Quote:
Originally Posted by Gemme
It screwed up his expectations for food and now I think he has a fear of no food.
This was before I got Gracie. I feel that if they were both here, she would have kept him entertained and basically told him to get over himself.
I don't know how to fix this. I free feed dry food and I know he eats more than he should out of both of their bowls but if I take it up when I'm not there, will it make his food anxiety worse? I feel that he would focus on food even more. As it is, any time I walk in the kitchen, he clearly thinks it's food time, even if he's just eaten.
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Gemme, I think that it would be actually better to not free feed. I think that not free feeding will decrease his anxiety. He will learn that he gets food every day, once (or twice, whatever you do), per day. He won't feel the need to "plan" for no food by eating extra free food because there will be no free food to "plan with". He will start to realize that when mom wakes up in the morning he gets fed, and when mom gets home (or at a certain time, whatever works with your schedule), he gets fed. If you are home at dinner time set an alarm for the same time every day. His body clock/sunlight clock, will start telling him when food is upcoming.
He will see over time that there is no need to worry. His anxiety will go away.