Microchip feeder for Persian on hairball diet

A Persian on hairball-control food with a food-thieving young Domestic Shorthair in the house — that's a really common and genuinely frustrating situation. Hairball-control diets only work if the cat who needs them is actually eating them consistently, and Persians with their long coats really do need that support. Microchip feeders are one of the most genuinely useful things to come out of multi-cat households — they lock to each cat's individual microchip, so only the right cat can get the lid open. Before I point you to the right one: are both cats microchipped, and is the Persian getting any hairball-control wet food as well, or is it dry food only?

That's exactly what these feeders are built for. The one I'd recommend is the SureFlap SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder — it's the market leader for good reason. The lid stays sealed until your Persian's chip is detected, then opens smoothly; the moment she steps away it closes again. Your Domestic Shorthair can sniff around it all he likes but he won't get a single biscuit. It works just as well for wet food, so those few times a week you give her the wet hairball food, same feeder, same protection. You can also set it to 'intrusion detection' mode which closes the lid even faster if it senses another animal approaching — very useful with a pushy young cat. One feeder for the Persian's station is all you need; your DSH can eat from a normal bowl.

Most cats figure it out within a day or two, sometimes quicker. The SureFeed has a training mode where you start with the lid fully open so she gets used to eating from it as a normal bowl. Then you gradually close the lid more and more over a few days until she understands that approaching it opens it. Persians tend to be fairly calm and deliberate eaters, which actually helps — they're not the type to spook and give up on it. The bigger adjustment is usually the frantic young housemate realising his tactics aren't working anymore.

Yes — it reads the chip, not the cat's appearance or behaviour. He can sit there looking hopeful for as long as he wants; without her chip signal the lid stays shut. The only scenario where it gets complicated is if he physically pushes her out of the way while the lid is already open for her, which is where that intrusion detection mode earns its keep. It uses sensors to detect a second animal approaching and closes the lid proactively. Given that your DSH sounds like the pushy type, I'd switch that mode on from the start.

Very. The bowl and the lid mechanism both lift out and are dishwasher safe. The main unit just needs a wipe down. For a cat eating wet food a few times a week you'll want to clean the bowl after each wet meal anyway, and it takes about thirty seconds. Runs on four AA batteries and SureFlap are honest that they last a long time — typically six to twelve months depending on use. All in all it's a low-maintenance bit of kit that should just quietly solve your problem without you thinking about it much.