Written by Cole Rodriguez
If you have multiple cats, you know that feeding time can be challenging. Preventing your cats from eating each other's food is crucial to creating a pleasant feeding environment for everyone. Here are some tips on how to feed multiple cats in your home.
Why feeding multiple cats is a challenge
If you have more than one cat, you’re lucky if they both get along during feeding time. When this isn’t the case, feeding multiple cats in one home can become a challenging and stressful task. Many issues can arise from feeding more than one cat, and the solutions are dependent on how your cats act. Reasons feeding multiple cats can be a challenge include:
- Cat aggression: Cats may become aggressive towards one another when feeding. The competition or tension between cats while being fed can lead to harmful interactions.
- Food stealing: When you feed multiple cats, they may steal cat food from each other. In close quarters, food stealing is an inevitable occurrence. Food stealing could prevent your other cats from getting sufficient nutrition to stay healthy.
- Feeding anxiety: If your home is busy, your cats may be shy, anxious, or stressed because of it. If you have an anxious cat, they may not feel comfortable eating with other cats and abstain from eating.
- Different diets/medication: When feeding multiple cats, you need to determine if they require different diets or nutrition, as well as if any cats require medication. These factors mean your cats must eat separate meals to prevent the consumption of the wrong substances or food. It’s crucial cats don’t eat each other's food when they have separate diets or are on medications.
- Eating speed: Every cat eats at a different pace. Some rush through their meals, while others take their time and even leave to finish their food later. This could cause problems with cats that eat at different speeds. If one eats fast, they may eat the cat food of another cat who takes their time. It's important to try to distract or slow down fast eaters to prevent this from happening.
Identifying feeding issues in multiple-cat households
Cats that are aggressive or territorial can cause problems with cat feedings. When a cat is territorial or aggressive, they may force other cats out of the area while they, the dominant cat, eat their food. This whole process is not healthy for any cat, as it creates stressful situations and may lead to malnourishment or obesity.
If a cat is uncomfortable or stressed, they may not eat—so it’s crucial to recognize if you have a cat that is territorial or aggressive. Once you identify these behaviors, you can work to prevent the future altercations between your cats and their food.
How to feed multiple cats
Feeding multiple cats can seem like a complicated task if you have felines that interfere with each other's feeding process. The goal is to understand how to keep cats from eating each other's food. This is a roadblock that can be fixed to maintain a peaceful and pleasant cat home.
The first step to preventing your cats from eating each other’s food is to separate your cats at feeding time. We’ll be explaining everything you need to know about how to feed cats separately.
Multiple cat feeding stations
When cats compete for food or steal food from each other, it’s usually because they share one food station or food stations are too close together. The best solution is to separate the feeding locations for all of your cats. A single cat feeder for multiple cats forces close contact while feeding; giving your cats their own space to eat is not only a more comfortable experience for your cats, but it also eases the impulse to steal from or compete with another over food.
The best cat eating spots are quiet, low foot-traffic places in your home such as:
- Bathroom
- Backroom/sunroom
- Guest bedroom
- Quiet hallway
- Basement
Place feeding stations in separate areas of the house, out of sight from each other. This may mean placing them on separate floors or on opposite ends of one floor. When deciding how to feed cats separately, the goal is to keep feeding areas out of sight from other cats—and multiple cat feeding stations allow your cats to each have their own space.
Different meal times
Learning how to feed cats separately can take some trial and error. One effective way to prevent competition between multiple cat feeding stations is to implement different feeding times for each of your cats. If cats are eating at the same time, it may lead to territorial behavior and aggression.
If you use separate times to feed your cats, this will prevent your cats from feeling the need to compete for food. When one cat is fed early and another is fed late, one cat will always be full when the other is hungry, creating a more pleasant feeding environment.
Many cat parents leave dry kibble out all day for their cats to eat at their leisure. However, if one of your cats is stealing the other’s food, it may be best to take away the food after feeding time is over. Leaving food out all day can prompt other cats to disregard their eating schedule, so you may find it useful to remove the cat food once your cat has finished their single sitting.
Slow feeders and cat puzzles
If you want to get creative or provide a way to entertain your cat while they are eating, slow feeders and feeder puzzles are great options. Distracting your cats while they eat is a very effective way to keep them busy and prevent competition while feeding.
A slow feeder or feeder puzzle for cats that eat fast will keep them occupied while allowing time for slower-eating cats to finish their food. You won’t have to worry about stealing food if your cats are distracted while eating.
Automatic cat feeders
When feeding multiple cats, another great option for meal times is to get an automatic cat feeder. Automatic cat feeders can deposit food in small amounts over a period of time to slow down cats when they eat.
Whisker’s Feeder-Robot is engineered specifically as a hands-free alternative to feeding cats. Feeder-Robot has a built-in timer that automatically deposits food into your cat's bowl at a specified time. It also measures the exact amount of cat food you want, in ¼ or ⅛-cup increments, so there is no hassle measuring.
If you’re looking for a multiple-cat feeding station, Feeder-Robot can allow you to separate feeding times with the automatic timer and provide the right amount of cat food for each of your cats.
How to help a cat lose weight with multiple cats
Getting just one of your cats to lose weight might feel like an impossible task, especially when one keeps eating the other’s food. So how can you help a cat lose weight with multiple cats? Rest assured, there are options!
Try environmental modifications like the following:
- Feed your slimmer cats on a high surface, such as a counter or shelf, that your overweight cat is unable to jump to.
- If the slimmer cats can jump a baby gate while the overweight cat cannot, use this barrier to block off the room(s) with the food part of the time.
- Use a hook and eye closure to open the door to the room(s) only enough for the slim cats to enter, not the overweight cat.
Ready to bring pet technology into the equation? Try a cat flap or pet feeder that is activated by your cat’s microchip or special collar.
Feeding your cat: The basics
How much should you feed your cats and how often should you feed your cats? To determine how much and how often your cat should eat, you need to consider a few factors. Every cat is different and that will allow you to recognize the procedures for feeding your cat.
Factors to consider when feeding your cat:
- Cat age
- Cat weight
- Cat breed
- Cat food/diet
- Cat medical conditions/medications
- Cat activity levels
- Indoor vs outdoor cats
How much should you feed your cats?
When it comes to how much food to feed your cat, the general rule of thumb for healthy adult cats is to consume 20 kcals per pound of cat. This means your healthy adult, 10-pound cat should eat 200 calories a day. Vets recommend approximately 1/4 cup of dry food twice a day for adult cats, and approximately 1/4-1/2 can of canned food as a snack.
However, if your feline is extremely active or a large breed of cat, they may require slightly more calories. Furthermore, if your cat has a medical issue or needs medications, it’s best to consult with your vet about diet specifics.
How often should you feed your cats?
In general, adult cats are typically fed one to two meals per day. Kittens, on the other hand, usually require more frequent feeding, often three to four meals a day, due to their higher energy requirements for growth.
Feed and clean for your cats
In our opinion, the easiest and most efficient way to feed multiple cats is to get a cat food dispenser like Feeder-Robot. This automatic cat feeder supplies select amounts of food at specific times to allow for a hands-free option for feeding your cat. This way you’ll never miss feeding your cats, even if you're out of town!
Our Litter-Robot 4 Connected Home Bundle provides a self-cleaning litter box—Litter-Robot 4—and Feeder-Robot at a discounted price. This way you’ll save both time and money.
Keep an eye out for our other discounted bundles (especially during Black Friday) as well as our active Litter-Robot promotions.
