My cat is crazy and getting fatter by the day... HELP!!!

I'm out of work right now so I have lots of time to give Oksana attention, and thank God for this, because she sure demands lots of it. My biggest concern with her behavior is I believe related to her insatiable appetite. The problem is she no matter if she's just eaten she will whine for food. I can have half a can of cat food sitting on the counter after I've just fed her because I'm washing my hands from cleaning her litter box, and I will catch her inching up the side of the sink trying to get what's left in the can. Now this might make sense if she had already gobbled up what I'd just given her, but no she will have just taken a few bites and then set her sights on getting the rest of her prey (Friskies). This behavior is fairly new by the way, but I've seen it 5 or 6 times. In the past when I was walking back downstairs with the rest of the can in my hand, she would dart right under my feet and try to trip me so I'd drop the can. She's done this (whining when she has food to eat) since I first got her.

I don't know her current weight as she hasn't been to the vet in the last couple of days, but I'd say she's gained at least a couple of lbs since we went last month. She weighed 6lbs then. Please see the attached pictures. I'm worried about her health as for a kitten she is getting quite overweight. I feel like a bad Dad b/c she's so heavy but I've stuck to what my vet recommended like a champ. It's not like I'm feeding her human food or extra meals or anything b/c I have not done that whatsoever. Please see the pics at the bottom and remember she is only 8 1/2 months old. Should I be worried about her being so obese at this age? She's a very fine-boned cat.

Her diet is 1/3 of a can of Friskies twice daily at specified feeding times, and I keep dry Iams kitten chow out for her to graze on to tide her over between the Friskies which she loves. The problem with the Iams is I'm having to leave less and less for her to graze on b/c she just eats it all no matter how much I give her??? Basically, she's just being a little piggie. I know the corn in that is probably the culprit so I'm just giving her an eighth of a cup per feeding. I've thought about cutting the Iams completely and just increasing the Friskies, but I heard somewhere that Cat's need something hard to crunch to keep the enamel in their teeth in good shape. I'm not sure if this is true or not. 

75% of the time she's good and an angel who loves to "get pets" and cuddle with her dad. The other 25% she's somewhere in between an annoyance and a terror. Even if she has food in her room upstairs she will whine for food and try to "guide me" up to her room every time I get up to get a coke or use the bathroom. For a cat that loves to eat so much you would think she would eat Turnip Greens with extra vinegar if I put it out for her... right? Wrong... She is as finicky as can be when it comes to her food. In fact she is the most finicky cat I've ever owned. I have to go around 4 or 5 different big box stores to get food because none of them stock all the varieties of Friskies she likes. 

She is very smart. At only 6 months (when I first got her) I had already taught her how to fetch her toy mouse. To be honest she's really too smart. When she gets into things around the house IE: chews on wires, climbs into the cabinets, scratches the furniture, etc I've been good about not punishing her but instead just saying "No Oksana No" in a calm voice. She will usually stop. The crazy thing is though when she wants to act out like if she's mad at me about not liking her food that day, or if she can't find one of her toys, etc she will go and do exactly what she's been taught not to do to get attention. It's like she's testing me. I thought I would be smart and try the squirt bottle the other day when she tested my authority, and she just sulked for a full day afterwards. I haven't squirted her since. I felt terrible. I hurt her feelings.

Again I hope I haven't sounded like I'm ungrateful for my little bundle of joy. I love her dearly. I just really need help correcting this bad behavior and need some advice on how to do so. I've heard about clicker training and I think it sounds like a good idea, but I don't know much about it. Also, I don't know how she would do with another cat around. I think about getting her a buddy, but then I think about another kitten learning her bad habits and the 2 of them driving me totally insane  I guess I need some companion cat reccomendations and if you all think that would help the behavior problems.

Oh, dear. Is she spayed? Has she gotten outside (even once)? She looks pregnant. I hope I'm wrong but she really does. If she's not spayed and she's been outside, it would be best to take her to the vet for a prenatal checkup. And feed her as much as she wants--the kittens need the food.

LOL! No she's just fat as a darn hog! I've got to get ahead of this thing or she's gonna end up like poor old "Meow". By the way I know b/c I had her spayed the week I got her, she was about 6 1/2 months then. Plus even if the vet messed up, & that giant scar on her stomach was all for nothing; she hasn't been around another cat since she left her previous owner's house.

OMG! Could a vet fix a cat & not know she was pregnant? If so would that not abort the pregnancy? Sorry I slept through biology class in college... Her belly is really hard. I don't feel any kitties but I'm afraid to push hard.

Wow, the first thing I thought was "She's not fat, she's pregnant" also. But I'm far from an expert.

I think you should have a vet checkup.

First thing, it would be highly unlikely shed be pregnant if she was spayed the week you got her, not totally unlikely but highly unlikely. I would have her in to the vet for a quick look over.

As to her weight and insatiable appetite....she's a growing girl and she may very well be getting hungry more than you realize. Allowing her to graze on Iams will lead to weight gain. I would suggest you cut the dry food altogether and put her on a higher quality cat food (the cost of the gas used driving to all the stores and the elimination of the dry will offset the cost of the more premium food). There are also many sites where you can buy the cat food online and save even more and have it delivered to your door. For instance, we feed EVO wet food, a can in the store costs $1.69 plus tax. On the website I order from, taking into account shipping, no tax, I pay about 1.50/can, and if I have a coupon code, which I almost always do, I can get it for as low as $1.45/can. Yes, you have to make a case commitment but with one cat, that will last close to a month. and I'm certainly not saying you have to use EVO, that's just the example I'm familiar with. There are tons of other brands in many price points.

The more premium food will keep her satisfied longer. When I switched my crew over to it, my bully cat has settled down tremendously. Heis full and satisfied, doesn't have the agitation of being hungry all the time. They have all lost weight as well (my fat scavenger cat is frustrating the beejeezus out of me because he is a scrounger and I can find him licking cans when I've turned to deal with one of the others, when the old cat has finished his dry,he won't eat wet and he's too old and stubborn to make him eat wet, I can find Fred with his head in the bowl taking gulps as quick as he can because he knows I'm getting ready to take it up, even last night he jumped on the counter and was furiously eating bread crumbs that fell out of the bread bag). Some scavengers are hard to break but you have to be mindful of their weight, we are the humans, remember that, we know what happens when they get overweight.

And, it's probably safe to say, she's playing you. Sorry, but she is manipulating you. Lol You sound exactly like my DH. Claire is his 'baby'. The two of them are developing a very special bond, however, she is 15 lbs (when I transitioned the crew, she was over 16 lbs and we couldn't get her cystitis cleared up). She is HORRIBLY overweight and is a kibble addict, which causes her cystitis. So, you can see why getting her transitioned to wet has been very important. Well, she knows what times I feed and in the morning, when DH is still in bed, she comes in the kitchen and eats just fine. Once he is up (he works from home), she does her pitiful cry at him and he 'feels bad' so he gives her 'some' dry...little bits all day long, just like she's grazing. Then, when it's time for her wet feeding in the evening, she's not hungry so I spend a good 15 minutes trying to get her to eat, bribing her onto the table with dry kibble, etc. It's a total PITA. She doesn't 'need' dry food during the day but she guilts him in to it. She is just fine on the three feedings of wet I do and when it's just me, she knows the drill but add my DH into the mix and she behaves like she's starving and pitiful.

Our babies are very special to us and we only want what's best for them, but we have to know what's best and stick to it. She's a growing kitten, full of energy. If she's a smart cat, you have to keep her mind active to keep her out of trouble. Get some wand toys and make her play and jump until she lays down on her side. She may bemused to having to scrounge around for food, get her on scheduled feedings of higher quality wet food and you may see a big difference.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Hi RAFM i thank you for  your post. I guess I exaggerated a bit on having to go to several different big box stores just to get her food, I go there to shop and buy several cans and stock up at Target, Walmart, Kroger, The Dollar Store, Etc. These are places I shop anyway. My point would have been better made to say that her appetite is very specific and when I have to be on the lookout for her brands. However the e flavors she does like she absolutely loves. To pay $1.50+ a can for cat food right now is not in my budget. I'm living on unemployment right now, and not many things are in my budget. Trust me if I could afford it I'd feed her steak and lobster, but I just don't have it right now.

