Please help - cat driving me up the wall!

[isshoes]

I have two adult cats. Large and fluffy - think they are half maine coon but don't know for sure because we adopted them as kittens from a charity.

The male cat is CONSTANTLY crying for food. They are wormed, they are the correct weight (in fact at one point he was overweight) and we don't give in to the crying. They have a sachet each of cat food in the morning, then two smaller meals in the evening - half a sachet each between 6 and 7pm and then some dry food between 10 and 11pm. We can't just leave a bowl of dry food out for them to pick at when they want because he would just wolf it down immediately.

His sister rarely cries for food. She is smaller, admittedly, but as I said they are both the correct weight according to the vet.

It used to be that he would only cry when it was getting close to mealtimes, and when I was in the kitchen. He is now starting to cry earlier and earlier in the day, and sometimes not just when I am in the kitchen - he will come to me in the lounge and start crying.

It's getting to the point where it is taking away from the pleasure I get in having him. It drives me potty. Any ideas please?

So altogether he's eating one and a half sachets of food and a little dried food? How much (in weight) dry? I'm asking because it doesn't sound like a lot of food for a large cat. You say he was overweight at one point - did he look overweight to you?

You could put his food in a feeding ball, that way he can have more food, but have to exercise to get it.

That's a big breed. Our bengal has 4 pouches a day, 5 in really cold wether.

He's not overweight either. Have you looked at the average weight for MC males? They grow for 4 years iirc so he's possibly still trying to grow.

Our beloved cat would eat four 100g pouches a day. He wasn't overweight, he was just a big eater and burnt off his food.

Doesn't sound a lot for a MC boy.

I have a small cat (under 4kg) and she has one and half sachets a day plus 15g of go cat complete, as well as a handful of whiskas kibble at night.

Hi, my cat is not a large cat (weight 3.5kg) but she does want food often. I feed her little and often and she seems content with that. She has wet food three times and dry food a couple of times.

If I am out for the day I put dry food in the automatic feeder. It has two compartments so I can have it opening at two different times. I usually put dry in one compartment and a few treats in the other (opening at different times). My cat spends a lot of time inside I suppose it would be different if she was out most of the day.

I agree with the others; it didn't sound like much food. My make neutered cat eats 3-4 sachets a day (usually one around 7 am, another 7 pm the last around 10 pm) plus dry food left out. Felix packs (all my cat will eat) suggests 3/4 packets a day. That said, my cat sitter thinks I feed him too much.

Also, my cat is mostly an outdoor cat. Indoor cats will generally eat less as they aren't running around

Thanks all for the replies.

I used to worry that we weren't feeding him enough until the vet told us he was overweight and advised us that we should buy low calorie dry food. She warned that being overweight put him at higher risk of things like liver disease.

So we switched to a lower calorie dry food and the next year the vet said his weight was fine. To be honest we are back on normal dry food now, and at the last weigh-in they were both fine.

I didn't think he looked overweight but then he is extremely fluffy so it's difficult to tell.

In terms of exercise they don't really like being outside, especially in the colder months. If we put them outside they will cry and cry or go and sit in the shed.

Perhaps I will try splitting his morning meal into two and also getting him one of the feeder balls mentioned. If that doesn't help I will increase his food intake and see what the vet says at his next weigh-in.

Fwiw the vets get very concerned about our cats weight but he's a heavy, muscular breed like a MC.

So, the routine on weighing now is;

Weigh cat.
Agree with the vet that 6kg is a lot.
Point out cat has a well defined waist & no flubbery bits.
Point out cat is a Bengal & not a Persian.
Ignore weight loss advice, if offered.

That cat is quite likely still growing.

Our vets always pointed out our big fluffy cat was a bit large. (Not talking dragging tummy on the floor big here!) We just smiled and nodded! Her son ate more and weighed less!
She is now 18. Very skinny.

My cats have wet food twice a day and free biscuits, Some days they eat a lot some days they don't at least they have the option like I do if I am not hungry. I would try it and see. One of my cats cries out of habit as when I show him the food that is out he shuts up.
Large breeds are meant to be large much larger than normal moggies one of mine, a Norwegian Forest cat is like a small dog.