Sudden change in feeding behavior

[BeccaT]

So since our youngest Kylo joined the family, the eldest cat April has developed a new feeding behavior. This only happened recently, maybe the past month? So it wasn't as soon as Kylo joined us but I believe it's connected.

We have 2 automatic feeders, one is a duo and one is a solo. The solo currently dispenses kitten food but once it runs out, it'll dispense adult food as the vet said we could transition him soon. April has recently developed a weird behavior where she refuses to eat beside her sister Annie from the duo feeder. I often catch her eating out of the solo one with no problems, and clearly the adults like the kitten food the most, but I redirect them when I can. When the other 2 cats are eating, April refuses to eat beside her sister and instead I have to take the bowl out of the dispenser and put it elsewhere. It can be close to them still so it's not quite a distance/proximity thing (she'll SOMETIMES start to eat with the others like she used to, but then she stops after a few bites) but she'll only eat if I take the bowl out. If I don't take the bowl out, she just won't eat.

How can I help her unlearn this behavior? We have a trip coming up soon so we won't be home to supervise their automatic feedings and I'm scared that April will starve herself due to this.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Not sure I completely understand, but it is probably because I don't use auto feeders. The duo one - does that feed both April and Annie at the same time? If so, I can only assume that April thinks eating out of a dish that is 'all by itself' is preferable to eating so close to Annie now that she has had a chance to experience Kylo's solo feeder.

That being the case, I can only think that getting two solo feeders - one for April and one for Annie to replace the duo feeder might be the answer. Maybe at some later date you can once again use the duo feeder. I'd definitely try the two solo feeders long enough before your trip to make sure that is the real issue.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am sorry you have yet to get more responses, but do you have any thoughts about my suggestion?

 

[BeccaT]

Not sure I completely understand, but it is probably because I don't use auto feeders. The duo one - does that feed both April and Annie at the same time? If so, I can only assume that April thinks eating out of a dish that is 'all by itself' is preferable to eating so close to Annie now that she has had a chance to experience Kylo's solo feeder.

That being the case, I can only think that getting two solo feeders - one for April and one for Annie to replace the duo feeder might be the answer. Maybe at some later date you can once again use the duo feeder. I'd definitely try the two solo feeders long enough before your trip to make sure that is the real issue.

Sadly, getting 2 solo feeders isn't an option for us right now as they're too expensive and my husband thinks it's a waste because we have the duo feeder.

I think you're right, though. We moved Kylo onto adult food early (although I still feed him kitten wet food every other night) so that both feeders dispense the same food now. April is more than happy to eat out of the solo one, but the new issue is that Kylo will go to eat from the duo feeder and then swat Annie away when she goes for the one beside it, not trying to steal his food but he's struggling to understand that she'd be eating from a separate bowl. No two cats are willing to eat from the duo feeder at the same time, basically.

 

[Alldara]

How long has Kylo been fully out with the other two? I'm wondering if there's still some decompression going on as well that might be causing no one to eat together.

Are you able to be around to encourage them to eat and slowly move them closer to eating out of the duo again?