I'm sure she is playing me if it's not some kind of hormonal/ health issue. She's probably just a little piggy and she loves chow time.

I don't know much about her past, except that she was a pound kitty and had a bad case of Feline Distemper she was adopted and nursed back to health by her previous owner via an emergency vet clinic. It's possible that she may have been half starved to death before the pound found her and therefore that may explain her never ending desire to horde food. I'm really not sure, all I can do is speculate. I just know I've never seen anything like it.

MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS WITHOUT DRY FOOD WILL THIS WEAKEN HER TEETH IN THE LONG RUN? I'VE ALWAYS HEARD THAT IT'S BEST FOR CATS TO HAVE SOME HIGH QUALITY KIBBLE TO KEEP THEIR TEETH STRONG.

As of 2 days ago I have begun transitioning her to more wet, and less dry and there has not been any relief as far as her badgering. She has always been on scheduled meal times ever since she's been with me (6.5 months). I feed her twice a day. Once at noon and once at 9PM. I stick to the times like glue, but it's like she has no internal clock like other cats I've had she will wine like crazy for food at every time except for feeding time. It's weird. She will complain and want food 10 minutes after eating but right at feeding time, she's nowhere to be found??? It's almost always like that too. I was doing the feedings at 12 and 12 when I first got her, but she is much happier with the current schedule. The vet says at her age twice a day is fine.

I have plenty of toys for her to try and tire her out  I have laser pointers in 2 different colors, Da Bird, catnip mice, catnip mice on strings, etc. She loves them all. I play with her at least 30-45 minutes a day and that's a conservative estimate.

Hi.  It is very debatable whether dry food helps clean the teeth.  But, you will still find vets who think it does.  When I think logically about what I've learned about humans and foods that "clean" the teeth and apply it to cats, my guess is that canned may stick to the teeth a little more than dry but dry does not clean the teeth any more than munching on cheerios would clean our teeth.  (Just my best guess since you read so many conflicting opinions on the internet.)  I feed my cats canned food for the many health benefits (and to keep them feeling full while at a healthy weight) and address their dental health separately.  Good luck...the photos of your gray girl remind me of our Emily who came to us at 6 months with a "cage belly" from living in a cage awaiting adoption for several months.  With canned food and more exercise the lost the pregnant look within months. 

bigperm20 said:

MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS WITHOUT DRY FOOD WILL THIS WEAKEN HER TEETH IN THE LONG RUN? I'VE ALWAYS HEARD THAT IT'S BEST FOR CATS TO HAVE SOME HIGH QUALITY KIBBLE TO KEEP THEIR TEETH STRONG.

Click to expand...

txcatmom said:

dry does not clean the teeth any more than munching on cheerios would clean our teeth. 

Click to expand...

However, feeding your cat raw meaty bones does help clean her teeth. She will likely still need a dental every now and then, just like a human that brushes their teeth regularly, but the bones really will help.

I would also recommend switching to mostly wet food if you can (or even raw if you have the ability). Of you can even do some raw and some wet. I give my cat one raw chicken bone (chopped up into thirds) once a week for his teeth. For wet food, if you can afford it, get grain-free wet foods as they have less "filler" in them that can make the cat fat. They are more expensive though. You can maybe alternate with a decent but less expensive brand. Do you have a trader joes near you? they sell canned food for cheap and the ingredients are not bad, except for some rice, which is not great, but the top ingredients are all real meat. high protein foods containing mostly meat will fill her up more.

