Best way to change feeding schedule?

Couldn't decide if this belonged here or in Behavior; mods please move if necessary!

Today is my last day working until midnight. Tomorrow I get off at 9pm, I'm off work through Monday, then start a radically different schedule on Tuesday. I'll be working 7am to 4pm. The cats currently get fed at 12pm and 12:30-1am but that will be shifting to about 6am and 6pm with my new schedule.

Since I have a buffer of 4 days starting tomorrow, is there a good way to transition them to the new schedule with minimal upset? We just got over a bout of horrible food aggression caused by upset in their routine at Christmas (basically screaming non-stop, climbing onto the counters, and attacking me to get to their food while I prepare it... btw we feed canned) and since I just got the peace back I'm so scared to disrupt it again.

Is it better to go cold turkey on Tuesday so they only have to adjust to one change, or should I shift the times earlier over the weekend, maybe tomorrow 10am and 10pm, 9am and 9pm on Saturday and Sunday, 8am and 8pm on Monday?

Personally I would try the gradual change since it's the weekend.  A friend of mine is going through similar problems with his, and he even leaves dry down in between but they get a little crazy about their canned food times.

Would an auto feeder help in the transition?

If it was me, I'd do gradual as well. That being said you know your kitties best so go with your gut feeling

Raintyger said:

 
Would an auto feeder help in the transition?

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I've considered this before; practically speaking I can't see it working, even if I had three of them. Though I'm still open to the possibility! What we may try to do is supplement with a very small amount of dry food to help them feel a little bit more full. 

parsleysage said:

 
I've considered this before; practically speaking I can't see it working, even if I had three of them. Though I'm still open to the possibility! What we may try to do is supplement with a very small amount of dry food to help them feel a little bit more full. 

Click to expand...

Perhaps you could try the frozen food trick, then. Freeze the food and let it thaw while you're away. I don't know how long it takes to thaw, but a lot of people have the pet sitter do this when they leave for vacation and the sitter cannot come more than once a day.