# stop my older cat eating the kitten's food



## glittermonster (Oct 24, 2010)

any tips on how to stop our older cat eating the kitten's food.

We can put her food up high where the kitten can't get to -

just wondered if you had any tips?


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

feed all kitten food  no difference in it just more vits we feed all ours kit biccis


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## Chez87 (Aug 11, 2010)

My older cat kept eating my kittens food, but then he started eating hers... so I now feed them exactly the same food. The kitten still ignores his own food and tries to eat the cats! IT'S THE SAME FOOD!


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## Aurelia (Apr 29, 2010)

Yeah, there's no need to feed them different foods. It's probably easier to feed all adult food. So long as it's high meat content it will be fine for all. Then you also don't have to worry about switching again once your kitten is older 

Have a peek at Hobs2004's stickied threads in the health section, some fantastic advice on different foods.


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

how old is your kitten?
as i have cats of all ages i used to feed the young ones in another room, until they were old enough to feed with the others. otherwise any kittens i have had have eaten the same the older cats


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## glittermonster (Oct 24, 2010)

Thanks for your advice so far - she's only 8 weeks old.


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

I feed all of my cats the same and it's kitten food. It gives them more energy and i feel they are in great condition. 

Make sure you feed a good quality food and avoid foods such as Whiskas and Felix.


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## Merenwenrago (Sep 5, 2010)

What you should do is get a box and put it over the food then cut a hole for the kitten to get through to its food.

Should stop the older cat from getting its food, unless its clever enough to move the box


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## LiamPearce (Sep 30, 2010)

Agree with others, if you look at the ingredients/nutritional value of kitten and adult cat food they are often completely the same. If dry, it's often just the size of the pieces.


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## ebonymagic (Jun 18, 2010)

Strong cardboard box with a hole in and a tube stuck over that so that only the kitten can get in. Lots of gaffa tape and at least 2 pouch boxes. BLUE PETER HERE I COME :lol:

Thats what worked for me. It was trial and error to start with, but also highly amusing to see my fat tabby cat trying to squeeze himself in.

Don't forget to put small holes in the box so that there is some light in there


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## Aurelia (Apr 29, 2010)

But why? It's totally unnecessary


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## billyboysmammy (Sep 12, 2009)

ebonymagic said:


> Strong cardboard box with a hole in and a tube stuck over that so that only the kitten can get in. Lots of gaffa tape and at least 2 pouch boxes. BLUE PETER HERE I COME :lol:
> 
> Thats what worked for me. It was trial and error to start with, but also highly amusing to see my fat tabby cat trying to squeeze himself in.
> 
> Don't forget to put small holes in the box so that there is some light in there


please tell me you got a video? :lol:


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## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

Sounds like something we did for fun here.... I always tend to scatter feed their dry food so they have to "hunt" for it. One place I often put bits is underneath an up-turned box so they have to slide the box around to get the food. I thought it would be enriching for them - they looked at me like I was stupid, moved the box, ate the food, and stalked out rolling their eyes....


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## ebonymagic (Jun 18, 2010)

billyboysmammy said:


> please tell me you got a video? :lol:


Unfortunately no I haven't. I didn't think about it at the time


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## Fyllis Williams (Nov 23, 2019)

glittermonster said:


> any tips on how to stop our older cat eating the kitten's food.
> 
> We can put her food up high where the kitten can't get to -
> 
> just wondered if you had any tips?


Kittens of all breeds should eat KITTEN food until they are one-year-old because provides extra protein and nutrients to help them develop into healthy adult cats. (Note: certain breeds, like the Maine Coon, should be fed kitten food until about 18-months to two-years because they don't fully mature until then).
While feeding (or allowing) your adult cat to eat kitten food, you are running the risk of him/her becoming overweight due to the high protein and carbs in the kitten food, which can induce medical conditions such as diabetes and renal failure. 
It can sometimes be difficult to separate the two during meal time but, it should be done. While kittens can eat adult food without any harm, they are not getting the proper nutrition.
You might want to feed the kitten in the bathroom or other secured room with the door closed and feed the adult cat in the kitchen until the kitten is old enough to eat adult food and to prevent the adult from devouring the kitten food. Feed the adult cat first so s/he is occupied with food and doesn't pay attention where the kitten is going; otherwise, you might find that the adult will ignore his/her food and focus on getting into the room where the kitten and its food is. When they are finished eating, remove the food (discard any left over wet food so it doesn't spoil, or cover it tightly and store in the refrigerator. You can easily warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds but, make SURE there are NO 'hot spots' by stirring it a bit with your finger). Wash their dishes after each meal to prevent bacteria growth. Always provide lots of fresh water! I ONLY give my boys filtered water from my kitchen faucet filter. A $40 filter is well worth the money for the health of the cats; not to mention, it doesn't leave chemical build-up in my coffee pot! LOL

I have two boys who came to me a week apart but, ironically, born on the same day. Fortunately, I didn't have to separate them during meal times but, having owned cats for over 60 years, I have gone through it all! LOL At 5 1/2, they are both free-fed kibble 24/7. Why? Because cats eat randomly and like to 'graze'. The will nibble throughout the day (and night). I give them wet food twice a day. Although they get the wet food generally in the morning and late evening, I never feed them on an exact schedule. 
You will often hear people complain that their cat(s) wake them up at the butt-crack of dawn to be fed. That is because they are used to eating at a specific time every day and they become 'clock watchers'. When you feed them randomly, they don't expect it and don't yowl and cry and beg for food. My boys NEVER wake me up; nor do they bed for food!

I hope this has helped. Keep us posted!


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

Fyllis Williams said:


> Kittens of all breeds should eat KITTEN food until they are one-year-old because provides extra protein and nutrients to help them develop into healthy adult cats. (Note: certain breeds, like the Maine Coon, should be fed kitten food until about 18-months to two-years because they don't fully mature until then).
> While feeding (or allowing) your adult cat to eat kitten food, you are running the risk of him/her becoming overweight due to the high protein and carbs in the kitten food, which can induce medical conditions such as diabetes and renal failure.
> It can sometimes be difficult to separate the two during meal time but, it should be done. While kittens can eat adult food without any harm, they are not getting the proper nutrition.
> You might want to feed the kitten in the bathroom or other secured room with the door closed and feed the adult cat in the kitchen until the kitten is old enough to eat adult food and to prevent the adult from devouring the kitten food. Feed the adult cat first so s/he is occupied with food and doesn't pay attention where the kitten is going; otherwise, you might find that the adult will ignore his/her food and focus on getting into the room where the kitten and its food is. When they are finished eating, remove the food (discard any left over wet food so it doesn't spoil, or cover it tightly and store in the refrigerator. You can easily warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds but, make SURE there are NO 'hot spots' by stirring it a bit with your finger). Wash their dishes after each meal to prevent bacteria growth. Always provide lots of fresh water! I ONLY give my boys filtered water from my kitchen faucet filter. A $40 filter is well worth the money for the health of the cats; not to mention, it doesn't leave chemical build-up in my coffee pot! LOL
> ...


This thread is 9 yrs old. I think you'll find that the majority of cat owners here will disagree with your stance on free feeding kibble.


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