Talk to me about automatic feeders for multiple cats

[SittingRoomTiger]

I bought an automatic feeder for my cat earlier this year and it’s been life-changing - no more weighing his food (he’s greedy and would otherwise overeat) with a miaowing beast getting in my way. He gets fed regularly without effort, and after a few weeks stopped begging me for food because I was clearly no longer the source!

It was bliss. Then we got a kitten.

She, too, is really greedy and was putting on weight too fast so it’s now being rationed. She’s also now able to reach the automatic feeder.

There are automatic feeders available for multiple cat households that are microchip operated, ie each feeder opens only for that specific cat. Do you have one, or something else for multiple-greedy-cat households? What’s your experience been?

How old is the kitten? I free fed mine until he was a year. Then he settled into 4 pouches a day.

14 weeks. She went from 1 kilo to 1.5 kilos in 3 weeks between vaccinations and the vet was alarmed and told me to keep an eye on how much she eats. Everything else appears fine and she’s been wormed; it would seem that she just really loves her food.

Oh she’s still a baby just feed her, she’ll go through a gangly leggy phase after this.

You can’t diet a kitten. If I was growing that fast I’d eat all the time too.

I’m going to stick with my vet’s advice, thanks all the same.

Anyway, I’m hoping to find someone with knowledge of automatic feeders for multiple cats. Anyone out there?

4 cat household here. Microchip feeders (and catflap) are a godsend.

You'll probably have to train the cats to use them but it really reduces food anxiety and means those who don't eat so quickly don't miss out.

Also useful for when one needs medicine or is nil by mouth.

We have one for each of our cats. Definitely worthwhile although you can’t set it to dispense food at times intervals. You put the food in and they can access it all at once.

Like a PP, I'm really shocked that a vet has advised you to ration for food for a 14 week old kitten - they should essentially be free-fed at that age. Mine is two weeks younger and gets whatever food he asks for, really. He's currently on 3-4 pouches a day plus some biscuits. My older two get WAY less - a pouch a day each plus biscuits.

I don't really like automatic feeders as I want them to learn food comes from us - we just feed the kitten separately for now.

Thanks for all the responses.

tbh the kitten weight thing was a bit of a red herring; even without that, I can’t free feed her because my other cat will just eat all her food. He DOES need to watch his weight.

@Growingoutthegrey @Theforeverhome which feeders do you have?

I’d love to find a feeder like my current one that measures the food itself, but that doesn’t seem to be an option for the microchip feeders (gap in the market!)

We have the surechip/sureflap ones. Not actually aware of any others on the market! But they aren't automatic, I prefer to feed ours twice a day as it helps building a routine (IE it means we can get them in at night and they'll sleep afterwards!)

In fact, surely an automatic wouldn't work with a microchip unless the cat knew the exact moment to unlock it.

Thanks @Growingoutthegrey ! Yes they do look like the only ones around. It’s been so hard to navigate the whole thing.

My idea for an automatic feeder would top up the food (in measured portions) at intervals during the day. The cat would hear the dry food rattling into the bowl (my feeder also has a recording of my voice calling him for food; it’s weird to hear yourself calling from the next room I must say). The cat then eats and comes back later for any leftover food, which is what mine used to do before miss kitty came on the scene.

Ok but that kittens going to know what hunger feels like a lot.

Vets can be wrong too just like human HCP.

I can’t free feed her because my other cat will just eat all her food. He DOES need to watch his weight.

All kittens should really be free fed but that doesn't mean you need to leave food down all the time, just that you need to feed them whenever they ask.

Well, she doesn’t ask really. Presumably she’s never had to wait long enough.

Feeding requires shutting the two cats in different rooms, otherwise both will eat the food in question until it’s gone. If he has a choice, the adult cat prefers kitten food. A mouthful or two isn’t a problem, but for various health reasons he really should stick to his own food for the most part.

FWIW I’ve cared for cats for over 40 years. Of course there’s always plenty more to learn but I do have a pretty good idea of what I’m doing. But cats are as different as people are; like babies, they don’t read the care books!

It's the same in our house so that's we do.

Kitten is fed separately and given kitten food plus bigger portions. If he asks during the day he gets an extra half pouch or some biscuits. He's fed four times a day at the moment.

Adult cats get fed twice a day plus free access to biscuits which the kitten can't reach yet. Once he can, he'll get less food at mealtimes and probably no more kitten biscuits.

It's not forever, once the kitten hits six months he'll be on the same schedule as the older ones.

For about the past 10 days our kitten has been able to get everywhere and reach everything that the adult cat can. So there is no grazing for either of them right now.

I’ve ordered one microchip feeder and we’ll try it out. The kitten won’t be chipped until she’s spayed at six months so we’ll have to see how that’s all going to work in the meantime.

I’m genuinely rather confused by a lot of the responses to this thread. I do appreciate your engagement cinnamon but I really came here for information on automatic feeders for multiple cats. Nobody is starving here. I’m not new to cat or kitten care, or to having multiple cats come to that. The kitten’s biggest problem is that I won’t let her attack my feet while I’m in bed and she’s not allowed to climb up the curtains. I appreciate that you don’t really like automatic feeders but I suspect that you also don’t have the health challenges I do. You really don’t know what my life is like. I’m not asking for advice on declawing!!!

Anyway I’m going to bow out of the thread now. Thank you.

Blimey, people are just trying to help you

Well I was trying help the kitten. Hunger hurts.

I have 2 cats and bought 2 of these.Cat feeder . I set them to open at the same time and then each cat goes to her own feeder.

Its not 100% as the time set won't be for the same time to the nearest second, but as mine have the same food at the same time it's not a problem if they both go into the same bowl until the other opens up.

Yep, same here

Kittens should be fed on demand, especially 14 week old ones!

I think the people that harp on about poor hungry kittens have never had one that eats and eats and eats... 🙄

We had the same with one of our two, one would eat everything in site and the other was a grazer, so grazer would end up with no food left. We got her a microchip feeder so we knew she was getting enough before monster ate it all 😂

Vet suggested implementing meal times rather than free feeding, and after an initial few days where monster would wolf it all down, he realised that doing so didnt make more appear and learned to regulate himself.

He doesnt beg for food, and as an adult cat regularly sleeps through dinner time because hes also a lazy bugger, and knows his food will be there for him when he wakes up.

Its not cruel, its just different cats

I’ve had a Bengal kitten. He was on 450g wet food a day plus treats all his life and had a “bowl empty” miaow that could wake the dead.

He learnt how to break into an auto feeder to get two breakfasts.

If it's any help I received a sureflap cat feeder yesterday which also included a tag to attach to a collar in the event that the cat didn't have a microchip. I still need to set it up for my senior boy who is also nervous and hope it's a success! My girl is on prescription diet but would eat any other food which is not an option. It's going to be a challenge but would also be a game changer if I need to go away and get cat care to visit.

@SittingRoomTiger and @GiseleDawn
How did you and your cats get on with the microchip feeders?
I'm thinking of buying one because I have 2 cats and one is overweight, but it's proving difficult to feed the other one - she isn't around often enough for me to just feed her when she's there and then take her food away.
They are both grazers but the overweight cat is around enough that I can give him 3 small meals a day.

Sadly in my case the automatic microchip didn't work as my cat refused to use and was losing weight and so I had to abandon the idea. My cat is a nervous boy and at nearly 14 he is unlikely to change. My other cat is on a special diet and have the job of having to feed them in different rooms - not ideal but no other solution foe now. I hope you are successful with yours but bear in mind that training can take up to 3 weeks.