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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 suddenly wont stop eating and trying to steal food/lick plates.

72 replies

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 12/04/2013 15:52

I have no idea what is going on with him, he's always been mad for treats (which we rarely give) but in the past month or 2 he wont stop eating and begging.

He mostly leaves the food that's in his bowl though but will happily eat the other 2 cats food, he opens the cupboard and rips open packets of food , we've caught him licking plates and tins and he is constantly begging.

He's quite thin (not underweight though), he became an outdoor cat about 9 months ago and lost some weight then.

He's driving us nuts but I have no idea what could be going on.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 14/04/2013 12:56

Oh yes- they'll go for other water sources such as dripping taps as well. Ornery blighters.

I know you said they're wormed regularly but in light of the fact that this behaviour is only in the last month or two - and he's an outside cat which means his risk of worms is higher - cast your mind back. When was he actually last dosed?

Original poster

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/04/2013 12:58

January, so due again this month. I've even checked poo and there isn't anything there.

He pretty much leaves his own bowl of food. No idea why.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 14/04/2013 13:04

And they all have the same type/brand of food?

Original poster

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/04/2013 13:06

Yes, I always make sure I even give the same flavours to each at the same time.

I also lift the bowls up and put the food in and put them down at the same time so I'm not feeding one before another.

OP posts:

ppeatfruit · 14/04/2013 13:12

Or rain water in a puddle there's probably something they need in it or really fresh water from the tap.

I and my family have had many cats over many years some fed on biscs. and some not and no specifically prepared foods (DM used to give ours cooked melts) they lived very healthily to 20 or so BUT any fed on the cat biscs. even mixed with wet food get fat and were NOT healthy I'm not making it up it's true.

cozietoesie · 14/04/2013 13:18

Forgive me if you've alluded to this before, Schro, but what are the relationships between the cats like?

Original poster

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/04/2013 13:21

Mines are probably doing loads of puddle drinking and I just don't see it!

Only one of mines is fat but he doesn't over eat and only recently started eating more dry food than wet, he's actually lost a fair bit of weight from running about outside, he still looks 'fat' though, the little one doesn't really eat the dry stuff much and he's getting pretty skinny and the other one can't eat dry food as she is missing a tooth or 2 and she is a little fat but only since we had her spayed (she had this and gum disease when we took her).

I guess it just depends on the cat. :/

OP posts:

Original poster

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/04/2013 13:26

My little one (the one we're talking about, his name is squeak) gets on really really well with the massive one, Skrinkle. They will lie together and groom each other and generally follow each other around quite a lot, I got Squeak when Skrinkle was a year old so they have pretty much always been together, if you were to take one away the other would look for the other one.

None of them get on with the girl and she tends to stay well away from them or it ends up in a bit of a fight, she has a temper and I believe this comes from her previous home. When we got her she was very very hostile and almost feral in the way she acted, she would attack anyone or anything that came within a couple of metres of her. She's now a sookie lapcat who wants cuddles and to be petted constantly but I don't think the other 2 have gotten over how she was initially.

Btw, just so it's clear. I got the boys when I lived at home and then got the girl when DP and I moved out together. We had to come back to my family home for a variety of reasons and I brought Salem with me as I didn't trust anyone else with her.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 14/04/2013 13:45

Hmm. I'm changing my mind about this one, I think. Sounds to me as if Squeak might just be acting as point for the Terrible Twosome in a low key battle with Salem.

Maybe try to redress the balance for a couple of days by giving squeak lots of extra TLC (ignoring Salem) and seeing whether that has any effect?

ppeatfruit · 14/04/2013 13:56

Our house cat is a spayed female and she's hated other cats since we rescued her (its funny actually she sits by the window and literally wallops the strays that we feed through the glass).

I don't know if its because we had her spayed at a year old when we got her and she has the instinct to 'protect' her kittens. Or what.

We have taken in a stray who lives in our utility room that luckily has a door into the house and a door that we put a catflap in so he can go in and out without meeting her (though they meet in the garden and she sort of tolerates him now,it's taken 2 to 3 years ) They are all individuals who like humans though!

Original poster

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/04/2013 14:39

Cozie He already gets loads of attention, I've tried that. :( I do think it's behavioural but I don't think it's because of the way we act with Salem.

I have no idea!

Ppeat Salem hates any other cat, I think it has come from her previous home as she doesn't have any eyebrow whiskers and is missing at least a tooth etc. She fights with cats through the window too.

OP posts:

ppeatfruit · 14/04/2013 15:46

Or could it just be some female cats are very bossy and want to be top cat! I remember reading a daft animal behaviour book that said that spayed cats come at the bottom of the pile in the cat hierachy (not our MIllie !!)

Original poster

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/04/2013 20:06

She's had the same attitude to other cats spayed or otherwise lol. She's just a bit of a loon. :o She's a wee sweetie to us though and she talks back and sings. :) Maybe it is just girl cats being loony, she's the only one I have had.

She definitely wasn't happy where she was before though, she's a completely different cat to when we got her. Her owners were giving her away as they were "scared she would attack their toddler". She was vicious when we got her but obviously depressed as well, we had her for months before we seen her walk with her head up. :( Now she gives our toddler nose kisses. :)

I think I might have to start reading cat behaviour books as well! Didn't think I really needed them, have done well with them until now.

OP posts:

ppeatfruit · 15/04/2013 09:46

It's sweet your cat likes your toddler because a lot of them don't like the unpredictability of L.O.'s (including the tail pulling).DM had 2 cats turn up from a house with a number of DCs in her street and they wouldn't leave despite having the opportunity to Much to the displeasure of the father of the DCs!

Original poster

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 15/04/2013 13:29

Haha poor cat must have been over whelmed!

It's only the girl that likes him, she's very tolerant of him and he's very good with her but I do try to watch carefully just in case.

He did manage to shut her in a drawer yesterday though. :o

Cats are awesome, aren't they?

OP posts:

ppeatfruit · 15/04/2013 14:21

Yes I like dogs as well though but cats are more dog like than we realised Millie walked round the block which is a field BTW! with us once! (we live 50% of the time in deep rural Fr.! She is now a French cat!)

ppeatfruit · 15/04/2013 14:23

We have a cat sitter when we're away together in case you were wondering

Original poster

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 15/04/2013 14:25

Aww French cat (I have an image of a cat wearing a beret now).

Is this your cat? :o

OP posts:

ppeatfruit · 15/04/2013 14:32

No LOL! she's an exact Felix cat but THAT cat is like a beautiful version of our stray named Norbert! After the french lorry company

Original poster

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 15/04/2013 14:51

Arf @ Norbert. :o

I wanted Squeak to be called Toulouse but I was 16 at the time and my family refused to call him it. :(

OP posts:

ppeatfruit · 15/04/2013 15:14

He gets called an East End version; Nobby for short

DH calls one of our other strays (who we suspect belongs to some neighbours he just prefers the non wheat grub here !!!) Mitterand he's cool, a lovely fluffy version of Millie so I call him Fluffy or the french translation which is peluche !!

ppeatfruit · 15/04/2013 15:15

I must get out and carry on tidying up the garden!!x

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