Cats can be very particular about their eating and drinking habits. If you have more than one cat, you may ask yourself, “should I feed my cats separately or together?”.
It is often recommended by vets and behaviour experts to feed cats separately using separate bowls. There are a number of good reasons to feed your cats separately which we will discuss below.
Reasons to Feed Cats Separately
It’s in a cat’s nature to eat alone
As solitary territorial hunters, cats hunt and eat alone in the wild. This instinct remains in domestic cats and explains why many cats don’t want to share bowls or eating spaces.
Cats often need different diets
For various reasons, your cats may need different diets to each other. For example, one of your cats may be on a diet to lose weight. Or another of your cats may need a specific diet because of the likes of food allergies or gastrointestinal conditions.
By feeding your cats separately, you can better control what each of your cats is eating. It will also help ensure that your cats aren’t eating each others’ foods which could be dangerous to them.
It’s easier to track your cats’ eating
Similarly to the above, tracking food consumption for cats is much easier when they eat separately. Feeding separately can help to make certain that each of your cats is eating the right amounts of the right foods.
Cats eat at different speeds
Some cats chow down on their dinner as quickly as they possibly can. Others prefer to take their time. By feeding separately and allowing cats to eat at their own paces, chances are you’re creating a more peaceful and less stressful environment for them.
Cats can be messy eaters
Some cats and kittens make a mess when they eat. They knock food all over the place and throw food around while they munch away. This can be cute, frustrating and funny.
Not all cats are messy eaters though. A reckless cat can make the eating experience less pleasant for the more composed feline diners of the household.
A messy-eating cat can negatively impact another cat’s mood and eating habits. In such instances, feeding separately makes perfect sense.
Feeding cats separately avoids food theft
When fed together, it’s easy for cats to eat other cats’ food. Even if you use separate bowls, food theft can still happen when the bowls are close because cats can simply move between the bowls.
Some cats may even push other cats away to steal food. This is particularly common if one cat is more dominant than the other.
Feeding cats in separate areas can help to avoid the above problems. You may even wish to close off the separate dining areas during feeding time, by closing the door between rooms, for example.
Cats eating together can result in fights
Cats can be territorial and aggressive when it comes to food. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, cats going near each others’ food can result in cat fights. These fights are clearly unpleasant for both you and your cats.
Feeding separately can help to avoid conflicts over food.
Advice for Feeding Cats Separately
Give your cats separate food bowls
Expecting cats to share a food bowl is a recipe for disaster. To avoid the likes of conflict, stress and food theft, give each of your cats their own food bowls to eat from.
Feed in separate places with separate feeding stations
In some instances, feeding cats in separate places within the same room may be enough to keep all of your cats content while eating their own meals. In other cases, it might be wise to feed your cats in separate rooms and not allow your cats to interrupt each other while they dine (e.g. by closing the door between feeding rooms).
Consider feeding your cats at different times
As well as feeding in separate areas, it’s also worth considering feeding your cats at separate times. You can keep your cats separate while they eat at their own meal times to ensure each of your cats is having their own meal.
Utilise different levels
Taking advantage of different levels and heights in the home can be a good strategy when you have cats of varying agility. For example, feeding an older cat at ground level while feeding a sprightly cat on a higher surface is a good strategy for separating their meals.
Use microchip feeders
Microchip cat feeders are excellent devices you can use to stop your cats from stealing each others’ food. These feeders are activated by individual cats’ microchips. This means that food is covered until the feeder is activated by the correct microchip when the right cat approaches. Once the cat has eaten and moved away, the feeder closes and protects any remaining food.
Not only does this stop your cats from eating each others’ meals, it will also stop other pets (e.g. dogs) or pesky intruder cats from doing the same.
As well as preventing food-theft, microchip feeders are also useful for scheduling meals and controlling portion sizes.
Or use collar-activated feeders
Collar-activated feeders and their benefits are mostly the same as microchip feeders. The difference is that collar-activated feeders are activated by collar tags rather than microchips.
Some feeders on the market can work with both microchips and collar tags.
Discover What Your Cats Prefer
At the end of the day, all cats are individuals. As cat owners, it’s our responsibility to discover our furry friends’ needs, preferences and what works for them.
While there are many good reasons to feed your cats separately, many cats may be perfectly comfortable eating with their friends.
Find what works for you, your cats’ needs and your household.
As always, please always remember to consult with a vet for help, advice and guidance regarding your cats’ diets and eating habits.
