Our cat is driving me berserk. Please help.

[SeveredEdMcDunnough]

She's 13, we've had her since she was 5 - no real problems, occasional spraying when stressed, eats normal diet etc. Very sweet cat despite dealing with two boys!

Recently I have started to lose patience with her. She is CONSTANTLY asking for food. I can feed her, she has two sachets a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon around 3-5pm, and she will immediately ask for more.

She scavenges from plates, packets, the recycling bin - crisp packets, even licks chocolate if she can find some lying around.

It never seems to stop, though she does sleep sometimes.

It's horrid, and I don't know what might be causing it. She has Advocate so is partially wormed on that, but every time I give her Drontal it seems to make her even worse so I'm not convinced it's worms.

Her condition is fine - she's the same weight and size as usual, fur is Ok, she is grooming and 'normal' afaik.

Can anyone suggest what might be wrong? I am going seriously mad, she will chase packets around in the middle of the night, knock over plates and so on.

I don't know what to do.

I would call the vet and see whether it's worth getting her in to get blood tests done, if it's a sudden change in behaviour - older cats can have issues with thyroid, diabetes etc which should probably be ruled out.

Having said that, mine behaves like that constantly - but always has done!

i would deffinitely get her checked for diabetes or hypothoiroid as this is symptoms in an older cat, does she have biscuits aswell, as two sachets a day dosent sound like shes quite getting enough, as reccomended on most pouches is four a day thats why mine get tinned food and biscuits

Thankyou guys. it's been a gradual change over the past 6 months or so I think.

It might be worth getting some bloods done as she is an elderly puss now. I wondered about her thyroid, but she isn't excessively thirsty.

I did used to feed her 3 sachets a day for a while, a few years ago, and she started to get really chubby so I cut it down to two.

She's had two for as long as I can remember and been fine.

Money definately on Hyperthyroidism or Diabetes though I never underestimate cats ability to surprise me and get an unusual disease. Of the two the symptoms you describe sound very much like hyperthyroidism constant hunger and hypractivity.

Thanks ever so much. I will ask the vet what it would cost to have blood tests for her.
My mum's cat was on thyroid pills for a few years and seemed just to get worse and worse, she died in the end - but it was no life.

Most cats with hyperthyroidism who are properly monitored or who have surgery or radioactive iodine live many years after diagnosis with excellent quality of life.

They did offer the surgery and the iodine chamber? but Mum went for the tablets and tbh, she did live for a few years but kept having to go back to have her bloods checked again and again, the doseage adjusted, different sorts of pills to counter the side effects etc.

It was a proper nightmare. I'm glad there are other options but I don't think I could afford the surgery. We had insurance for a long while but stopped it when they refused to cover the things she was needing (metacam I think it was) as she had 'had it before'. It seemed more sensible to spend the premium on the medication.

I Totally Symapathise with you, my cat is driving me mental this week with the same issues.

He is 11 and has been like this for the last couple of years. I started to watch his behaviour a bit more closely and he is showing definite signs of having senile dementia. (never new it existed in cats!!)
Took him to the vet as he had teeth problems and also wanted a general health check.
The vet said that because his teeth were bad this could be causing the behaviour, or it could be his thyroid (as others have mentioned)

Tests came back he has Early Chronic Renal Failure and a heart murmur (theres no connection with demanding of food with these issues) His thyroid is fine though
He had all his top teeth and some of the bottom teeth removed. He now has prescription renal food but his demanding of food plus the other symptoms of dementia haven't improved at all.

I do genuinly believe that he has forgotten i just fed him. As he will eat a little bit walk away then sit in front of me crying for food when i have to take him back to the dish to show him theres food on his plate.
Or he will demolish the lot and be back 10 minutes later demanding more!!
This carry on can go on all day.

I would take her for a senior health check as has already been suggested to rule out any underlying conditions first and take it from there.

Thankyou very much....your poor old cat, he sounds very sad. It must be really hard work for you.

It is a pity that the treatment and diet haven't worked. This is the thing - even if they do all these interventions, how can you tell if it will improve their lives.

mine has started coming crying to me for feeding even after I've fed her, sometimes straight away - I wonder if she is just hating the cold weather or if maybe her mind is starting to go as well. It's the scavenging I hate the most, you have to be so careful as if you have to get up during dinner, she will be at your plate before you know it.

