[andrewN]

My boy cat is a rescue and has always had a fixation with food - he eats anything, ANYTHING, he can find. I'm very careful to not overfeed him, and keep everything in the kitchen locked away. Maybe he's food-obsessed because he used to be a stray..?

I just got a girl cat (not a rescue) who's still new to the household. Both cats are slowly getting to know each other, but not quite best mates yet.

The problem is that she eats very slowly, leaving more than half her food for later, coming back, grazing some more. Whereas he gobbles everything in front of him and then goes looking for more. So when he finds her food bowl unattended, he gobbles up the lot, leaving nothing for her to come back to.

I tried squirting his paws with a water pistol whenever he went to her food bowl (the water pistol works very well at keeping him off the kitchen counter), but his interest in her food was stronger than his dislike of the water pistol -- in fact, I kept squirting and squirting but he kept eating and eating... until her food bowl was empty, and he was soaking wet!

I feed them in different rooms, but it's not helping the problem. She likes to graze during the day, so I'd have to keep them apart all day in order for him to not eat her food -- and I want them to be friends and hang out together, not be separated all day.

He's not overweight, but will be soon if he keeps this up. She's small, but a normal weight.

He's approx 10 months to 1 year old. She's 2.5 years old.

Any suggestions most welcome!

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[Heather Sharada]

I would try putting down a big BIG bowl of food and just letting him eat as much as he wants 24/7 - you might find that in a day or so he will realise that it will always be there and stop his panic eating.....I don't think he will get overly fat if you try that for a week or so even......perhaps weigh him at the beginning so you can check if he is weight gaining.

[Doreen]

I also have a gobbler and nibbler, I keep food out 24/7 for both of them, and the gobbler doesn't gobble nearly as much now.

[CatsRU]

I have a similar problem but my gobbler vomits because of the gobbling - yuck.

[soulshine]

Haha! Sounds me and my partner and I'm the gobbler.

[andrewN]

I'm not sure about putting a HUGE bowl of food out, as the boy will eat eat eat until all food is gone. He'll put on weight if he eats more than he does now. Seriously, he eats anything he can find in the kitchen or around the house - loaves of bread, any meat that's out defrosting, a cardboard pizza box, rubber bands, he even ripped into a pack of fish oil tablets...

[suzie2224]

I have the same situation.

Toby eats so quickly what I do is give him double the quantity as Rosie.

They normally finish at the same time.

We've worked out a good pattern and it seems to work for us. Give it a try.

Also, if you are using fresh meat, cut the gobbler's meat in bigger chunks and it will take him longer to eat.

[andrewN]

Toby eats so quickly what I do is give him double the quantity as Rosie.

They normally finish at the same time.

Thanks suzie2224. If Toby is eating double the quantity, does he gain weight?

Is there any way to encourage my girl to eat in one sitting, rather than leaving some for later? By the time she comes back later, the food is eaten by the boy.

[suzie2224]

Thanks suzie2224. If Toby is eating double the quantity, does he gain weight?

Is there any way to encourage my girl to eat in one sitting, rather than leaving some for later? By the time she comes back later, the food is eaten by the boy.

As Toby is younger (3) and much more energetic he seems to burn the calories more than Rosie who is 9. She doesn't seem to need to eat as much as she is not as active.

I find small quantities is good for Rosie, and if he's not looking, I give her a little extra after he has a full tummy and fallen asleep.

Good luck with it.

[Heather Sharada]

Truly giving the cats 24/7 biccies slows down gobblers....if he is fearful the food will disappear he is going to gobble but once he learns it is always there he will be less anxious and slow down.....definitely worth a try.

[catissi]

hi andrew does he need worming or hes just a pig he will slow down if you do leave 24/7 bickies just make sure there good quality to fill him up add boiled rice to his wet food or meals to fill him up more good luck ..kay

[Patricia L]

What about giving him a raw chicken wing or neck as well during the day? - that will keep him a bit busier and the bones will fill him up more too.

[andrewN]

I don't think he has worms, as the animal rescue centre where I got him a few months ago sorted that out - and he's an indoor cat. But who knows?

He does love chicken wings, and they do slow down his eating (only just!). Is it OK to feed cats chicken wings more than one per week? He would love to have more of them, no doubt about that.

I will try the big bowl of dry food always available as well.

[catissi]

all you can do is try andrew if that doesnt work try some thing else maybe hes just a big eater lol

[andrewN]

Will do!
Thanks for all your answers