Feeding Multiple Cats

[suzan30]

This is not strictly a behavior questions but I wonder how to handle it. I originally had two cats and then each one had a tray in the kitchen with a bowl for dry food, and a bowl for the wet food they get twice a day. They share a water bowl in the kitchen and there are another two elsewhere in the house. Now I've added a third cat and the feeding arrangement has gotten chaotic. Sometimes all three cats are trying to eat out of one bowl of wet food, ignoring the other two that are available, and of course everyone eats randomly from any of the dry food bowls. Is there a better way of arranging things? Would it be better to have a large communal plate for the wet food? Is that healthy? Would the cats fight about access? A good part of my kitchen floor space is now given to the kitties, but they seem indifferent to my efforts to give each their own feeding stations.

 

[babiesmom5]

More cats=more chaos at feeding time! I have successfully dealt with 6 at one time, so my suggestions will apply to three.

The only way to successfully deal with multiple feeding situation is separation. You also have to feed at set times...and monitor. Free feeding will not work. Communal dining will also not work. It leads to fighting and stress.

In any group of cats, there is always a vie for dominance. One cat thinks the other cat is getting better food. One cat will leave his own food and check out the others. Some more submissive cats will just leave their own food and walk away, or they may go over to another plate and begin eating.

I always fed at set times...and in set places. Some were on the floor, with distance, chair, or another object separating them. One was on a center island. If a cat wandered, you had to herd him/her back. Cats are creatures of habit and they do learn quickly where their place is; in fact before feeding time, cats would get "into place". It's kind of like when you have a family, each person has a usual place setting and routinely goes there.

Whether you feed wet, or dry. You have to do it at set times and places. Free feeding (leaving dry food out all day) is not the best for cats digestive systems. Think of them in the wild...they kill prey, eat their fill, then go take a nap. They don't free feed.

Water bowls around the house is a good idea. Cats can choose which one they want to drink from at will. I hope you have several litter boxes around also. The rule of thumb is one per cat plus one extra to prevent problems.

I realize what I have suggested is more work and time. I hear you! It does work though if you apply it consistently...and you will have happier, healthier cats.

 

[suzan30]

Thanks for these thoughts. I do have 4 litter boxes, scattered around the house. Unfortunately, the kitties have a favorite box and everyone uses it. I have actually seen one of my boys ignore the litter box in the basement where he's been playing and go upstairs to use the favored box. Is this typical?

I do feed them wet food at set times (they wake me up for breakfast, and gather in the kitchen at dinner time!), but I worry they will get hungry in-between, hence the dry food. All three are young active neutered males about one year old and two are quite slender. I will try separating the feeding stations and see if that helps the chaos.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

Thanks for these thoughts. I do have 4 litter boxes, scattered around the house. Unfortunately, the kitties have a favorite box and everyone uses it. I have actually seen one of my boys ignore the litter box in the basement where he's been playing and go upstairs to use the favored box. Is this typical?

I do feed them wet food at set times (they wake me up for breakfast, and gather in the kitchen at dinner time!), but I worry they will get hungry in-between, hence the dry food. All three are young active neutered males about one year old and two are quite slender. I will try separating the feeding stations and see if that helps the chaos.

S suzan30 - You're doing just fine. Here there are a few "grazing" bowls from which all the cats will eat throughout the day, and four water bowls (for eleven cats). At wet food times (usually four times a day), everyone has their own bowl and placemat, of course, and what goes uneaten by others will be vacuumed up by Bob, my 35 pound Norwegian Forest Cat, in short order.

No fights, no unhappiness, and no worries.
.

 

[EmmiTemmi]

I do highly recommend separation during the wet feeding times at least. My larger boy will hoover down his food and go straight to my smaller boy's dish. And if that happens, smaller boy will back off and stop eating. To fix this, I put them in different rooms with their own food dishes and shut the door until the slower eater has eaten his fill. Then the door comes open and the larger boy can eat whatever leftovers are in the other dish.

 

[babiesmom5]

Yes, cats do have favorite litter boxes. Also I have observed that once one cat poops in a fresh litter box, others will follow suit. This becomes the "poop box" and another box is the pee box.

Cats do tend to favor certain boxes in certain locations. These obviously you have to monitor even closer. Part of the usage pattern has to do with "leaving a calling card" for the others.

As for separation of bowls in the kitchen, try to use physical objects like island, chair, stool, waste basket etc. to help define boundaries. I find cats are less likely to go around objects t

I do highly recommend separation during the wet feeding times at least. My larger boy will hoover down his food and go straight to my smaller boy's dish. And if that happens, smaller boy will back off and stop eating. To fix this, I put them in different rooms with their own food dishes and shut the door until the slower eater has eaten his fill. Then the door comes open and the larger boy can eat whatever leftovers are in the other dish.

I have done this too, particularly in the case of a shy cat who just abandons their food when another cat moves in.