Adjusting eating habits after introducing a second cat

[lkoidis]

My first cat became accustomed to eating when i came home and fed him at irregular times. He was happy with this and was rarely sick unless new food was i troduced, however now that I have a second cat, I have adjusted to an auto feeder, as my first cat never seemed to eat all of his portion so i assumed he would be fine woth an auto feeder. He seems to be fine eating from it however now he seems to eat whenever I interact with him, to the point that he sometimes becomes ill from eating too much. I cant seem to stop jim as no matter how far away i take him from the food, once he is primed to wat he finds his way. My second cat has been eating fine and seems happy but i am scared to put out portuons for the both and remove the auto feeder as my second may not get enough if my first eats too often. How can i change my cats eating habits, or change the way i fees them to somehow stop my first cat from overeating, without starving my second?

 

[moorspede]

You can't feed them when you are there? Two or three meals a day? I've noticed that people who feed their cats this way say they soon learn to eat all of their meal. They may be hungry while they get used to the new system but they won't starve. 

 

[lkoidis]

Yes I can, but i have a very irregular schedule. So my fear is that my second cat wont get enough as when i happen to be home for several hours at a time, my first will run to food each time we interact and may leave the second without, as she eats very slowly and mostly in private. I am more than happy to change my feeding habits, within the regards that i am often home only once a day (or more, never less), for about 3 (awake) hours.

 

[lkoidis]

I should clarify: i do have two oppoetunities per day to feed them, before and after work, so saying im home once a day is confusing im sure. So my biggest issue is not seperating meals but rather that when i am home and give affection to my first cat he runs to the food and i would have to refill their bowls. So naybe there is i way to train him not to eat from her bowl? Hes 13 now so im worried that will be tough. But im open to anything

 

[primal cat]

I would do away with the auto feeder. Feed the cats once or twice a day a set amount in separate bowls. Feed them away from each other. You can do this in separate rooms with the door shut. What they don't eat in 15 minutes, put away until it is time to feed again. Don't give in to begging 5 minutes later no matter how obnoxious. Don't pay him any mind while he looks for food. It will stop, and they will adapt. I can't keep a schedule at all, so my cats eat when I feed them. They eat separately to avoid competition, as two would love to steal if I let them. But I don't, and they're more relaxed for it. It also lets me fine tune their weight. Eating so much in your presence sounds like a stress response or insecurity. Don't make a fuss over meal times, which can increase tension and insecurity. Resources are of great concern to a cat, even when we humans provide enough. It's a simple fix if you just feed separately and ignore fits.