# How to prevent from eating from cat's bowls?



## Aurorelle (Jan 31, 2012)

I have two cats, both 8 years old who I feed twice a day. They're now accustomed to their feeding schedule and only eat when they're hungry. My puppy on the other hand is not, and once she scarfs down her breakfast he goes and gobbles up the cat food too. I can't always catch her in the act and I would hate to separate them, as they're just starting to warm up to each other. 

How would I train her to stay away from the cat food without separating the pup/food/cats?


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

A friend of mine has a new kitten and 2 dogs. She puts the catfood up high so the dogs don't get at it.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

We put our cats food up high on a table where our pups can't reach it.


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

I would put the cats food in a separate room and put up a babygate leaving enough room for the cats to slip underneath but the dog unable to get over or under it.Or alternatively a small enough cat door or opening in the door that the cat can get through but the dog can't. The same would apply to the litterbox too.


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

Either you have to separate them or put the food up. My cats have always had their food up. Mellie's is now on the powered room counter (it's a little lower for her) but the dogs never go near it, they are used to it and don't even think about it. It takes time.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

When I had dogs & cats together indoors the cat food was on the dryer. The cat we have now is outdoor 24/7 and my husband built a wood shelf on the windowsill for the cat food.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

I keep the cat food in the basement and high up so the dogs don't get it.


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## porchpotty (Aug 4, 2011)

Well I do not feed my dogs and cats in one area so they don't see each other (not mixed up) during meal times.


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

As the others said...elevate the cat bowls. We've got two cats and two dogs. If we don't put the cat bowls up on a table, the min pin will completely empty to cat food and water. Prescription cat food is not cheap, either.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

This is a continual challenge for us too, as it is the focus of Brooks' day to find an unattended cat food dish. Our problem also is our elderly cat isn't that good at climbing to really high places, and the low-high-ish places are all well within Brooks' reach.
Add to that, we feed the cats multiple times as the elderly cat likes it that way.


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

lgnutah said:


> This is a continual challenge for us too, as it is the focus of Brooks' day to find an unattended cat food dish. Our problem also is our elderly cat isn't that good at climbing to really high places, and the low-high-ish places are all well within Brooks' reach.
> Add to that, we feed the cats multiple times as the elderly cat likes it that way.


How about a narrow ramp to get up to a higher place? Just wide enough for the cat, but no use to the dog.



> *Ramp connects cat furniture or improves accessibility for older cats*


Cat Trees & Furniture: Drs. Foster & Smith Carpeted Ramp


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

We have 1) dog gates with small cat door on the bottom to let the cat in and not the dogs. You can get them at Petsmart. 2) we cut a "mouse hole" thru the pantry door that allows the cat access to the pantry and the cat food and not the dogs. Keeps the pups out of the liter boxes too!

One of our older cats was rescued from the road after he'd been hit and he never could jump very well so we had to find solutions for the dog/cat food issues too.


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## Rison123 (Feb 28, 2012)

We had the same problem. We found and tall baby gate with small cat door in the bottom (7"x10"). So we keep the food and cat box in the spare bedroom. Cats can get in and out, doggies can't get to the food! Problem solved


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## Calliesmommy (Feb 27, 2012)

Gotta keep the cat food up where the dog can't get to it.


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

I have a six foot cat tree with 5 levels. The cats' food and water are on the 2nd level where the dogs can't reach. Works great...


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

You could elevate a baby gate above the ground high enough for your cats to get under but not the dogs. This works for me. My yorkies would fit thought a cat hole in a gate but the elevated baby gate freaks them out.


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## Dubuque dog trainer (Mar 9, 2012)

The best solution is environmental management - I would just elevate the cat bowls so the dog can't get to them - not a problem if your cats can jump.


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## Jessie'sGirl (Aug 30, 2010)

We have four cats, some with different feeding needs. At first I kept the dry cat food behind a baby gate. This worked fine at keeping Jess out of the cat food but Big Fat George was eating all the food and getting even fatter. And Callie is on Urinary SO which I don't want the other cats eating.
So now we have a new system, it is a bit time consuming but works better at getting all the cats properly fed. All four cats get 1/4 can of fancy feast twice a day(their treat). Three of them eat this in the kitchen in front of Jess with me supervising. He lays on the floor until they are finished. They pretty well clean the plates and when they are done Jess is allowed to lick the plates. Then I put them in separate locations behind closed doors. Sounds like a lot of work but they know their spots and will run to them. Even BFG can scamper if food is involved. I give them about 10 min to eat their dry food. While this is going on I am cleaning the litterboxes. When time is up I take the food away and they are not fed again until suppertime.


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## JessiesGirl (Dec 8, 2011)

Originally my parents left the cat food out and would make a sharp noise when Jessie looked at the cat food. Well, that worked well until my dog decided she would play that game when visiting for a few days at which point Jessie started eating cat food again. They had to move it back into the bedroom with the litter boxes. My dog, Myah, does not eat the cat food at my house because it is in the living room and she is such a softie that we only had to "trap" her a few times before she stopped even looking at it except in passing. Trapping meaning setting up the bowl and hiding until she looked at it and correcting her with a sharp noise. Myah is not even allowed to look at the cat food bowl for more than a few seconds.


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## Always51 (Feb 19, 2012)

I just feed to cat and dog in different rooms..the cat room is left open enough so the cat can get in and out and the dog doesn't even try to push the door open to grab a cat food snack....just had a thought!!... what a good boy he is!!


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