Leaving cats home alone....

[wealthy1]

In May, I adopted a third cat and I have to travel for 2 days for work next month. (Also to add I'm traveling for about two weeks in October and November as well). My new furbaby has a tendency to gobble her food (wet or dry) and the vomits. To counter the behavior I bought the slow feeder bowls. However, when I'm traveling I leave out bowls of dry food for the cats to eat. My concern is that she is going to gobble ALL the food and get sick.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do about my third cat and her eating habits when Im away?

 

[Kris107]

They have auto feeders that you can feed them about a tablespoon or so of food every so often. Some even have multiple bowls so you can feed them all at the same times. Just a thought.

 

[rubysmama]

However, when I'm traveling I leave out bowls of dry food for the cats to eat. My concern is that she is going to gobble ALL the food and get sick.

Do they all eat the same food, and in the same area? In addition to worrying about her eating too much and getting sick, could she possibly eat ALL the food, and leave none for your other cats?

 

[wealthy1]

Do they all eat the same food, and in the same area? In addition to worrying about her eating too much and getting sick, could she possibly eat ALL the food, and leave none for your other cats?

Yes they all eat the same food near the same area. I separate them to different areas in my kitchen. But even with the slow feeder she finishes her food first and tries to nibble from the other cats plates.

I think I will try the automatic feeders and see if that works.

 

[Furballsmom]

I think I will try the automatic feeders and see if that works.

See if you can set up a camera on the area for this initial couple days that you'll be gone. What you don't want to have happen is a similar situation where the gobbler becomes so "anxious" that s/he waits for the auto feeder slot to open, and again, your other cat(s) don't get anything.

If this happens, you may need to hire a formal cat sitter for those longer stretches of time that you'll be gone.

I don't know if you are stateside, but Rover .com is free to register with when you use the Sign Up option at the top of their homepage, and doing that provides a better means of seeing skills, rates, reviews and repeat customers than using their Search Sitters option without signing up. The sitters are certified and licensed, and to my mind it is much better to hire someone who can handle things, will pay attention to the list of your expectations, and you won't have the risk of having them run into unexpected obligations that can so easily occur when family/friends are asked.

 

[rubysmama]

Yes they all eat the same food near the same area. I separate them to different areas in my kitchen. But even with the slow feeder she finishes her food first and tries to nibble from the other cats plates.

I think I will try the automatic feeders and see if that works.

How do the cats get along? Do the other two get annoyed when she tries to eat their food? Do they clean their plate in one sitting, or are they grazers?

Hopefully the automatic feeders will work. Can you do a trial run before you go away?

 

[Feste]

You can put him/her in a separate room with an automatic feeder, and then, leave your regular set up for your other two cats. Or put down more food than normal in a variety of unexpected places so they have to “hunt” for it.