How to Feed Multiple Cats Without Conflict?
Multiple cats in a house may bring a lot of fun moments. But cats don't like to share things. Their sleeping places, food, and water should not be shared with any other cat. However, a cat owner may face some real challenges when feeding these cats. Two or more cats in a house may not share their food peacefully. A cat is independent by its nature. So, it could be a problem for the owner to feed the cats without a conflict. More than 40% of houses have multiple cats. That's why feeding these cats is a serious problem for many. The below discussion can give some useful tips on - how to feed multiple cats peacefully. So, read it.
Why Is It Difficult To Feed Multiple Cats?
1) Uneven Food Sharing
The biggest problem feeding multiple cats is that they don't know - how to eat. So, one cat may eat 70% of the food while the other cats may have only 30% of the food. As a result, health problems in the cats may arise and one cat may appear weaker than the other. In reality, cats have no idea about - how to share food. That's why they fail to identify their own bowl. Hungry cats just jump on the food and eat the way they want. The amount of food may not be the same for all cats. That's why it could be a real challenge to feed multiple cats. A cat owner may notice one cat is getting overweight whereas another cat is not getting the proper amount of food. This is just a survival instinct in cats. Hence, they are in this competition.
2) Feeding Style
The feeding styles of cats vary. Some cats eat food fast and they finish their meals quickly. On the other hand, some cats enjoy their food and they eat it slowly. So, if a cat owner feeds all the cats at the same time, not all the cats would be happy.
3) Nature Of Cats
Aggressive cats may guard their bowls and they may not share food with others. An anxious cat may not get to eat anything until the aggressive cat finishes its meal. So, the nature of cats may lead to one kind of conflict. Careful observation may reveal that some cats just don't want to eat with other cats. They prefer to eat their meals alone.
4) The Age Of The Cats
Cats should have food according to their ages. A cat owner may have aged cats and kittens. This means the amount of the food could be different. Moreover, a cat may have a medicated diet. But other cats may have regular diets. So, feeding all of these cats might not be an easy task.
5) The Type Of Food
Because of allergies and food sensitivities, some cats may prefer a little different type of food. Therefore owning multiple cats may throw some challenges while feeding them. When a house has three or four cats, the owner must know the preferences of the cats. Otherwise, cats may not get the adequate amount of food.
How To Feed Multiple Cats Without Conflict?
1) Auto Feeders
Auto feeders can help a cat owner to feed multiple cats at the same time. Nowadays, there are several types of auto feeders available in the market.
Dual Bowl Auto Feeder
A dual bowl automatic cat feeder has two bowls and a food dispenser. A cat owner can feed two cats with this feeder. The feeder can dispense the right amount of food almost three times a day. The feeder can contain dry food for up to 7 to 10 days. This means even if a cat owner is going for a vacation, the feeder can feed the cats.
The bowls of the feeder are placed at a good distance. So, your cats won't face any conflict while eating their meals. The food dispenser can sense - how much should be dispensed and it can also calculate the amount of leftover food. In this way, multiple cats can have proportionate amount of meals without any fight.
Micro Chip Auto Feeder
Microchip auto feeder is a great feeder for aggressive cats. The chip in the cat's collar helps the feeder to identify the right cat. Thus, the feeder dispenses food only when the right cat is there. A kitten can get a little amount of food while a grown-up cat can get a good amount of food. Apart from that, the feeder can also help to solve any kind of catfight over the food. The feeder won't dispense food to the wrong cat.
Puzzle Feeder
Puzzle feeder helps an anxious and slow cat to eat food. There are multiple types of puzzle feeders in the market. Just pick a feeder that matches your cat's character. Some cats love to hunt. A puzzle feeder would be an ideal one for those cats.
2) Monitoring
Cats may have some problems while having their meals. A cat owner can monitor them while they are eating. A cat may have tooth problems or a cat might not be comfortable with others. To identify the cat, the owner must know which cat is uncomfortable and why. So, monitoring may help in feeding multiple cats peacefully.
3) Feeding Time
Some cat owners feed all the cats at the same time. But this can create a conflict. If an owner has time, then he/she can feed these cats at different times. For example - a cat lover may keep 30-minute gap between two cats' meals. In this way, a cat owner may avoid any kind of conflict when feeding multiple cats.
4) Feeding Space
Sometimes feeding at separate places can also help in feeding multiple cats. Two or more cats may jostle to eat their food. Hence, it would be a wise job to feed the cats separately. For example - a cat owner may give one bowl in the living room and another bowl in the dining room. In this way, cats may not fight over their food. Conflict in cats is a common thing. Some cats are dominant and some cats are anxious. So, a cat owner who owns multiple cats should opt for some smart ways to feed the cats. An automatic cat feeder is a good way to feed multiple cats without a conflict. You should remember that cats love to eat at peaceful places and quiet places. So, a cat owner should keep the bowls in different rooms.
Dominant or aggressive cats may create some problems. But instead of repeating the same timing, you can also change their feeding time. In this way, multiple cats can eat happily.
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