Cat & New Kitten - Feeding Help!

[poohs_hunny]

I got a new kitten (about 12 weeks old) a week ago. I'm having some trouble with feeding him and my older cat together. Here's the problem: Cat is a bit of a pig. He generally eats all of his food in one sitting (or close to all). He will eat more than he should if extra food is left out. Kitten is a nibbler - he will eat a bit, go do other things, and eat a bit more. Although I am feeding them in different spots and they each have their own bowls, Cat keeps trying to eat Kitten's food, even when he has his own! I keep redirecting him to his own bowl, but I can't be around every time he does this. I am afraid that Cat will eat his own food and Kitten's (or most of it) and Kitten will get very little. To make matters more complicated, they eat different types of food, too (Cat Chow/Kitten Chow). Since Kitten is a nibbler, feeding them in different rooms really isn't an option, since then he'd be in that room alone for hours while I waited for him to finish his food. So, cat experts out there - what do I do?? Thanks for any advice!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Ah, my sister had two older cats and then got 2 kittens. What she did was to put them on a feeding schedule and she fed them 3 times a day. She let them eat for about 15mins When she set the food out and at first the older ones protested the new "schedule" as they were used to free feeding.

She also had to police the cats while the kittens had kitten food because one of the cats is an eater.

Now they are older and she has dropped to twice a day but they are all eating cat food.

She said it has been wonderful as she has no more puking from overeating. Her cats are very healthy and the feeding schedule works great.

She also made a "feeding thing". Here is a pic I have of them all eating.

 

[Irish9697]

Those 4 cats are adorable!!

 

[poohs_hunny]

Ah, my sister had two older cats and then got 2 kittens. What she did was to put them on a feeding schedule and she fed them 3 times a day. She let them eat for about 15mins When she set the food out and at first the older ones protested the new "schedule" as they were used to free feeding.

She also had to police the cats while the kittens had kitten food because one of the cats is an eater.

Now they are older and she has dropped to twice a day but they are all eating cat food.

She said it has been wonderful as she has no more puking from overeating. Her cats are very healthy and the feeding schedule works great.

She also made a "feeding thing". Here is a pic I have of them all eating.

Cute! I was thinking that after a couple of days of "big brother" eating his food, the kitten will smarten up and realize that he needs to eat right when I put out the food. That will solve the problem, but I'm hoping he'll catch on quickly!