[krisgil88]

I was just wondering how those of you with cats and a dog feed the cat so that the dog doesn't eat the food. My cat is 10 and a grazer. I can't keep her food on the ground without the dog eating it. The only place she is able to jump so that the dog can't get to it would be the bathroom sink upstairs and we really want to her stay downstairs (since it's taken 2 months for her to come down)
Any suggestions?

 

[Rowdy]

We free feed our cats, too. What we have is a security chain on the laundry room door. The cats' food and box are in the laundry room. The chain allows the door to open no more than about 6 inches, so the cats can get in but not the dogs.

 

[Willowy]

Baby gates and a cat door into the basement.

 

[bgmacaw]

We allow some sharing on the dry food. The dog may take a bite or two of the cat food but she doesn't like it that much. The same is true on the dry dog food. The cats may nibble a bit but don't eat that much.

The only common ground on food is on treats. The nice thing there is that I can train the cats along with the dog. Two of the cats will now sit on command and wait for a treat. I'll have to see if I can get a photo of all 3 sitting in a line waiting for a treat.

About 10 years ago when we last had a dog, we put the cat food up on a shelf that all of the cats could get to but the dog couldn't. We can't do that now since we have 2 older cats who's best jumping days are behind them now. Physical and height barriers seem to be the solution most people use.

 

[LittleFr0g]

We free feed our cats, too. What we have is a security chain on the laundry room door. The cats' food and box are in the laundry room. The chain allows the door to open no more than about 6 inches, so the cats can get in but not the dogs.

This. Works like a charm.

 

[Hambonez]

We have three cats and don't free feed. At meal time, one cat is locked in the bathroom, one is in the dining room, the third is locked in the office, and the dog is in the living room behind a gate. (We have the added complexity of one dominant/food aggressive cat, two on the same prescription diet, but one also gets meds in his food)

I've seen large boxes with small holes cut big enough for the cat to get in and eat, but not big enough for the dog to get in. I imagine the same effect could be created inexpensively by buying a large plastic tub and cutting a cat-sized hole in the side. This would only work if your dog and cat are not similar sizes!

 

[Willowy]

There are also pet doors that can be programmed to only open for one pet's microchip (or as many as you program in). Someone on my cat forum built a feeding box using one of those doors for one of her cats because he was on a special diet. Could be an option for those with dogs who are the same size or smaller than the cats.

 

[odiesmom]

I have 3 cats and 3 dogs, the dogs free feed and the cats bowls are on a shelf where the dogs cant reach them . Well except for Lucifer the lab but he has never had a desire to eat catfood and they all share a huge water bucket . pretty little sarah dips her paw into the water like she is too good to actually put HER mouth on that bowl lol

 

[Bordermom]

We have a ledge in the basement so the food goes on there at night when I feed them. Also don't free feed them, I do give the skinny cat a big bowl of food then lock the other cat up for the night in the mudroom, and then when she comes inside in the morning she'll lick the bowl clean. This seems to work well for them as otherwise the skinny one only gets a mouthful before the other one inhales everything down.

 

[luvmyfurballs]

I have three dogs and five cats. Dogs will eat the cat food, so I have it on top of a chest freezer and they leave it alone. You can get hall table that is tall enough to keep dogs off and short enough for the cat to get on it.

 

[Rid####]

This is a forum that only wants to hear the thing's they agree with.
If you have other idea's then don't say them or they will ban you.
This is the truth.

 

[kafkabeetle]

We used to feed our cat up on a chair. Because Sydney is small she couldn't reach it easily to steal while we taught her not to go for it. She was fed canned food, though, so it was never hanging around. We've also used a baby gate raised a few inches off the ground to give the cat a haven away from the dog. They were similar in size but the cat was much more flexible and could squeeze through spaces the dog couldn't.

 

[Elliebell]

We put the cat food on a wide windowsill that the cat can jump on but the dogs can't get to. Her litter pan is in the basement and is blocked off by a gate that has vertical slats that are wide enough for her to get through but not the dogs.

 

[Greater Swiss]

One cat's food was on the other side of the baby gate until we removed it (yes the time has come!), now she gets fed up on "her" shelf, and the other on the top of the fridge (he hangs out there a lot anyway).

 

[lil_fuzzy]

We have two dogs that LOVE cat food, and 6 free fed cats. In the kitchen the cat food is on a shelf that the dogs can't reach, and outside (where most of them live, enclosed backyard) we have one bowl up on the table, another two bowls on a table we made specifically for the cats, and another two bowls on the cat jungle gym, which is a massive thing with beds and shelves and scratching posts that hubby built for the cats.

In short, the cat food is up high and out of reach of the dogs.

 

[JulieK1967]

Baby gate keeps Molly from the cats' food and it gives the cats a safe place to go that's just theirs & where they know Molly is not allowed.

 

[Brydean]

My washer and dryer are in my kitchen, so I keep the cats food up there.

I've had more trouble keeping the cat out of the dogs food. He loved the puppy food, but due to urinary issues he needs special food.
Thankfully he doesn't care for the Canidae food I have now.! LOL

 

[Daenerys]

Our cats eat up on top of our bearded dragon enclosure. We used to feed them in the closet that has a sliding door (also where we keep their litter box) but the dogs figured out how to open it wide enough for themselves to get in. The litter box has a lid so that's safe enough as is, but the cat food had to move. The bearded dragon's enclosure was the only really easily accessible place. Zedd (the beardie) doesn't seem to mind, either.

 

[GrinningDog]

The cats are fed in the laundry room, where the litter box is. Although the dog could feasibly enter, she has been trained to stay out of that room. Also, we do not free feed (cats or dog), so there is no temptation of food sitting out.

 

[NRB]

My cat is fed on top of a table in closed laundry room. Canned food. So fed only at meal times.

Mom's cat was fed free choice kibble on table top in basement and cat door int he basement door. SO only cat coudl get in if door was kept closed.

Mom's cat when I was a kid was fed free choice kibble on top of the kitchen cabinets. Mom ran a @8 inch wide strip of carpet up the side of the cabinet from the floor to the top. So the cat would climb up to get to the food, then climb down partially and then jump the rest of the way down. Mom would cut a large hole in the kibble bag and place the bag up there and the cat ate out of the bag. (like those little single serve cereal boxes) when the cat was done she'd knock the empty bag down and mom would replace it with a new one.