the dog's bowl for a few days now. The cat is also crying from the bathroom so he most likely will not end up in the bathroom for the night since no one wants to listen to the cat cry. Like I said he has plenty of cat food so it's not like I'm starving him and all he has to eat is the dog food(which isn't good for him anyways.) The dog seems to graze so I have a feeling he might not be a huge eater in one sitting, but he also might be just adjusting to us and just isn't eating that great for the moment(he's eating, just no where near an entire serving a day.) He's eating enough to have wicked gas though.

So, how do I keep the cat out of the dog's food while still letting the dog have access to his food? Like I said seeing the cat at his bowl eating(they willingly share the water bowl) is upsetting Dexter and I'd rather not have any issues over this. I doubt the dog would do anything but I'd rather not find out either way. Please help me.

Taryn

Don't leave food down all day and go to scheduled feeding times where you can be there to supervise and be sure that the cat stays out of the dog food. It's really the only solution that ensures the dog eats his food and the cat eats his.

There are training issues with free-feeding dogs. He should be on a meal schedule. If you put his food down and pick it up after 15 minutes, he'll learn really fast that he has to eat when it's offered or not eat at all.

Haha, my dogs' food doesn't last 10 seconds! I couldn't free-feed any of them even if I wanted to.

I realize that this isn't a funny situation yet your post made me laugh anyway, especially the part about the dog being scared of the cat! Smart dog!

Like the others said, free feeding dogs isn't in their best interest. Give him windows of time in which to eat then take the food up. I'm a professional pet sitter and I often find that animals eating habits change when their owners travel. This means that sometimes I have to encourage them to eat. Once you get them started, dogs often keep going. To get them to start eating, I'll break up a dog treat and sprinkle it across the top of their food. They'll eat the treat and then just keep eating the food. You can also use chicken broth, hot dog pieces, gravy, etc. You don't need much, just enough to get them going.

If you need other suggestions, message me and I'll be glad to help in anyway I can. I think I've seen it all when pet sitting!

Originally Posted by Willowy

There are training issues with free-feeding dogs. He should be on a meal schedule. If you put his food down and pick it up after 15 minutes, he'll learn really fast that he has to eat when it's offered or not eat at all.

Haha, my dogs' food doesn't last 10 seconds! I couldn't free-feed any of them even if I wanted to.

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Absolutely correct! Free feeding a dog creates behavior problems for them. Give him his meal and pick up his bowl if he hasn't eaten it in 15 minutes. He will not go hungry.

He finally ate everything in his bowl and he's not getting more food until tonight at dinnertime. As I said I know he is still adjusting so he might have not been eating much at first. He seems more comfortable here.

After having Attitude drop over half a lb in a week going from free to scheduled feedings I'm not too keen on doing that. I know Dex won't die or suffer any ill effect but Attitude would of rather starved herself than eat when I said it was time to eat. Abby was the same way, until she went blind(food response) she ate at her own pace(and she too was stubborn, she didn't care if the food went up and half the time refused to eat when the bowl went back down.) Even if I was all for it Paul reuses to do it, just as he wouldn't let me put up the cat when we weren't around(or were sleeping) to supervise Nuts and Dex.

I guess a few hours in the bathroom was enough(he dashed when Paul opened the door to pee)since he hasn't bothered Dex's bowl much since.

I'm hoping Dex eats more at meal times now so I don't have this issue. Honestly if it didn't bother Dex I would let Nuts snack on the dog food given he was eating enough cat food.

Nuts is free fed, his bowl is on the kitchen counter so the dog can't get to it

I have never had a problem with a measured free fed dog. I'm not just willy nilly filling the bowl, he gets fed 1 1/2 cup of food 2 times a day. When he finishes it that is it until his next feeding time.

