9yr old female driving me crackers

[MatchsticksForMyEyes]

She has in the last week started coming to me and crying for food, although the bowl is always full. She will only start to eat if I top the bowl up so it's almost overflowing. What's going on?! It's driving me crazy having to keep adding food when there's plenty there.

[cozietoesie]

Assuming she's physically well, it almost sounds as if she wants attention from you. How much do you do with her in the way of games/close activities every day? Oh - and has anything about your household or routine changed recently?

[MatchsticksForMyEyes]

I work full time so out of the house from 7.30-5ish in the week and out and about at the weekends.

[cozietoesie]

That's a full schedule. How much time do you give her every evening, say, for games and attention?

[MatchsticksForMyEyes]

When she's in in the evening she comes and sits with me. DD likes to make a fuss of her/play with her.

[cozietoesie]

How about trying - for a few days at any rate - to give her some sort of game when she seems to ask for food? Or even talking a lot back to her? She's clearly not hungry if there's food there already so I reckon it's worth a try. (It doesn't need to be a particularly long spell of focussed attention - even 5 or 10 minutes might just do the job.)

[cozietoesie]

PS - I hear that DD is playing with her but it sounds to me as if she wants you. Cats choose their 'person' without fear or favour so you'll need to do it without putting DD's nose out of joint if you can.

[MatchsticksForMyEyes]

Yeah she is definitely 'my' cat. I played with her with a pipe cleaner this morning, so will try and make a bit more time for her. So many plates to keep spinning!

[georgedawes]

I'd take her to the vet for a check up just in case. My cat was a bit like this when his teeth were sore and at 9 it's pretty common.

[oddsocksmostly]

Just thinking, if she starts eating when you fill the dish, is she settled then?

[Catrin]

Mine is EXACTLY the same! She is nearly 11. She has always been a dry food cat, but after a couple of weeks of me getting stressed about her total neediness, I started her on wet food, as I thought that it may be teeth related.
She has calmed a lot, though is still v needy. She has never wanted much attention, likes a stroke then bites if i go on too long, though likes my dd more, even though I am very much her 'mum'. Trying to entertain her winds her up, but she just wants to follow me all flipping day!

[MatchsticksForMyEyes]

Yes she eats then. I played with her a bit yesterday and she spent an hr or so last night on my knee and didn't do the good thing, so maybe it is just an attention thing.

[cozietoesie]

I think it's worth a try for a few days to see if her behaviour changes any. You might find this of interest in terms of environmental enrichment - perhaps putting her food in a foraging toy might help also as she eats dried. (If your Blue Peter skills are a bit faded, you could always get something like a cheap kibble ball for her in the interim - they're available online or from many pet stores or supermarkets.)

Best of luck anyway and let us know how you get on.