worlds collide: meal feeding and introductions

Change for everyone (cats & people) is very stressful and I appreciate all the posts everyone has put up here.

I have a plethora of challenges over the next few weeks and would appreciate anyone’s feedback on my approach and possible suggestions. I’ve read many posts but it is very overwhelming.Situation:

• Annie (4 YO) – only cat since day 1. Spoiled rotten. Extremely picky eater. Has always free fed dry food (3/4 cup split in 2 meals) supplemented with ¼ can of canned food as “snack”. Only likes one flavor of one brand canned food. Eats throughout the day, rarely finishes all her food. An independent personality, cuddles when she wants and is stubborn in all aspects that you can think of. Maintains 10.4 lbs.

• Buckley: (1 YO) – wandered into our lives 3 weeks ago under weight and starving. Voracious eater. Will eat anything at lightning speed then ask for more. Gained 2 lbs in 3 weeks – now 8lbs. Laid back, playful, talkative, cuddles, always claims to be starving.  

• Introductions between Buckley and Annie started but then we had a bad couple days. Annie hid, refused food and stopped going to the bathroom for 3 days (Not refusing the litter box.. she didn’t go AT ALL for 3 days).…  so intros have ceased the past 5 days. In that time Buckley was neutered and Annie got back on track. We have maintained segregation.

From reading several posts I came to the conclusion the introductions may go better if we were on a meal feeding plan vs. free feeding. I also feel like it may keep Buckley from gaining too much weight from overeating; given what I can only describe as a food obsession.  So I have started a gradual meal feeding plan. My goal is to get them to a schedule where they are being fed twice a day with a treat here and there. Then once I get there, we can start introductions during feeding time.

Annie is going to be my challenge:

• She refuses any canned food other than the one brand & flavor she has deemed acceptable. Friskies Indoor Saucy Seafood Bake.
• she grazes. If you have ever tried to get a child to eat brussel sprouts, this is the attitude in which Annie has taken towards all food since day 1. It may take me weeks to a month(s) to get her on a meal plan. In the meantime I’m concerned about keeping Buckley in his “safe room” for however long it takes to get Annie onboard with her meals, without working towards integration. I’m not sure about how to do both at the same time. Previous introduction sessions, Annie refused ALL food & treats she was given and avoided being near Buckley. (She was free feeding then).  

This is where we are in this adventure:

Day 1 and 2 : Each got a ½ (5.5 oz can) in the morning and again in the evening. I sprinkled a couple pieces of dry food on top mostly to entice Annie. Annie still grazed over the food through the day but all food was eaten by both parties.  (It was Annie’s favorite flavor) Buckey got a couple extra snacks since he was convinced he was starved. Annie is aware Buckley is in the safe room but avoids getting too close to the door.

Day 3 – I put down a different “flavor” of canned food down in the morning. Annie snubbed it. Buckley scarfed it down in record time. I didn’t give in and left for work. I left the food there hoping Annie will reconsider.  

As far as Annie's feeding: Should I focus on limiting Annie's feeding time and take up any uneaten food?  Or should I be focusing on getting her to expand her palate and food flavors? I feel like I'm trying to focus on too many objectives and I'm not sure what my priority should be.

Are there any steps you suggest as far as introductions that we could be doing during this time when we're transitioning to meal feeding?

Personally, I don't think you should try to integrate AND change up her feeding schedule/food at the same time.  Any ONE of these things can be pretty stressful, and trying to do it all at the same time is, IMHO, only going to make it harder on everyone.

When I integrated "the boys" into the household, we were free feeders too, and one of the boys was a little piggy as well, so I know where you're coming from.  What we did was just used a tiny bit of tuna or just Temptations at "meal times" (when we wanted to get them together) to get them to associate good feelings towards each other.   Then the boys had their kibble in their safe room, and the resident cats had their kibble outside the safe room.

AFTER integration (which took FIVE LONG MONTHS because my Callie didn't like them at all), then we switched to scheduled feedings, switched to all canned food, then switched to raw. 

Thank you for the advice. You're right. I'm trying to do too much at once. I think I will go you're route and go back to free feeding separately and use "snack time" to do introductions.
This is the first time I've had to do an introduction process. My previous cat I had for 18 years never cared about newcomers. I could bring a new cat straight in and as long as they respected her personal space she showed no signs of distress. When thy crossed her 2 ft invisible line she would give warning and it was usually enough to teach any newbies the rules and who wrote them.

Do you have any advice on what milestones or clues to look for as to when I should proceed to the next step in introducing Annie and Buckley?

Why don't you start up a thread in the Behavior Forum about Integrating them, but in the meantime, have you read this article?

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats