If your cat has food aggression, it can affect your ability to enjoy your life, cause tension between other cats in the home, and in some cases result in injury. Stopping food aggression in cats is important because it keeps all involved safe and it benefits everyone’s stress (including yours!). Don’t use aversive methods, though, because it can make the aggression worse and doesn’t get at the underlying problem. Here are better solutions to try.
Get A Medical Evaluation
The starting point for any behavior concern in cats is your veterinarian to rule out a disease, painful injury, or other medical cause of the behavior. This is especially true for food aggression because medical conditions can affect appetite. If there is a medical problem causing it, the best way to stop your cat’s food aggression is to treat the illness. If the behavior involves a sudden change or your cat has multiple behavior problems, a medical evaluation becomes even more critical.
Including A Nutritional Evaluation
Chances are your veterinarian will ask you about how much and how you are feeding your cat when you set up an exam. They can provide specific advice on what and how to feed your cat, but you can also consult with a certified pet nutritionist if you want to go more in depth specifically about diet.
Keep Food Locked Away
All food, including your food and your cat’s food, should be secured so they can only get it if you are feeding it to them. Using baby proofing items can help secure cabinets. You can keep your food in higher cabinets while storing your kitchen items in cabinets your cat can easily reach. If you really need help, you can even get a fancy food storage container with a lock tight lid.
If your cat manages to get past your efforts to cat proof, don’t give up! Try another method or product. In some cases, multiple attempts or using two different strategies is needed to see success. That’s okay! It doesn’t mean you won’t find a solution.
Sinks And Garbages Should Be Secured
Food aggressive cats may try to eat food out of the garbage disposal, sink, or garbage can. Don’t use deterrents as highly motivated cats will just plow right through them. Instead, try the following:
- Use a drain cover (or full sink cover) to keep them out of the garbage disposal
- Clean your sink every time after you use it
- Use a lock on your garbage can or keep it in a cupboard with a secure lock
- Bring all food waste to an outdoor waste bin right away after you finish cooking
Feed Your Cat More Frequently
If you’re only feeding your cat twice a day, your cat is getting hungry between meals. Cats prefer eating multiple small meals rather than two large ones at opposite ends of the day. Smaller meals allow them to eat something and feel full again before they get so hungry they feel the need to defend any food that comes their way.
There isn’t a magic number of meals per day that works for every single cat, but I feed my cats 5 times a day. Somewhere between 4 and 6 meals usually reduces the aggressive behavior.
Use Robots If Needed
If you work outside the home, have human children, or lead a really busy life, it may be hard to fit in that many feedings. Thankfully, automatic feeders can solve that problem. I use an automatic feeder for an early morning snack for my cats. If I’m gone for a longer portion of the day, I have a wet food automatic feeder that I set up to feed them at least one meal while I’m away.
If you like feeding your cats yourself, you don’t have to only use an automatic feeder for their meals. They can be a valuable tool for some meals!
Don’t Just Use One
If you have multiple cats, you’ll need multiple automatic feeders if you’re using them to stop food aggression. If you only use one, it forces the cats to eat near each other which can cause territoriality. It also can cause a cat to guard or become territorial over the automatic feeder. Use separate feeders for each cat and set them up in separate locations.
Avoid Frustration
Normally, food puzzles are an awesome tool to feed your cats as they add mental stimulation for them while they eat. If your cat is food insecure, food puzzles can result in frustration. Food puzzles should only be used later. A slow feeder can be used to slow the cat down if they are vomiting after eating as long as it’s easy.
This also applies to things like clicker training. I use clicker training to help with food aggression, but only once we’ve gotten it reduced to the point where it won’t result in aggression toward you. If you eventually attempt clicker training, you need to be extremely careful about how you do it. It should be stimulating for your cat, but not too challenging.
Don’t Bring Territoriality Into The Mix
If you have a multicat household, it can be convenient to feed the cats near each other. As mentioned earlier, cats don’t like eating near each other. In the case of food aggression, feeding your cats near each other can create a conflict between your cats and worsen territoriality. Separate your cats when feeding them even if it takes a little extra effort. It will be worth it when you’re not stuck trying to stop cats from fighting.
Know When To Get Help
If you’ve taken steps to make sure your cat is getting enough food, the environment is set up so they can’t easily access food outside of meals, and that they’re not becoming hungry too quickly, it may be time to call in a professional. Aggression can be dangerous so trying to figure it out on your own isn’t always the best way forward. If you’re not sure what to do, ask for help.
