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- Nov 23, 2013
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I rescued 2 bother kitties about 5 months ago when they were about 7-8months old. I got into a habit of feeding them 3 meals a day, but would really like to wean them to 2 meals, since it is hard to always be around for the 3 meals. When it is time to eat, they both act like they are starving and scarf down their meal in mere minutes. (one would eat so fast he actually made little piggy noises, snort snort.) I decided to mix their dry food with a bit of wet and add water, both so they would take in more water, and also slow down eating. I had success in slowing them a bit with this method.
They eat Nature's Variety, most recently the weight management one for dry food, and the wet food is Tiki Cat.
They have both been checked for worms and are clear, and the vet says they are very healthy cats, but I need to keep an eye on their weight.
I am afraid they are both getting heavy, but trying to cut back portion sizes seems to me to cause them anxiety, especially one of them. When he gets really feisty, as soon as I stand up he runs over to where his food is kept and meows incessantly. In between meals, when THEY feel they should be fed, they turn into terrible nuisances; chewing on anything in sight and hopping on everything; counters, my desk, book cases, etc.They chew any type of cords they can find, my curtains and blinds, and the very "hungry" one begs me for my food as well. ( I actually had one instance when I was putting something in my mouth with my hand, and he tried to grab it, and I ended up with a cat foot in my mouth!)
I have tried bitter spray on things I don't want them to chew with no success, as I have tried spraying them with water when they are up to no good. Nothing seems to work.
They wake me up some time between 4-5am every day begging for food, jumping on my bed, meowing and chortling and cooing. I feed them on regular schedules of 6am, 2:30pm, and 10:30pm, but they are never satisfied. About an hour before each feeding time is when they really start pushing and begging.
I feed them 3/4 cup of food each day total, but need to get them down to 1/2 cup (vet recommended) but I just can't see how to do this.
I have had several people recommend leaving food out overnight so they won't wake me and that doesn't work. They scarf up whatever I leave out almost immediately and then beg in the morning anyway.
I am so frustrated, and often very tired because of this constant begging for food. I just don't understand why they act like they are starving. I wonder if as rescue kitties they have anxiety about having food available. Who knows how they lived or were treated before I got them....
It seems they finally, overall, are comfortable and feel safe with us and our home. Maybe these things take time, but I just don't want overweight or unhealthy cats.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
They eat Nature's Variety, most recently the weight management one for dry food, and the wet food is Tiki Cat.
They have both been checked for worms and are clear, and the vet says they are very healthy cats, but I need to keep an eye on their weight.
I am afraid they are both getting heavy, but trying to cut back portion sizes seems to me to cause them anxiety, especially one of them. When he gets really feisty, as soon as I stand up he runs over to where his food is kept and meows incessantly. In between meals, when THEY feel they should be fed, they turn into terrible nuisances; chewing on anything in sight and hopping on everything; counters, my desk, book cases, etc.They chew any type of cords they can find, my curtains and blinds, and the very "hungry" one begs me for my food as well. ( I actually had one instance when I was putting something in my mouth with my hand, and he tried to grab it, and I ended up with a cat foot in my mouth!)
I have tried bitter spray on things I don't want them to chew with no success, as I have tried spraying them with water when they are up to no good. Nothing seems to work.
They wake me up some time between 4-5am every day begging for food, jumping on my bed, meowing and chortling and cooing. I feed them on regular schedules of 6am, 2:30pm, and 10:30pm, but they are never satisfied. About an hour before each feeding time is when they really start pushing and begging.
I feed them 3/4 cup of food each day total, but need to get them down to 1/2 cup (vet recommended) but I just can't see how to do this.
I have had several people recommend leaving food out overnight so they won't wake me and that doesn't work. They scarf up whatever I leave out almost immediately and then beg in the morning anyway.
I am so frustrated, and often very tired because of this constant begging for food. I just don't understand why they act like they are starving. I wonder if as rescue kitties they have anxiety about having food available. Who knows how they lived or were treated before I got them....
It seems they finally, overall, are comfortable and feel safe with us and our home. Maybe these things take time, but I just don't want overweight or unhealthy cats.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.