Taryn

1 1/2 cups of food twice a day sounds like a lot... unless I'm reading that wrong and you feed 1 1/2 cups total split up into two meals. It could be that you're feeding him too much food which is why he's not finishing it (self regulating) and is gassy (too much food). We feed our dogs on a schedule but Leiki's food is out all the time. I fill it once a day, if she finishes it early then she doesn't get more until the next time she's to be fed (I fill it at night before we go to bed). Her food is up so the dogs can't get to it, but she can. When the dogs were free fed we had problems with weight gain, going to the bathroom inside, gas, vomiting and diarrhea, they were also little monsters to train. Now we use parts of their food for training through the day (thin strips of meat) and they get their main meal in the evening (PMR). My boyfriend was all for free feeding but I eventually got him to go to a schedule and now he agrees that it was a better idea.

We lock the dogs in the bathroom when we feed them, I don't want Leiki to get in the middle of their eating because they can both become food aggressive if another animal messes with their food - including each other.

Dogs generally won't starve themselves, I've only ever heard of one case where the dog was literally on death's door and it was a unique case (it would only eat chicken legs and would starve itself if given dog food or something else). They may put up a fuss at first and not eat for a day or two, but after that they grudgingly agree.

For a reference point as to how much you're feeding - my dogs are 11lbs and 18 lbs. The 11lb has an average metabolism and activity level, she would get about 1/3 c of food per day, split into two meals when she was on kibble. The 18lb has a high metabolism and activity level, he would get 3/4 c of food per day, split into two meals plus treats throughout the day to keep weight on him, but he's also almost ALWAYS on the go. In the summer they both get walked nearly 10km a day, their food was increased slightly because of that, in the winter they both refuse to walk because our area is heavily salted and it hurts their paws, their food gets decreased slightly because of that as well.

It's easier to start them off on your schedule, or a schedule, right from the start than to cater to them and then change things once they get comfortable - not to mention less confusing for them. It would probably help loads with the gas and increase his interest in food.

This is a super easy fix. Do not free feed the dog. Put on a feeding schedule.
Right now I have dogs and a cat waiting to be fed patiently all together. Works well!

Originally Posted by Taryn

After having Attitude drop over half a lb in a week going from free to scheduled feedings I'm not too keen on doing that.

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Dogs don't have the same issues with food that cats do. My mom got a dog last summer from a home that had always free-fed her, and it took a while to get her to eat when her food was put down. But now she Hoovers it down in 10 seconds. Dogs won't starve themselves, unlike cats.

Well, I found the main issue. The rescue has us feeding him too much food, in fact twice the amount he should be getting. I wrote down exactly what they said so they accidentally doubled the amount when they said what to feed him.

He is eating about 1 1/2 cups of food a day(not counting the mouthful of cat food he steals just about everytime I take him outside for a walk when the feral's food is out) so he is self regulating. 1 1/2 cups is the bare minumum for a dog his size(about 25 lbs according to the rescue but I think he might weigh more than that) so I might have to tweak that up a little depending on how much he eats and what his weight is at. Of course I have also doubled the amount of time he is going to spend before I can transition him to better food. I wouldn't have bought a 15 lb bag if I had known he needed 1 1/2 cups a day instead of 3 cups. I should have used my head and realized that Abby was eating about 3 cups a day and she was around 70- 80 lbs. He has to go and get chipped so I might ask exactly how much to feed him when that happens.

I'll start with giving him 3/4 c of food twice a day tommorrow and see if that fixes the issue. I'll start taking up his food(and hiding it from the cat, where I have no clue, he can even open cabinet doors) if reducing it doesn't make him eat it all in one sitting. He eats everything in sight except his food, so frustrating. I swear the cat would be happier if I fed him dog food and the dog would be happier if I fed him cat food(I am going to say that for obvious reasons that will never happen.)

He hasn't had any behavior issues, and he certainly doesn't potty in the house

So issue might be fixed, if not I will fix it.

