To be fed up of the cat?

[Catwoes]

I know I’ll probably get a flaming here but our cat is really getting to me. I have to say here, the cat isn’t ill treated (and won’t ever be) and has a lovely warm home, big garden to hunt mice and laze around in, he has a great life.

But he never stops eating. Ever. As soon as he polishes one bowl off he follows you around everywhere, thundering to the kitchen in anticipation of food as soon as you stir.

He shits in the bedroom. We have to lock him downstairs overnight and he miaows and keeps everyone up. Even if you just put him out his miaowing still wakes you. Then in the morning he starts miaowing again at about 5. It’s really getting to me now!

Like I say, don’t get me wrong, he isn’t badly treated but AIBU to not be enjoying him at all?

Is he a Bengal?

At least try the vet first.
Maybe biscuit ignored as teeth issues.
Put a litter tray on landing?
Get a cat flap.?
Perhaps one pouch is not enough for your cat,a tin might be more economical?
Your cat will know how you feel about him which will make him unhappy.
Try to bond with him and understand him.with some attention and time your relationship can change of you want it to.

We've found it reduces the food begging a little if we play with her food eg putting it in toys so she has work for it or throwing the biscuits to her so she has to chase them.

She wees outside her litter when she's unhappy or has UTI. Unfortunately there is a bit of floor she likes to use so we have had to put a litter tray there or she will just wee on the floor. If yours uses the same spot would that work for you?

She poos outside her litter if it hasn't been cleaned to her satisfaction. She's getting more and more fussy about that.

If he’s always been like this with food it’s unlikely to be a new medical issue.
But if he’s got worse then it certainly worth ruling out diabetes and thyroid.

I had a cat like this once and he was a pia. I mean sweet sure but also quite annoying.

I've had lots of cats and I agree he needs a vet. This doesn't sound normal to me.

My cat was like this, just obsessed with food! It turned out she did have a thyroid issue and it went undetected for so long, she ended up
with heart disease. She lived many years after this but was on medication for her heart and her thyroid. A quick blood test would rule anything sinister out.

I would take him to a vet to look into a possible thyroid issue. My cat starting eating lots, seemingly never full, and kept going to the toilet in the bath, the shower, different rooms and she'd never done that before. She has hyperthyroidism and needs a tablet every day to control it but it has put a stop to the unwanted behaviour we'd been experiencing.

Our cat is very similar re: the eating but he does all of his toileting outside.

Our cat has 2 pouches for breakfast, another around 2pm, then another at supper time. No biscuits as we did actually see the vet as I thought he was having too much food, the vet said he was absolutely fine but stop the biscuits as he doesn't need them aswell.

Our cat can be the same with the constant demanding of food / dreamies, and meowing to come in at silly times.

Love him so much though

Ours have only ever messed in the house when unwell.
Will not eat dried food? Get teeth checked. Make sure it’s decent quality food or it won’t fill him up and will likely contribute to the poo issue.
YABU not to have a vet check. He may need teeth removed, have an infection or even a mass in the stomach like one of my cats.

Your big mistake is posting about your cat without the obligatory picture of the cat. Unacceptable.

Are you feeding him good quality food? That’s made all the difference for our boy / he was on pouches from a good brand but so much jelly or gravy in them. He’d be hungry straight away?m, shoving his sister out the way to get to her bowl and up on the counter scrounging round. The thundering back and forth to the kitchen if I so much as moved drove me mad. He’s been on a pure meat style food (no gravy in the pouch/:tin) snd he’s so much happier, no long r stealing and scrounging.

I was told that cats are 'in built' to hunt then feed - so if there is no 'hunt' before the food - the food does not - trigger the 'i've done my job' - vibes.

So get one of those long sticks with a feather on the end - and swirl it round like a mad thing (or a laser pointer) .. 10 mins manic hunting before a pouch - and IMO only 1 pouch a day - same with dry biscuits - so I'd do breakfast - lunch and dinner - and remove free grazing - make the cat 'earn' it's food - should reset the feeding rhythms

I would try putting a litter tray where he went and then gradually moving to where you want it. That should solve that issue.

He's probably meowing loads at night because he's not used to being shut out so that could solve things.

The beauty of a food obsessed cat is that they are usually the easiest to train to do things like high fives, follow a target etc. My food obsessed mog loves doing training and is the best at it out of my cats. I tend to do a couple of minutes a few times a day. It might help you to feel less annoyed with him too. Look up clicker training as that's the one that works best for mine.

