Any tips on feeding two subborn cats different diets, and helping them not fight?

So this thread is for 1) Feeding two cats different diets and 2) How to help them get along better. 

So have two cats, they are litter mates, so sisters- 9 years old next week. They had gotten along really well, but have the normal minor dominance issue back and forth here and there, but nothing crazy. Well, until one of them (Alena) developed feline congestive heart failure. Now (I guess) she overcompensates by being really defensive when the other kitty (Rachel) gets in her space by hissing and growling and swatting- probably because she doesn't feel good/feels vulnerable. Now they're fighting. I even woke up 2 days ago and found fresh scratches around Alena's eye

To add to complicated matters, Alena started throwing up for a few days- she was even throwing up water. Which is very bad because she's on a lot of diuretics. Vet said to put her on a chicken and rice diet, so I did. (It's worked so far, thank goodness.) The only problem with that is that is trying to get Rachel to eat normal food, and not have Rachel eat Alena's chicken and rice.

I've tried to feed them separately before, they just won't do it. Before this I was trying to give Alena more wet food because she's losing weight. And Rachel is overweight so you can see how I didn't want to contribute to that. It became such an ordeal I finally gave up and allowed them both to have it.

Well now with the chicken and rice thing I'm just really frustrated. I don't leave the dry food out so Alena won't eat it. When I feed her I have to lock Rachel up in a room so Rachel won't bully Alena away or eat half of her food. (If I try and scare/take Rachel away it scares Alena away too, much to my frustration.) I tried locking Rachel in a room with the dry food while Alena happily eats her food, but Rachel won't eat while she's locked up. The best I've been able to get to is short periods of time (usually only once a day) when Alena is sleeping deeply and putting the food bowl back were it was before. The Rachel will eat and I can take it away when Alena gets up.

I know the chicken and rice thing is temporary, but I may have to deal with it in the future if her stomach gets upset again. Also would be nice to figure out how I could give her more wet food without giving it to Rachel.

But now they're even more upset at each other because of this whole food thing which they both seem to deem as unfair And they're both even more upset because they don't have the "food security" of free feeding. To add another layer, they now both have feline acne and do not like having their chins cleaned. And Alena, who was THE BEST kitty ever at taking meds now fights me on taking them. I use to just say, "kitty medicine time!" and she'd go to the couch and lay down and wait to be pilled and take it without any fuss. Now it's like she was when we started again. (And I have the bite marks to prove it.)

So they both basically hate me at this point. Alena always sits beside or with me and now she's sitting and sleeping on the other couch. She won't even come sleep with me like she always does. Now they're taking each others favorite spots in another dominance display (or something).

I tried using the Feliway diffuser, but we're in a really old house, and the wiring doesn't like it. It starts to smell like burning plastic 10 minutes in. (I know it's not the diffuser becuase we moved not long ago, and the diffuser worked great in that house. My husband is an electronics technician and says that's what's up with that. We've had other electrical issues here too.)

I tried spraying the Feliway spray but that just stresses them out becuase they associate it with car rides (the move and vet visits). Plus it's really expensive to be using all the time anyway. I tried using flower essences, that didn't work. I tried buying kitty hiding beds and either of them refused to use them. It's not like we're in a small apartment anymore either, we're in a big house. So they have lots of room to run around and avoid each other but they don't.

Just feel like I'm at my wit's end over here and could really use some advice. And I suppose I needed a bit of a rant too. Sorry for the wall of text! Thanks for reading

I don't understand why you don't feed BOTH of them a wet food.  Rachel is overweight and dry food is NOT good for overweight cats, so why insist she eat it?  It is packed with calories and carbs and doesn't do anything positive for them.  I agree with the cats, the food thing is totally unfair.  You can probably find a good canned food that is perfect for both.  Abound grain-free turkey & giblets is available at Kroger, and 4Health grain free turkey & giblets is available at Tractor Supply.  In addition, all the of the PATE varieties of Friskies, Fancy Feast and Sheba are high in real meat and low in carbohydrates and thus better for them.  Read the labels and compare with what is in the dry food and perhaps you will see that there's more meat and hardly any carbs (grains and veggies) in the wet food, and that's what your fat girl needs.

Red Top Rescue said:

 
I don't understand why you don't feed BOTH of them a wet food.  Rachel is overweight and dry food is NOT good for overweight cats, so why insist she eat it?  It is packed with calories and carbs and doesn't do anything positive for them.  I agree with the cats, the food thing is totally unfair.  You can probably find a good canned food that is perfect for both.  Abound grain-free turkey & giblets is available at Kroger, and 4Health grain free turkey & giblets is available at Tractor Supply.  In addition, all the of the PATE varieties of Friskies, Fancy Feast and Sheba are high in real meat and low in carbohydrates and thus better for them.  Read the labels and compare with what is in the dry food and perhaps you will see that there's more meat and hardly any carbs (grains and veggies) in the wet food, and that's what your fat girl needs.

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Honestly we just don't have the money to feed them wet food all the time. Especially now, we've dropped over $4k on Alena's medical fees just since March. It's to the point where my husband has told me that if Alena needs an ER stay again we have to say goodbye, we are in over our heads. I am disabled and can't work, so money is really tight. I feed them Blue Wilderness dry food, and usually wet food (also Blue Wilderness) once a week for a treat. Believe me, I'd have them on an all wet food or even raw if I could remotely afford it.