I have a new foster cat that arrived about a week ago. She's been vet checked, but just for the normal things such as contagious diseases so I could bring her into the house with my own cats. She is very obese and I want to get weight off her so she will be healthier. She's a nice mannered cat, gets along well with my crew and is affectionate. But she is obsessed with food, more so than any cat I've ever known. I have to make sure she can't eat the other cats food or even go into the dog's dishes. She is constantly seeking food - I mean every minute. She tries to climb into the sink or dishwasher when there are dirty dishes; jumps on the counter in front of me and tries to steal human food; screams at the food cabinet if anyone goes near and even tries to open the trash bin to get anything that smells like food. Because she gobbles her food only to throw it back up, I've gone to feeding her small amounts throughout the day. She's even taken to chewing on non-food things such as paper and even aluminum foil (that didn't cover food). At night she roams the house, trying to open cabinets and constantly looking for food. So much so that I put her into the cat condo last night so she would leave us alone (I needed sleep!). She didn't seem to mind and didn't cry to try to escape. In fact, this morning I had to wake her up when it was time for breakfast.
I've never seen this degree of food obsession in a cat despite having all sorts of cats for many years. I plan to take her back to the vet on Monday, but meanwhile, I was wondering if anyone here knows if cats are ever prone to hyper or hypo-thyroidism. I know the signs in dogs (I've had two hypo-thyroid dogs) but have never heard of this in cats and am unsure of what to look for other than the food obsession. This cat has a nice coat, is clean and seems comfortable, except for the food thing. At first I wondered if she was anxious, but she really doesn't seem to be. In fact, she came into the house very confident and didn't even seem fearful of the dogs. Of-course, it helps that my dogs are cat savvy and know they are not permitted to bother the cats. My own three cats are used to having temporary house guests and don't seem to mind the newcomer.
I'm not particularly upset with the cat's behavior, but I am curious if others have seen similar behaviors and, if so, what your vet may have said about the possibility of thyroid disorders. I want to get this sorted out before she goes to her forever home. Thanks!
I've never seen this degree of food obsession in a cat despite having all sorts of cats for many years. I plan to take her back to the vet on Monday, but meanwhile, I was wondering if anyone here knows if cats are ever prone to hyper or hypo-thyroidism. I know the signs in dogs (I've had two hypo-thyroid dogs) but have never heard of this in cats and am unsure of what to look for other than the food obsession. This cat has a nice coat, is clean and seems comfortable, except for the food thing. At first I wondered if she was anxious, but she really doesn't seem to be. In fact, she came into the house very confident and didn't even seem fearful of the dogs. Of-course, it helps that my dogs are cat savvy and know they are not permitted to bother the cats. My own three cats are used to having temporary house guests and don't seem to mind the newcomer.
I'm not particularly upset with the cat's behavior, but I am curious if others have seen similar behaviors and, if so, what your vet may have said about the possibility of thyroid disorders. I want to get this sorted out before she goes to her forever home. Thanks!