Animals are definitely annoying sometimes, but it helps me to remind myself that they aren't doing it to be annoying or to try and wind me up, they're just doing what cats/dogs/horses etc do and it's for me to try and channel the behaviour into something less annoying.

Hope you can find something that helps OP!

Ps: I'm sure you know, but never give in or the behaviour doubles 😸

I'd take him to a cat sanctuary where he can be checked over by people that care and then be adopted by someone that gives a fuck. You're an absolute disgrace

I'm not one of these "my cat is my baby" people but you clearly don't like having a cat. Rehome him. It'll be best for him and you.

Hi op, I feel your pain. I had a rescue ex stray that had health issues and had been starving and all he wanted to do was eat. He was insatiable and it was really difficult to deal with. I also think there is something in the pouches which makes them eat more. If this is a fairly new thing then I would take him to the vet and get him checked out as he is getting on a bit. Maybe try changing his wet food as I am sure they fill it full of palatable crap like Pringles to make them eat more. He sounds like a fussy little bugger and I wish you the best of luck with him. Also second what the other poster mentioned are you actually feeding him enough good quality food. Does he need more. Is he thin. 3 pouches a day is a minimum for an active cat maybe two in the morning so you get a break and another two isn’t he afternoon may quieten him. He may just be plain hungry.

I’ve had this problem recently so I feel like I can advise! If you haven’t obviously get him worked and to a vet but if you’ve done this honestly - Get an automatic feeder - stops your cat associating meowing = attention = feeding. Set it for just before his next meal. It will be tough to endure
the meowing but once he/she knows that the feeder will open 3 times a day he knows he can’t meow for attention. Keep strong and stay with it trust me it works! Also get an extra litter box and put it in the bathroom where he likes to go. But make sure you have an extra one - you should have one extra litter box always.
sincerely, someone who is no longer woken up at

5.30am every morning and finally getting some sleep!

good luck x

Wormed not worked and sorry for the formatting

Is your cat on Whiskas perhaps? My cat would kill for another pouch of supermarket brand food. We have to mix his decent, good quality food with whiskas, otherwise he'll die of starvation. On the other hand, I bet he could eat 6 pouches of whiskas a day. Maybe you can fool your cat and add some tap water to the pouches, so water would make him feel full quicker?

This is cats!

One of mine (5) is a tabby/oriental cross - refuses to eat dry food (which is available all day) and for the 1.5 hours before feeding times (7am/3pm/8pm) he is unbearable - follows me everywhere, sits at my feet and stares me out - also jumps up onto to his 'special' wanky cushion and gets cross - it's just him!

Like people cats are all individual - I also have a feral rat bag who only comes in to eat and hiss at me, a big floof ball who scraggs carpets and leaves hair everywhere - she wakes me up at 5am EVERY day to go out, a cat that has explosive poos everywhere unless you catch his signals and let him out and a big fat food stealer who likes cuddles!

I agree with putting a litter tray in the bedroom and moving it slowly

But he is just being him - my tabby shithead wees on ANY bags left on the floor!

For reference ALL cats are insured and seen regularly by the vet - with flea and work treatment monthly

Its not easy to get the smell out. White vinegar and bicarb of soda help

So you don’t want to spend money on a vet check.

my last cat behaved like this before she was diagnosed with a thyroid issue. Medication corrected it for a while.

I really don’t understand your refusal to get him checked. Just incase. Is it the money?

No need for folks to treat this as a drama or massively serious, it seems like the time for moggy and you to go separate ways.
Take him to somewhere to rehome, add a contribution to help them with their expenses and say it's a medical thing with you.
If it isn't right now, it soon will be a MH problem. Give yourself a rest from any animals or any other non-family responsibilities. Concentrate on getting your house clean of cat hair and stuff.

Add some good quality dry food to the wet to bulk it. My cat loves applaws and purizon dry food

Animal behaviour consultant here (yes really)...

Toileting in places other than the litter tray, constantly asking for food whilst at the same time refusing other foods - these are both signs of something wrong.

It may be veterinary, it may be behavioural, but it is an indicator something is wrong, however much you don't want to hear that.

Yes, you can find countless other people whose cats do this, have always done this who swear blind that this is normal behaviour for cats - it isn't, the problem is that a huge number of cats are exhibiting abnormal, maladaptive behaviours and their owners assume its normal for cats and won't speak to a vet or get a cat behaviourist out.