How do I stop my adult cat from eating my kitten's food?

Question

I have one 9 yearold cat, and an 7-8 week old kitten. i have had the new one since she was 3 weeks.
We finally moved her onto hard kitten food, the only probelm is, is that my aduly cat eats her food. He doesn't eat his adult/senior food anymore. And, it might just be me, but he seems to have gained a substantial amount of weight. But, it just won't stop. what should i do?
Also, my mom has been thinking of giving the kitten to a different owner, because my other cat seems to have been acting not like himself lately. He's always sleeping, and he never comes around meowing anymore...should i be worried? if so, what should i do about that too?!?!
PLEASE HELP! :S

Answer 1

The only way to get your adult cat to not eat the kitten food is to feed your kitten somewhere where the adult cat can't get to it. Like put the kitten and kitten food in the bathroom and close the door for a few minutes. Then let the kitten out and pick up any left over food. Of course this is a lot of work as you'll have to do it several times a day.

Adult cat's love kitten food. And other then being high in calories (which is why your adult cat is gaining weight) it won't hurt the cat to be eating it, well until your kitten is off of it anyway.

Adult cats sleep a lot! Are you sure it's sleeping more or does it just seem like it because you've got the kitten running around all the time. I know that when we added a kitten I thought for sure my old cat got lazier but then once the kitten calmed down I realized that it only seemed lazier.

It may not be meowing so much anymore because there is another cat in the house.

If your older cat really seems to be acting different (other then the weight gain from the kitten food) I'd suggest getting it checked at a vet or pet clinic.

Answer 2

I also had an adult cat that ate kittens food. It was impossible to moderate. So, I let him eat the kittens food until the kittens were able to eat adult food. It won't hurt the adult cat, although it could gain some weight. Make sure it gets plenty of exercise. I mean, unless you want to make two completely separate living areas, I think that is about all one can do. Kittens need access to food at all times, and you can't always be there to watch and make sure big kitty isn't eating it. You'll go crazy that way.

Answer 3

Your older cat will get more protein, fat & calories that he needs when he eats the kitten's food. We've got the same situation with our cats & I've simply been giving the kitten his food when the older cats are in another room. You can also get a "kitten cafe" which is just a cardboard box with an opening big enough for a kitten but too small for an adult cat to get through.
Also, your older cat might be acting differently b/c he's still getting used to having the kitten around. Since he's sleeping so much more, another possibility is that he's not feeling well, which has nothing to do with the kitten, & a vet should check him out. Good luck.

Answer 4

The kitten food is much higher in fat and other assorted nutrition. If your older cat is eating that instead of his own food, he'll definitely be gaining weight. This might also be the reason why he's lethargic.
If you don't want to worry about supervising both cats, you can try putting the kitten food into a closed box that has a hole only large enough for the kitten to get into and out of.
Make sure to give your older cat lots of attention - more than the kitten is getting. The sleeping and ignoring you can be signs that he's feeling like there's a rival for your affection, so make sure he knows that he's still your favorite.

Answer 5

Well, you could feed them separatly. Feed the adult cat first and then put it in another room and feed the kitten. Give the kitten fifteen minutes and then take the food away. Soon the kitten and cat will learn that when they are fed they need to eat right away. You may want to feed the kitten a few times a day also. If you give your cats dry food, I would recomend the time feeder. You set it for a certain time and the food will come out as much or as less as you want. is in a carton and when the timer goes off, food will come out. You could supervise when the kitten eats also.

Just like humans, cats get jelous. Many cats get very upset if a new member joins the family. It may take awhile but your cat will eventually adjust to it. To show jelousy, cats will ignore their owners and act resentful. He will get over! Don't give in to him! Good luck!

Answer 6

It's ok if your adult cat eating your kitten's food.
Mine also. I have 3 adult cats and 4 kittens. Only one adult cat eats the adult food. The rest, they like the kitten's food better. The vet says it's ok. I also give vitamins that's been given by the vet to the adult cats everyday, to ensure their nutritional needs fulfilled.
And about your adult cat's behavior, don't worry. Adult cats tend to act 'wiser', sometimes be lazier, when there are younger cats around.

Answer 7

It's actually quite simple - feed both cats a different food. If you buy a good quality canned food, both cats can eat it.

Kittens do need more calories than adults, but there's nothing in "kitten" food that they can't get in a good canned food. In fact, the better canned foods are even better for them than kitten foods.

"Kitten" foods typically have 2-4% more protein than adult foods. That isn't enough to make them worthwhile. And they're higher in calories, which accounts for your adult's weight gain.

I recommend getting canned Evo. All you have to do is follow the guidelines for quantities for your cats based on their age and weight.

Answer 8

From experience I can tell you your adult cat will not stop eating the kittens food. You will have to literally keep an eye on them when you feed them. Your not gonna be able to just leave the food their, unless your feeding them in differant rooms. Good luck.

Answer 9

you cant, unless you specify meal times and separate the cats.

Your cat is probably not meowing and asking for all the attention anymore cuz he has a friend. He doesn't need as much from you now. Its nothing to worry about.

Answer 10

RuneAmok is 100% right. Good advice!! A couple more good wet food choices are Merrick and Wellness.