Is she really hungry or pushing my buttons?

[njg55]

I have a 13-year old cat, adopted a year ago along with her sister. I'm currently feeding her canned food from Applaws, various fish and seafood varieties, flaked, in broth or gravy. Lately she's been acting like she's starving (I assure you she's not!), very aggressively meowing multiple times a day until I feed her. I haven't always fed her this brand, but she got tired of other things, mostly pureed varieties of brands such as Purina and Science Diet. I've been wondering if the current varieties aren't as nutritious as something more "packed" such as a more solid pureed brand. Just because I may go through more cans, maybe she needs them because these foods are packed in a liquid and don't contain as many nutrients, so she is legitimately hungry sooner after a meal. Or maybe she's just testing behaviors to see what it takes to get me to feed her again. She has gained a bit of weight since I adopted the sisters a year ago, but she's not overweight. The other cat is just the opposite, and it usually takes a lot of coaxing and patience to get her to eat anything, plus she's on a special proteins diet for IBD. My more aggressive cat is happy to try to steal her sister's food, which is a solid, puree variety, just not food like that from the regular store brands. Do you think she's manipulating me or really needs to eat more?

 

[Caspers Human]

From my experience, it's more about the fussing than the food, itself.

Casper's Girl-Human is the one who feeds the cats most often. She's got a routine for doing it and one or both of the cats will sit there and watch while she does it then they'll dig right in when she puts the food down. If I do it, using the exact, same food, from the same containers into the same bowl, taken from the same cupboard, they cats will sniff and, maybe, take a few bites then walk away. Just one minute ago, they acted like they were starving to death. Now, they just sniff?

I must do things differently, somehow, but I don't know what. I certainly get a vibe from the cats that seems like they are saying, "But...You don't do it like Mom does!" I haven't figured it out in years. The only thing I can think of is the way she talks to them while she makes their food.

Anyhow, cats DO get acclimated to situations and routines around feeding time. It could be anything from the bowl that the food comes in to the scoop that you used to dish it out.

I think that the thing your cat really wants is the attention and fussing. You talk to her and pet her while she's waiting for her food. Then she gets yum-yums as her reward. She's been conditioned and so have you. I think she wants you to pay attention to her and she likes the way you give her attention while you're making her food. In the cat's mind, two and two equals suppertime! The same goes for you. When she meows and agitates in a certain way, you assume she wants her dinner.

I don't know how to change that behavior. All I can think of is to make their dinner at the same times every day like right after you finish cooking the human dinner or just as you are making morning coffee.

Try to associate feeding with certain landmarks throughout the day instead of a specific behavior and response.

 

[rubysmama]

The first thing that comes to mind when I read about a 13 year old cat having an enormous appetite is hyperthyroidism.. However, generally with that, the cat loses weight despite having a ravenous appetite. Any other odd behavour? Drinking more? Hyperactive?

It may certainly be that the food has changed, like so many products these days. Do check the calorie amounts on the cans, as they can vary. However, if she hasn't been to the vet recently, it might not be a bad idea to have her checked out, including bloodwork.

 

[DeesCats]

Which Applaws canned foods are you feeding? A quick look at their website states they are a "Complementary pet food – Feed with any dry food for a complete and balanced diet."

I don't know if this has anything to do with her hunger but is something to consider.

 

[lisahe]

Which Applaws canned foods are you feeding? A quick look at their website states they are a "Complementary pet food – Feed with any dry food for a complete and balanced diet."

I don't know if this has anything to do with her hunger but is something to consider.

I also wonder if the Applaws is the cause: I looked at the calories for the "fish selection in broth" foods and they're only 40 calories per can. They also have rice (albeit probably not very much), which is a carby source of calories rather than protein, which is what satiates a cat.

I'd be very cautious about feeding a lot of fish. I write that not just because we once had a fish-addicted cat (they're very hard to break of the habit!) but also because fish has been implicated in some health issues. Our cats' first vet was very anti-fish, saying that an occasional meal with fish was okay but not to feed it regularly. My favorite piece about fish and cats is this post from holistic vet Dr. Jean Hofve:

Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats | Little Big Cat - Dr. Jean Hofve

The fish used in pet food may contain all kinds of toxins and drug residues, including persistent organic pollutants that actually stop the body from eliminating it and other toxins. Another common toxin, domoic acid, may be an unrecognized factor in chronic kidney disease.

littlebigcat.com

Our cat who always wants to eat has terrible food insecurity: we adopted her ten years ago when she was an underfed kitten. She's never gotten over the insecurity. What Caspers Human writes about cats needing attention is very true! Sometimes they don't need food, they need to play or hear a story (seriously, our cats love that!) or have a hooman brush them.

In your case, njg55 , it sounds like your two cats are a lot like ours, albeit with some role reversal! We have to separate ours -- often behind a closed door -- at mealtime so the always-hungry cat doesn't steal her skinny, picky sister's food. You could also try putting toppings (crumbled freeze-dried chicken, for example) on food for one or both cats. Some cats will eat anything with toppers that they like. We also find that stress is a big factor in our cats' behaviors and appetites. That can manifest itself in lots of ways: vomiting, not eating, hiding, and so on. It can be hard to figure out where stress is coming from and how to reduce it but we find that noise (particularly metallic and/or construction noise in the neighborhood) is a big factor. So is bad weather, which is often noisy, too. Rescue Remedy drops (the kind for pets) seem to take the edge off the cats' stress. All that said, if a cat is stealing food, that cat is likely insecure about her food. And that creates a very definite source of stress for everybody -- including you -- and could be at the root of the behaviors you're seeing. Feeding the cats separately might (or might not!) help a lot.

Good luck.

 

[Alldara]

I'd also be worried about hyperthyroidism.

As for the Applepaws you'll have to check your containers to see if she's missing some nutrition (you may be buying the treats which aren't full nutrition).

The pates from other brands are heavier. Perhaps you'd like the Honest Kitchen packs to suppliment for her? They are very nutritious and my cats have found that very filling as a treat. Magnus doesn't really like dry food so on occasion they try a box or can of something as a treat rather than me buying too many crunchy treats.

 

[maggie101]

I have a 13-year old cat, adopted a year ago along with her sister. I'm currently feeding her canned food from Applaws, various fish and seafood varieties, flaked, in broth or gravy. Lately she's been acting like she's starving (I assure you she's not!), very aggressively meowing multiple times a day until I feed her. I haven't always fed her this brand, but she got tired of other things, mostly pureed varieties of brands such as Purina and Science Diet. I've been wondering if the current varieties aren't as nutritious as something more "packed" such as a more solid pureed brand. Just because I may go through more cans, maybe she needs them because these foods are packed in a liquid and don't contain as many nutrients, so she is legitimately hungry sooner after a meal. Or maybe she's just testing behaviors to see what it takes to get me to feed her again. She has gained a bit of weight since I adopted the sisters a year ago, but she's not overweight. The other cat is just the opposite, and it usually takes a lot of coaxing and patience to get her to eat anything, plus she's on a special proteins diet for IBD. My more aggressive cat is happy to try to steal her sister's food, which is a solid, puree variety, just not food like that from the regular store brands. Do you think she's manipulating me or really needs to eat more?

My cat Maggie is on the stimulant prednisolone for IBD which causes her to constantly meow for more food. When that happens I sit with her