Whining/Crying

Hello,
I'm so glad I found this site! I'm wondering if anyone can help me out with my cat. He's a little overweight so I started feeding him an indoor cat formula of food a month ago or so. Well, since then, he acts like he's just starving. I feed him twice a day...totalling 1/2 cup(guidelines on bag.) He walks around just whining and crying. This morning he woke me up at 5:00!! I didn't get up to feed him b/c I didn't want him to think that it is okay to whine and cry at 5 a.m. So, he came back in every 30 minutes or so. When I close the door, his crying is so loud that it's impossible to get back to sleep. How can I get him to stop this behavior? I don't want to give into him b/c I don't want him to think he's the boss, but I don't know what to do. Any advice?
Thanks!

Hi robbie,

It is always a good idea before putting any cat on a diet to consult a veterinarian and get a vet's guidance. Sometimes, we put a cat on a diet the wrong way (without meaning to) and cause that animal to have stress, or health issues, such as weight coming off rapidly will sometimes cause the internal organs to malfunction. Instead of cutting back on how many times you are feeding, free feed this cat, small amounts at a time, and place the food somewhere the cat has to actually work to to get. Such as at the top of a cat condo, or on an empty shelf, or if you have a two-story home, feed the cat upstairs. In other words, give the cat more food, but gradually increase the exercise. Try interactive play with your kitty, invest in a panic mouse, or if you have an old fishing pole around, tie a lightweight toy on the end of the line, and fish with your cat about 10 minutes a day. Use catnip to stimulate exercise, but really I do encourage you to take your cat to the vet (if you haven't already) and let the vet guide you as to what and how much to feed. Also, the cat could be ill and they hide illness so well sometimes, its just their nature.

I'm not sure what the answer is to your cat's whining ways. BUT, I just wanted to let you know that I had started feeding my two cats that same Indoor Formula food last year and they both ended up having allergic reactions to it. The vet saw them, and said she had just seen two other cats with the same problem right before mine came in. Apparently, this food has some sort of ingredient in it that is known to cause allergies in most cats.
I just wanted to let you know. I've since started my guys on Science Diet and they love it. It's pricey, but a little goes a long way.

Good luck with the whining problem. I'm having the same problem with my oldest kitty. I think it's just because we brought a dog into the household and he's extremely uncomfortable with her being there.
Jenni

Thanks for the info about the Indoor Formula food.

Although I feed my cats Science Diet, I give them a little of the Cat Chow Indoor Formula as a treat every morning. I'm on the second bag and have had no problems with allergies so far.

Just a thought...you might get some Cat Grass for him to much on between meals. Petco and others have it. I would guess it would be their diet version of celery and carrot sticks...hold the onion dip though! Franz loves his cat garden, though I have to "mow" it for him, he has a hard time chomping it off himself.

Welcome, new members! The cat grass is a good idea. We keep several pots of it going, so JC has a steady supply, and he loves to munch on it. Actually, you could try offering slices of raw carrot or fresh leaf spinach as a low-calorie snack. Our cat likes to munch mushrooms. Another option would be to feed a brand of indoor or light where the kibble is rather large. Nutro has big pieces, and I've found that the cats really chew, and eat it slowly, instead of "inhaling" it and feeling hungry between meals.