Free Feeding to Scheduled Meals for our Cats

[TrvlBug]

As of yesterday, we are transitioning our cats' feeding from free feeding to scheduled meals and need help! Both kitties are 11 years old and one is fat (14 lbs.) and very inactive. She has some health issues and we as well as the vet are concerned about her health. The other is normal skinny (11-12 lbs.) and very active. They are indoor only cats.

The vet has recommended switching from free feeding to scheduled meals. Neither likes canned food and most of it gets thrown away. Other than nibbling the kibble at the scheduled times, about 4 a day for now, the skinny one is handling it well. The fat one is hiding in her 'hiddy house' most of the day. Her 'hiddy house', a cat ottoman with cutout is where she goes when she's upset or hiding from someone. She rarely goes there otherwise. She spends most of the day in front of the sliding glass door snoozing in the morning sun and/or watching the world go by.


I know they will get used to this but I don't know if I can survive the 2 weeks or so it will take. Has anyone gone through this? What have you found to be helpful. Anything to watch out for?

 

[pacergal]

I would think that as long as the chubby one is not soiling elsewhere or showing other signs of stress, she will learn to come out and eat at the scheduled times. Her hunger will be her guide.
Right now, she is punishing you! And hoping for the return of never ending food.

Take a deep breath. If really worried, contact your vet again for any other advice.
Good luck and know you are doing this for better health (assuming thats what the vet told you)

 

[RunningBum]

My son has a feeder on a timer. It makes a whirring noise and you don't want to be between his cats and the feeder when it goes off! Since it goes off at the same times every day the cats have learned to be nearby around those times.

 

[badatmath]

I fed my kitty on a schedule and he would make sure to bonk my nose if I was in danger of sleeping past breakfast.

 

[JoeWras]

My son has a feeder on a timer. It makes a whirring noise and you don't want to be between his cats and the feeder when it goes off! Since it goes off at the same times every day the cats have learned to be nearby around those times.

We transitioned to scheduled meals using the feeder. As a matter of fact, it just went off now and I heard the ruckus.

At first, he was suspicious of this device. It plays a little tune. After a week, he waited for it to go off.

OP's other cat will come around. Cats know how to manipulate. You just have to power through their games -- with love -- and they'll come around. Give some sweet words to the shy cat next time it takes a nibble. Be positive.

 

[TrvlBug]

Thanks for the words of encouragement! Today is day 2 and she's showing herself a bit more . Yesterday, she almost forgot to come out of hiding for her daily brushing, which other than food, is her favorite part of the day . Today, she wanted her brushing at the usual time and has decided that she won't be hiding out for the rest of the evening. Very encouraging and we'll see what tomorrow brings.

One wrinkle in the scheduled feeding is that we will have to feed the cats in separate areas. Ms. Chubby is somewhat of a bully towards her sister and will decide when both are eating at the same time, that she eats first from all 4 bowls (2 canned and 2 kibble) and her sister must wait until she finishes. This will not work going forward. We'll figure it out. Ms. Chubby must lose some weight for her well being and health...she has a difficult time grooming herself and needs help from her mommy. She also has some agility problems due to her weight. She's a semi-cobby, maybe even a cobby, all muscle in her earlier years, lots of fat now .

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

The longer term feeding behavior (one eating first) might never change, as that's not that unusual. You can either watch and make sure the skinny one has enough after the cobbier one has grazed, or you can try putting the bowls far enough apart where the cats can't see both at once, and then the more dominant one wouldn't be able to keep an eye on both. I was going to suggest putting a treat or two on top of the wet food to tempt her out of her safe place, but it sounds like she is starting to overcome her trauma at having a change in routine. Cats hate that as much as we do!

By the way, PureBites sells freeze-dried chicken breast as dog or treats, but the "dog" version is much cheaper, and our cats have all gone nuts for it. It's a very healthy snack, we actually discovered this looking for something for our diabetic senior cat; we used to put some on his wet food to get him interested in it, and also as a treat after he got his medications. Now the kittens get it when we need to corral them for any reason -- just don't get in their way when someone shakes the bag!

