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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Cat stealing food - hungry or just greedy?

44 replies

HufftheHedgehog · 27/11/2012 11:57

We got a 2 year old cat from a rescue centre almost 2 weeks ago, and she seems to be settling in ok.

However last night she jumped up onto the kitchen top and ate 2 danish pastries! (And has been jumping up on other occasions and nosing about for food.) I was cross with her for doing that, and worried that she would be sick (no ill effects so far), but I'm concerned that perhaps I'm not feeding her enough...

The rescue centre said she had two meals a day, a combination of wet and dry, so we did that the first few days to fit in with what she was used to. The pouches we're feeding her say 2 - 3 pouches a day, so we're now giving her a pouch at breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a little bit of dry food in between. Does that sound enough?

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 29/11/2012 16:51

I recall (re my first Siamese boy) that we went south after Xmas leaving my uncle in charge of the house. (He lodged with us.)

He moaned to my Dad that we hadn't even left the remains of the turkey for him.

Upon which, my mother remonstrated loudly that it was left in foil on the worktop.

Upon thereafter - we noted that Uncle had been left with firstcosieboy. Little thief that he was.

He had the whole ruddy turkey remains (and that was a lot of remains) hauled off to his secret store in between the built in seats in the kitchen.

We found the bones later.

cozietoesie · 29/11/2012 16:56

I was only 10 years old so wasn't seasoned in the ways of Siamese or cats generally.

PlaySchool · 29/11/2012 19:03

My rescue cat is obsessed with food. She even ate some cauliflower the other day and I go through a ridiculous amount of cat food. I've got to be careful because she will end up overweight if I don't control her intake. I wondered if it went back to her being hungry and abandoned but I think the RSPCA got her quite young.

SecretNutellaFix · 29/11/2012 19:22

My two aren't rescue kittens at all. Dreadful bloody thieves when given half a chance.

I have found myself actually fighting a cat over a crisp. How ridiculous is that? My DH put a packet on his chair and came back in to discover the other cat with his head stuck in it.

cozietoesie · 29/11/2012 19:39

Well there's your problem. I'd have simply yelled 'Whooahha!' and the miscreant would have run for the hills. Said miscreant being a kitten of course - no adult cat of mine would be so bold and naughty.

You have to be tough minded. They're tough minded by nature so you have to see them on it by design. They won't love you any the less for it by the way. Cats seem to blame setbacks in their lives on factors other than their special people.

mrsnec · 29/11/2012 20:14

I often spoil mine as she's the first ever cat I've had. I wasn't a cat person until I met her! I just loved the idea of having a pet who chose us and I worry if we upset her she'll mooch off and find another home. Very silly of me. Had a word with myself today when I found myself picking the yellow ones out of the biscuits for her to save her the trouble and distract her from our fish pie! Anyway our vet told us we may have estimated her age wrongly when DH found her. Thus she weaned too early. I wonder if that was part of the problem with the greed thing too?

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/11/2012 20:24

I got told off for offering my cat a chew to take his mind off treatment as there high in fat.

So are chocolate bars but we all have one now and again dont we? it's not like we live on them though.

cozietoesie · 29/11/2012 20:40

You're soft , Fluffy. Soft!

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/11/2012 20:52

True.

Persuasion · 29/11/2012 21:06

My rescue cat was also greedy but has got more chilled with strict routine. If you've only had them for 2weeks though do consider worms. Ours was apparently wormed but had horrible worms in the first few weeks.

cozietoesie · 29/11/2012 21:14

Routine is good. They surely appreciate it.

BobblyGussets · 29/11/2012 22:12

I did just give my cat a treat because he used the cat flat all by himself without me holding it open for him . I am so pleased and proud. The next step is getting rid of that litter tray or at least getting the damn thing out into the garden.

cozietoesie · 30/11/2012 05:57

Bobbly - you have to get over the treat business. He would have used the cat flap by himself just because he wanted to. Don't be a wuss!

Persuasion · 30/11/2012 06:43

I'm very much with cozie on this one! We're quite strict with him, but he adores us anyway (maybe because), and he knows where the boundaries are. Treats are very limited because he has urinary crystals, he didn't seem to mind when this policy was implemented!

Polyethyl · 30/11/2012 06:49

My pampered Siamese enjoy stealing food because it is a battle of wits. Cats v. Humans. We humans generally lose.

PlaySchool · 30/11/2012 10:59

I can't be strict with my cats. The naughtiness is all part of the fun of having them

BobblyGussets · 30/11/2012 13:48

I am enjoying being a wuss Cosie. I managed to persuade DH to let me have a rescue cat for my 40th birthday. I always wanted a cat and he is my first, so I am spoiling him. It's pussy heaven around here.
Do you think he will keep using the cat flap? I've only seen him do it once.

mrsnec · 30/11/2012 16:54

Cat flap training established very easily here. But it had to be! We live in a bungalow and it's on our bedroom door! She got the hang of it very quickly without needing bribes we just physicly put her though and used her favourite toy on a bit of string threaded through a few times. Definately agree with all that's being said here routine is good treats are good in moderation as is a little bit of naughtyness!

Sabriel · 30/11/2012 21:17

We moved 2 years ago. In our last house the cats would try to sneak into the bedrooms. In this house they steal food. I find the older one (13 yo neutered male) on the work surfaces all the time, or climbing up on DD's table. No amount of shouting works, even though we throw him outside every time we catch him.

No excuses either, he was born to us and lived with his mother until she died last year. Never been in a situation where he's had no food, and fed at the same time morning and night every day.

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