Stop your Abyssinian stealing senior cat food

Microchip feeders are one of the most genuinely useful innovations for multi-cat households — they make sure each cat only accesses their own food, which is especially critical when you've got cats on very different diets. A food-stealing Abyssinian piling on weight while a senior cat misses out on their specialist nutrition is exactly the kind of problem they solve. So: how many cats do you have, are they all microchipped, and what's the main issue — is it purely the Abyssinian helping herself to the senior food, or is the older cat also struggling to eat in peace?

That's a really classic mismatch — a lean senior who needs every calorie she can get, and a bouncy young Abyssinian who definitely doesn't. First thing worth sorting: get your vet to scan the Abyssinian at your next visit to confirm whether she's chipped. If she's not, it's a quick procedure and costs very little. Once you know both cats are chipped, the solution is straightforward. Can I ask — where does the feeding happen? Same room, same corner, or do they already eat in separate spots?

Distance alone won't fix it with an Abyssinian — they're fast, clever, and incredibly food-motivated. What you need is a physical lock on the senior's bowl that only her microchip can open. My clear recommendation is the SureFlap SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder. You programme it to recognise your senior cat's chip, and the lid stays closed to everyone else — including a determined 2-year-old. It works with standard 15-digit microchips, the bowl and mat are dishwasher safe, and it runs on four AA batteries with no wiring needed. Place it wherever your senior likes to eat and the Abyssinian simply cannot get in. You'd keep the Abyssinian's own food in a regular bowl, since you want her eating less, not more.

Good question. SureFlap does make an RFID collar tag version of the SureFeed that works on the same feeder — so if your Abyssinian turns out not to be chipped, you'd attach a small tag to her collar and programme the feeder to recognise that instead. But honestly, I'd push for the microchip route. Abyssinians are agile escape artists and collar tags can get lost or snagged. A vet microchipping costs about £20–30 and solves it permanently. Get her scanned first — there's a real chance she was chipped and you just don't have the paperwork.

Perfect plan. Once the senior's bowl is locked to her chip, her nutrition is protected and you can manage the Abyssinian's weight through portion control on her own meals without any drama. It's a genuinely tidy fix for what sounds like a stressful daily standoff. Good luck with the scan — chances are she's already chipped and you're good to go straight away.