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

Original poster

3yr old male constantly demanding food

50 replies

MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 09:38

I got him 18mths ago. He was 2kg overweight. With advice from the vet, I have gradually reduced his food intake and he's almost down to his target of 4kg. He gets half a tin of Republic of Cats meat first thing, the other half about 4 and then 2 tablespoons of biscuits over 3 meals (lunchtime, mid-evening and then just before I go to bed). However, he sees me as a walking source of food. Within about an hour of eating ,if I'm in, he starts miaowing in an aggressive way and sometimes swipes me after eyeballing me first. I don't give in to this, I put him out of the room. He then miaows constantly outside. It's quite wearing on the nerves to be honest. Any advice? If I feed him more, he will just get obese again.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 02/05/2022 09:47

4kg isn’t much for a male cat. Is he very petite framed?

FromOurHatsToOurFeet · 02/05/2022 09:51

Our very petite female cats are only 3.5kg. Our rather grander male cat looks a bit podgy at 6.5kg at the moment but he's done nothing but eat and sleep in front of the radiator over the winter, by autumn he'll be back down to about 6kg and look perfect. 4kg sounds tiny in comparison.

Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 10:12

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/05/2022 09:47

4kg isn’t much for a male cat. Is he very petite framed?

Not especially. That's what they said he should be at the vet though.

OP posts:
Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 10:14

FromOurHatsToOurFeet · 02/05/2022 09:51

Our very petite female cats are only 3.5kg. Our rather grander male cat looks a bit podgy at 6.5kg at the moment but he's done nothing but eat and sleep in front of the radiator over the winter, by autumn he'll be back down to about 6kg and look perfect. 4kg sounds tiny in comparison.

He was v podgy looking at 6kg and the vet was concerned. They said you should be able to feel their ribs. Even when he was eating more he was always hungry. I think before he was rescued he must have struggled to get food. The RSPCA went in and there was 10 of them, some of whom they said were close to death.

OP posts:
idril · 02/05/2022 10:19

I had an overweight male cat (ex stray who stole food from other houses). I would agree that 4kg is not much for a male cat. 5kg seems more realistic and that is what my cat weighs now.

My cat has only just stopped being so food-obsessed and we've had him 4 years so it may take a bit longer for his appetite to settle.

One thing to say though is that I absolutely cannot give him dry food as it makes his aggressive and he'll come up on my chair behind me and bite or paw my head or paw (not massively hard but to let me know that he wants something). When I cut out the dry food, this stops. I think dry food is very addictive to some cats so I would suggest cutting that out.

I would also suggest sticking to two mealtimes so he doesn't always think that there is a chance of food.

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/05/2022 12:31

It doesn’t sound like he’s the right weight for a male. My lazy old female has a tin of gourmet and about 50g Arden grange biscuits plus treats and is 5kg or so.

She was very hungry when we got her but isn’t so desperate for food now.

Yarnasaurus · 02/05/2022 12:36

I would feed a bit more but use puzzle feeders, so he expends energy to get his food.

Are you absolutely sure his behaviour is food related though? My cat does all that and she's not interested in food at all.

Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 16:30

idril · 02/05/2022 10:19

I had an overweight male cat (ex stray who stole food from other houses). I would agree that 4kg is not much for a male cat. 5kg seems more realistic and that is what my cat weighs now.

My cat has only just stopped being so food-obsessed and we've had him 4 years so it may take a bit longer for his appetite to settle.

One thing to say though is that I absolutely cannot give him dry food as it makes his aggressive and he'll come up on my chair behind me and bite or paw my head or paw (not massively hard but to let me know that he wants something). When I cut out the dry food, this stops. I think dry food is very addictive to some cats so I would suggest cutting that out.

I would also suggest sticking to two mealtimes so he doesn't always think that there is a chance of food.

Would you suggest maybe 2 tins of wet and no dry then?

OP posts:
Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 16:31

Yarnasaurus · 02/05/2022 12:36

I would feed a bit more but use puzzle feeders, so he expends energy to get his food.

Are you absolutely sure his behaviour is food related though? My cat does all that and she's not interested in food at all.

