Feeding 2 (grazing) cats separately, without MCat stealing little M's food.

[RubbishMantra]

MCat is a dry food refuser. Went mental for Butcher's classic when introduced him to it. Little M tried it, but now ignores it. Loves Applaws dry.

I prefer to get as much water into them as possible, and ordered some Animonda Rafiné Soupé, which Little M was lapping up. MCat came wandering out of the kitchen, mid-way through eating his Butchers, and because he's the alpha, little M just let him have his lunch, even though he was clearly enjoying it.

How do others deal with stopping their cats nicking each other's food? They're both grazers - it would make life so much easier if they inhaled their food.

[Potentialmadcatlady]

No idea but if you find out the answer I will be reading! I also have a dog so I have to feed cats on kitchen worktop to stop him eating their food.. The cats occasionally eat some of his dry as a treat to themselves if they in the mood!

[cozietoesie]

You can buy Sureflap pet feeders which open according to microchips. They cost an arm and a leg though and I haven't seen reports of how they work in practice.

[TimeIhadaNameChange]

• Is Little M actually smaller than MCat? If he is, could you put his food somewhere MCat can't get to? (My thought is to put a stair gate across a doorway, if he could get through the bars but MCat can't, but there are other ways of rigging something up)?
  

• A couple of timed feeders, so that they get access to little but often?
  

Leave some Applaws down for Little M sio that there's something for him, but try and make sure he has some of the Soupe whilst you're there (and can fend MCat off)?

[TimeIhadaNameChange]

Sureflaps are brilliant! I've got one as we our house used to be invaded by a neighbourhood Tom, who'd follow my cat in and spray the house liberally. Since we got the Sureflap he's not been able to get in.

[RubbishMantra]

Hmm, forgot about Sureflap feeders, Cozie. And I wonder if Little M would take to it. An expensive mistake if he doesn't.

MCat's a much stockier cat than little M Time, so a stair-gate could work...but it would mean keeping them separated all the time, as they're grazers. Unless I feed little M in the spare room with stair-gate?

I fear that MCat would still get Little M's food with timed feeders - he'd see Little M eating and saunter over. I fed them simultaneously, as usual, but MCat could obviously smell something new and interesting in little M's bowl.

I keep the Applaws topped up all the time, and the last time Little M went to the vet she said he was at the top end of the weight scale for his breed, (Devon Rex). He's small but wiry, whereas MCat is soft and slightly squishy. So might be able to ooze through the bars of a stair-gate.

Thanks all, you've set the brain a-ticking.

[TimeIhadaNameChange]

If Little M can get through a stair gate then surely all you have to do is put his food in the room with the stairgate across the doorway, so that he can go in there when he wants food, but come out when he wants company?

Hope manage to sort something out. I've only had single cats so never had this problem (though did have a house-rabbit who'd help herself to the cat's food!)

[cozietoesie]

I've always done the feeding in very different places - just the way it worked out really. (Just as well, as it happens, because Seniorboy would have peed on The Lodger's nosh if he could. Sniggering all the while. )

[Potentialmadcatlady]

Does your vet know about Devons? Because I know I was very surprised at how heavy the ones we met were- they much heavier than they looked and I was told that a heavy set chest was standard? I asked my vet last time we were in if she knew much about them and she said no and there wasn't many around so she looking forward to meeting my one..

[Potentialmadcatlady]

That made me laugh Cosie...

[RubbishMantra]

Potetential, no she doesn't. She kept insisting he has ear-mites and trying to charge for ear-mite tests and selling exactly the same ear-drops that can be bought online for half the price. Poor DH used to come home with bagfulls of stuff we already had, but the chain of vets I go to are very good at upselling. Apart from that, they're very good.

They get dark brown wax in their ears, normal for Devons. Just need cleaning once a week with warm water and an ear cleaning wipe. I use Refresh'rs, and maybe the drops once a month.

They have barrel chests like little bulldogs don't they? Apart from when they sit upright, front paws together, then it becomes a saggy old man's chest.

[Kerberos]

We have a similar issue. OldCat on a special diet. YoungCat shouldn't eat the special diet. They like to swap :)

I'm here for tips too!

