I’ve got a bit of a situation here with two cats in a shared apartment. One is older and kind of pushy, always going for the other cat’s food, while the more timid one just backs off. This has turned into a problem since the pushy one is eating way too much and the other isn’t getting enough. How do we stop this?
I’ve tried the idea of setting up different feeding areas, but since both roam freely, it hasn’t worked. I also considered timed feeders that only open at specific times, but they don’t help when no one is around to enforce it - how would they even know it’s feeding time?
I’ve heard about feeders with microchip sensors or collar tags, which could be ideal. If anyone has tried these and found a model that’s good but not crazy expensive, I’d love to hear about it. Any advice or experience with this would be awesome. Thanks!
I got a timed feeder with a cooling ice pack to keep the food fresh, and my cats actually learned to anticipate the feeding time. They’d be waiting by the feeder just before it opened, and hearing that latch click got them so excited.
I also looked into facial recognition doors for pets – yes, they exist! They weren’t as pricey as I expected. But, that’s more suited for certain setups. I used sliding doors, adding a panel to block it when needed.
With a food-obsessed cat, my old roommate would just feed her cat in her room with the door closed. My cats were okay with sharing since they could graze whenever they wanted.
Have you tried sticking to scheduled feedings? You could put them in separate rooms, close the door, and wait until they’re done before picking up the bowls and letting them out. Might work if your cats don’t need constant grazing.
Or, like someone else mentioned, those facial recognition feeders are a game-changer if you can afford them. A bit more expensive, but probably worth it for the health of your cats!
I feed my cats twice daily and separate them by a closed door during mealtime. Timed feeders are tricky since you can’t control who eats from which one. There are also feeders that only open when a specific collar is close, which I’m considering. One of my cats, who’s older, could use the free feeding.
From what you mentioned, it sounds like the assertive cat isn’t yours, so you don’t have control over its feeding? I’d try feeding your own cat in your room with the door closed during feeding times.
We got creative and placed a bowl for our smaller cat on a tall bookshelf that’s 8.5 feet high. The bigger cat can’t reach it since he’s too heavy to climb up there!