Husband going through bin for cat food

[mrsgumpy]

So I need some perspective on this. And yes I know it is ridiculous to be arguing about cat food.

My husband hates waste. He thinks I don't get all the cat food out of the sachet when I feed the cat. I try to squeeze all the cat food out but I find it disgusting so I am not going to use a teaspoon and scrap every last bit out of the sachet. I prefer to get as much as I can out by squeezing the sachet and then chucking it in the bin. However, every time I feed the cat, DH goes into the rubbish bin, finds the sachet and then scraps the rest of the cat food out. It drove me a bit crazy for a while and then I just decided to let him go for it. This morning it started to irritated me all over again to see DH rummaging in the bin and then trying to scrap out tiny morsels of cat food from the sachet.

I am the first up in the morning, which is why I feed the cat otherwise I would just leave him to it. Whenever he feeds the cat it is such a palaver that the poor cat is almost beside himself with waiting for something to eat. DH also likes to ration the cat's food to avoid waste so he eeks out the cat food in small portions over the course of the day, which means we have a constantly meowing cat around the house. Drives me crazy.

Ok, so what do you think? Am I being unreasonable? Should I just let DH rummage through the bin for cat food and not care about it?

Nothing less attractive than a miserly, stingy tight arse. I have a friend whose husband is like this, and they earn good money between them. I couldn’t put up with it!

Thanks everyone for all the input. It has been really helpful.

So in the short term, I have tried rinsing out the sachets and tipping into the dish as suggested but there is so little in there (it is the jelly brand so most of it just comes out in one blob) although it does help with giving more water and making the bin less smelly. I have been giving the cat a whole sachet in the morning and did again in the evening yesterday (gobbled up). With his favourite biscuits during the day (also gobbled up). So my plan is to be firmer on that.

Now need to work on standing up to husband more. I also find stinginess extremely unattractive. I didn't grow up like this, even when we had little money we were miserly. He didn't used to be as extreme as this. I think I have been a frog in slowly boiling water not realising what has been going on. It has been really helpful reading everyone's replies.

That’s disgusting. I wouldn’t use it and let him enjoy it all by himself. If I were you, I’d keep a lock box of your things just for you. Even if you have to hide it. And as far as the pan thing goes my husband used to buy me Swarovski, I hate it and told him every time he bought me a piece so he didn’t stop I started to buy him Swarovski for his every occasion. He finally got the hint. It took a couple of years. I still have the crap. I’d sell it but it’s worth nothing..

I've not read whole thread but a knife is easier to scrape sides.
And he sounds awful.
Hope he has redeeming features

This is animal cruelty. Cat is starving . Would he do that too a child ? Would you be on here writing about it ? No . Sort it out or rehome . How would you feel being hungry all day ? Every day . If starve your husband for a while .

The relationship aspect aside, which sounds wearisome, we have one of those M&S oblong soup containers in the door of the fridge that we keep opened cat food sachets in. Its shape keeps it contained and upright. Could you do similar and leave the half opened sachets in there and let your DH scrape them out at his leisure? I also cook a chicken breast for our cat and cut it into tiny chunks - much nicer than icky pouches and it works out the same in price.

Cat isn't starving. Cat has dry kibble down and only the wet food is rationed, presumably due to the cost. He obviously doesn't like to see it dry up and get wasted if it isn't all eaten straight away. Which is fair enough, but half a pouch at a time and if the cat finishes it, give the other half. All this ekeing it out in tiny portions and scraping out every last scrap is ridiculous.

Perhaps they should move to tinned cat food and freeze it in large ice cube blocks then put them loose in a freezer bag. Then they can remove as many as the cat needs each night, leave them to defrost in the fridge ready for the next day and serve them up as required. Zero waste so long as you don't dish up too many cubes at once. All this cutting open and scraping out pouches seems a tad obsessive to me.

but cat doesn't seem to actually like the dry cat food - bulk bought from somewhere like Costco. and it seems to be own brand too.

Miserable and mean.

My cat has breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper sachets with a constant bowl of biscuits. She has put a tiny bit of weight on and the vet is pleased because she was underweight before. She's still a small skinny cat. She is a Tonkinese though and they are known for their love of food. Your cat sounds half-starved and your husband is definitely scrooge-like.

Mine as well, also has Dreamies but still thinks he is hard done by! 😂

Can I just ask, when people say “biscuits” for the cat, do they mean dry food? I don’t want my cat missing out on something

My cats have unlimited dry food, but only whiskas as they won't eat any other brand, a pouch a day each and treats every night before bed, they're fine on this at 14 and 13, all cats are different but I think it's clear that OPs husband is too stingy to care about them, or ever adjust to their needs like any good cat owner would.

Yes, biscuits is dry food, actually known as kittie cookies in my house.

This would infuriate me. He needs to get over it.

Im actually wondering if you’re my SIL as my brother sounds like this 😬

Forget leaving him to feed the cat and just leave him.

Why on earth are you with this miserable little man OP?

Your DH is starving the cat. You are lucky it has not run away and found another home. It needs 2 sachets a day and the kibble. Just feed it more yourself otherwise you are knowingly see the cat underfed.

Just buy the ones in jelly. I refuse to use the gravy ones as they slop out and you have the squeeze them, the jelly ones drop right out with no leftovers.

My cat likes a custard cream biscuit, but only once it has been dunked.

I think your husband should eat less than half his daily food for a while.

Why would you stay with a guy who's so miserly he abuses your cat by starving it?

He had you showering with his grandmother's soap scraps.

Get the hell out and take the cat. This guy has got a screw loose and you need to do the Freedom Program and get therapy as to why you thought it was remotely ok to live like this.

@FurForksSake
One of mine adores mushrooms.

Just sounds mad. As a pp said cut the sachets into strips.Or I would just throw the 'empty' sachet in a public waste bin when going to town or work.

I'm a pet sitter and despite my better judgement, I can kind of understand it depending on the cat food. Applaws in sachets are particularly bad, half the food can easily be left in the folds in the bottom of the sachet, there's no option but to dig around the bottom and even then it's torture trying to get it all out.

Switch to a decent brand and avoid the garbage foods like wiskas and Felix, get one that comes in a tin and the problem will be solved.

@LarryIsMyRomanEmpire thanks, I didn’t want to miss out on some treat

That sounds like you're the cat, of so, mine go mad for lick e lix.

Doesnt DH going through the bin to scrape dregs disgust you more than scraping the sachet yourself? Honestly, it’s a close run thing.

Cat sounds like it is underfed and the constant mewing would be unbearable for me. Buy the sachets with jelly so it all slides out. Feed the cat what you want. I would also start removing the sachets from the main bin and disposing of them without him being able to interfere. I’d also refuse to discuss it. Your husband is seriously unreasonable and icky!