Hi everyone, I'd really welcome input and thoughts on this.
We have always had single cats in the past, but recently adopted a pair, so they'd keep each other company. They were described as a “Bonded pair” by the rescue and had been there just a few days. One previous owner, four years old. Both chubby. I'll call them Tabby Boy (TB) and White Boy (WB)
We provided our spare bedroom, two litter trays, two food bowls. They used the same litter tray and also ate together that first day: they would exchange bowls back and forth.
TB had a touch of flu, was sneezing when he ate and spitting a bit out. We had to give a pill daily but it's not not clear he ate it apart from the first day as he always left a little food. I also had to wipe his eyes, which were running, so he got a lot of attention at first. He soon recovered anyway. Even when sick he was always checking out house and interacting with us, playing.
WB – ate and checked the house on arrival, then went into “shutdown” for several days when he barely ate, slept a lot. We worried as someone was using the litter tray they'd selected but of course we couldn’t tell if it was both of them.
Then after a few days he started eating more, interacting, was seen in the tray, to my relief. He now sits on laps, sleeps in our bed, plays, purrs, shows stomach. His brother is super-friendly too – shows his stomach, talks, plays – but doesn’t come into bed or laps.
After one week both cats came to get us up one morning and led us down to the kitchen – so we felt they were ready to eat there. Each had had a small amount of food there previously too, when they were exploring there and we tried out the spot our previous cats ate in.
They have always left a lot of food – they seem used to grazing and eat a bit in the night. We had to take them to the vet nurse for a second vaccination, and both he and other experienced cats owners said this modest appetite was fine if they were using tray, not vomiting or unwell – they can both lose some weight. Both have indeed, and WB is heavier, but has lost more.
But this week TB has started going straight to the bowl when food is put out and starts to eat. WB hangs back. When you put a bowl under his nose he starts to eat, but his brother then turns round and tries to eat from the same bowl – and WB goes off (whereas at first in their spare bedroom they used to eat together, interchanging bowls). I tried to feed WB back in the bedroom in case he was nervous of the kitchen, but TB even came up there before we could stop him, Yesterday evening I picked TB up and carried him downstairs which upset him and he hid for a while. Today he hissed at WB when food was put out. We are not sure which one is eating it in the night.
Feeding them separately is not an option if one is following the other and they aren’t eating all their food at once. We do wfh some days but can’t always be around to give small amounts every few hours.
Am I over-reacting to this? I am upset and am worried that our house has somehow broken their bond.
Our previous cats always ate all their food when it was put down, and I naively assumed we'd have the same thing now but just with two bowls.
Any advice, good people?