Initially this post was only going to be about Archie, but it now is about both him and Jerry.
Archie first, a bit of background:
He was the runt of his litter so couldn't get in enough to the food as his older littermates would shove him out the way. Due to this, he now literally inhales his food. We have split him up from Ben and Jerry in order to try and slow his eating down, and this did work for a time, but now he's started to speed up again. He eats so fast that when he's done, he's mewing for more because his stomach hasn't had a chance to tell his brain that he's full!
And Jerry:
Jerry is our oldest boy and we suspect that he and Ben were fed out of the same bowl in the first home, as Jerry would shove his head into Ben's bowl and take his food. We got him out of this gradually by taking him away from Ben's bowl with a firm no. If he continued, he got either a puff in the face or a small tap on the nose. He hasn't done this now for months. Last night, whilst I was asleep, OH fed them and apparently Jerry went and nabbed from Ben's bowl. OH told me Jerry was terrified of him, OH bopped him and Jerry ran off and hid upstairs.
This morning's feed OH sat next to Jerry and watched him eating, so Jerry ate two mouthfuls and bolted upstairs. He refused to eat until OH had left and I had to hand feed him most of his food and make a fuss of him. This evening, OH stayed in the living room and I sat at the top of the stairs, so I could keep an eye on them without getting in their way. Halfway through their dinner, OH shouted up to me and Jerry bolted again. I had to go after him, pick him up and make a fuss, and take him back down to his bowl. I told OH off and told him to shut up, to which he replied which sent Jerry bolting again!! Managed to get him back downstairs but he would only eat whilst I was fussing him.
So my questions are these, what do I do about Archie's speed eating and what can I do to help Jerry realise it's ok to eat out of his own bowl? Jerry now won't go anywhere near OH, runs off when he sees him, so I'm thinking take things very slowly and carefully and give Jerry lots of fuss.
I am furious with OH though, I've had words about this with him before and told him to stop bopping altogether. Clearly he has taken a step backwards.