Clingy cat nightmare

[Namechangedox]

My cat is a neutered Tom he is 5 and half. He is an amputee got ran over when he was 1.5. His behaviour is a nightmare he constantly begs for food even after he's polished off a pouch he has 4 a day he can't eat dry food because of his cystitis . When we went on holiday ( he had a sitter ) he started urinating around the house due to stress last year so is on medication. The vet says she can't see anything physically wrong him !!

I have feliway plugged in he's wormed has a spot on for fleas . A typical day would be he gets up at around 5am to go for a wee I let him out then he climbs on the conservatory at 6am and scratches my bedroom window to come back in. Cries for breakfast starts begging for food straight away after breakfast. Will climb on top of me kneading me if I try to put him back on the floor he climbs back up and won't let me do my work.

If I put him out he will cry if I put him in another room he will cry honestly he is so high needs he is harder to look after than my 8 year old daughter.

He has toys and cat nip but will only play for 5 mins then back to being clingy.

Please tell me it gets better I'm getting so tired of a cat that acts like a newborn baby.

Can you let him sleep in the bedroom so he isn’t alone at night? Or so you already?
It seems he was lonely when you were away on holiday and felt abandoned. I guess the sitter wasnt there all day?
He needs a companion cat. He is lonely and needs more love than he is getting.

I don’t know 🤷‍♀️ If it will get better, he’s 5 and a half, so not a kitten anymore and unlikely to grow out of it or is he a new cat to your? When did you get him? Think a companion might help…had he always been food fixated or just since the accident?

From what you’ve said he definitely sounds lonely and in need of more attention. As others have said I would consider getting another cat.. life’s so much easier with two.

Are the pouches of food good quality to fill him up as in high quantity of meat? I add cooked chicken breast to my cats bowl to see him though to next meal.

Consider getting another cat? He might transfer some of his attention there...
He does sound like quite hard work.
Different toys more often?
More protein in his diet or something like a puzzle mat to make him work for food more.

1. possibilities spring to mind

1. Get his thyroid checked by your vet. It would be much more unusual given his young age, but both neediness & always hungry can be symptom or thyroid problems, especially if they become jumpy too.

1. Has he been wormed ? Worms could explain his hunger & could make him unsettled

1. If none of the above & your vet doesn't have any other ideas, then I'd also suggest getting him a playmate. Given he's a young male, I'd recommend a female youngster from a rescue. We always have 2 & have found a younger, smaller opposite sex playmate easier to settle in. Ours wear each each other out & mostly leave us alone through the night.

I would recommend:

Cat flap
More enrichment
Puzzle feeders
Set play times
Bulk buy ping pong balls/similar to throw for him when you're working