Feeding two cats together.

[jhinesis]

So my boyfriend moved in with his cat in late summer. I already have a cat of my own and they learned to get along together just fine. The problem is that my boyfriend's cat came here quite overweight(she was free-fed as much as she wanted) and she is a real porker when it comes to food. She will literally eat all of her own food, go eat my cat's food and then try to eat all of the dog's food and then beg for human scraps! She has lost a healthy amount of weight since moving here--vet says she looks good--as instead of free-feeding her, we are offering her a specific amount of food each day, much like what I do with my own cat.

My cat is the opposite of my boyfriend's cat. She is always lean, never really seems too concerned about food and does not even eat her full portion of pre-measured food each day. Not to mention they are both eating different brands of food--I feed Wellness, he feeds Purina.

My concern is that we will probably be keeping them together in the same quarters in the near future(they get along great), and I'm concerned that my boyfriend's piggie cat will eat all of the food allotted for both of them and 1) get fat again and 2) not let my cat get enough since she doesn't seem to prioritize eating the same way, 3) get diarrhea from eating the other brand of food.

Is there anything we can do other than I suppose, separating them at mealtime?

 

[rad65]

Seperation during mealtimes is the only tried and true method for this. Lots of members on this site have to do that for RX food or if they have a fatty.

There are some fixes that use an RFID chip and an automatic pet door mounted to a box (you put the chip on the skinny cats collar, and the food box will only open when they are within one foot of it). Those pet doors can be expensive though (like $85). Honestly, other than seperation or an expensive RFID door, there's not much you can do. Unless... is there any place your skinny cat can jump or get to that the fat cat can't? That would be the only other thing I can think of, seperation through athleticism.

 

[xocats]

Due to food sensitivities, my two cats must eat different food.

"The grass looks greener on the other side", even to cats.

Turn your head and then look back, they will be eating each others food.
The consequences of that for us, are not pretty...
pudding poo.

I agree with the others -
the only way to be sure they do not each others food is to separate them during meals.
It's a hassle but I have not found another solution.

 

[my4llma]

Other than to stand there and watch them eat yourselves, you might have to seperate them. I've seperated Luna and Midnight during meals before. Might even have to go back to doing that because Midnight will finish, push her out of the way, and eat hers. 1 of us is always there to watch and make sure that doesn't happen. Once Midnight finishes we carry him away, so he doesn't even see Luna finishing her meal.

 

[carolina]

Can you transition the cat on Purina to the better food, and serve pre-measured amounts for both?
They would eat the same food, so there wouldn't be a problem with diarrhea, and you would have control over the portions...
I have 2 cats with food sensitivities, and 4 cats in the household... They all eat the same dry food. One of them eat a different wet food in a different place of the house.

 

[jeanne38]

I have the same issue

My cat Barbra I got from an owner who free fed dry all day and was out of his studio apt for 14 hours a day.The cat was 18 lbs when i got her. AFter some research and theVet vist .We transitioned her from dry to wet food fed smaller meals three times a day( i work.. thank Goodness hubby is retired) We have had her for 9 months and she now weights 14 .5 pounds.and she is four years old

She eats anything I put in front of her..no surprise there

We recently rescued another cat .. Gracie who very lean, a year and a half.. we followed all the suggestions about a slow scent first , visual etc introduction and now the cats get along well.BUt

Feeding is challenging

in the am i am up getting ready for work i feed them now side by side, different bowls of course , the same food.

If Gracie walks away , Barbra ( Streisand lol,noI didnt name her..) goes and finishes her bowl as well as her own.  I dont want her gaining any weight back and I am afraid Gracie wont eat enough

I am trying to convince my husband that feeding them at separate stations on opposite sides of the kitchen. seems to work better for me, Has anyone else tried this.. ?

I cant stagger feeding times. I may have to try feeding in a closed room. one of them.. but which one?

Would love thoughts.

thanks