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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to have thought that cats were meant to self regulate when it comes to food?

71 replies

catnao · 02/05/2011 13:19

I have two cats. One of them is slim and elegant and leaves food when it's had enough. The other, on the other hand, is frankly, massive. It is only about a year old. It cries loudly and persistently for food ALL day, and the only time the thing moves with any sort of alacrity is when anyone makes a move towards the kitchen. I KNOW it must be lying when it insists it's starving, but the problem is with three of us seldom all in the house at the same time, it manages to fox us all into thinking it hasn't been fed. Possibly just seconds earlier. Why is it eating like this? Just simple greed, or can cats have food issues?

OP posts:
ppeatfruit · 02/05/2011 13:42

It's the dry food it's full of junk carbs. (how many cats would eat that in the wild?) our neutered female is slim and fit and is fed wet non carb food on request no health probs. at all.

Original poster
catnao · 02/05/2011 13:42
Grin
OP posts:
Original poster
catnao · 02/05/2011 13:43

That grin was to TheBride! Ours is fed tinned food or sachets - confused - is dry better or worse?

OP posts:
emptyshell · 02/05/2011 13:46

Some cats lose the plot. I remember being out tutoring a kid, whose house was ruled by the most beautiful Bengal lad you've ever seen - and whom the vet had put on a diet.

Mister Bengal was not appreciative of the vet's advice and while I was chatting to mum I saw him walk along, sniff out the catfood cupboard and proceed to open it with a wonderfully dextrous display of hooked paw shennanigans!

My cat in contrast will eat very rarely, is always a tiny little thing... but currently has her eyes on the dog's bone... which is NOT going to end well.

theoldbrigade · 02/05/2011 13:46

One thing about cats - they ain't stupid !
Had cats all my life and never known any to be the same. Normally they do eat when hungry but as in all things nothing is that simple.

Think it is a good idea to have a means of letting rest of household know when he has been fed - cat chart attached to fridge or whatever.

Does he not go out ? I'd make sure the sofa is not a 24 hour a day option ! This time of year there is a mass of intersting stuff to chase in the garden and at his age that is exactly what he should be doing.

Good Luck !

simpson · 02/05/2011 13:47

God I could write your post Grin

I have two female sister cats (who are one next month)

One of them is very good and will only eat what she needs/wants but the other is inceredibily greedy

She is constantly begging for food under feet etc....and I have to watch that she does not eat her sisters food too Hmm

What I have found helps is putting her outside when she is most annoying and no matter how bad she gets I do not give in and feed her except at her allotted meal times iyswim.

The last few days she has calmed down whenever cupboard door opened where her cat food is kept (dishwasher tabs etc also in there) as she knows she is not going to get fed etc....

I never give her scraps etc while we are eating and if she begs while we are eating she goes outside. She does eat some of our food ie left over chicken/fish etc sometimes but its always put in her bowl and given at her meal time.

TheBride · 02/05/2011 13:49

Well my vet's opinion is that dry is bad, because cats don't naturally eat carbs. There is another opinion that cats need dry food for their teeth as it provides the crunchiness that they would get from bones in the wild. However, both mine had really bad dental probs when I got them and have had most of their teeth removed, and vet said on balance, weight issues from eating the dry food outweight the dental benefits.

simpson · 02/05/2011 13:49

sorry about typos Blush

I would also 2nd putting cat outside even if they do not want to.

My lazy cat would spend all of her life sleeping on my son's bed or eating but I do make her go out in the hope of her getting some exercise Grin

Original poster
catnao · 02/05/2011 13:51

Its greed is only equalled by its laziness. If put outside, he simply sits by the door and cries until someone gives in/arrives home - it can be remarkably speedy when attempting an illicit reentry to house.

OP posts:
lesley33 · 02/05/2011 13:57

It may not be being lazy - although it may be! Cats are very territorial. Your cat may be afraid of being outside if it feels intiomidated by other cats fighting for their territory. A cats spaying smell may be enough for a more timid cat to feel intimidated. But if this is the case I don't know what you can do about it!

Try and find games your cat enjoys so that it can get some exercise this way.

simpson · 02/05/2011 13:58

my cat did the same sitting by the back door thing/crying but I just ignored her Blush Blush

TBH she does not go out as much as her sister who wants to be out all the time and is a real hunter (we had our first dead mouse the other wk!!) but she has got better and will now go out for a couple of hours at a time Shock

Original poster
catnao · 02/05/2011 14:01

He quite likes leaping on the other one and play fighting with him. Not sure the other cat enjoys this game as much. It can't be pleasant having that great weight land on top of you from the sofa as you walk innocently past. From outside, where you have been exploring like a proper cat. Wink

OP posts:
lesley33 · 02/05/2011 14:01

Would he go out in the garden if you sat out with him - just to let him build up his confidence?

