People With Two Cats, How Do You Keep Them From Eating Each Other's Food?

[saleri]

So I have a 24 week kitten female, and a 14 week male. I've had the 24 week kitten for almost 3 months, and the male for almost 2 weeks. They get along okayish, they still fight a bit too much. The main problem for me now is getting them not to eat each other's food.

I feed both 4 times a day and leave food for them out overnight. Both aren't exactly greater eaters. The female I usually have to persuade with finger or pushing her back to the bowl. I usually can get her to eat it all in half an hour. But the male is much harder, since he resists and mostly just licks his food. He'll eat off my finger, but still not enough.

Now that I give both free roam, the female keeps wanting to go to the male's food, and when the male goes for the female, she hisses. Normally this isn't a problem when I keep the door locked, but when I let them out, I can't watch them at all times.

Thoughts?

 

[Kieka]

For meals where I want to make sure a certain cat eats a certain food, I supervise the meal and shoo away someone going for the wrong food. Really that just means Nightfury because he tends to gobble his food and nudge the other two, while they don't nudge others out of a bowl.

Food that is left out for free feeding is left out to be freely eaten by whoever passes by. Short of getting a microchip feeder or setting up food behind microchip doors that limit access there really isn't a way. Unless the food is something someone doesn't like. With my household Rocket has a specific treat only she likes so I can put it down, the boys will sniff and then she can eat.

 

[furmonster mom]

Leaving food out for free feeding is counter-intuitive to meal time feeding.
Free feeding allows them to eat anytime, which means they will most likely not be hungry at "meal times".
If you want to do meal times, don't leave food out for them to snack on all day/night.
If you have separate foods for each of them, then meal times are a necessity. Feed them a certain amount at certain times, and pick up the food after 15-20 minutes. They will soon realize that they need to eat on the schedule you set. Separate foods means separate rooms; my cats each have a bathroom or bedroom to themselves at meal times.

 

[saleri]

Leaving food out for free feeding is counter-intuitive to meal time feeding.
Free feeding allows them to eat anytime, which means they will most likely not be hungry at "meal times".
If you want to do meal times, don't leave food out for them to snack on all day/night.
If you have separate foods for each of them, then meal times are a necessity. Feed them a certain amount at certain times, and pick up the food after 15-20 minutes. They will soon realize that they need to eat on the schedule you set. Separate foods means separate rooms; my cats each have a bathroom or bedroom to themselves at meal times.

I mean kittens should have food at all time, when they both get older I'll enforce a stricter policy but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing this to them until their at least one years old.

 

[saleri]

For meals where I want to make sure a certain cat eats a certain food, I supervise the meal and shoo away someone going for the wrong food. Really that just means Nightfury because he tends to gobble his food and nudge the other two, while they don't nudge others out of a bowl.

Food that is left out for free feeding is left out to be freely eaten by whoever passes by. Short of getting a microchip feeder or setting up food behind microchip doors that limit access there really isn't a way. Unless the food is something someone doesn't like. With my household Rocket has a specific treat only she likes so I can put it down, the boys will sniff and then she can eat.

Yeah I do the same, but I can't monitor them all the time. Like I'm at work right now and I just saw on my security cam the older female cat eating from the male cat's food.

 

[furmonster mom]

I mean kittens should have food at all time, when they both get older I'll enforce a stricter policy but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing this to them until their at least one years old.

Not even kittens should be eating 24/7.
You can still set meal times for them, just let them eat as much as they want in the 20 minute time frame. If, as you say, you are feeding 4 meals a day, and they are allowed to eat as much as they want each meal time, it should balance out just fine.

 

[saleri]

Not even kittens should be eating 24/7.
You can still set meal times for them, just let them eat as much as they want in the 20 minute time frame. If, as you say, you are feeding 4 meals a day, and they are allowed to eat as much as they want each meal time, it should balance out just fine.

Mmmm, may try it. But what if they both start losing weight? Their both a bit on the thin side.

 

[Timmer]

I agree with furmonster. They will quickly learn when the food dishes go down, this is when we eat or we lose. It's going to bother you to do it the first day or two but they will catch on fast. Trust me. I had to do this when training my two cats years ago and they got it and ate when the bowls went down. No one starved.
Give it a shot. And don't leave food out overnight.

 

[saleri]

I agree with furmonster. They will quickly learn when the food dishes go down, this is when we eat or we lose. It's going to bother you to do it the first day or two but they will catch on fast. Trust me. I had to do this when training my two cats years ago and they got it and ate when the bowls went down. No one starved.
Give it a shot. And don't leave food out overnight.

