Stop separating cats at mealtimes

Microchip feeders are one of the most genuinely useful innovations for multi-cat households — they make sure each cat gets only their own food, which is a big deal when you've got cats on different diets or one who'll hoover up everyone else's meal given half a chance. It sounds like you've been doing the hard work manually by separating rooms, which works but is exhausting to sustain long-term. Before I point you in a direction, let me ask: how many cats do you have, are they all microchipped, and what's the main reason you've been keeping them apart — different diets, a medical need, or just one greedy cat stealing from the other?

A year of twice-daily room separation is genuinely exhausting — you've earned an easier life. This is exactly the scenario microchip feeders are built for. Because one cat is on a prescription urinary diet, you need a feeder that is reliably secure, not just a deterrent. The one I'd recommend is the SureFlap SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder. It reads your cat's existing microchip and the lid only opens for that specific cat — it stays shut for anyone else. It's not just a slow-close lid; it's a positive seal. How many feeders are you thinking — one for the prescription cat, or one each?

That's a sensible instinct, and yes — one each is the cleanest setup. For a nervous cat, the SureFeed has a really useful training mode where you can prop the lid fully open at first, so she gets used to eating from the bowl with no movement at all. Then you gradually let the lid come closer over a week or two until she's comfortable with it closing. Most cats adapt well because the lid only moves when they approach, so it quickly becomes associated with food appearing rather than something threatening. The greedy cat will also learn fast that the other feeder simply won't open for them — they usually try a few times and give up within a day or two.

It's very straightforward. You put the feeder into programming mode and then let your cat approach it — the feeder reads and stores their microchip number in one go. No app, no account, no Wi-Fi needed. It works with standard 15-digit ISO microchips, which is what virtually all UK-chipped cats have, so you'll be fine. Each feeder stores one chip by default, which is exactly what you want — one feeder per cat, one chip registered to it, done. The whole setup for both feeders takes about five minutes.

It really is one of those products where once you have it, you wonder how you managed without it. Good luck with the transition — start the nervous cat in training mode from day one and give her a week before you let the lid fully close, and she should take to it without much stress. Your food thief will figure out the rules pretty quickly too. Enjoy getting your mealtimes back.