To not be enjoying my cats?

[msalex]

I’m not going to rehome them. And I do love them in a way.

But I realised this morning I get no pleasure out of them at all and to be honest I wish I’d never got them.

They demand food as soon as I get up but it’s somehow not enough. After I’ve had a shower and am trying to get ready they are mewing round my feet wanting a second breakfast

One of them miaows so loudly - a real yowl of a sound and he does it at 2/3 am for me to put him out (can’t put a cat flap in - it’s a bottom floor apartment in a listed building) and it really disturbs my sleep terribly.

The eating, they just never stop. Even when their food bowls are full every time I stand up they thunder through to the kitchen and stand over their bowls miaowing.

I feel horrible as I feel irritated by them.

[bridgetreilly]

Feliway?

[MsMims]

Some food is full of fillers and other rubbish so you have to feed a lot more before they feel full. And some is like kitty crack and they’ll beg for it despite it not being good quality. Try butchers classic as a low cost alternative which doesn’t contain cereals and other nasties like additives, colours and sugars.

Sorry things are tough at the moment, and can see how a finicky cat could be the last straw when you’re already low. Perhaps lock the one who disturbs your sleep in another room overnight?

[msalex]

If I knew someone who wanted them and could give them a good home I would.

But I’m not putting them on gumtree or anything, rescue centres are full and anyway one is old and one is black.

So I think they have to stay with me.

[QuimReaper]

That's a fab idea Where!

[Chowmum]

I can understand the not liking them part. We have 9 cats (as well as the dogs), and a couple of them get right on my t*t.
As far as the 2/3 am wake up call, if you can possibly ignore it (with gritted teeth and earplugs) for a few days, he might learn that night time is for sleeping.
6 pouches a day each is too much. The Gourmet is very nice as a treat food. Ours get 2 sachets plus other bits BETWEEN THEM. Your guys are greedy gutses and clearly addicted to the wet food!! (Or it is simply not satisfying enough.)
Our Siamese type cat is incredibly vocal and hates me. Meh.
As for re-homing, I wish people wouldn't throw that remark in. It is UNBELIEVABLY difficult to re-home a cat. Nowhere has any room, and they will always prioritise homeless animals over ones that are getting on your last nerve, regardless of the effect on your sanity. (Believe me, I know). I also understand the wish to time-travel.

[msalex]

Thanks

The ginger old one isn’t a bad really but the black one, as loving and friendly as he is, is driving me to an early grave.

[Namow]

Honestly, I don't enjoy my cats very much. They're not really an animal that gives a lot back (I think people who think their cats love them are deluding themselves - they want to sit on you because you're comfy and warm).

I feed my cats twice a day at set times, if they're hungry at other times tough shit. They are both healthy weights with glossy coats. I knocked a hole in our listed building door and put a cat flap in. Nobody is going to come knocking, believe me.

[Allthecoolkids]

I think you owe Wolfe an apology, she wasn’t starting a gunfight. She’s a regular on pet threads and was just trying to help.

You do sound overwhelmed generally. I wonder if you could sort anything out in any other area of your life, whether you might feel you have slightly more emotional reserve for this?

My advice would be to feed them first thing then kick them out for the day. Don’t let them back in till early evening and then give them a big meal.

[Allthecoolkids]

Or even a bun fight!

[QuimReaper]

Feliway is a good suggestion - I was sceptical but it actually worked really well on ours when we moved house.

On the other hand, they don't sound particularly stressed or overwrought, just a bit annoying.

[QuimReaper]

Allthe, Wolfie's reply would've irritated me too. It's very annoying when you're at the end of your tether with a problem and someone comes along and tries to state the blindingly obvious like you're just a bit dense and haven't thought of "if they're hungry, feed them more", especially when OP had said in her OP that they beg for food even when their bowls are full.

[Chowmum]

We have tried the valerian calming collar on our most annoying cat. It works, but he ended up totally zoned out on it. (kitty Prozac) Might be worth trying at night for the noisy one, or Valerian drops where they usually sleep (it stains, so be careful) We had zero success with Feliway.

[Wolfiefan]

I seriously wasn't trying to start a bunfight or accuse you of starving your cats.
Cats can be bastards! My tortie terrors try and murder each other if they don't get out to play enough in the day!
But there could be a non food issue. My old girl used to cry a lot. Turned out she had a thyroid issue.
Young boy we had many moons ago cried when he had a UTI.
Worth a vet check? Any physical symptoms? Weight loss etc?