Is this a common tactic? I haven't read about this anywhere before.

 

[orange&white]

I didn't free-feed the kitten I raised last year. She got a lot of meals per day with more food than she could eat so I knew she was eating all the food she wanted. I picked up food after 1/2 hour. As she got older, she got fewer meals per day, but always more food than she wanted until 1 year.

My senior cat was on a weight-loss diet while I was raising the kitten. The kitten ate in the bathroom and the senior ate in the kitchen. I'm now feeding a 3rd cat inside, who started as a backyard TNR feral. She eats in the second bathroom. They're all over 1 year old now. I cater 3 meals a day to 3 separate areas and shut doors. They all finish their meals in 5 minutes or less and the doors get reopened. If anyone isn't eating, I'll leave them in their "private dining room" up to 1/2 hour, then pick the food up until the next meal time.

 

[EmmiTemmi]

Is this a common tactic? I haven't read about this anywhere before.

Absolutely a common tactic. My boys were on scheduled meals at 6-7 months old. It made a world of difference too. They know their meal times now, and since the food is only down for a short while I'm able to step in if my bigger boy has finished his food quickly and is trying to get at my smaller boy's food. When that happens I push the bigger boy away until the other is done. (I used to shut him in another room for food time, but for some reason I stopped...)

Cats catch on pretty quickly to meal times. And like Timmer said, no one starved.

 

[saleri]

Absolutely a common tactic. My boys were on scheduled meals at 6-7 months old. It made a world of difference too. They know their meal times now, and since the food is only down for a short while I'm able to step in if my bigger boy has finished his food quickly and is trying to get at my smaller boy's food. When that happens I push the bigger boy away until the other is done. (I used to shut him in another room for food time, but for some reason I stopped...)

Cats catch on pretty quickly to meal times. And like Timmer said, no one starved.

Huh okay. Thing is Lilo although 24 weeks old, is still very thin for her age. She's only 4.2 pounds due to a deathly sickness she caught on early in her life, and she still isn't at a good weight yet.

Also worried about Sawyer since he's recovering from a URI, and is probably a bit thin now, that and he is only 13 weeks old.

Would you say it's fine that I do this to both of them?

 

[Timmer]

Saleri,
Yes, I have done it and it works. It is a very valuable tool in training your cat.
It's going to bother you probably to do it and be difficult for you to do but they will learn very fast to eat. And remember, you are not giving them less food, you are just controlling when they eat it.
If you are worried then perhaps wait until your Sawyer is over his URI.

 

[saleri]

Saleri,
Yes, I have done it and it works. It is a very valuable tool in training your cat.
It's going to bother you probably to do it and be difficult for you to do but they will learn very fast to eat. And remember, you are not giving them less food, you are just controlling when they eat it.
If you are worried then perhaps wait until your Sawyer is over his URI.

Yeah just don't want them to start losing weight again. Thanks! Just curious are there any articles on this cause I honestly never heard of this before.

 

[orange&white]

This article suggests switching from free-feeding to scheduled meals between 4-6 months.
Feeding Your Kitten: Kitten Food and Treats Basics

 

[saleri]

This article suggest switching from free-feeding to scheduled meals between 4-6 months.
Feeding Your Kitten: Kitten Food and Treats Basics

Thanks!

 

[orange&white]

How Often Should You Feed Your Cat? | Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

(Has a section on feeding kittens scheduled meals, plus a section on the pros and cons of free feeding.)

 

[Furballsmom]

There is also a automated food bowl that has a chip activated door that flips open when the cat with a corresponding chip on a collar tag comes near. You could try that. Good luck!

 

[Timmer]

I googled "switching from free feeding to timed meals" and a lot came up.

 

[1 bruce 1]

We used to free feed (Adult cats) and there was an uproar when we stopped, but with 24 weeks and 14 weeks I doubt they're used to the all you can eat buffet enough to cause an issue
If it makes you feel better, offer food a LOT, just small meals. If you're feeding 4 meals now and would feel better offering 5 or even 6 (or 4-5 plus a bedtime snack, etc.) I say go for it.
The little girl might not be eating well because she might be grazing, I would want her to gain weight as well! But it will be much easier to know exactly HOW much she's eating if dry food isn't available overnight with two cats; you won't be sure exactly whom is eating what and how much, etc.
(I think back to free feeding and yeah, it was WAY easier, but now I know *immediately* if someone turns away from their food and can take action, and I know whom is eating how much, etc.)
Good luck! It must be so fun having two kittens at once!
<---a little jealous