Advice On Snack Foods

[EmersonandEvie]

My two cats have always been on a homemade raw/canned diet. I have avoided dry food since I've seen via my mom's cat what types of urinary issues it can cause. My cats are 11lbs and right at 10.5 lbs. Evie (the 10.5 lbs) could stand to lose some weight. Emerson (11) is on the leaner side but isn't undernourished- he is just a long, lean cat.

We typically feed raw in the morning and then canned food (Merrick rabbit or Redbarn lamb) at night. Before my husband comes to bed, he gives them a snack, usually of the Merrick backcountry rabbit pouches. However, this doesn't stop Emerson from waking me up anywhere between 3:30 am and 6 am to feed them! I'm at my wits end- I figured this was just a phase and he would eventually stop, but this has been going on for a while. If I ignore him, he starts to gently scratch the wall above my head. When I swat at him, he jumps over to my husband's dresser and scratches the wall above that, which makes me get up to make him stop! Stupid smart cat. It's easier to just feed them than spend an hour or more awake and trying to ignore him. We can't shut the bedroom door because they would cry and scratch the walls/doors.

They get the number of calories they need in a day, especially Evie with her chubby self. However, she acts CONSTANTLY hungry. Like if you go in the kitchen she is singing the song of her people and stretching up to try and bat at whatever is in your hand. She is usually done with her food before Emerson. They just went to the vet and everything came back clean, so there are no worms, etc., the vet just said she was on the chubby side and to keep an eye on that. She put on nearly a pound since her last vet checkup (they are two years old) while Emerson stayed roughly the same (he went from 11lbs even to 10 lbs 15 oz).

Sorry this thread turned a little rant-y. I'm at the end of my rope. I'm to the point where I am considering leaving out some dry food for them to munch on throughout the night, but I'm afraid Evie will hog the bowl and will gorge herself! Does anyone have any advice on how to get them back into a regular sleep pattern or how to prevent Evie from overeating?

 

[Azazel]

What I would do is ask your husband to give a meal before bed instead of a small snack. I think sometimes cats that are on meal feedings instead of being free fed get used to asking for food all the time even when they are not really that hungry. I find that it helps to do a good play session and then give a really good hearty meal right before bed. Mine will then usually just pass out on the bed with me right after that.

For raw "snack" foods (i.e., treats that shouldn't make up more than 10% of the daily diet) I always like to recommend gizzards. They are really tough and chewy so they are great for dental health and they're also high in protein and not too high in fat.

Oh and, whatever you do, you absolutely cannot react to their whines for food. Any kind of reaction (even swatting at them to move away) will make them feel like their whines are working. It sounds like they have learned that they can get you to do what they want, so you'll have to start really trying to not respond to their whines. I know it's hard, but do what you must! Maybe put in ear plugs for a few nights.

 

[lisahe]

I agree with Azazel's thoughts on feeding a good hearty meal before bed. We do that, too, and it really helps. I also agree about not reacting to their begging for food: it's hard to do but we just let the cats walk over us (usually on our heads) and leave. Our vet also told us not to feed them immediately after getting up; that seems to have helped, too.

EmersonandEvie , are your cats rescues/strays by any chance? Our two rescues, who were very underfed when we adopted them, had very bad food insecurity when we first took them in. One still has some (even several years later) and tends to overeat and ask for food a lot, making a good show of being hungry. Feeding five meals a day on a schedule has really lessened the problems. Rescues or not, I would definitely avoid leaving dry food out at night if you have a cat that tends to overeat like our Edwina does! One other thing that I'll add is that two-year-old cats still need pretty substantial calories -- ours didn't slow their eating down much until they were three or so. (Even coming to us at 10 months tiny and underfed, they outdid themselves making up for lost eating time!)

Good luck!

 

[lalagimp]

Tommy is always hungry. He's been hungry for years.
He and my other boy, Stewart, get fed five raw meals a day - up to 1.5 oz at a time. 6 am 9-9:30am 12n 5p and 9:30 pm. They don't wake us up at night unless they are screwing around. We make our raw with 50% ground rabbit and 50% boneless turkey thighs with all the skin plus supplements.
Tom is having an issue with keeping weight on since we took him off Prozac.
I give him 1.5 oz 3 times a day and then 1 oz the other two times. In the afternoon between the 12-5, I might give him a portion of Stella and Chewy.
Stewart needs to lose a pound, and he won't, so we feed him 1/2 ounce 6 and 9, and then he gets 1 oz at the other three feedings.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

lisahe , they are rescues. We got them at 4 months old. Evie seems to have the insecurity; Emerson has always seemed to eat less than I think he should. He got really sick when we first got them so I'm not sure if that has followed him since he has grown.

Thanks guys! I will tell husband to feed them their full canned meal before he comes to bed, which is quite late (around midnight). I will tell him to give them the small snack when they usually get their dinner (6:30 pm). We will see if this works! And I will do my best to ignore him in the mornings...such a brat.

 

[abyeb]

This article also gives some helpful advice: How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night?