Feed them at different areas in the room If you don't have multiple rooms available, try to separate the cats by placing the food bowls as far apart as possible within one room. If the bowls are directly next to each other, one greedy cat can quickly stick their head in their neighbour's bowl without anyone noticing!
Give Each Cat Their Own Food Bowl - They Don't Want to Share! Although having cats share a bowl is often easier, saves space, and creates fewer dirty dishes, there are so many reasons cats need their own bowls! Eating separate is instinctively how cats eat most comfortably.
Cats should eat at least two meals each day, about 12 hours apart. But a breakfast, lunch, afternoon, dinner, and right before bed schedule is an equally great option. If more than 12 hours elapses between meals, the stomach can become hyperacidic causing nausea.
Cats aren't social eaters and it can create stress to be close together during meals. Even the best kitty friends may feel more comfortable with a little space between each other while eating. Sometimes the best solution is to feed in separate locations.
Try feeding each cat in a different room, putting their food bowls far apart or separating eating spaces with a barrier like a baby gate, trash can or chair.
Separate Food Bowls for Each Cat
Veterinarians and cat behaviorists agree that giving cats their own food bowls is best. In the wild, cats eat and hunt alone. They are wired to be protective of their food. Forcing cats to share bowls at home may result in cats eating too quickly, guarding bowls, or fights.
Follow this simple rule: one box per cat, plus one extra. So if you have two cats, you should have three boxes. Making sure everyone has their space can help ease elimination issues. Some owners prefer a hooded box, but some cats don't like them.
Common advice for introducing cats is to encourage them to eat together and it is considered a sign of a positive relationship when they do so.
Jealousy over the presence of another cat is very common. All cats have different personalities, and some will be made insecure and display jealousy more easily than others. It is important to watch your cat and observe their cues and triggers.
So, can cats share a litter box? If you have multiple cats, they may be comfortable enough with each other to share the same litter box. However, there are several reasons, including territorial behavior, why some experts would advise at least one extra litter box in your home.
Does wet cat food go bad if left out? The answer is that when left out, cat food can quickly grow bacteria. This bacteria can be harmful and can lead to digestive issues for your cat. Not only that, but when you leave wet cat food out, it will congeal into an unappealing texture, and your cat may not eat it anyway.
The ideal height for a raised feeder is the cat's knee height (approximately 4” to 6”); this eliminates the need to lift up the head while eating or drinking.
"If a cat can maintain his weight, free choice feeding is okay," says Dr. Kallfelz. Even dry food left out for your cat to free feed needs to be fresh, so be sure to provide new food each day.
It's often a strong feline motivator, so it makes sense that cats tend to enjoy the company of those who regularly feed them. The person who gets up every day and feeds the cat its favorite kibble is going to be in the running for the cat's favorite person.
Some cats definitely do better when they eat the same thing every day. Reasons can vary from diet-responsive health problems like inflammatory bowel disease or food allergies, to a more generic “sensitive stomach” that rebels to change, to extreme finickiness.
Select a feeding location away from the water bowl.
It seems logical to put your cat's water and food bowls in the same place. However, in the wild, cats search for food and water separately.
So, can cats eat tuna? Tuna is not nutritionally balanced and should not be fed as a large part of your cat's meal plan. Even giving canned tuna as a treat can lead to health issues, especially if it is given in large amounts or frequently.
Short answer: yes. When their needs for companionship are not met, cats can become depressed. They can also get separation anxiety. Unfortunately, feline separation anxiety often goes unnoticed until it becomes severe.
How can you tell if two cats are bonded? If you are unsure of whether cats are bonded, there are some things to look for. These include enjoying playtime together, and also sleeping next to each other. Other bonded behaviors include rubbing their bodies and faces against each other, and eating food at the same time.
One of the main reasons two felines will lick each other is to strengthen the bond between them and show affection. They are also making sure their companions smell familiar.
Cats that are bonded sometimes show sweet displays of affection toward each other, like grooming. They'll lick and bite each other, clean the other's fur, and spend a lot of time making sure the other cat is purrrfectly clean. This type of grooming is a good sign—it means your cats are friends.
If the animals are free-roaming, such as cats and dogs, sharing a water bowl is fine if both pets are comfortable with the arrangement. Regardless of whether pets share a water bowl or not, it is important to take steps to keep the water safe and sanitary.
And when they are doing something as private as elimination, sharing the same litter box can be stressful for some cats. Ideally, a multi-cat household should have the same number of litter boxes as the number of cats, plus one extra box; in other words, for two cats, there should be three litter boxes.
Cats can share a litter box but that should be a choice they make. Forcing them to share could result in aggressive behaviour and litter box aversion. The best thing you can do is to give each cat its own litter tray. If they decide that they want to change where they go to toilet, they have somewhere to go.