The dry food will just make her fat. I know what you are going though as I have a young cat (11 months old now) and he is the biggest piggie I ever saw. He's not fat but he has a huge appetite and it seems like it is finally starting to slow down a little as he's nearing a year old (he was easily eating about 8 to 8.5 ounces of wet food per day, and he would have eaten more if I let him). So, from what I gather on here, most kittens have big appetites while they are growing and then it tapers down a bit as they get older. He gets a tiny amount of kibble with breakfast as a snack (i"m talking like maybe 10 pieces of it, and I will probably cut it out altogether soon except as a piece or two like treats). I'm currently tapering him down to 5.5 to 6 oz. of food as he reaches his year birthday in June.

THAT Being said, cats know how to play you. Mine does it to me too. He literally wakes me up in the morning by standing on my forehead and meowing at me until I get up to feed him. lol. (now that he weighs 12 pounds this is becoming less cute). Feeding time USED to be 8 AM but it's been gradually moved back earlier and earlier to its current time of 6 AM.  He'll start meowing at me at 5:30 AM but I refuse to give in to him until at least 6 AM as I do not want to start trying to inch it back to 5 AM and then 4 AM (my last cat used to do this until I declared war and went without much sleep for about a month straight until I broke him of the habit of waking me up at 4 AM every day for his breakfast). Cats.... gotta love them lol.

If her belly is super hard though that makes me concerned. When was her last check up. Can you bring her in just to make sure there is nothing amiss?

Hi Redvelvetone: Upon further inspection. her belly is not incredibly hard. It's just harder than I remember it being when I got her. Firm would be the proper adjective. I'm now thinking that maybe they somehow missed her at the spay neuter clinic and that she is preggers. If so I'll be hacked off and overjoyed all at the same time. It's off to the vet in the morning to find out for sure. I may be about to be a father.

I'm now just giving her wet food by the way. I'll check with my vet as far as what he thinks as well. Will the butcher at the grocery store give meat bones to you? Or at least sell them to you? I hardly ever buy any meat that isn't already deboned.

Most grocery stores sell meat with bones in them. You can buy packets of chicken wings at just about any grocery store. Or my cat also likes to eat giblets so I'll buy a whole chicken to cook for my husband and I and take the giblets out for the cat. He loves them. He also likes deboned turkey or chicken breast. If you do mostly canned, just make sure the raw food is not more than 15 percent of the diet, or that is what I am told. Any more than that and you need to either supplement or make sure you get the right percentage of bone / organ / muscle etc.

if it's your first time feeding raw, be prepared for your cat wanting to play with her food. This is a video I took of my Magnus a few months ago when I first started giving him some raw chicken.  lol:



I'm glad you are bringing her to the vet just to be sure of her health. She's a pretty girl.

One of my cats insists on a raw chicken wing each day, and she has stunning teeth. She can break down all except the bigger bones in the bigger wings, and she has been known to jump in the fridge on occasion to help herself - when I defrost it I have to put the pack of wings in the microwave so she can't get at it!However the bigger wings end up getting 'killed' at which point the remains go back in the fridge or into the recycling depending on what state they are in.

So I didn't realize till afterwards that you had gotten all these replies and that your cat might be pregnant instead, but I had already written up my whole reply, so here it is anyways



What size Friskies can are you feeding? The tiny 3oz ones or the larger 5.5oz ones? If you are feeding 2/3rds of the larger ones + 1/8th cup Iams, that sounds about right. But if you are giving only 2/3rds of the small cans, that might explain why she is hungry all the time.

Cats actually Don't need kibbles to crunch on because they don't have any good molars to crunch with. Their teeth are made for tearing and the kibbles just crumble and get soft from saliva and don't really help their teeth at all. The solutions for keeping teeth clean are either large treats (greenies, raw meat, etc) or regular brushing. (yep, with a kitty toothbrush :bigwink

The percentatge you are giving sounds about right. Cats don't vocalize when they are upset (except for in times of food), so its easy to not see the signs that they are upset and end up getting whacked with a paw. And my cat is also a food 'terror' but I'm not sure what to do about it. There's nothing wrong with him, he just LOVES food. (Also he used to be free-fed and a giant fatty, so I think he's just spoiled XP.) Cats are also easily finicky for several reasons. 1. Cat food companies cheat and put flavorings in their foods to make it tasty so kitty gets addicted 2. Lots of cat foods have fish which is very addicting as well 3. It's hard for a lot of people to put down a can and leave it there when kitty doesn't eat, so kitty learns that waiting gets kitty what she wants.

