How can I keep my dog from eating my cat''s food?

[stephbolt]

My FI and I moved in together about six weeks ago, combining our pets (one cat and one dog). We put a cat door on the door of our office, and kept the litter box and food in there to keep the dog out. This arrangement was working fine until we decided to get another cat!

While the animals were still getting used to each other, we kept the new cat, Simon, locked in the guest bedroom with food and a litterbox except when we were supervising the pet interactions. It''s been about three weeks and the pets are getting along reasonably well, so we have given him full access to the house. The problem now is that the dog keeps eating all Simon''s food.

Simon is a Maine Coon, and is too big to fit through the cat door we have so putting his food in the office as well isn''t a solution. He''s also not much of a jumper/climber, so any elevated place we could put the food that he could get to, the dog could also get to (we''ve found the dog on top of the kitchen counter before!)

Has anyone else dealt with a situation like this or have any suggestions? I''m worried Simon is never going to get to eat a full meal again, and we''d like to reclaim our guest room for some guests coming in the next few weeks. Thanks!

 

[musey]

My parents put their cats' food and water on a piano bench in the kitchen when I visit with my little dog. They jump up to eat, where he can't get to. Maybe since your new cat doesn't jump, you could put up a little ramp for him? Would something like that work for you?

OR you could train the dog to leave the cats' food alone. Not the easiest solution, but with most dogs it can certainly be done. Though if your dog is finding his way onto the kitchen counters, perhaps he's not the type to obey something like that...

 

[Elmorton]

Yupp. My MIL has the cats'' bowls on a section of a counter in her kitchen that is not near any surface that''s used for cooking.

 

[Haven]

Don''t free-feed your cat. We feed our cats three times a day, they eat everything we put out each time we put it out, so it isn''t a problem. It takes a bit of training, but now we have it so the cats each have their own eating "spot" and they eat it all right up.

It''s also better for your kitty to regulate how much he eats.

Good luck!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

put it up high.

 

[lulu]

Years ago I lived with a skinny kitten and a fat cat. I put the kitten''s food behind a china cabinet that stood at an angle in the corner and pulled one side out a little so only the kitten could get back there. If you got a bigger cat door would the dog be able to get in? If you have a big dog that''s another solution. One of our cats is 24 pounds so we bought a door for a small dog. It still keeps our big labbie out.

 

[purrfectpear]

It''s funny how dogs will eat cat food, but I''ve never seen a cat that would eat dog food. Just goes to show that dogs have less pride huh?

I had the same issue, so I put the cat food bowl on the cat tree. If even you think they aren''t into climbing, I bet they will when they realize that''s the only food they''re gonna get.

 

[bee*]

Date: 5/6/2009 1:16:11 AM
Author: purrfectpear
It''s funny how dogs will eat cat food, but I''ve never seen a cat that would eat dog food. Just goes to show that dogs have less pride huh?

lol you haven''t met Manolo-he loves Amber''s diet food. He''s a strange cat though!

I''m with Haven in that we don''t free feed either of them so when Manolo gets his food he eats it straight away. I also tend to feed him at the same time that I''m feeding Amber so she''s otherwise occupied as well.

 

[lulu]

No wonder Manolo helps himself to food from the fridge!

 

[Steel]

Forbidden fruit tastes sweeter...

I trained our dogs not to eat anything out of certain bowls/plates. These bowls only ever have cat food in them and the dogs have ben pavlov'ed out of it. What I did was 1) Make sure to never give the dogs any cat food, not even scraps. 2) only use dog bowls for dogs and never ever let the dog eat from a cat bowl; make sure they very look different 3) teach the technique and repeat until learned.....

Call the dog over to the cat feeding area and ask them to sit beside the bowls. They will sniff and lower their heads to eat. Tell them no. Don't move away from the training dog until they stop looking down at the cat food. Once they learn that move away one pace at a time and come back to say no every time the head drops to sniff or eat. Continue until you are a good few steps away. Repeat this until you can sit them down and walk away without the head lowering. If your dog is treat responsive keep some snacks hidden on you and when they lift their head after being told no you can congratulate them with a treat.

Next step is harder. Sit the dog by the bowls and lift the cat food bowl up to their doggie face. If they sniff at the bowl tell them off with a no. Keep raising and lowering the bowl until they look away from it. They will look away because they keep getting told off and are starting to hate the blasted cat bowls.

Do this every day for 2 weeks and you should have a pavloved dog. Test the dog and increase training by moving the cat bowl to a new position and see if they go to sniff it. Repeat training if they do.

OR......

Put the bowls up high. It has already been suggested and is fool proof. Unless your dog is a fool and knows how to jump. Then you are scuppered!

 

[tlh]

Date: 5/6/2009 7:51:18 AM
Author: bee*

Date: 5/6/2009 1:16:11 AM
Author: purrfectpear
It''s funny how dogs will eat cat food, but I''ve never seen a cat that would eat dog food. Just goes to show that dogs have less pride huh?

lol you haven''t met Manolo-he loves Amber''s diet food. He''s a strange cat though!

I''m with Haven in that we don''t free feed either of them so when Manolo gets his food he eats it straight away. I also tend to feed him at the same time that I''m feeding Amber so she''s otherwise occupied as well.

now that yolanda is on a diet... she runs to the dogs dish while the DH is taking the dogs out for their business... (because that is when I feed them) she loves having the free range of kibble.. no matter how large the pebbles.

It is quite strange running the cat away from the dogs dishes, or when the dogs get in early and WAIT for her to finish. (She is mean when she is hungry.)

 

[IloveAsschers13]

Date: 5/6/2009 7:51:18 AM
Author: bee*

Date: 5/6/2009 1:16:11 AM

Author: purrfectpear

It''s funny how dogs will eat cat food, but I''ve never seen a cat that would eat dog food. Just goes to show that dogs have less pride huh?

lol you haven''t met Manolo-he loves Amber''s diet food. He''s a strange cat though!


I''m with Haven in that we don''t free feed either of them so when Manolo gets his food he eats it straight away. I also tend to feed him at the same time that I''m feeding Amber so she''s otherwise occupied as well.

Ha I was going to say you haven''t met my Louie either- he literally tastes everything even if it isn''t food, just to check and see if he can eat it. He LOVES my mom''s dog food... he chows down!

 

[bee*]

Date: 5/6/2009 11:46:55 AM
Author: lulu
No wonder Manolo helps himself to food from the fridge!

lol that''s true!!

 

[icekid]

Date: 5/5/2009 10:34:09 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
put it up high.

haha, this is about the only thing that will keep my parents'' dog out of the cat food. Keep it where they cannot get it!

 

[risingsun]

I have two Maine Coon cats and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. My male MC would eat until he fell over, so he is fed twice a day in the laundry room. No dog allowed. My female MC is free fed and her bowl is on a counter in the laundry room. Dog and other Maine Coon can''t raid her dish and all is well. Dog is feed twice per day on the kitchen floor. Both cats may be present because dog inhales his food. Dog has to sit or down stay before getting his meals. We are lucky if the cats, especially Madame MC, deigns to eat her food

 

[Feralpenchant]

My cats kick my dog''s @$$ if he gets too near to their food, and when the cats get feisty and eat the dog''s food, he cries until we shoo them away. Lol.

I''d feed Simon in the bathroom, just take him and his food in there, give him about thirty minutes and let him out. Voila!

 

[stephbolt]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We''ve been giving Haven''s idea a try and not free feeding any longer. So far it is going ok, we get the cats eating first and then feed the dog since he absolutely inhales his food usually. Fingers crossed this plan keeps working!