Stop your dog raiding cat food bowls

A dog raiding the cat bowls is one of those problems that sounds minor until you realise your cats are either going hungry or your dog is eating food that isn't right for them — and it happens in practically every household where cats eat at floor level. Microchip feeders are one of the most genuinely useful multi-cat innovations, but they work just as well as a dog-proofing solution, because the lid only opens for the cat whose chip is registered. Before I point you in the right direction — how many cats do you have, are they microchipped, and is the dog stealing food mainly a nuisance issue or is one of your cats on a prescription or specific diet?

A Labrador — yes, that tracks perfectly. They're famously food-motivated and have absolutely no concept of boundaries around a cat bowl. The good news is this is exactly what the SureFlap SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder was built for. It reads your cats' existing microchips and the lid springs open only when the right cat approaches, then closes the moment they step away. A Labrador's nose or paw can't trigger it, so the food is physically inaccessible to him. One question before I confirm: does your Labrador tend to hover and stress the cats while they're eating, or does he mainly raid bowls when the cats have walked away?

That nudging behaviour is worth knowing because it means the feeder alone won't fully solve the stress on the cats — but it solves the core problem solidly. Here's my clear recommendation: get two SureFlap SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeders, one per cat. The lid closes while the cat is eating if they step back even briefly, so the dog can't swoop in mid-meal. They're quiet, reliable, and setup takes about five minutes — you just hold each cat near the feeder once to register their chip. I'd also suggest placing them on a raised surface like a counter or a dedicated cat feeding shelf if you can, because that removes the dog entirely from the equation and lets your cats eat in peace. The SureFeed is consistently the best-reviewed feeder in this category and it's what I'd buy in your situation without hesitation.

You can register up to 32 microchips on a single SureFeed, so technically one feeder opens for both cats. But in practice with two cats, one feeder creates a bottleneck — they can't eat at the same time, and if one cat is a faster eater, the other may get pushed out or go hungry waiting. For a calm, stress-free feeding routine, two feeders is the right call. It's a bigger upfront cost but it removes any competition between your cats and means each one has their own space. If budget is tight right now, start with one and see how your cats share it — some pairs manage fine, others don't.

Yes, very straightforward. The bowl and the inner tray both lift out and are dishwasher safe. The outer unit with the motor just needs a quick wipe down. Most people find they can do a full clean in under two minutes. It's one of the things the SureFeed does well compared to cheaper feeders where the bowl is awkward to remove.