 

[MarieIG]

I fed my kitty on a schedule and he would make sure to bonk my nose if I was in danger of sleeping past breakfast.

Yes, on the weekends if I overslept my kitty (Twinky) would jump up onto the bed and start patting my face with her paw to wake me up.

She was a very slender lady, being an indoor kitty, and never having been neutered. (She, remained kitten free by virtue of abstinence.) Two ferals which we adopted were neutered and much heavier. (The ferals were adopted as part of a trap and release program, and were released into our living room. That was an adventure to say the least!)

 

[MarieIG]

Thanks for the words of encouragement! Today is day 2 and she's showing herself a bit more . Yesterday, she almost forgot to come out of hiding for her daily brushing, which other than food, is her favorite part of the day . Today, she wanted her brushing at the usual time and has decided that she won't be hiding out for the rest of the evening. Very encouraging and we'll see what tomorrow brings.

One wrinkle in the scheduled feeding is that we will have to feed the cats in separate areas. Ms. Chubby is somewhat of a bully towards her sister and will decide when both are eating at the same time, that she eats first from all 4 bowls (2 canned and 2 kibble) and her sister must wait until she finishes. This will not work going forward. We'll figure it out. Ms. Chubby must lose some weight for her well being and health...she has a difficult time grooming herself and needs help from her mommy. She also has some agility problems due to her weight. She's a semi-cobby, maybe even a cobby, all muscle in her earlier years, lots of fat now .

Great job! Ms. Chubby will feel much better with her weight loss.

 

[gauss]

Behind Closed Doors

We had the same initial problem as OP (fat cat / skinny cat).

The vet suggested that the fat one might be eating both sets of food and this was found to be true.

Since then we went to a scheduled feeding "behind separate doors". Each kitty gets their food in their own room for maybe 15 minutes or so.

After that if they are no longer actively eating, the food is picked up and the doors are opened again. We watch for cues that they are hungry again later in the day and then repeat the cycle.

In the morning we measure out their full food allotment for the day.
Skinny cat gets it placed into the bowl. Fat cat, however, gets only a portion of the days allotment each time the bowl goes out.

It seems to be working for us.

-gauss

 

[TrvlBug]

T... ...

By the way, PureBites sells freeze-dried chicken breast as dog or treats, but the "dog" version is much cheaper, and our cats have all gone nuts for it. It's a very healthy snack, we actually discovered this looking for something for our diabetic senior cat; we used to put some on his wet food to get him interested in it, and also as a treat after he got his medications. Now the kittens get it when we need to corral them for any reason -- just don't get in their way when someone shakes the bag!

I'll have to try them. I have the weirdest cats in that the skinny one hates treats. I have tried just about every type there is. Ms. Chubby only likes her chicken Greenies which is great as she has tooth and gum disease big time. She now doesn't eat many treats as I have to cut them into small pieces. She only has 5 chewing teeth left.

 

[TrvlBug]

We had the same initial problem as OP (fat cat / skinny cat).

The vet suggested that the fat one might be eating both sets of food and this was found to be true.

Since then we went to a scheduled feeding "behind separate doors". Each kitty gets their food in their own room for maybe 15 minutes or so.

After that if they are no longer actively eating, the food is picked up and the doors are opened again. We watch for cues that they are hungry again later in the day and then repeat the cycle.

In the morning we measure out their full food allotment for the day.
Skinny cat gets it placed into the bowl. Fat cat, however, gets only a portion of the days allotment each time the bowl goes out.

It seems to be working for us.

-gauss

This is what we are doing. About 4 feedings per day.

 

[TrvlBug]

Well day three and she has regressed somewhat. The morning looked promising but then she hid out for the rest of the day. I wish I could find a way to tell her in cat-speak that I will NOT blink first .

 

[gauss]

Maybe tell her in English and then let her worry about the translation to cat speak.

I admit it -- I talk to our cats and tell them how it's going to work and that it will all be okay.

-gauss