I think so. Whenever I get up, he runs straight to where his food bowl is.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 02/05/2022 20:50

Have you got a photo?

bravotango · 02/05/2022 20:53

Our male cat is 4.2kg which is right for him according to the vet. He has a pouch first thing, a pouch about 7pm, and access to biscuits all the time. He's not particularly greedy though so I'd say we refill his biscuit bowl every 3 days or so. Treats on a Friday Grin

Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 21:06

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/05/2022 20:50

Have you got a photo?

Not sure if you can see from this.

3yr old male constantly demanding food
OP posts:
Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 21:08

bravotango · 02/05/2022 20:53

Our male cat is 4.2kg which is right for him according to the vet. He has a pouch first thing, a pouch about 7pm, and access to biscuits all the time. He's not particularly greedy though so I'd say we refill his biscuit bowl every 3 days or so. Treats on a Friday Grin

Stevie demolishes anything I put down immediately. I could leave a bowl out like you've just described for the female cat I had and she'd just pick at it.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 02/05/2022 21:09

He doesn’t look skinny but ginger lads are usually quite robust in build.

What biscuits is he on?

Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 21:11

Another one.

3yr old male constantly demanding food
OP posts:
Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 21:11

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/05/2022 21:09

He doesn’t look skinny but ginger lads are usually quite robust in build.

What biscuits is he on?

Republic of Cats ones.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 02/05/2022 21:12

Oh gosh, he's gorgeous.

PritiPatelsMaker · 02/05/2022 21:13

Also agree that that's a super low weight target for a ginger male. I had a very strong and busy beating up the local cats make and he was 6.5 kilos and all the vets we ever saw said he was a perfect weight.

Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 21:20

Yeah I have adjusted his plan on the RoC site now. It's weird he has been seen by different people at the vets and none have said anything other than he should be around 4. I'd rather him be heavier than get bullied for food every day though I think.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 02/05/2022 21:29

It’s got maize in it which they can’t digest. Try a maize/corn/wheat free biscuit instead.

Our girl was fine on Arden grange light but I put her on the chicken normal biscuits for winter as we don’t have the heating on 24/7 so she needed the energy. The next bag will be lighter biscuits again. She’s full on both sorts though.

AnyCakeButBattenburg · 02/05/2022 21:29

Cats seldom over-eat. Your cat has done so because of the terrible situation he was in before the RSPCA got him.
My boy is 5.5kg, but is old - he's lost weight. He has:
1 pouch of Iams, Purina or Sheba, 3 or 4 times a day - 7am, 1pm, 6pm and 10pm. He also has unlimited Purina dry or Harrington's dry food, 24/7. A few times a week, I swap a pouch of food for some cooked chicken or tinned tuna (in spring water, never brine)

AnyCakeButBattenburg · 02/05/2022 21:30

I've always had cats, several of them, over the past 42 years

Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 21:32

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/05/2022 21:29

It’s got maize in it which they can’t digest. Try a maize/corn/wheat free biscuit instead.

Our girl was fine on Arden grange light but I put her on the chicken normal biscuits for winter as we don’t have the heating on 24/7 so she needed the energy. The next bag will be lighter biscuits again. She’s full on both sorts though.

Thanks, I'll try those.

OP posts:
Original poster
MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns · 02/05/2022 21:34

AnyCakeButBattenburg · 02/05/2022 21:29

Cats seldom over-eat. Your cat has done so because of the terrible situation he was in before the RSPCA got him.
My boy is 5.5kg, but is old - he's lost weight. He has:
1 pouch of Iams, Purina or Sheba, 3 or 4 times a day - 7am, 1pm, 6pm and 10pm. He also has unlimited Purina dry or Harrington's dry food, 24/7. A few times a week, I swap a pouch of food for some cooked chicken or tinned tuna (in spring water, never brine)

Thanks. I do know why he's doing it and I do want to get it right for him, so he is healthy and content that food is coming for him. The problem with putting a full bowl of biscuits out is that he would eat it in one sitting.

OP posts:
Feckingfeck · 02/05/2022 21:38

Literally thought you were talking about a child until the word vet 😂