Original poster
catnao · 02/05/2011 14:04

Actually, he did come out and sit on me a few times in the garden when we had all that hot weather. Didn't actually MOVE, mind, but he did come out. Perhaps he IS a bit scared, although he doesn't seem very timid.

OP posts:
worraliberty · 02/05/2011 14:04

How long ago did you get him neutered?

Original poster
catnao · 02/05/2011 14:08

He was neutered quite a while ago - can't remember exactly, but it was as soon as the vet said he could be.

OP posts:
worraliberty · 02/05/2011 14:10

Well if he's only a year old, I assume it wasn't that long ago.

The vet really should have explained about the weight gain and told you to regulate his food then.

Original poster
catnao · 02/05/2011 14:15

Ironically, we wanted to have him neutered asap so that he could go out, (he seemed to really want to when he wasn't allowed), as we were told he would be less likely to wander off miles away. Too right he doesn't. Wink

OP posts:
theoldbrigade · 02/05/2011 14:35

Still think you should throw him out and ignore his pleas !

Either something has spooked him outside at some point or he is one lazy cat , still think you should throw him out and let him find his feet. He has 4 and should be using them !!

MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay · 02/05/2011 14:38

I have one 7 pound dainty female who turns up her nose at 4/5 offerings and delicately picks at her food (we offer wet and dry and it's always the expensive stuff) and I have a 20 pound..yes 20... neutered boy who spends the few hours a day that he is actually awake, begging for food. Any time we move he leaps up and miaows in hope. He will finish his food, her food, our food.... and has been caught in several neighbours houses Blush stealing! Luckily our neighbours like him....!
He is wormed regularly is healthy, and is just plain greedy!

He has a posh pedigree name but is more generally known as 'Obese-i-puss' Grin I think some cats, just like people, can't resist temptation!

lesley33 · 02/05/2011 14:38

It may be timidness or laziness, but it would be good to get him to go outside. Go out with him a few times and then try and put him outside by himself for short periods of time and see how he gets on.

But tbh it is very difficult to make sure lazy cats get enough exercise. Even if a cat does go outside, you don't know if they are just finding a nice sunny place to fall asleep - or even going into a neighbours house.

Regulating his food is something you can do.

pinkstarlight · 02/05/2011 16:19

i to own a greedy lazy cat who does go outside but only ever stays in the front or back garden,when she was young she use to be very thin weight has creeped on with age (shes 11)shes always screaming to be fed and very difficult to ignore.last year my vet told me shes way to big and needs to diet was told to cut out all wet food and just feed dry,within days my normally very healthy cat who has never been ill in her life became very ill and was bleeding from the back passage and had to be rushed for treatment at the vets.decided to drop the diet as i would rather have a fat,happy and healthy cat.

Kewcumber · 02/05/2011 17:45

Have you thought of feline weight loss surgery? A "cat"ric band?

Original poster
catnao · 02/05/2011 18:08

Tee hee! Or I could send it to a support group, maybe? "CAT" - "Cats Against Treats"?

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Havingkittens · 02/05/2011 18:20

The wet vs dry food argument is not really black and white. It depends on the type and quality of food. ie. Whiskas/Felix or similar in preference to say Arden Grange cat biscuits is completely arse about tit. Food like Whiskas is the equivalent to giving your kids McDonalds for breakfast & dinner every day - it's absolutely full of shit and sugar. My cat got fat from eating it and I wouldn't ever give it to any cat I owned again knowing what I know now about the quality and nutritional value of these foods.

My cat is now on a medical diet for kidney disease but before that I had switched him to Hi-Life food which is 60-70% real meat or fish with added mineral supplements which cats need (taurine in particular) combined with good quality biscuits from the pet shop rather than the "go-cat" types.

You need to be quite strict and controlled with your feeding. If necessary feed the thin cat and the greedy guts in separate rooms to make sure no thievery takes place. Greedy cats are quite resourceful! Also, have a word with neighbours or, as I did, put a gift tag on the podgy cat's collar asking not to be fed. You need to nip this in the bud as early as you can, a 1 year old cat should not be on his way to obesity. It will ruin the quality of his life. At his age she should be playful and active and the extra weight is probably making him sluggish.

You need to make sure either just one person is in charge of feeding the cats or that you communicate well about pet feeding rather than leaving it as casual as it sounds at the moment. Sorry to take a preachy stance, but owning pets is a responsibility, so do it responsibly! Only you are in control of your animals' well being.

Yes, some cats self regulate with their feeding but a lot of cats are greedy shameless scavengers (mine included, given half the chance)!

If your cat won't go out, get some cat toys and play with him indoors. If he is clingy then actively playing with him will do him the world of good too.