[littlemisscomper]

Maybe look into adding new enrichment to their environment to distract them. You could keep a bunch of toys in plastic storage boxes that they can't help themselves to, so you can change them every night for variety. You could also hide treats around the living room for them before you go to bed, make them a new tunnel on cat house for them each evening out of cardboard and blankets, dangle an old sock full of catnip, or a jingly ball, from a string pinned to the ceiling... I've never looked but I bet if you check out Pinterest for 'cat enrichment' or 'home made cat toys' you'll get a whole heap of inspiration. Maybe if you dedicate the last hour of your day to playing with them too, it would release endorphins in you and give them the positive attention they seem to crave.

[Loveactuallyoctopus]

6 pouches each is a lot! Do they have any sort of routine for feeding? Don't just feed them every time they yowl at you, we feed at certain times and it seems to work.

Do you pay them any attention? Maybe they just want a cuddle.

[IMightMentionGriddlebone]

There are various cat-welfare arguments against re-homing, but the cherry on top of that is that I think it wouldn't work out for the OP either.

Giving away creatures that she loves (even if it doesn't feel very intense right now) sounds kind of bad for her wellbeing. She is even already aware of the outcomes for elderly cats in rescue (which sounds like someone ordinarily very happy with cats), so she will regret the decision and feel even worse than she does now.

OP, I really do think you should try to deal with the low mood.

[MikeUniformMike]

Could you be feeling down because you are not getting enough sleep? The food timer sound like a possible solution. I'm going to try the dreamie in a cup, although the dreamie mouse didn't entertain me much.

[BahFriggingHumbug]

I could have written this thread! My cats are driving me batty, i dont get a minute to myself , its worse than having kids but they never used to be like this. I have two cats, aged 15 and 14 , they have always been indoor cats but for past year or so they are just constantly under my feet wanting food and/or attention 24 hours a day. I thought cats were supposed to sleep a lot? my eldest literally sleeps for about 1 hour out of 24. He is constantly wanting food, he follows me from room to room, even when i go for a pee. He is neutered, wormed, fleaed, just had a vet check up, all fine. He is overweight tho so I cannot just keep his dish topped up, even though when i do, he still is the same clingy cat. We cannot ever lie in, they are on the bed waking us up if we are later than usual getting up.

I now have ill health, maybe thats why I cannot tolerate them so much but honestly, i just want some peace and quiet!

i do love them, but am just waiting until they die, i will never get another pet.

[Em308]

How often do you worm them? If my cat eats constantly I know he has worms. Although I used to worm every 3 months he was a prolific mouse catcher and was still getting worms. The vet advised to worm (with a good wormer) every month. Since then no worms and appetite back to normal.
Btw, what difference does it make that your cats black??

[msalex]

Believe me a cat flap isn’t an option. I would have to put three in - my door, the door leading to the hall and then outside and two of those doors aren’t just mine.

So anyway thank you. It helps just to moan and see its not me.

[Yogagirl123]

I have had 3 cats in the past, all sadly passed away now, but I found with all my cats, the older they got the louder and more demanding they became.

I can sympathise with your situation, but perhaps if it is really getting you down re-homing them together perhaps to a friend/colleague? Might be best all round. I can only think if they are crying when they bowls are full, perhaps they want attention or to go out, its a shame you can’t have a cat flap, that may have alleviated a lot of stress.

Good luck OP.

[IMightMentionGriddlebone]

Btw, what difference does it make that your cats black??

Black cats are statistically more difficult to rehome in rescue centres.

[TalkinBoutWhat]

Years ago I had a rescue cat who used to meow to wake me up in the mornings to get an early breakfast. He used to get a pillow thrown at him for his troubles and soon learned that it wasn't a good idea.

Instead he would sit patiently in the doorway watching me like a hawk. The moment my eyes were open he would give a little meow to greet me, then if I dared close them again and roll over would give me a gentle tap (gentle, he tried claws once and got turfed out of the house and he HATED being out of the house without the door open) on the nose as if to say 'hang on, you're awake. I've been waiting patiently for you to wake up and you're AWAKE, feed me PLEASE!'

It was quite cute, really.

My current cat has taken to standing at the back door, which has a cat flap in it, and meowing to go outside because he thinks its too undignified to use the cat flap and would much prefer me to open the door. So I push him through the cat flap and he stands on the other side of the door for a few moments with his ears twitching, feeling miffed about the whole thing, before heading off into the garden.

So you can teach them what is appropriate and what isn't. It just takes time and perhaps a water gun.

[Trinity66]

Mine does this for Dreamies all the time lol I think it's quite cute though

[FizzyGreenWater]

Hmm, if you're on the ground floor, is there any way to put in some sort of cat flap in the window?? I'm assuming it wouldn't be secure though :(