Microchip feeder for overweight Selkirk Rex cat

Microchip feeders are one of the most genuinely useful innovations for multi-cat homes — they make sure each cat only accesses their own food, which is absolutely critical when one cat is on a vet-prescribed calorie-controlled diet. Before I point you in the right direction, a few quick questions: how many cats do you have, are they all microchipped, and is weight management the only reason you need separation, or is there also a prescription diet involved — or a housemate who'll hoover up the food if given half a chance?

That's a very classic setup — one cat on strict rations, one free-feeder, and the dieting cat has absolutely no intention of respecting the arrangement. The issue is that a single microchip feeder on Wren's bowl won't fully solve it unless Biscuit also has a controlled feeder of his own. What's the vet's plan — set meals for Biscuit at specific times, or just a daily calorie cap distributed however works? And is Biscuit currently fed wet, dry, or both?

Right, so you actually need two things working together: a microchip feeder locked to Wren's microchip so Biscuit can't touch her wet food, and a timed portion-control feeder for Biscuit that delivers his three measured dry-food meals automatically. For the microchip feeder on Wren's side, the SureFlap SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder is the one I'd recommend without hesitation — it's reliable, easy to programme to a single microchip, and the sealed lid keeps wet food fresh between Wren's visits. For Biscuit's controlled meals, pair it with the SureFeed Connect feeder, which does both microchip recognition and programmable meal scheduling with portion sizes, all manageable from an app. That combination means Biscuit physically cannot eat Wren's food, and his own feeder only opens for him at the set meal times with the right amount. It's the most complete solution for exactly this situation.

It uses a built-in scale and lets you set a target weight per meal in grams, so you can be precise. You set the meal times and the gram target in the app, and the lid closes once that amount has been eaten — so even if Biscuit tries to graze, it shuts him out after his allowance. You'll want to weigh out the kibble your vet recommended to match the calorie count to grams, but once you've done that calculation once, the feeder handles the enforcement from there. It's genuinely one of the better tools for vet-directed weight loss because it removes the human error of eyeballing portions.

That's the right call. One practical tip: place the two feeders in different rooms if you can, or at least out of sight of each other. It reduces Biscuit's frustration watching Wren eat and cuts down on any competitive hovering. Good luck with the weight loss plan — Selkirk Rexes are sturdy cats and respond well once the food access is actually controlled consistently.