Dog & cat question

[Pilot]

We have a 13 year old fat cat, too fat to jump very high. After spending 36 hours treed by a coyote, he has been an in house cat only. Wife says he's the best cat we've ever had (I say second best), so she doesn't want to let him out to become coyote food.

Want to get a golden retriever--best breed there is.

We don't really have any good places in the house for cat food that a dog couldn't get to.

Any suggestions on rigging something where the cat can get to his food but the dog can't?

 

[whistlepig]

We have two dogs that can't be fed at the same time without fighting. They get fed at the same time. One outside the house, one inside the house.

 

[dave1949]

If you have room, like a laundry room, that you can put child safety gate in the doorway, you could put a cat-sized pet door in the gate. I was going to say on top of the frig, that seems to be a cat favorite, but you said the cat can't jump very high. :laughing:

 

[Biggreenavalanche]

Maybe one of the covered litter boxes with a small entrance hole ? Just put kitty's food and water inside...just a thought

Rich

 

[3v0]

I built a table for my out door cats to eat on. It is about 4 feet high and sits outside the non moving part of a patio door. We can watch the cats eat and drive off the strays.

Make yours tall enough so the puppy can not easily jump on it. If you teach the dog it is off limits as a puppy you should not have any problem. Add a ramp along the wall for the cat to walk up if it can't jump.

 

[whistlepig]

If you buy a pup the cat is probably going to swat the pup around a few times to show who is boss hog.

 

[dave1949]

If you buy a pup the cat is probably going to swat the pup around a few times to show who is boss hog.

Yeah, it's quite possible the cat ain't going to take too kindly to this intruder. They usually come to terms, the cat's terms :laughing:

 

[jerrybob]

Install a cat door.....laundry room, spare bathroom etc....... Cat will use.....dog will wonder where the cat went???

 

[peterc38]

Install a cat door.....laundry room, spare bathroom etc....... Cat will use.....dog will wonder where the cat went???

Yep this is what we did except the dogs know where the cat goes, but they also know they ain't fitting through that tiny door.

 

[Ken45101]

If you train the dog (bawl them out when they raid the cat food), a good dog will leave it alone. My wife swore the dogs would kill the cat but with a bit of teaching, they get along just fine. The dogs know that creatures inside the house are our friends and are to be protected.

 

[unbidden]

As mentioned, cat door. Also mentioned, train the dog to leave the food alone; we have 2 dogs, 7 cats, a horse and a pony. The dogs do not eat the cat food and do not go in the horse paddocks. It's takes a little time to train them but it's worth the effort.

 

[clemsonfor]

We have a 13 year old fat cat, too fat to jump very high. After spending 36 hours treed by a coyote, he has been an in house cat only. Wife says he's the best cat we've ever had (I say second best), so she doesn't want to let him out to become coyote food.

Want to get a golden retriever--best breed there is.

We don't really have any good places in the house for cat food that a dog couldn't get to.

Any suggestions on rigging something where the cat can get to his food but the dog can't?

Have inside cats and dogs, some are on diet food due to weight issues some on hair ball food cause of long hair. We segregate them or segregate to groups the ones that don't over eat, Your going to have to have feeding times. You can feed an animal once or 2x a day and they will not be harmed. Food bags actually say per day or one time feeding. My wife works at a vet as an assistant, so I know a one time a day feeding will do no harm. Our dog eats 1 time a day and this is when we eat dinner. We put her food down and she eats till full, the cats then try and steal it while she watches or chases them off till tired. No fights at all between dog or any cats other than the little hissy spats.

Individual feedings is what your going to have to do, don't leave food down this is how animals get fat.

 

[clemsonfor]

To clarify what I said feed them at the same time once or 2x a day. Put the dog in one area and put the cat in like a bathroom or laundry room or some room you can shut off and the dog in another . Let them eat for say 15 mins or 30 mins then take up the uneaten food. If them don't eat all or what you want them to in that time they will eventually that when they go in there that's eating time and that they need to eat in that period. They will learn in less than a week where to go when and do it as soon as you get food out.

 

[RobertBrown]

To clarify what I said feed them at the same time once or 2x a day. Put the dog in one area and put the cat in like a bathroom or laundry room or some room you can shut off and the dog in another . Let them eat for say 15 mins or 30 mins then take up the uneaten food. If them don't eat all or what you want them to in that time they will eventually that when they go in there that's eating time and that they need to eat in that period. They will learn in less than a week where to go when and do it as soon as you get food out.

Sounds like good advice to me. A simple solution.....I suspect your cat will be healthier/live longer because of it, and perhaps a little more active. Sounds like getting him to game shape might be a good idea since his future is about to change,who knows, he may need the extra speed should he find himself outside and encounter a yote.

 

[Mickey_Fx]

Not that is would help you out with your problem but we've not had any feeding problems. Have had dogs & cats together for many yrs. Currently have a cat and his best buddy was our dog which was about 10X the size. Had to put the dog down last yr and it took a long time before the cat would stop looking for his buddy. Previous cat wouldn't eat cat food, he had to eat at same dish as the dogs. Sometimes all 3 eating at same time.

We miss our dog.

 

[Jimbrown]

Two dogs three cats .The dogs no better than to eat cat food. We have the cat door to the laundry room also works great.

 

[unbidden]

Two dogs three cats .The dogs no better than to eat cat food. We have the cat door to the laundry room also works great.

Thatç—´ two beautiful animals right there :thumbsup:

 

[unbidden]

Two dogs three cats .The dogs no better than to eat cat food. We have the cat door to the laundry room also works great.

That's two beautiful animals right there :thumbsup:

 

[jerrybob]

Have inside cats and dogs, some are on diet food due to weight issues some on hair ball food cause of long hair. We segregate them or segregate to groups the ones that don't over eat, Your going to have to have feeding times. You can feed an animal once or 2x a day and they will not be harmed. Food bags actually say per day or one time feeding. My wife works at a vet as an assistant, so I know a one time a day feeding will do no harm. Our dog eats 1 time a day and this is when we eat dinner. We put her food down and she eats till full, the cats then try and steal it while she watches or chases them off till tired. No fights at all between dog or any cats other than the little hissy spats.

Individual feedings is what your going to have to do, don't leave food down this is how animals get fat.

Good advice......My sister's mother-in-law came to live with them.....they had the same issue....they stopped leaving food on the counter.....the lady lost 40 lbs and their food bill was cut in half.:thumbsup:

 

[dave1949]

We had one dog that was okay with free-feeding, she wouldn't over-eat, but most do better with defined meals I think. My wife uses a small kitchen scale to weigh the dogs' meals in. That helps with consistency if you raw feed, plus if you think the dog's weight is not correct, it is easy to know if you are feeding more or less, and by how much.