Taryn

Dogs are way different than cats when it comes to food and eating. Dogs can go without food for extended periods with no ill effects, and often do in the wild. It is not natural for dogs to have food available all the time and graze on it throughout the day. A few set meal times per day are much better than free feeding for multiple reasons including for their digestive tracts...
Purina has a lot of fillers so he may require more food on that than he will if/when you switch to a better food. However companies like Purina also tend to suggest rather high amounts on the bag, so dogs may also not need as much food as they suggest. I've found the best way to figure it out is to start by feeding the lowest suggested amount on the bag for your dog's size, then monitor their weight. If their weight stays steady it's fine, if they lose you up the amount a little and if they gain you lower it.
My terrier mix was 25 lbs of muscle and he ate 1 cup a day of high quality food (low grains, higher/quality protein, no fillers.)

Originally Posted by Nekochan

Dogs are way different than cats when it comes to food and eating. Dogs can go without food for extended periods with no ill effects, and often do in the wild. It is not natural for dogs to have food available all the time and graze on it throughout the day. A few set meal times per day are much better than free feeding for multiple reasons including for their digestive tracts...
Purina has a lot of fillers so he may require more food on that than he will if/when you switch to a better food. However companies like Purina also tend to suggest rather high amounts on the bag, so dogs may also not need as much food as they suggest. I've found the best way to figure it out is to start by feeding the lowest suggested amount on the bag for your dog's size, then monitor their weight. If their weight stays steady it's fine, if they lose you up the amount a little and if they gain you lower it.
My terrier mix was 25 lbs of muscle and he ate 1 cup a day of high quality food (low grains, higher/quality protein, no fillers.)

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Agreed.. My vet will allow a dog to fast for 48 hours cat only 12

I have a VERY active 15-17lb 3 yr old dog who get s 1 cup a day in 3-4 meals

Yep, definately don't free feed your dog. Not only can your cat eat it, but it can cause bloat in your dog.

Are you by chance putting something tasty in there that attracts your cat to go after his food??

Totally agree with Willowy! all about training issue concerning meal schedule for your pet.

No, nothing on the food, just straight dog food.

He took his time with his morning meal(and I fell asleep while he was eating) but it didn't take long(maybe 30-45 mins) for him to polish it off(at least what Paul said, as I said I fell asleep.) His 'dinner' was gone without him taking so much as a breath. So with the right amount of food he's clearing his bowl withou an issue. He has also learned if he leaves it the cat will snack on it(it wasn't even down for 5 mins in the morning before Nut's was going over to his bowl to eat Dex's food.)

I also had to give Nuts a sturdier bowl for his wet food so he would quit sharing it with Dex, he was pushing the bowl we were using for his wet food(disposible bowls) off the counter and Dex was enjoying Nuts' food. I gave Nuts Abby's(old english sheepdog) old bowl(Abby ate 3 cups of food so 1 1/2 cups twice a day so it isn't a huge bowl) and put the food in there. I used her old water bowl outside for water for the outside cats as it was too huge to use inside. I grabbed Abby's old stuff because I needed her old 15 ft training leash to walk Dex as I didn't like using the retractable leash because there were times I needed more control and you can't touch the line the leash uses, but with the training leash I can grab the leash whereever to control him.

So everything is looking good and I think Dex picked up on it without me even having to try, it was about feeding him the right amount of food instead of too much.

Taryn

Hehe, my dogs would have just eaten the extra and been thankful for it, and I wouldn't have noticed until they blimped out. . .LOL. But Dex is a good boy and wants to keep his figure . And a little competition never hurts either ("I don't want my food. . .but that cat isn't gonna get it!"). Glad to hear he's settling in.

I have a dog Kitsune and 2 cats . Shaku and youppi. Youppi is very selfish. I try to not free feed but they leave the food hanging. Kitsune is not eating and it's scaring me. The cats have full range everywhere. Youppi is the one that concerns me the most. Shaku you will have no problem with. Scheduled feeding well. He still will not be excited for food and the food is expensive. So yah the youppi will have food upstairs and its full but he's clambering for Kitsunes food downstairs. Youppi will never be full because he wants to eat when I'm around