Originally posted by marysmerrycats


Jen is this feeding them separately something you have always done?

my cats are so used to not being separate that they stop eating when I close the door, I come back and there they are, even Charlie,
No, at first I free fed. Then I needed to feed a prescription diet to one, so I separated him (had 4 cats at the time). But I could not keep food down for the others or he would get to it. Then later I realized that a 2nd cat benefited quite nicely from the twice a day feeding schedule. I never went back to free feeding.

When ever I bring in a new cat, it is usually a strange type of feeding situation for them and this happens (they don't eat). All I do is give them a certain amount of time (1/2 to 1 hour) and then I pick up the food. When the next feeding time comes, I do the same. Soon they realize it is "eat now or wait 12 hours". They learn.