Microchip feeder for underweight cat losing food

A vet flag about an underweight ten-year-old is exactly the kind of situation where a microchip feeder stops being a nice-to-have and becomes genuinely important — if your Chartreux is being shouldered out at a shared bowl, they simply aren't getting enough food, and at their age that matters a lot. Microchip feeders are one of the most useful things you can do in a multi-cat home: each feeder reads the cat's implanted chip and opens only for them, so your Chartreux can eat at their own pace without competition. Before I point you to the right one — how many cats are in the house, are they all microchipped, and do you know which cat is doing the pushing out?

That's really helpful. The good news is you don't necessarily need all three chipped to solve this — you just need to protect your Chartreux's bowl. Can I ask: does your Chartreux eat wet food, dry, or both? And do you have a sense of where in the house the feeding happens — is there space to put a feeder somewhere the tabby can't just hover right next to it?

The utility room is ideal — that kind of low-traffic spot makes the microchip feeder even more effective because there's no audience. For a senior cat on wet food who needs reliable, exclusive access, I'd recommend the SureFlap SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder. It reads your Chartreux's existing microchip (no collar tag needed), and the lid closes as soon as he steps away, so there's no opportunity for the tabby to swoop in even if he wanders through. It's specifically designed for wet food — the sealed bowl keeps it fresh between meals too, which matters for an older cat who might be a slower eater. It's the most widely used microchip feeder in the UK, vet-recommended, and the setup is straightforward. One feeder protecting one cat's meals is exactly what this situation calls for.

You do need to do a quick one-time programming step, but it takes about thirty seconds and no registration is needed — you just hold the feeder open, let your Chartreux approach and sniff it, and it reads and stores his chip automatically. Once it's done, it's done. The feeder comes with clear instructions and most people find it clicks first try. If your Chartreux is nervous around new objects, leave it open and unprogrammed for a day or two first so he gets used to it — then programme it once he's comfortable approaching.

Great decision — at ten years old with a vet already flagging the weight loss, the sooner you get that bowl protected the better. If you find he's still not gaining weight after a few weeks of stress-free eating, it's worth a follow-up with your vet just to rule out anything else going on, but in most cases removing the competition is all it takes. Good luck with him.