Hello! Thanks in advance for your help :) I will try to keep this as simple but clear as possible. We got two dogs about three years ago when we already had cats and it's been easy enough but the food situation has always been a challenge.
The struggle resulted in us feeding our cats atop our kitchen and bathroom counters while our dogs have their own feeding stations on the floor. For reference, I have a husky and a pitbull. The husky is a counter surfer and I've caught her a number of times licking the wet cat food off their dishes while they sit there unsure of what to do. She's a turd that way but this is a separate issue we are working on.
None of us have had an issue with this arrangement. The cats can eat on the counters if they want, it's fine, we just clean up afterward. However, we have recently welcomed a new family member into our home and they have been as kind as possible in mentioning that they don't like the cats on the counter. If it was just during kitty meal times, maybe that would be fine, but the big issue is with our senior cat.
He is without teeth now at 18 years old so he can ONLY eat wet cat food. He is also getting old enough that he is losing muscle mass and I don't think things are digesting like they are supposed to. He has lost weight and is ALWAYS hungry... so naturally, if you're in the kitchen, he's crying for food. If you are in the process of cooking all the other humans dinner, he is walking all over ingredients while screaming for food. It's... annoying but we love him so we have dealt with it.
But this new family member has let us know how unhygienic this really is. Which yeah, we knew, but it was just the way things had happened and it was just what we knew. I want to try and figure out a way to fix this though.
I guess what I am looking for is advice for how to feed my cats their wet food without the dogs getting into it and without having to lock the dogs up. I am worried about getting a cat tree (we don't really even have the room for it) because my senior cat wouldn't be able to properly climb it. I have looked at the litter box enclosure boxes and that's the only thing I think MIGHT work but I would need one big enough for two cats to eat at the same time and I haven't really found one.
Everyone's first solution was to feed them outside but I am uncomfortable with this due to the temperature outside and our senior cats fear of outdoors. He immediately runs inside if you start to go in so you would have to stand out there with him.
Advice wanted... and honestly I know this situation isn't the greatest and I am a little embarrassed and ashamed to admit the state we have let things get but please don't berate me for this. I already know. I am just looking for a solution if you have one. Thank you!
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/lxea7j/dogs_keep_getting_into_cat_food_advice/
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