I have a beautiful black boy cat who is 9 months and neutered.
I adore cats and finally persuaded my DH we needed a cat even though we have 3 DCs, the youngest being 18 months.
He is perfect with the children, friendly, hugely affectionate, let's my 3 year old poke him and carry him around without getting his claws out. Just lovely. My perfect cat and I feel so lucky.
But. He is utterly obsessed with our food. He is trying to steal/eat our food all the time. Any food left out, be it chocolate, cheese, chips, cake, bread, fruit, basically anything is up for grabs.
He has learnt how to get in my fridge and raids it when allowed in the kitchen. With having young children there is always food around and I'm sickof seeing him dragging food out of kids plates/hands. My DH was eating chip shop chips last weekend and turned to pick up his drink and the whole lot was pulled off his lap and the cat was munching away.
I've tried smacking lightly and putting him outside. I'm starting to leave him outside more and more as it's just so annoying. For example he might be in 5 minutes and waits until someone opens the kitchen and he's in - pulling vegetables out of the rack or bread out of the bread bin.
What doesn't help is my DHis NOT a cat person and is starting to talk about getting rid of him.
He does not have worms, likes is own food and is great health (recently saw vet).
Any advice?
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The litter tray
My cat wants to eat human food.
Ilovedaintynuts · 28/03/2012 09:07
ooo... my mum always said never smack a cat as they never forget (prob an old wives tale)
Our five month old kitten is the same, you cannot eat a meal in peace! we now shut him in another room at mealtimes.
He has also started trying to get in the fridge (took him all of two hours when we first brought him home that the sound of the fridge opening meant food was out!
He has no qualms either about going up to the dogs dishes and sticking his head in there -while they are eating 
and trying to snaffle something out of there.
He also tries to bolt his food and get the other cats food.
They're young and they're boys, heres hoping they calm down and learn some manners soon!!
As he is an intelligent cat, have you tried some training?
My Bert is not the brightest button in the box, but I managed to get him out of the same habit.
He would pester DD (8yo) for food, at the table. I told DD that each time he did it, she was to say "NO" and place him on the floor. I did the same. It got ridiculously boring but eventually - he got bored, he was getting no food. He stopped.
On the few occasions when he wouldn't stop or it wasn't feasible to do the 'pick-up/No' routine, he was put in the garden (gently, no agression) and again, I would say 'NO'. Louder than my normal voice, firm - not shouting.
Cats are buggers, but I love 'em 
The obsession with human food only stretches to roast chicken, tiramisu and cheese in this house (oh, the casual face and the stretched neck in the direction of my plate/bowl are very amusing) but i have no experience with a human food of any kind obsessed cat.
While I'd never agree with physically disciplining any creature I just remembered that mummy cat gives a gentle tap on the bridge of the nose when her kittens are misbehaving and I've heard it can work quite well with adult cats as well.
I've accidentally bashed the front door on my tiggers bottom and once konked him on him on the head with a wine bottle in a bag on its way to the bin (wrong time and place if ever there was one) :)
Think he still holds those incidents against me
I did n't realise she was there!
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