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Cat is eating really fast
I posted a few days ago about adopting a second cat. I'm happy to report that everything is going extremely well, and our new cat (Midge) and our first cat (Pal) are friendly with each other and they are getting along very well 
Our only issue with them has been with food, but we've solved this by feeding them in two separate rooms and closing the doors when necessary. We feed Wellness indoor cat dry food. Midge goes beserk when she sees us getting ready to feed her, and she plows through her food like she's been starving for years. If we don't shut the doors then she goes after Pal's food, which obviously he doesn't like. And obviously we don't want her to over-eat. She's not vomiting from eating too fast (which Pal used to do), and we're giving her the required amount each day plus the occasional cat treat.
It doesn't seem like she was neglected at the shelter. Is this just a thing with young cats (she's around a year old), or shelter cats? She was always caged rather than being a floor cat, so I doubt she was ever in competition for food. If I'm standing there while she's eating I'll pick up the bowl and move it or just hold it for a minute to try and slow her down.
Do we need to work with her on this, or is this something that she'll grow out of once she sees that this is her home and she won't starve?
Re: Cat is eating really fast
So. I'm going to assume the Wellness is a better quality food than what was being fed at the shelter - so please correct me if I'm wrong.
Our cat, Rosco, has been doing the same thing. Recently, we switched from Purina Indoor Cat to Taste of the Wild. Since the change, he has been very vocal at feeding times and I've never seen a cat eat as fast has he does at meal time. He is also about a year old - closer to 1 and 1/2.
Anyway - my thoughts on this issue are: kitty might really like the food (this is what I think the deal is with Rosco). He loves the new food, but doesn't seem to beg for food at other times. Does Midge beg for food at other times during the day - ie) trying to convince you that she's starving?
I know it's common for dogs to scarf their food before the kibble even hits the bowl - so it might be a "normal" for some cats as well, just not as common.
Hopefully, some other pesties will chime in - I just wanted to reassure you that you're not the only one, and Midge might just LOVE her new food!
It sounds like you're doing the right thing by keeping them separated and portioning the food amounts.
ETA: We use a spray bottle when the cats try to eat from someone else's bowl. They have their spots in the kitchen where they eat, and sometimes like to go scrounging when they are done.
5 cats. 1 baby.
I adopted two kittens together last April and they are almost a year old. One eats very quickly and the other doesn't. We used to free feed and it didn't matter so much, but after they were spayed and we started meal feeding, it because a problem. We usually either sit there while they eat to pick up and cuddle Snickers when she finishes early, or we let one eat in their room and the other in the hall with the door closed between them. I think Zoey actually eats pretty slowly so the difference is huge.
I would just feed them in different rooms like you are doing. I think it will be hard to break the habit and honestly I doubt it will stop. Some cats (like people) just eat faster.