How do I get my cat to stop stealing my other cat's food?

I have two cats, one is about 9 months old, he is a Ragdoll X named Tifa (thought he was a girl when I got him as a kitten), the other one is about 6years old, he is a Russian Blue X named Yoda (not my choice). Basically, Tifa keeps stealing Yoda's food. Yoda likes to eat some and then come back later, but Tifa will gobble his food as fast as possible and then get into Yoda's. I've tried just feeding them more but it makes no difference, Tifa will just eat until there's no more food for him to steal. I've tried squirting him with water, yelling at him, light smacks, everything I can think of, but he won't stop doing it. I can't feed them seperately, because Tifa will just go and find where I've put Yoda's food. I can put Yoda's food out of Tifa's reach when he's done nibbling, but I can't be there all the time to put it back and guard him when he decides he wants more. My main concern is that Tifa will get overweight. I don't understand this behaviour, it's like his stomach isn't telling him when he's full; I had things to do when they were eating tonight and I saw him after, he'd eaten like all their food (about a whole can!) and he looked so round...He definitely doesn't have worms, they were both wormed about a month or so ago...Could this be some sort of weird thing to do with trying to assert dominance? He also nags us for food when we are eating...

The same thing happens with my cats! What I do is put one serving in each cat's bowl. That way when they eat, they finish it. Another option would be after Yoda is done eating, put his bowl somewhere where Tifa won't get to it (i.e. on a counter). Then if Yoda wants to eat more, put his bowl back down for him. Good luck!

I have 4 cats and 1 of them is just like Yoda. She eats slowly and delicately. While 2 of the others are normal and then there is Joey the youngest who will eat all of his and theirs then hers to... Believe it or not he won't stop there - next he will push the dog out of the dog dish as well!!!! I know your frustration and concern.You are correct in wanting to watch Tifa's intake. Too much can definitely cause health problems. If the vet said Tifa is ok now, then it is most likely a dominance issue. I would continue to feed them apart at your normal times. Try not to give in to Tifa's begging - it will only teach bad manners and he will not understand when you say yes one time and no another. Yoda should eventually learn that he only gets to eat during those times and pick up the pace. If hungry enough, he will eat. He may just not be a big eater, As long as the vet says he is healthy, I would not worry about it. Hope this helped a bit. Best of luck. xoxo

Tifa is Young!~And will indeed require more food than your older Yoda baby boy. He's energetic and if you follow some well rounded tips, he won't gain weight. My Milo is about 11 months old now and he is just the friskiest~ The more exersize a young baby boy gets, the less he will gain, because I have thought about this with Milo. He's got a belly now, just in three months that I've had him!~ A good suggestion is to hide small lo-calorie meals and treats around the house which will encourage exercise and provide a challenge for Tifa to find sustenance. This can go a long way to prevent over-eating and weight gain. Another trick is to place moderate sized round stones in the dish so Tifa must slowly reach between the stones to get at kibble or soft food. Make them big enough so they cannot be swallowed, and just small enough that he can nudge them aside to get at the bottom of the dish. This helps prevent eating too fast and adds a little game to the meal. TIfa will love this! If you feed both canned and kibble formulations, remember to cut down the amount of each so that you don't feed double. And schedule the same day feeding time for both. Try feeding about half of the amount given in the package recommendations for each food to start. If you meal feed, keep meal times consistent and measure food going in and out of the bowl to help track appetite. You may limit either the number of minutes access to the bowl, or limit the amount of food offered. Each strategy allows you to control the total food intake of each cat. I had a russian blue before I got Milo and he wasn't a very heavy eater, but free feeding, I found wasn't really good even for Smokey Joe because within a few years he gained weight over time. oh btw, I love russian blues, but I was so sad about his loss, I couldn't get another! Milo eats free range now, but soon he will be put on a regime, twice a day. Morning and Night, because the more food we leave out, the more they will eat and fatness comes over a period of years. The older they get, more settled, less activity and you're sure to have a cat with a belly swinging low and flabby~! I feed Milo dry, a good blend of Solid Gold Indigo Moon and a bit of Purina One. The better quality of cat food you feed, the less they will eat and the food will make them feel fuller and content. Tifa's attitude could be territorial issue, it could be domination issue, either way, feeding the appropiate type of food is most important. Canned food isn't always enough, because they will be hungry an hour later. Tifa will learn through scheduled feeding times, twice a day (and most likely you can moderate these) that he has a portion and Yoda has his portion. But You can supplement canned food as a treat for them both. Or you can feed Yoda his small portion in another room and let him eat peacefully, THEN feed them together so Tifa won't feel left out. A little pampering needs to be construed with Yoda because russian blues eat less and are more mildy mannered. Encourage more play and less food attention when it comes to Tifa, he will later grow out of the abducted food LUSHER!!!LOL