7 Tips for Efficiently Feeding Multiple Cats in a Household
Having to live in a multi-cat family comes with a lot of advantages, but it also has some drawbacks. Handling mealtimes is one of the issues that many cat caregivers confront on a daily basis.
When it is dinner time, multiple cat guardians are very likely to feel like kindergarten playground supervisors. Feeding patterns can become even more problematic if one or more cats are supposed to be put on a special diet. It can be difficult to keep cats focused on their food and stop them from deterring to see what the other cat is eating for whatever reason.
Feeding customized meals in a multi-cat household might seem a little impossible but it is feasible with forethought and patience. Discussed below are eight suggestions to help you get started.
1. Have all the Necessary Supplies
It is recommended to purchase proper materials before starting a new mealtime routine if you feed your cats from a single large bowl. Each cat should have its own separate feeding bowl. Purchasing dishes of various colors or sorts could help keep a track of each cat’s diet.
Use a permanent marker to put the cat’s names or just initials on the bowls for easy identification. Make whatever arrangements necessary to ensure that you or anybody else feeding the cats does not serve them the wrong diet.
2. Gradual Changes
Sudden diet changes could cause an upset stomach in the cats and some may even refuse the new formula. Generally, changes are not well accepted by cats so any diet changes should be implemented gradually. Consult your veterinarian for an optimum way to switch your cats’ diets based on individual needs and the gravity of any health issue that necessitates the transition.
3. Avoid Free-Feeding
You must have just set out an unlimited supply in one dish for the kitties to chew on as they liked during the day when they had all been consuming the same diet, particularly if it included dry food. Even when you are not planning on putting several of the cats on specialist diets, free-feeding is not the greatest option.
When there is an endless container of food, it is impossible to keep track of what each cat consumes. It may appear easy at first, but if there is only one food supply, it might cause obesity or resource-guarding among cats.
Start with frequent meals and make an announcement when it is lunchtime so the cats get used to the changing rhythm as you shift from free-feeding to regular meals. Use a dry food chart for calculated feeding and split up meals so you do not end up overfeeding or underfeeding the cats. Make sure the transitions are slow and smooth to avoid the cats from sitting in the kitchen thinking about what happened to the food.
4. Setup Separate Feeding sites for the Cats
Based on how many kitties you have and how desperate some of them is to get their hands on the other kitty’s food, the units could all be set in the same area or you may need to set up various ones in separate rooms. Dinnertime should not be a source of tension or anxiety, so if keeping one cat away from the other proves impossible, the easiest solution is to set up feeding stations in completely separate places.
5. Keep an Eye on their Mealtimes
It may be inconvenient to wait while the cats eat but it is the only way to assure that each cat eats its own food. If some of your cats have been a victim of resource guarding then it may help them relax. When feeding a prescription diet to a cat, it is also important to watch out for things since it can make a big difference in its health.
6. Making Alterations
As you start, you will discover that you need to make changes along the road. If one of your cats gulps down its food so it can pry into other bowls, you will need to keep an eye on it. You might even notice that some stations require elevation. Feeding the kitten in elevated spots might be the only way to keep the adult cat from prying into the kitten’s food.
7. Set-up Puzzle Feeders to Satiate All-day Foragers
If your cats are voracious gazers that enjoy sauntering in and out for morsels of food during the day, you can provide a healthier alternative. Set up puzzle feeders all through the house. The cats will get some extra playtime by moving the food-dispensing objects around and ending up with a tasty reward.
Conclusion
It will take effort and perseverance to transition the diet schedules of your cats, but it will be well worth it to guarantee their sustained excellent health. If you are discouraged or having problems get guidance from a veterinarian.
This is a very informative post, thanks for sharing! I have had multiple cats at once and it can be difficult to regulate their feeding. It really helps to be prepared.
Thanks for this post, very helpful.