Blasted cat

[kittykato]

This is my second time asking for help with the same cat. We got Sniper 3 years ago. He was a scrap cat, he was not in a healthy place where they had food for him all the time. So he ate what he found. I had to hide my trash in the bathroom. Things in drawers. I've tried tape on counters and water bottles. I can't stop him. He constantly checks the counters, tries to reach the shelves. He runs around my kitchen really fast to see if we dropped anything (he isn't allowed in the kitchen especially when we are cooking). I can't leave his food out because he over eats and pukes. He gets wet food. So fed 3 times a day. Help.

 

[winkie]

What I feel from your post is that your cat is not being fed properly. Give him nutritious food three times a day as you are doing and let him eat as much as he wants. Once a cat is fed properly and is no more hungry he will not look for more food on shelves or drawers. Even with us if we have full stomach we do not like more to eat. Do not go for quantity as how much you are giving but go on how much he wants to be fed fully and is not hungry. Cats are not like dogs that they will lick or eat what they find unless they are hungry. Cats eat only as much as they need. They are better calculators.  Also change his food few days giving him taste and variety of what he likes. Like cat food mixed with boiled/raw flesh, eggs, treats etc. If he is fed full stomach ie when when he himself says no to food once he is full and is not in need of more. He will be happy this way and also sleep well. Gradually you will see the difference. He will stop chasing for food. Hope this helps.

 

[mani]

I just saw your previous thread, kittykato, and am sorry this hasn't resolved.

I don't agree that you're not feeding him properly.. the problem is that you probably are , it's just not the stuff he wants.  And he likes to 'hunt' his food as that's what he's used to.

It seems to me that Sniper has had this behaviour so embedded... it sounds like he was like this from a very early age... that it is difficult to shift.  It's as though he's a feral eater, grabbing what he can, when he can.  He's probably also a bit addicted to 'junk food', which isn't uncommon.  We know how difficult it is to transfer cats to healthy diets when they're used to ones saturated with carbs etc.

And he's a 'gobbler'.. eating and puking, as it seems he's learnt that you eat fast or not at all.

I think the answer may be to leave food out, but make the process of eating it a slower one.

There are some suggestions in this thread:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/240768/ideas-on-how-to-get-a-cat-to-slow-down-when-eating

Keeping things secured, as suggested in the other thread, is really important.  He needs to focus on the food you are providing for him and not be distracted by other food scents.  You may need to be really full-on about keeping things away from him initially but it's important so that his behaviour can be modified.

If you're into flower essences at all, you may find that they could help modify his behaviour. 

Good luck, and keep us posted! 

 

[kittykato]

Mani is about dead on. My cats are on a pretty healthy food so it has nothing to do with diet. I will try making food more fun. Maybe there is nothing I can do because he's don't it to long.

 

[kittykato]

Well. It failed, I tried a ball and my cat found the dry food bag and ripped it all over the floor. I don't think he liked the idea. I did see someone suggest a kong for cats I don't know if that would be more affective.

 

[onyxnine]

 My cat started to do that. Looking for food all the time, even after he ate. No matter how much he ate, he was skinny. I took him to the vet and found out he had hyperthyroidism. He is on meds now, and doing fine.

 With your cat it may not be the case tho. Don't let him over eat, an overweight cat can get a lot of health problems, like diabetes. Try to have him eat his meal around the same time everyday.

 He was used to eat what he could find, and seek food everywhere. Maybe, whatever food he could find he had to eat it as fast as possible, to avoid another cat from taking it. Eating to fast could also be why he pukes after eating, as well too much food. Try giving him small amounts, it could help. And make sure he does't have to worry about sharing his food with another pet.  It may take a while to change his behavior, but be patient, he will come around.

 

[ritz]

I have somewhat the same problem.

Ritz lived the first four to six months of her life on streets, and is somewhat food obsessed.  It drives me batty (raises all sorts of psychological issues more appropriate for my therapist!).  She has recently started jumping onto counters looking for food; she goes through this every year in the fall/winter. She thinks she has to build up her fat stores for the upcoming cold winter weather. Ritz was abandoned during the year when Maryland/DC had three snow storms in two months; she survived the 20 inch one, so she has her reasons.

She was worse when I was feeding her Fancy Feast Classic Seafood, very picky eater, three 3.5 ounce cans a day and was still hungry.   Now that she is on raw, she'll eat anything--for better or worse.

I weigh and measure her food (I have to--I fed whole prey model raw) but still give in when she begs for treats.

She does have what I call a  "setpoint":  that amount of food at which she stops meowing,  It is just more food than she needs.

 I tell myself that should become diabetic (as overweight cats tend to become) there is no way i could give her insulin shots.  Sometimes that helps me resist her pleading eyes, meows.   (And OnxyNine raises a good point:  any CHANGE in a cat's behavior should be a cause for concern and a call to your vet.)

I would also measure the food you give her and I would not free feed.  Variety is key--and also solves the problem if, for example, one of the foods you feed her gets recalled or discontinued.  Try to play with your cat--like DaMouse or DaBird--before she eats; it satisfies the drive to hunt prey/stalk/kill/eat.  Sunrise/sunset are ideal times.

The suggestions in the thread Mani linked are good.  I sometimes fed ground raw (same consistency as canned cat food), and when I do I flaten it as much as possible.

 

[jcat]

Mogli is absolutely obsessed with food, too, and goes as far as to try to snatch it off our plates; he sometimes succeeds. He'll also eat anything except bananas. It may be because he didn't get enough nourishment as a kitten due to IBD, or because he was in the shelter for a prolonged period. We feed him two main meals of canned a day, plus two small snacks (a couple of pieces of dry food). He rarely gets anything else no matter how much he begs, and if he gets something, one or both of his scheduled snacks are left out that day.

The only way we've managed to cope with it is to put all food away at once and use child-proof locks on the kitchen cabinets as well as plastic bins with clip-on lids in the pantry. He's allowed on one counter and on top of the cabinets above it, but not where the stove and sink are. He knows that, understands "down", but will still sneak up there when nobody is in the kitchen.

 

[stephanietx]

Daisy is our forager and she's taught her traits to Tumbles.  We feed them a very high quality food and plenty of it, so I know it's not that they're hungry.  We have to put all food away in the fridge or in the cabinets with child proof locks.  I think a large reason they counter surf and forage is from boredom, so I try to play with them a lot when I'm home.  It does seem to help.  Also, sometimes it's because they haven't known steady food that makes them forage.  It takes time to learn that they'll have food and enough of it.  We feed our cats wet food twice daily and some dry food (snack serving sizes) throughout the day.

 

[kittykato]

I do about the same. Sounds like a life long haul. Counter cat is just as stubborn.