How To Feed Two Cats When One Overeats? (Solved!)

How Do I Get My Cat To Stop Eating My Other Cat’s Food?

There are a few methods you can use to keep your cat from eating your other cat’s food. The first is to introduce timed feedings. When you give your cats a certain amount of time to eat, they won’t have the time to eat each other’s food.

It may take some time to transition from free feeding to timed feeding. Your cats will likely whine and beg for food. You need to ignore them. Set up a time to feed them. Taking the amount of food that they need to eat during the day, split it up into two or three meals a day.

Then give them a set amount of time to eat it. Once they’re done, pick the bowls up if they’re not empty and put them away.

Another method is to use the same strategy above except to place the two bowls in separate rooms. You should train each cat to learn which room belongs to them. This can be helped by placing their own litter box in the room with them.

The cat will come to associate that room as being theirs. The food you give them is also considered theirs. You still used the timed feeding strategy. Both cats should have a set amount of time in which to eat their food. After 30 minutes, for example, you should remove the bowls if they’re not empty.

A final method is to place the bowls at different heights. This only works if one of your cats is unable to climb well. They’ll be less likely to climb up to the bowl. This extra obstacle may be all it takes to dissuade the cat from eating from the other bowl.

How Do You Feed Multiple Cats When Overweight?

If you have several cats and they’re all overweight, then you need to figure out how much each one should actually be eating. Talking to your vet can help determine this. Write down the amount and recipe of the food that each cat should eat in order to help them lose weight.

Then use different bowls for each cat. You can even use colored bowls to help you remember which bowl belongs to which cat. Fill each bowl with the prescribed amount of food necessary for their weight loss goals.

Then use one of the strategies above. In this instance, placing the bowls in separate rooms is likely the most effective strategy. When each cat associates the room as its own, it will understand that the bowl belongs to them. Putting them in separate rooms can also help you close the door and keep them inside until the others are finished eating.

Once everyone is done, or the time is up, you can release all of the cats together.

Why Do My Cats Eat Each Others Food?

The primary reason a cat eats another cat’s food is because of its survival instincts. When presented with food, a cat feels as though it needs to eat it to become strong. It also likely worries that it won’t receive another meal. Although you know this isn’t the case, the need to survive is embedded in their DNA.

Cats will eat food in order to gain some weight to survive starvation should they have to miss a few meals.

You’ll often witness acts of bullying between your cats when one starts to eat the food of the other. They may fight over it. Or if one of your cats is more submissive, then it may just demure to the other cat and leave.

Keeping the bowls separated, and perhaps the cats, too, can help prevent bullying.

Another reason your cat may be eating the other cat’s food is that it’s trying to display its dominance. Cats, like dogs, are territorial. If one cat wants to prove to the other that it’s the boss, then it may eat its food as a display of dominance and aggression.

Even something as innocent as curiosity may be the reason your cat eats the other cat’s food. It may look, smell, and taste the same, but the cat may think that it’s different. It will eat the food in the hopes of finding a tastier treat.

How To Transition Multiple Cats From Free Feeding

Transitioning from free feeding to timed feeding is easy. It just requires discipline on your part. Here are a few steps to follow.

Step 1: Separate Cats into Different Rooms

To make your timed feeding successful, you need to separate your cats. Otherwise, they’ll try to each other’s food when you do feed them. Designate which room or area belongs to each cat.

Step 2: Feed Them

Once it’s time for them to eat, you should feed each cat and allow them to eat for a set amount of time. 30 minutes is usually more than enough time for them to eat what’s in their bowl.

It’s also important that you split up their meals into two or three meals. Free feeding usually means they eat whenever they want. You need to control how much they eat by taking the recommended amount by your vet and splitting it into multiple meals.

Step 3: Remove Bowl If Not Empty

At the end of 30 minutes, you need to remove any bowl that isn’t empty. It doesn’t matter if they’re still eating. They’ll learn that they need to eat during the timeframe that you give them. If they don’t, then they don’t get fed.

Step 4: Ignore Whining

The hardest part is going to be ignoring their whining. They’re going to think they’re being starved. They’ll whine, beg, and be a general nuisance. You need to stay disciplined and stick to your feeding plan. They’ll get it, eventually.

Should I Use A Microchip Pet Feeder For Two Cats To Keep Them Separated?

Both methods work well. If you don’t mind spending money, then the Microchip pet feeder can be a great choice. The feeder will only open when your cat is close enough to it. You’ll just need to make sure that your other cat doesn’t bully the other one way once the feeder is done dispensing its food.

If your cat does bully the other one, then keeping them separated may be a better option for you.