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serious cat question (cat help!)
9 years ago
General
I need advice from anyone who might know what to do here. I feed my cat at set times of day, and the same amount each time, which is enough for a cat his size. But every time he scarfs through it all in minutes, then whines and complains about wanting more alllllll daaaaay. he doesn't play. he doesn't sleep. he doesn't have a hobby. he. just. whiiiiiiiiines.
what can I do?
what can I do?
What I did when I had an indoor cat was to leave one of those self filling dry cat food containers. Most cats will eventually learn that the bowl always has food in it, and will only eat when it's actually hungry. A few cats will overeat and turn into large furry blobs, so not a perfect solution.
So limit thier food to the correct number of calories and nutrients for that cat, and do what you can to encourage physical activity by the cat.
Friend of mine had old spray bottles full of water scattered around the house because his cats kept leaping onto tables and counters. So whenever he saw one of them on a table, grab a bottle and give the cats a stream of water to its face. Worked great except on one of them. Twit kitty was so stupid, it would just sit there looking around for where the water was coming from.
1. at his normal feeding times put a PINCH in his bowl and put the rest around the house, so he has to look for it ( makes it less tempting to eat just because, and makes him work for it so it's stimulating).
2. When he whines, quietly put him in another room and close the doorfor a few minutes. He'll eventually figure out his behavior is unwanted.
3. Make scheduled play times, to keep him stimulated.
Of course, by all means DO keep him on scheduled measured feeding times no matter what. You can always get him a behavior evaluation too if his health is fine. Hope this works out.
If (and only if!) his bill of health comes back clean, and he doesn't have diabetes or a thyroid issue or whatever, you can maybe try that for a couple of days and see how that works out. That, or do what we do with Errol: in between meals give him a bowl of kibble he can have all day, but make it a fixed amount. That way when he runs out, he runs out, and doesn't get more until the next day so it can kind of keep him from overeating. But as soon as you notice him emptying his bowl over and over, going to his bowl over and over, or eating way more than the cup a day he gets (more if he eats some of Lunar's share)...go back to his normal feeding immediately. Trick is...how to keep Lunar from eating it all and possibly getting sick himself...since I can't tell if his means of weight gain has been simple inactivity, or stress, or a need to get his fill since Daywalker has been eating as he is.
Also, maybe see how Daywalker reacts to a leaner diet. Try a food that isn't grain-based, like what he eats now. Some chicken or cooked egg, if he'll eat it, won't hurt either. Indoor cats really don't need a carb-based diet, and just like people eating lots of empty carbs can make cats feel hungry when they're not. Yes it will be a little pricier, but try a swap to grain-free kibble and see how they take it. On the cheaper end I know Purina has a grain-free variety. Possibly less food just might be a good idea too. The measurements of cups of food per pound that cat food companies publish are often grossly off the mark, and I have felt that both cats get much more than they should. My experience has taught me that, with a small (~3 oz) can of wet food split between morning and night, no more than 1/4 to 1/3 cup per cat left out for them to eat when they will is sufficient. With treats before breakfast and as a late snack Errol has gained weight eating that little, and you know how active he is. But of course don't just jump down to that-he (and Lunar) should have a gradual reduction supervised by a vet.
It's the only way.
If your cat is really making a fuss, like yowling at the top of its lungs all of a sudden, it may sound funny but have you checked your cat's hearing? If you call their name or shake a box of treats out of sight, do they respond? Do they startle easily? When my last cat was getting older, he went from "squeaking" to full on WTF yowling because we learnt that he had gone partially deaf - he was struggling to hear himself essentially.
If he checks out just fine, there are also weight loss diets that might assist you in reducing begging behavior. The two primary types are: low calorie/high indigestible fiber, designed to make animals feel "fuller" off a smaller amount of lower calorie food, and high protien/low carb diets which also have a satiating effect due to their high protein content. The later tend to be more expensive, but generally work better in cats. If he's already overweight, it might be worth trying after getting him checked out.