How can I stop Yuki eating all of Kiskas food

[babblino]

It's gotten to the point that I have to feed Kiska on a schedule. We used to put food out in bowls around the house (six of them) but Yuki will always target Kiska's food before her own. Kiska needs a special formula because she has stomache issues but because Yuki will eat it before her own I've had to hide kiskas bowls until she can eat in peace. Yuki will pounce on Kiska when she's eating an we have told Yuki off but she continues to do it, we have to chase her out of the room when Kiska is eating. We are planning to go visit my grandparents abroad in the summer for a whole month and I worry about how the two will survive during the time we're gone. We will have to resort to leaving food out since my mothers friend will only come every other day to refill the cat's bowls but I worry about Kiska not getting enough food and being allowed to eat in peace. We would put her food on higher grounds but that just wont work as Yuki is capable of reaching it. Also on another note Kiska has resorted to pooing around the house as Yuki will corner her in the litter boxes. She will chase Kiska into it and sit by the entrance batting at Kiska. I honestly wish Kiska would grow some balls at this point because they've been together long enough and she still isn't putting Yuki in her place. Pls help me out as I feel very sorry for Kiska.

[MarySkater]

You could address the feeding problem by getting a Surefeed feeder for Kiska.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sureflap-50601 ... B00O0UIPTY

It's battery operated, and the cover only opens if the cat with the right microchip comes near. (For a cat with no chip, there's a tag you can put on a collar that opens it.) If Yuki drives Kiska off the feeder, it will close within a few seconds. He may get tired of trying, but if he's persistent, he may continue to grab a mouthful every time Kiska opens it.

Another option (which I have used myself) is to get a pet crate and fit it with a microchip cat flap, so that only Kiska can get in.

Put Kiska's food in it, and maybe a litter tray as well. I know it's not ideal to have litter near food, but if you use a big crate, and cover it with blankets or something, maybe you can make it a private space for Kiska where she'll feel secure and be willing to use the tray.

I'm rather concerned that your cats will only be visited every other day for a month, while you're away. I presume this means that they will be living on dry food, but can you trust them not to gorge 2 days' worth all at once? I suppose there will be several water bowls and litter trays, but in the event of illness or injury, it could be a long time before it gets noticed. Couldn't you find a professional pet sitter to do the alternate days? Another option would be, put them both in a cattery, in separate pens next to one another. That solves all the problems of Yuki bullying Kiska.

Let us know how you get on.

Mary

[babblino]

Hello! Thanks for replying. I'll def look into the microchip foodbowl as Kiska is scared of small enclosed spaces and likey won't go into a crate set up. It'll be unlikely that Yuki will steal portions since Kiska will be on guard when she gets near.

We have been away for a month before when it was only Kiska and things were fine. The person who will be checking in is a lifelong friend of my mothers who has her own cats so she will be able to identify any problems and contact us. In the past she would sometimes sleep over in our house along with her daughter to keep Kiska company aswell so we aren't too worried.

kiska and Yuki do fine unsupervised, most of the aggression is Kiska hissing and growling when Yuki is being annoying but she can tolerate Yuki in close proximity when she's a bit calmer. As for over-feeding we haven't had that problem with the cats. They usually survive on a bowl (Kiska) or two (Yuki) so we're not concerned, and its a mix of dry and wet food.

We've made DIY puzzle feeders for Yuki out of sturdy hard cardboard so as to slow her feeding down too, she even prefers it over her own bowls so we're hoping that by replacing them all with puzzle feeders she'll stop eating from Kiskas bowl.

Those microchip bowls arent too loud are they? Kiska is a very timid cat and will easily get startled by sudden movements or loud noises.

[MarySkater]

Those microchip bowls arent too loud are they? Kiska is a very timid cat and will easily get startled by sudden movements or loud noises.

They make a slight buzz as the lid moves. But for Kiska, you would need to set it in "training" mode for a few days. For "training," the lid is open, but it moves just a little bit as the cat comes near, so the cat gets used to the sound and movement. There are 3 further settings for "training," where the lid moves a bit further each time, until it closes fully when the cat moves away.

I see the price is down to £66. They were £100 when they first came on the market, down to £80 when I bought my two, last March. You get two bowls with a feeder, so you can have one being washed while you use the other one. You can buy extra bowls if you want - you can't use your own bowls with the feeder, or the lid won't fit. You need 4 "C" batteries to a feeder. I loaded mine with Duracell when I first bought them. That's an expensive outlay in batteries, but 10 months later, the original batteries are still working.

There are 3 speed settings for how fast the lid closes. I have mine on "medium," where it takes about 6 seconds from the cat going away to the lid closing. You can make it slower, to allow a timid cat to get clear before the lid moves, or faster, to make it less likely that an intruder cat could get any of the food. I find these feeders very worthwhile for making sure that each cat gets its own food. And it keeps flies off the food in summer. I noticed that my younger cat, Ria, who isn't as greedy as Rocky, would sometimes wander up to her feeder, but not get close enough for the reader to recognise her. When it didn't immediately open, if she wasn't very hungry, she'd wander away again. So I raised the feeder on to a block, just a couple of inches above the floor, and that makes it easier for the scanner to read her chip.

I hope it works for you.

[LittlePenBigHeart]

We have the same problem. Dylan wolfs down his food, then tries to eat Pepsi's and Gizzy's. The feeding cage thing might be a good idea. We have to sit and watch them eat their food at every meal time and physically pull Dylan away from the other cats after he's finished.

[babblino]

managed to find this site where its only £12 but im skeptical about the price

http://little.holmesstorehouse.co.uk/Listing_i2018371

at the moment I always sit by to make sure Yuki doesn't do anything. It does kind of infuriate me how much of a bully she can be. I just hope she calms down as she gets older (shes about 6-7 months old now). If I notice her getting ready to pounce on Kiska I will usually growl and that seems to stop her. But I wish Kiska could step in for herself, she's all bark and no bite and Yuki knows this all too well. As much as I adore her she needs to learn to stand up for herself aswell. Yukis only half her size!

[babblino]

Just checked the link and its actually 70 something on the actual website. Thats weird but I knew something was up!

[MarySkater]

managed to find this site where its only £12 but im skeptical about the price

You need to read the whole heading - that's for "replacement bowls and mat."

I understand about Kiska not standing up for herself. My mature cat Rocky is sometimes pestered by kitten Ria, and I kept wishing he'd slap her down so she'd know to leave him alone. He did start doing it eventually, but it took about 3 months.

[babblino]

Kiska will sometimes swipe if Yuki gets to close. But her problem is when Yuki is chasing her she keeps on fleeing. She doesnt turn around and give her a beating. Yuki needs to learn that adult cats are twice as strong as her.