As I explained last week, in October I’d started reading the updates a friend posted on her Facebook page about introducing her two cats, formerly free-feeders, to automated feeding bowls. It wasn’t easy, she indicated, but she had a very good reason—one of her cats had just been switched to a prescription diet for kidney issues. It is important that this cat, and this cat only, eats the special food.
I asked my friend if she would allow me to excerpt her posts about her experiences with introducing her cats to the new automated feeder system that would deliver the special food to the cat that needed it and his own food to the other cat.
Last week, I shared the first part of the story. This week, more of the story, posted on her Facebook page by Rebecca Cook, about her two cats and what happened next.
Here is what Rebecca wrote, by dates.
November 8
Okay, sorry for not keeping everyone up to date on the ongoing saga of the Automatic Cat Dishes. I think it’s fair to say that this week was a little tough for some of us. This story also has a surprise ending, but one you might enjoy more.
Anyway, for a few days, there were not many changes, except that we all got trained to a rough feeding schedule three times a day. I would open the feeders, put the dishes on the floor, and sit in my office chair watching the cats to be sure they stuck to their own bowls.
I even introduced wet food back into the evening meal, which was a huge hit! But, as I expected, they kept trying to switch bowls when I wasn’t looking. I got lulled into a false sense of security once and turned my back. I swear, it was less than two minutes, and when I turned to look at them, they had silently swapped places.
Dang ninja cats!
One behavior I hadn’t factored in with all my planning is that both of my cats do this thing where they grab a mouthful of food from the bowl, drop it on the floor, then eat little bites. It’s messy and ridiculous and Roscoe totally learned it from Nahla! I’ve never had cats do this before, but it’s why their last food set-up involved putting the small wet food dish in the middle of a big mat.
With the new devices, each time they pull their heads out to drop food on the floor, the doors close. It’s a very short timing on the doors, which is handy if you’re trying to keep out another nosy cat pushing in. I get it, but I wish I could set the timing on it. Oh, well. I was aware of this from reading the product reviews and I still think these are our best bet compared to the others I studied.
The worst part for me, at the moment, is that now the cats try to wake me up in the morning when they are hungry. I REFUSE to give into this behavior! We are definitely having a battle of wills each morning. I AM GOING TO WIN! But Roscoe has started playing dirty, knowing that sitting on my bladder forces me to get up. You know what, though? IT DOESN’T FORCE ME TO OPEN THE FEEDERS! Nahla comes and licks or swats me on the nose. She has terrible breath, so it’s an effective battle tactic—until I put a pillow in front of my face. WINNING! (And maybe suffocating a little … )
Today, in the wee hours of the morning, I heard the strangest thing. The doors on the feeder were opening and closing consistently. When I’d finished my business, I went to the cats’ area and witnessed a miracle! Roscoe was sitting there, poking his head in (opening the doors) to grab a mouthful of food, dropping it on the floor (closing the doors), eating, then repeating. Must’ve gone on for at least 10 minutes!
IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!!!!! HE GETS IT!!!
Of course, Nahla still hasn’t figured it out, which is shocking, because I really expected this to go the other way. Nahla is so much more food motivated than Roscoe is! But I don’t care. We finally got a big step in the right direction.
Hope lives!!!
There’s our silver lining of the week. I hope you’ve found some as well!
Photo by Rebecca Cook
November 13
Hanging at the vet waiting for Nahla. We’re back for our third check on her kidneys, so cross your fingers that the new diet is helping!
Last night, Miss Nahla had a breakthrough on the Automatic Cat Dishes. I opened the door and gently held her there until she finally reached her head in and took a bite. I let her go and for about an hour we played a game where I’d open the door and step aside, then she’d reach in, get a mouthful, drop it on the floor, and eat it. The doors would close because she moved away a little, so then we’d start the game over.
It’s small progress, but progress indeed!
November 15
Automated Cat Dish Training Guide for
Two Free-Feeding Cats on Prescription Diets
(or Learn From My Mistakes: How Not To Be Trained by Your Furry Ninjas)
1. After days of research, purchase two automated cat dishes that are activated by each cat’s unique collar tags (included) and whatever new mat or accessories you may need.
2. While waiting for delivery, talk to the cats about the upcoming changes and increase your own anxiety as you imagine all possible awful scenarios. Use a soothing voice for both.
3. Once the bowls arrive, carefully unbox each. Read the instructions carefully. Three times.
4. Clean out the old feeding area and lean into the accomplished and zen feeling of your new, clean, beautiful feeding spot. Remember that feeling.
5. Set up the new dishes, including making sure you connect only ONE tag to each dish. Very importantly, LABEL THE TAGS. Putting the wrong tag on the wrong collar would be disastrous. Do not add the tags to collars yet!
6. Put food in the dishes and leave them in the locked open position, thus allowing cats to get used to them without the doors operating. Did you already put the tags on the cats? You fool! The unexpected closing of those doors is going to freak them the F out and set you back weeks in training!
7. Okay, now that it’s been a couple days and they are used to them, go ahead and put on the tags. Did you remember to label them? Do you remember whatever code you used that you knew you’d remember when you started this? Yeah, maybe test them before attaching them. Your memory isn’t what it used to be, is it?
8. Put special treats in front of the dishes so that cats will approach and associate the door moving with the treats. This is going to take time, so buckle up.
9. Be sure you have a comfy chair nearby. Over the next few days, at regular times thrice a day, lock open the doors to the devices and set the food dishes in front of the devices. Monitor the cats as they eat so they don’t swap food the second your back is turned. Remember, they are cats and only want things they can’t have. Plus, they are g@$$^&n ninjas!
10. Nap during the day. Not having free access to food is going to make the cats crazy and they will wake you at all hours. RESIST! Don’t let them train you!
11. Purchase a motion-activated camera so you can figure out what the hell they are doing at night to result in one dish being very strangely displaced and causing quite a mess.
12. Once the camera arrives, the cats will suddenly use the dishes properly, as if they were just messing with you the entire time. You will be left with the mystery of the night ninjas and videos like this.
Good luck!
Photo by Megan Kennedy of Rogue Heart Media
An active member of the arts community in Spokane, where she grew up, Rebecca Cook has worked as an actress, director, costumer, make-up artist, accountant, producer, and director in film and theater throughout the region. For the last several years, she has worked on feature films, commercial productions, and TV series, and founded her own small company, Thundering Kitten Productions. As a voice-over actress, she’s recorded many local commercials, well as brought to life over 120 audiobooks. Keeping to her theater roots, Rebecca has produced several original-works play festivals, and she is a living history actor at Spokane’s own Campbell House. She even enjoys rescuing feral cats from time to time and is currently servant to two precocious felines, Nahla and Roscoe!
