My 1 year old wants to eat constantly-acts like he is starving, advice please

[darlenam8]

I rescued 2 bother kitties about 5 months ago when they were about 7-8months old. I got into a habit of feeding them 3 meals a day, but would really like to wean them to 2 meals, since it is hard to always be around for the 3 meals. When it is time to eat, they both act like they are starving and scarf down their meal in mere minutes. (one would eat so fast he actually made little piggy noises, snort snort.) I decided to mix their dry food with a bit of wet and add water, both so they would take in more water, and also slow down eating. I had success in slowing them a bit with this method.

They eat Nature's Variety, most recently the weight management one for dry food, and the wet food is Tiki Cat. 

They have both been checked for worms and are clear, and the vet says they are very healthy cats, but I need to keep an eye on their weight.

I am afraid they are both getting heavy, but trying to cut back portion sizes seems to me to cause them anxiety, especially one of them. When he gets really feisty, as soon as I stand up he runs over to where his food is kept and meows incessantly. In between meals, when THEY feel they should be fed, they turn into terrible nuisances; chewing on anything in sight and hopping on everything; counters, my desk, book cases, etc.They chew any type of cords they can find, my curtains and blinds, and the very "hungry" one begs me for my food as well. ( I actually had one instance when I was putting something in my mouth with my hand, and he tried to grab it, and I ended up with a cat foot in my mouth!)

 I have tried bitter spray on things I don't want them to chew with no success, as I have tried spraying them with water when they are up to no good. Nothing seems to work. 

They wake me up some time between 4-5am every day begging for food, jumping on my bed, meowing and chortling and cooing. I feed them on regular schedules of 6am, 2:30pm, and 10:30pm, but they are never satisfied. About an hour before each feeding time is when they really start pushing and begging. 

I feed them 3/4 cup of food each day total, but need to get them down to 1/2 cup (vet recommended) but I just can't see how to do this. 

I have had several people recommend leaving food out overnight so they won't wake me and that doesn't work. They scarf up whatever I leave out almost immediately and then beg in the morning anyway.

I am so frustrated, and often very tired because of this constant begging for food. I just don't understand why they act like they are starving. I wonder if as rescue kitties they have anxiety about having food available. Who knows how they lived or were treated before I got them....

It seems they finally, overall, are comfortable and feel safe with us and our home. Maybe these things take time, but I just don't want overweight or unhealthy cats.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

 

[satori]

My first reaction is simply that they are hungry. They are slowly approaching the age that you are right to be thinking about their energy intake but I wonder if you are worrying about their weight unnecessarily? Rather than think of weight, how is their condition? They seem to be large breeds. As long as I can see a waist tuck when viewed from above and their ribs are reasonably palpable I don't worry too much about weight.

And of course the obvious.... In my, admittedly not extensive, experience dry food does not leave cats satisfied for long. I have two cats who are on a mix of raw and wet and one on just raw because she absolutely refuses to eat cooked food. My feeding schedule is very similar to yours. The raw/wet cats feed at all meals. The raw only girl joins in at maximum only two of the meals and sometimes just eats once a day. They don't ask for food in-between meals (and wouldn't get it, if they did).

 

[shyloh123]

I have 3 rescues and one of them still begs and eats like a little piggy. I know she had to fight for scraps and her siblings didn't make it. She doesn't over eat but every time I go into the kitchen she will jump up on the counter and meow like crazy. I give her a few morsels of food and she seems content. That took along time... If yours didn't get enough food or had to fight for it when little she might feel every meal may be her last. I took about 6-7 months for my little Jazzmyn to realize she will never go hungry again. She still meows every time I am in the kitchen but I will give her just a little of her dry food and she is happy...

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• shyloh123
• Feb 1, 2014

 

[darlenam8]

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• darlenam8
• Feb 1, 2014

Thanks for the responses. This is what they look like now. They are both getting the pot belly that hangs when they walk or run, but I still can feel their ribs a bit. The fat pouches they are getting are local, just in their lower region, meaning they are not fat cats, but I don't want them to be. 

The hardest part is knowing I can't be away from them all day without them getting hungry and destroying things. My boyfriend and I would like to take some days trips, but this seems to be out of the question with these cats, at least at this point.

They are super social and have to be in every room I am in, even if its just for a second. They get bored very easily if not 'entertained'. They are very smart and take to training pretty well. I taught them to come and sit in just a few hours. Too bad I can't teach them to relax about food

They show up for me more like dogs than cats in a lot of their ways.... 

I just can't see a way to

1. get them to only 2 feedings a day..

and 2. get them on the 'diet' of 1/2 each per day as recommended by the vet

Also, I have to supervise their feedings because the bigger (who is the bigger begger) one finishes his food first then goes over to the smaller one's bowl, smacks his bro int he head movinghim aside, and finishes his food too.

Shylo123- Cute kitty. Glad she is doing better with you now

Maybe my boys are still just not sure if and when food will come their way. Maybe it just takes time.

