How to Keep Your Fat Cat from Eating Other Cats' Food
In multi-pet households sometimes it's difficult to avoid the inevitable, pets stealing each other’s food. Whether it's one particular food bully or another that just likes to sneak an occasional sneaky bite, sharing food among pet siblings can pose multiple challenges and health risks. So the lasting question is, how do you keep a fat cat from stealing everyone else’s food? Let’s break it down.
Why is My Cat Stealing Food?
Before jumping into solutions, its best to first understand why your cat is so determined to steal everyone’s meals:
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Food insecurity - If your cat was previously a stray it may be a good conclusion that they have developed a food-hoarding habit and mindset due to not always having access to food in their earlier life.
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Dominant behavior - With an alpha personality, some cats just simply believe every bowl in the house belongs to them.
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Boredom - Similar to humans, some cats eat just out of boredom and require more mental and physical stimulation, so they don't reach for food for their primary source of entertainment.
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Medical Issues - Conditions such as hyperthyroidism or diabetes can increase appetite. If your cat’s hunger seems excessive, it's best to check with your vet to determine if there is an underlying issue occurring.
What Can be Done to Resolve This Situation?
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Feed Your Cats in Separate Spaces
The easiest and often most effective solution is to feed your cats in separate rooms. If a completely separate room is not feasible in your home situation, consider a barrier like a baby gate to create the separation needed for mealtime peace.
Try setting each cat up with their own designated feeding zone and pick up bowls after meals to prevent any lingering snack theft.
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Invest in a Microchip RFID Pet Feeder
A tool that makes feeding in multi-pet households a breeze, a Microchip RFID Pet Feeder. If this is your first time hearing about this invention, it may just be what your multi-pet households need for some easy mealtime feeding.
Microchip pet feeders only open for the cat they’re programmed for, which means your food-loving feline can’t sneak in and steal extra meals.
These feeders are especially helpful if one of your cats is on a special diet or eats more slowly than the other.
🐾 PawsPik Tip: Smart feeders are a great way to simplify mealtime while managing portion control — and keeping food thieves at bay.
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Use Height to Your Advantage
If your overweight cat can’t jump as well as your leaner cat, try placing one food bowl on a shelf, cat tree, or countertop. As long as it’s safe and accessible for the intended eater, this can be a simple physical barrier that works wonders.
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Stick to Scheduled Feeding
Free - feeding might seem convenient, but it invites problems in multi-cat homes. A clearer and more routine route to go is by feeding all your cats at specific times and removing the bowls once they’re done.
This lets you monitor who’s eating what – and stops the food motivated cat from polishing off leftovers.
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Keep you Cat Busy Between Meals
Food stealing often goes hand-in-paw with boredom. Give your cat something else to focus on with:
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Puzzle toys
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Food-dispensing balls
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Wand toys and regular playtime
Keeping them mentally and physically engaged can reduce their obsession with food.
Unsure where to find entertaining and enriching toys? PawsPik offers a wide selection of hand on and off toys to keep your cat entertained and drive their nature hunting instinct. Explore more here – PawsPik Cat Toys.
Train with Positive Reinforcement
Reward your food-driven cat for staying near their own bowl. With time, consistency, and a little patience, you can build better habits – without the drama.
Make Mealtime fair for Everyone
A few adjustments to your feeding routine can bring balance back to your household. From using smart feeders to simply feeding in separate rooms, managing your food happy cat doesn’t need to be complicated.
Ready to restore peace at mealtime?
Explore PawsPik’s smart feeding solutions, like the PawsPik Automatic Microchip RFID Pet Feeder – made to help your cats eat the right food and at the right time.
