Mumsnet Talk

We moved 2 years ago. In our last house the cats would try to sneak into the bedrooms. In this house they steal food. I find the older one (13 yo neutered male) on the work surfaces all the time, or climbing up on DD's table. No amount of shouting works, even though we throw him outside every time we catch him.

No excuses either, he was born to us and lived with his mother until she died last year. Never been in a situation where he's had no food, and fed at the same time morning and night every day.

Cat flap training established very easily here. But it had to be! We live in a bungalow and it's on our bedroom door! She got the hang of it very quickly without needing bribes we just physicly put her though and used her favourite toy on a bit of string threaded through a few times. Definately agree with all that's being said here routine is good treats are good in moderation as is a little bit of naughtyness!

I am enjoying being a wuss Cosie. I managed to persuade DH to let me have a rescue cat for my 40th birthday. I always wanted a cat and he is my first, so I am spoiling him. It's pussy heaven around here.
Do you think he will keep using the cat flap? I've only seen him do it once.

I can't be strict with my cats. The naughtiness is all part of the fun of having them

My pampered Siamese enjoy stealing food because it is a battle of wits. Cats v. Humans. We humans generally lose.

I'm very much with cozie on this one! We're quite strict with him, but he adores us anyway (maybe because), and he knows where the boundaries are. Treats are very limited because he has urinary crystals, he didn't seem to mind when this policy was implemented!

Bobbly - you have to get over the treat business. He would have used the cat flap by himself just because he wanted to. Don't be a wuss!

I did just give my cat a treat because he used the cat flat all by himself without me holding it open for him . I am so pleased and proud. The next step is getting rid of that litter tray or at least getting the damn thing out into the garden.

Routine is good. They surely appreciate it.

My rescue cat was also greedy but has got more chilled with strict routine. If you've only had them for 2weeks though do consider worms. Ours was apparently wormed but had horrible worms in the first few weeks.

True.

You're soft , Fluffy. Soft!

I got told off for offering my cat a chew to take his mind off treatment as there high in fat.

So are chocolate bars but we all have one now and again dont we? it's not like we live on them though.

I often spoil mine as she's the first ever cat I've had. I wasn't a cat person until I met her! I just loved the idea of having a pet who chose us and I worry if we upset her she'll mooch off and find another home. Very silly of me. Had a word with myself today when I found myself picking the yellow ones out of the biscuits for her to save her the trouble and distract her from our fish pie! Anyway our vet told us we may have estimated her age wrongly when DH found her. Thus she weaned too early. I wonder if that was part of the problem with the greed thing too?

Well there's your problem. I'd have simply yelled 'Whooahha!' and the miscreant would have run for the hills. Said miscreant being a kitten of course - no adult cat of mine would be so bold and naughty.

You have to be tough minded. They're tough minded by nature so you have to see them on it by design. They won't love you any the less for it by the way. Cats seem to blame setbacks in their lives on factors other than their special people.

My two aren't rescue kittens at all. Dreadful bloody thieves when given half a chance.

I have found myself actually fighting a cat over a crisp. How ridiculous is that? My DH put a packet on his chair and came back in to discover the other cat with his head stuck in it.

My rescue cat is obsessed with food. She even ate some cauliflower the other day and I go through a ridiculous amount of cat food. I've got to be careful because she will end up overweight if I don't control her intake. I wondered if it went back to her being hungry and abandoned but I think the RSPCA got her quite young.

I was only 10 years old so wasn't seasoned in the ways of Siamese or cats generally.

I recall (re my first Siamese boy) that we went south after Xmas leaving my uncle in charge of the house. (He lodged with us.)

He moaned to my Dad that we hadn't even left the remains of the turkey for him.

Upon which, my mother remonstrated loudly that it was left in foil on the worktop.

Upon thereafter - we noted that Uncle had been left with firstcosieboy. Little thief that he was.

He had the whole ruddy turkey remains (and that was a lot of remains) hauled off to his secret store in between the built in seats in the kitchen.

We found the bones later.

If they miaow between meals and lead you to the food cupboard does that mean they want you to fuss the pouches too? like children wanting teddy to have a goodnight kiss too?

One of Dhs childhood cats dragged a christmas turkey out of a window and ran off with it. That's torties for you

mrsnec
It does feel horrible to shut them out, doesn't it Blonde!kitten meows pitifully for me until allowed back in. (Which isn't [just] about the food, it's the same meow he does if he thinks I've been in the bathroom too long or if I am Ill-Ill & can't play.)

Good grief, yes, be grateful your bins are not considered interesting. I very much hope that lasts!

Thanks Cozie. Worth a try and will save pennies too! Temptations are pricey here!

Be much firmer, mrsnec eg giving her treats for winding around your feet is rewarding bad behaviour and setting up a pattern. (Which may be too late to change but Hey....) I'd go for a very strict routine. She shouldn't mind it.

I love reading everyone elses experience of this. I sometimes wonder if I've made her worse on the kitchen front. She's always round my feet when I'm cooking which means I end up falling over her and then have to give her treats to apologise. Maybe she thinks she's doing me a favour being on the worktop being out of my way! I often have to shut her out of the room when we're entertaining. She plays up when we have visitors and it's their food she targets! Quite large items too! Pork chops on a couple of occassions. Hate shutting her out though she's part of the family and shouldn't be excluded. It's strange she still has this instinct but is fine on the toilet training front! And I'm glad she hasn't got that bin habit! Interesting what was said earlier about routines and associations with sounds too. Ours goes mad and thinks it's dinner time when she hears the ice dispenser on the fridge as it's the first thing DH does when he comes in from work!

I love cats thieving, it's desperately sweet. She's just grabbing a 'nutritional opportunity' as Proctor and Gamble put it on their website.

It might wear off, it might not.