 

[satori]

Gorgeous cats. Always hard to tell from a photo but I wouldn't judge too much from the primordial pouch; it can be pendulous even in thin cats. If you have to dig for the ribs to find them then there's likely too much body fat but if they can be felt with a light pressure that's usually ok.

 

[Willowy]

Cutting their food by 1/3 seems drastic. Some vets aren't too good at individual attention and will make blanket recommendations. They look like large cats and I'm just not sure 1/2 is going to be enough.

Some people have found that higher fat is more satisfying for cats. Maybe try using the regular dry food instead of the lite formula. Or a higher fat canned food---I think Tiki Cat is pretty low-fat. Of course fat is higher in calories but if they feel satisfied with less food it should all even out.

 

[Willowy]

Oh, yeah, how much do they weigh now? Also, when you say 3/4 cup a day, is that just the dry food or all the food combined? How much of the canned food do they get (in ounces)?

Maintenance caloric needs for most cats is 20 calories per pound per day. They're still young so maybe 25 calories per pound per day. So if they weigh 15 pounds, that would be between 300-375 calories per day.

NV Healthy Weight Chicken has 395 calories per cup. Regular NV chicken has 465 calories per cup. Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau (I didn't know which flavors you get so I picked one randomly) has about 30 calories per ounce.

 

[darlenam8]

Thanks for all the info Willowy.

They weight just under 11 and 12lbs. They get 3/4 cup dry food per day + about and ounce of wet food per day. 

Any advice on how to get them down to 2 feedings a day without them (or me) going crazy?

I try to keep them pretty active to exercise as well. I take them both out on leashes every day for walks, and interact with them and their toys as often as possible. And of course, they chase each other all over the house and play fight too. I don't know if I have spoiled them, however, with 'mommy' play time, because now they seem less likely to play with their toys by themselves (they'd rather sleep) than if I play with them and their toys.

They are definitely not starving kitties though, and that's my major concern is them acting that way, ( and eating their way through the house because they want to eat more. Perhaps I will try a canned food mixed in that's a little higher in fat content. Any suggestions for a good grain free brand?

 

[Willowy]

Evo canned food is very high in fat. Not sure about others but I'm sure someone else will help with that. You could maybe try to increase their canned food intake; it might help them feel more full due to the water content and the higher protein.

 

[satori]

They weight just under 11 and 12lbs. They get 3/4 cup dry food per day + about and ounce of wet food per day. 
Any advice on how to get them down to 2 feedings a day....

Yes. Stop feeding dry food. Simple.

 

[scubacat]

Yes. Stop feeding dry food. Simple.

Well, not that simple if they are kibble addicts, though it is good they seem to eat a bit of wet (1 oz a day) already. They may be delighted their treat is now their meal! If they are resistant, they still need to get calories in to prevent other serious complications as they transition. Here is a great link in taking your cat(s) to scheduled feeding and/or an all wet diet: http://catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf

Some cats change over easily (my cat easily went to scheduled feedings (2x a day) and all grain-free wet/raw. Some cats take a lot longer. Be patient!

You will also need to figure out their caloric needs and monitor their canned food. The guideline is one 5.5oz-6oz can a day, divided into the scheduled meals, but the cans I feed range from around 100 cals to 220 cals...my cat needs about 180/day for maintenance so I need to figure it out daily and I tend to feed from different cans in one dat (and factor in the raw I feed, too).

 

[darlenam8]

Wow, I really appreciate all the info. It's amazing how little help I actually got from my vet as far as feeding and diet. I never would have assumed switching to all wet/canned food would make the difference but I am definitely going to give it a try. 

Lucky for me, they are not picky at all and will eat just about anything put in front of them, (unfortunately including non-food items around the house)

Thanks everyone

 

 

[satori]

Wow, I really appreciate all the info. It's amazing how little help I actually got from my vet as far as feeding and diet. I never would have assumed switching to all wet/canned food would make the difference but I am definitely going to give it a try. 
Lucky for me, they are not picky at all and will eat just about anything put in front of them, (unfortunately including non-food items around the house)


Thanks everyone  

Please let us know how it goes. Btw, I find that the fewer carbs in their wet food the better in respect of satiety.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

You can use this chart to help you find canned foods that are high in protein and fat, and low in carbs (actually better than looking for grain free), and also see the calories in them too).  Look at the Dry Matter  % columns.  http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

Weight loss food doesn't really satisfy cats.  Everyone told me the same thing when I put my little porker on a diet, but I didn't listen.  I finally put him on an all wet diet (raw actually), and he started losing weight, and never wakes me up to eat

 

[darlenam8]

Thanks to everyone for the help.

It seems my boys really love canned food, and now actually prefer it to dry food altogether. They seem satiated longer and actually are beginning to pass on the dry food. They also don't seem to eat as fast as they did before. Well, one is still a little piggy, but better, and the other actually takes his  time now, enjoying it longer.

They still wake my up around 5 am every morning, even though breakfast isn't until 6, but we are at least moving in the right direction.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[asherdash]

I'm not sure if you do this already but one thing I do for John Jacob (my voracious eater I sometimes call "the machine"), I rub the wet food ALL over the inside of the bowl. It looks awful but keeps him occupied longer.