How do I keep my small dog out of the cat food?

[benburch]

Here is the issue;

We have a small young dog that we try to keep on a controlled diet, and three older cats who have been used to having a bowl of dry food at all times on the floor.

The dog, of course, wants to scarf up all the cat food.

We cannot move the food to an elevated spot because one of the cats is too old to jump to it.

I think the cats would suffer a lot of anxiety were we to feed them only once or twice a day and take the food away at other times.

What is the best approach here? Go to twice-daily feedings of the cats with the dog restrained to a different room and suffer though the cat-whining while they get used to it? Or is there some other way I have not thought of?

Thanks!

[lukasahero]

1. Is there any possibility of putting the cat dishes in another room

that the dog can't get to? (i.e. - use a child gate that the cats can hop over but the dog cannot or make a little cat door for them)

The only other option is to really scold the pup for going after their food. If he's young and he hasn't been allowed to do this for too long, he can learn that their food is not his food.

Good luck.

[meow2u3]

2. Try feeding the cat on the counter

or the table. This way, kitty can vault onto a raised space--where cats are more comfortable looking down on the dog and us--and the dog can't get it.

[benburch]

8. Our one old fat cat can no longer jump...

The dog can out-jump her...

[kestrel91316]

9. Rig up some stair steps for her, and probably the dog won't

be smart enough to figure it out.

[IndyOp]

10. And YOU a veterinarian! You, you, you...

CAT favorer you!!

Us dog folks think this about that crack about dogs not being smart enough to figure out stair steps: :mad:

:hi:

[benburch]

13. Well, an Irish Setter wouldn't figure it out...

I've never known a really bright one...

[IndyOp]

14. I don't know any Irish Setters, so I'll take your word for it.

My Laborador Retriever is an incorrigible counter-surfer and would get any food left on a kitchen counter for sure - :-)

[kestrel91316]

17. Lovely dogs to look at, but you sure got THAT right, lol

[NMDemDist2]

20. all the one's i've known get lost at the end of their leashes

pretty, but not the brightest bulbs in the pack for sure

[kestrel91316]

16. As a cat vet, I figured my inherent bias against dogs was

obvious, LOL!

Dogs are not inclined to climb, cats are, hence the steps suggestion. 8-D

[China_cat]

27. Especially those of us

with a dog smart enough to figure out how to get on top of the refrigerator where the treats were kept. (At 85 lbs at the time, too)

[benburch]

12. This is a dachshund...

he'd figure it out...

[Suziq]

18. We Also Have a Doxie . . .

They are super smart! We also have two aby cats and had the same problem.

Our cats were young when we got Molly, so we were able to start feeding them on the counter.

Please try to keep your doxie away from the cat food. As you know, they could easily become overweight, which is definitely not good. There is too much fat in cat food.

Unfortunately, my doxie is now a parapalegic due to back disease. She is overweight and I am pretty sure it had something to do with her illness.



Good luck, Ben.

[benburch]

19. Poor little girl!

Yes, that is why we are measuring Bogie's food so carefully!

He's in today getting neutered, chipped, and getting his bellybutton hernia sew up...

[Critters2]

22. The beauty of beagles!!

I love my dog, but I have furniture with higher IQs. I mean, they were bred to chase rabbits, bark,and be cute. How much grey matter does that take?

[Critters2]

21. I have a step stool

that goes up to the counter. It's narrow enough that the dog can't really get her balance on it, though she has tried. The cats just walk up it. It's an old one that my folks had from the time I was a kid--kind of looks like a high chair, but with these steps that fold out from underneath. It works just great!!

I wish they'd make a dog food that tastes as good to dogs as cat food does! That might solve it!!

[IndyOp]

3. If you don't mind playing cat butler until your dog gets bigger....

If your dog is small enough to fit through a kitty door, and small enough to squeeze under a baby gate that the cats could scoot under, and the cats can't leap or climb to a location that the puppy can't get to -- then...

Welcome to your new job -- Kitty Butler!

You could put the cat food in a room the door of which you can keep closed. Then when the cats want to eat they will meow and you can open the door to let them in. When the cats are done and want out they will meow and you can open the door and let them out. (Repeat many times per day). The cats will enjoy this new way of interacting with you. :-)

If you can put the cat food in a room they like to hang out in anyway - bedroom? - then you might not have to open & shut the door quite as often.

:hi:

[benburch]

7. My dog should remain smaller than the biggest cat for his whole life...

So I may have to butler long-term...

[BrklynLiberal]

4. THe cat food is really bad for the pup. Too much protein, so it is very

important to stop this bad habit.

The cat food must be put someplace that the pup cannot access it. If height is not a possibility, perhaps a smaller opening into a room he cannot get into would be a possibility.
I have a gate to my "cats" room that I have raised a little off the floor.
I affixed it to the door sides with pressure, but not at the floor level.
The cats can crawl under it, but the dog cannot get past it. Is this a possibility?

Here. I just took a pic of the entrance I am describing. Hope this helps.
You could adjust the height to whatever is best for your cats.

[NMDemDist2]

5. build the kitties a stair way that is too small for the pup

or try the gate idea, but a gate the cats can go thru that will keep the dog out might be a trick

[oregonjen]

6. We have the same problem and I'm playing Kittybutler

I don't know of any other way, but to put the food down when the cat asks for it and promptly put it up when he is done eating. Sometimes we aren't quick enough and the pup inhales the cat food in seconds. It's frustrating. My pup even inhaled the kibble we were feeding my parents' dog while we were doggy-sitting him at our house. We had to make an emergency trip to the vet and have x-rays of his stomach taken. $94 later, his stomach was stretched to the max, but fine. We have a pig for a pup!

x(

[IndyOp]

11. -->

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Thanks for your story - :hi:

[SW FL Dem]

15. I have 3 dogs and a cat

Because cat food can be really bad for dogs, we keep the cat food on the counter. I understand that you have a cat who can't jump that high. Could you put the cat food in a room with a baby gate in the doorway? If your dog is small, you might be able to get away with a pretty low barrier that would keep the dog out but would be easy for the cats to clear.

[calico1]

23. I would go with the idea of the baby gate and also

I find most dogs can't figure out how to get past any barrier that is put in the way such as a box, a small table, etc. I keep my dog away from the cat food by arranging chairs, stools and other things near their food bowls. She is a big dog but it still might be worth a try with yours. Even though my dog could get through she gets all confused by the objects in the way. Give it a try.

[demnan]

24. You could buy one of these

and keep the food bowls at the top. It will give the old fat cats a bit of exercise to get there, but I bet the dog wouldn't climb up.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=2957&N=2002+113198

[Suziq]

25. Not So Fast . . .

This was taken before my doxie's illness. :-(

I walked into the room and found Molly in cat tree! That's Maggie on the top. Moe is on the windowsill.

[Sanity Claws]

26. LOL

Did you ever figure out how Doxie got up there? Maybe a little help from someone in the house?

[Suziq]

30. No One Was Here

but me.

She jumped in on her own. Doxies are good jumpers. Unfortunately, jumping is not very good for their backs.

[demnan]

29. That dog thinks it's an Abbyssinian!

:rofl:

Thanks for the laugh!!!!

[China_cat]

28. We have a 21 year old cat

who doesn't jump real well going up so we make it really simple...we pick her up and put her with the food. When she's done she can manage to jump to the back of the easy chair and get down from there. Sometimes we just have to take a little extra time to make the accomodation for an old, ill animal.