Thanks again for the advice. I will talk to the vet about some blood tests and see what they say.

Yes it is really hard work, he does have good days but they are not very often at the minute. Its mainly the constant meowing for food and Yowling that i'm struggling to cope with, the rest is not so bad.

It is likely that he will need medication for his kidneys and there is medication for the dementia which i might have to consider soon but no guarantee it will actually help.
The thing is that his issues cannot be cured only managed, both DH and i have said that the minute we believe he no longer has a good quality of life and is spending more and more time at the vets we will choose to end it and not prolong it for our own selfish reasons.

I do hope you manage to find out what may be causing your cats issues, its horrible not knowing what is wrong or not knowing what to do, epecially when it seems that they are just trying your patience!!!

Good luck! x

I said on another hungry cat thread, pouches are not great and they are expensive. I really recommend a very filling, 100% meat food that is £6.79 for 6 400g tins, that is 2400g in total, the equivalent of 24 pouches which would cost more than the tins for inferior quality.
My 3 love this food, Animonda carny from Zooplus.

Also i recommend a blood test. I know your cat annoys you, but if you were constantly hungry and relied on someone to give you food, wouldnt you do the same?

Oh poor pussy-cat. Glad you are taking her to the vet.

Does she hunt & does she eat the victims catch? Wondering if it's a hunger thing or a behaviour thing. But the vet will be better able to say anyhow.

Yes, I know that she is suffering...that's why I decided to ask for advice. I can see beyond the annoying behaviour and I hate the idea that she isn't happy for some reason.

However annoying it is for me it's got to be worse for her.

thanks for the suggestion about the food, it sounds like it would work out roughly the same price per weight as the sachets - I am a bit hesitant to try tinned food as last time she had it (a few years ago) she would always leave quite a lot, it smelled awful, we got flies coming in, and she seems much fonder of the pouches - maybe it is fresher as it doesn't have to be kept open for a day or two.

I might look around and see what is available.

She does try and hunt, generally in the summer when the nights are warmer - but being an old gimmer, the most she normally manages is about one mouse or baby bird per season, though she did once proudly drag in a slice of cooked pizza. (you should have seen the one that got away)

Love the pizza!

My 13-yr-old boy cat is on IAMS senior dry food supplemented by Go Cat pinched from the other cat and I prefer giving them dry food because they can eat it when they like and it doesn't smell.

I love giving them dry food too - it's brilliant. Unfortunately she seemed not to agree with this when she used to have it!

I think she was brought up on wet - when we got her she was already 5, or almost 5 - and she is not in the habit of drinking enough, iyswim. So it seems to upset her tummy, she just stops eating at all after a few days - it's such a pity as it would be so much cheaper and easier.

I used to buy the Royal Canin stuff for another cat I had and it was brill.

Thanks for the idea though

I use Hills Science Plan dried food for senior cats and Felix Senior pouches for my 18 yo female cat. She still scavenges the scraps I throw out for the wildlife and licks food off the plates I've left on the table or in the kitchen though.

But will only 'toy' with mice/ birds: when it is dead she abandons it. I think it is a possessiveness thing. Everything belongs to her!

Love the pizza dragged in to show off to you

Does she not have biscuit to snack on through the day?

Everything belongs to cats doesn't it

No, no biscuits as it was either she left them hanging around and abandoned - I presume she didn't like them - or she ignored them totally and kept asking for her 'proper' food.

Her weight has stayed exactly the same for a few years now on two sachets a day. It's what it says on the box I think? 2-3 or something. 3 was making her put on a lot of weight.

What I mean is, surely if she was genuinely hungry, she would be losing weight? and there's no sign of that.

So to my mind, and I might well be wrong, it must be psychological or some kind of hormone thing that's making her feel hungry when really she isn't.

It's probably worth going to the vet to check there isn't an underlying problem.

Cats can be weird. Mine only does a silent mew, she never twists and twines around your legs or goes through them and doesn't do lots of cat things such as crying for attention. Yours sounds quite clingy. Offer lots of attention and you will undoubtedly be cold shouldered

Got to be worth a try

Thankyou
your sympathy is invaluable to me tonight (on both threads!!)

Maybe get some cat treats like those little sticks, that might cure the psychology of it, if it is that