[Potentialmadcatlady]

RubbishMantra.. Yes to barrel- couldn't think of the word.. And bulldog sounds just the right word to describe them too...not massively looking forward to cleaning dirty ears but she is used to getting them done and her nails clipped so I will just get on with it when she comes! ( and avoid the vet telling me she has ear mites!)
I have one greedy dog who has a sensitive tummy so dry food for him... One cat that has a tendency to put on weight and one who is too skinny and needs to put on weight plus he has kidney problems so wet food with water is a must..plus a kitten on the way...going to be fun!

[RubbishMantra]

The ear cleaning isn't too bad. Little M doesn't struggle or bite, he behaves like a kitten would to mum-cat. He 'll just sit on my lap, and get on with it. Might have a bit of a grumble. Oh, and he got what looked like little black-heads between his toes when he was little, but if I tickle his pads, he splays his back toes out so I can clean between them with a water based baby wipe or Refresh'r wipe.

This is the one my vet encouraged me to buy, the packaging is yellow and white now, not the old silver packaging. Exactly the same as the one at vet's, yet quarter the price.

Not long now is it before your little lass joins your family? Can't wait for the photos! What colour is she? And have you thought of a name? we were going to call our boy Moses, but when we met him changed our mind, and he's now named after a very obscure musician.

Right, I shall stfu now, I could talk about devons forever! Anything you need to ask me though, don't hesitate.

[Potentialmadcatlady]

No set name yet...decided to wait until we have her here and get to know her...comes in about a week...she's creamy with tiger stripes ( don't know posh name)...lots and lots of toys have been purchased to add to the ones already here...apparently she has a grumble when getting her ears done too! I think it must be a Devon thing!
We haven't sorted out your feeding issue!

[cozietoesie]

Very separated feeding stations in the first instance, I reckon. The Sureflap feeder might work well but Mantra is right - if it doesn't work, it could be an expensive mistake.

[RubbishMantra]

I've put their feeding stations in separate rooms Cozie, and tried to secretly give Little M his Refined Flappy Soupy or whatever it's called, but MCat came barging in from outside. Funny that, because he can't hear me calling him in for curfew... MCat's very used to getting his own way.

I have a feeling MCat will now refuse anything but Flappy Soup (complete food, not supplementary), and the stockpile I have of Butchers shall be dropped off at the local cat shelter. At least it's nowhere near as expensive as that Gourmet cat soup, which is just a supplementary.

Potential, you might find this website useful. Your girl sounds like a tabby Devon, which I think are the most beautiful Devons. The colours in their coats are amazing, because you see the undercoat too, not just the guard hair, so you get a sort of smoky looking coat.

[cozietoesie]

The Gourmet soup did not go down well here - either with Seniorboy or my CC. I might just try the one you mentioned.

[RubbishMantra]

They Looove it Cozie. for now . But have a look at the ingredients in case SeniorBoy is intolerant to any of them, ie. gravy vs jelly. Zooplus are very good at listing what they contain. Have you got a hand blender, to whizz it all up for him, so he can just lap it up? With a touch of added cooled boiled water? (It has kitten sized chunks in it - not actually the size of kittens, but you know what I mean.)

I find it strange, that as a country of 'animal lovers', other European countries produce better cat food than we do.

[cozietoesie]

Seniorboy makes like an elegant aristocrat but, in reality, appears to have the constitution of an entry-level Massey Ferguson. (He's actually lactose tolerant, for example.) I'll see how it goes.

[RubbishMantra]

It's getting worse. Fed in separate rooms, but as soon as MCat hears Little M lapping at something, he has to investigate, leaving his own food which he was tucking into happily. And I'm now feeding them the same bloody food! It's like, I'll have your food now, and save mine for later.

Both are regularly wormed/flead , neither underweight. Applaws dry left down all the time, which Little M seems to prefer anyway, but I'd like him to at least have a choice in the matter!

I've ordered some Orijen.

Am I stressing too much?

[RubbishMantra]

Aristos seem to have a cast iron constitution. It's like they believe they're immune to fly germs/eggs.

I stayed at DH's parent's for a month, and ran myself ragged taking stuff off the Aga, covering it up, and refrigerating it. During fly season, right in the middle of the crunchyside.

They would eat stuff that had been on the top warming plate 24 hours later.

Seems to have strengthened their immune systems though, in spite of fil having to take 'special medication' to stop his runny mum.

[RubbishMantra]

*...Bum, not mum.