IMO, I think its okay to use a stern voice with your cat to teach her what not to do. In the wild, (or even at home) Momma cat will nip her babies to teach them what not to do. So I think giving a vocal warning is much nicer. Also, I've found the Best thing to do is to not use their name when 'punishing' because then they will not always associate their name with good things. So whenever Grim gets into things he's not supposed to (which is all the time..), I say 'CAT. What're you doing?? Get Down from there.' and so now when he hears 'Cat' he knows that means Mommy's about a second away from coming over and getting him in trouble and he'll stop what he's doing. (or at least look at me )

redvelvetone said:

Most grocery stores sell meat with bones in them. You can buy packets of chicken wings at just about any grocery store. Or my cat also likes to eat giblets so I'll buy a whole chicken to cook for my husband and I and take the giblets out for the cat. He loves them. He also likes deboned turkey or chicken breast. If you do mostly canned, just make sure the raw food is not more than 15 percent of the diet, or that is what I am told. Any more than that and you need to either supplement or make sure you get the right percentage of bone / organ / muscle etc.

if it's your first time feeding raw, be prepared for your cat wanting to play with her food. This is a video I took of my Magnus a few months ago when I first started giving him some raw chicken.  lol:

I'm glad you are bringing her to the vet just to be sure of her health. She's a pretty girl.

Click to expand...

speakhandsforme said:

However, feeding your cat raw meaty bones does help clean her teeth. She will likely still need a dental every now and then, just like a human that brushes their teeth regularly, but the bones really will help.

Click to expand...

Thank you Redvelvetone, I saw one picture of her the previous owner sent me and it was love at first sight. She really is a beautiful little lady. Isn't she? All proud papa feelings aside, your Magnus is a hunk of a cat himself. Is he named after Magnus Samuelson the world famous strongman? I laughed my a$$ off watching the video of him playing with his food, but my cleanliness/germ OCD started to bother me big time. That raw chicken toss would require a good dose of bleach afterwards

Speakhandsforme, do you brush your cat's teeth or have the vet do it?

Minka said:

 . Cat food companies cheat and put flavorings in their foods to make it tasty so kitty gets addicted 2. Lots of cat foods have fish which is very addicting as well 3. It's hard for a lot of people to put down a can and leave it there when kitty doesn't eat, so kitty learns that waiting gets kitty what she wants.
 

Click to expand...

1. I have supsected this about Friskies for years.

3. not for me. eat it or go hungry!

bigperm20 said:

Thank you Redvelvetone, I saw one picture of her the previous owner sent me and it was love at first sight. She really is a beautiful little lady. Isn't she? All proud papa feelings aside, your Magnus is a hunk of a cat himself. Is he named after Magnus Samuelson the world famous strongman? I laughed my a$$ off watching the video of him playing with his food, but my cleanliness/germ OCD started to bother me big time. That raw chicken toss would require a good dose of bleach afterwards

Speakhandsforme, do you brush your cat's teeth or have the vet do it?

Click to expand...

Thanks BP. No, I actually did not know about Magnus Samuelson. But that's cool too. Magnus means "Great One" and when we first got him as a kitten we thought he was going to be a big cat when full grown, which the vet confirmed. He'll turn a year next month, and I don't think he's done growing yet. He's 12 pounds now. Also, my husband is a huge Dr. Who fan and there is a character in one of the older original episodes named Magnus. 

Like you, our foster showed us a picture of him before we saw him and we loved his photo. We were originally thinking of calling him Mephistopheles (or Mephisto for short) but he's too sweet to be a little demon.

And yeah, if you feed raw you'll end up mopping the floors more often

Oksana is a cool name too. Is that from something? a book?