Is it weird to feed a cat in a routine.

[Bananas1350]

I was told today by my mil that my cat has me twisted around his little finger because I fed him at his normal breakfast time when he came in through the back door.

I didn’t think it was a weird or an out of the ordinary thing to feed animals in a routine ? He is an older cat so don’t feel the need to make him wait around being hungry for ages ?

If one of mine was fed when she asked for it, she'd triple in size in under a month.

If the owner has a routine then it stands to reason the cat will too! Mine is fed when we get up, when we get home from wok and again at bedtime, and the timing stays pretty much the same at the weekend too. Perfectly normal and not weird at all!

Do t all cats have us wrapped round their little fingers anyway?

I don't get it, how does she want you to feed your cat? I feed my cats twice a day, morning and late afternoon. I have dogs too and they get fed once on the afternoon same time as cats. This is normal. Cats, dogs, kids, like routine.

Mine get fed as soon as I get up.

Now that does mean boycat jumps up on the bed and inspects me to see if I'm awake if I even slightly fidget after about 4am, but as long as I pretend I'm asleep (even if he's sniffing my nostrils) he curls up at the end of the bed and waits - because whilst he's a cheeky toad, he knows I'm boss!

Girlcat sometimes follows me into the kitchen and asks for seconds later (sits next to the bowl and trills at me) so she gets extra then (boy cat can get over-enthusiastic and barge his sister out the way if he finishes first, so it's fair enough she has secret seconds).

Perfectly normal behaviour for humans and cats I'd say.

See I feel guilty because mine DOESN'T have a routine. Wet food mealtimes depend on my shifts. Breakfast could be any time between 0500 and 1000. Dinner usually 1800 unless I'm on a late in which case she gets a whole sachet before I go out.

She always has a bowl of dry food on the go to nibble at though. Plus fresh water in a pint glass as Madame cannot be expected to drink out of a bowl like some kind of animal.

We call our cat Nanny Plum because she always appears exactly at 7pm (her dinner time) Tbh I need the routine so I know for sure I've fed her.

She always has a bowl of dry food on the go to nibble at though. Plus fresh water in a pint glass as Madame cannot be expected to drink out of a bowl like some kind of animal.

yes, mine have dry out all the time. And water is available, although obviously she'd prefer to either drink out of my glass, or a dirty plant saucer in the garden than anything actually provided for her.

Why would your mil care when you feed your cat?

What's it to her if your cat has you wrapped around its paw?

Its beyond strange that she noticed, its beyond strange she cares, it sounds like she just wants you second guessing yourself.

Just ignore or change subject next time she says something so strange.

Because of my neurodiversity I am apt to get totally distracted and forget about things like eating and drinking for myself let alone feeding an animal, so I have an alarm on my phone for the same time morning and evening to tell me to feed the cat, and I do. The cat has a pavlovian response to the sound of the alarm as she knows it means that food is coming.

Ours get fed at breakfast time and dinner time and it's more of an accidental routine than on purpose, but it's still a routine! My youngest cat ensures we don't forget, as he'll weave around our legs and then head to the kitchen first thing (we don't even get to put the kettle on first 🤣).

Other advantages of a feeding routine are that cats that go outside can be guaranteed to be in (or hanging round nearby) at certain times of day - very useful if you need to keep them in for a later vet trip. Likewise if they are on any medication that goes in their food it's much easier to get it eaten up if they're expecting dinner.

Thanks for all the comments. It really has put my mind at rest. I do ignore other comments. ( that’s a whole other thread ) but I suddenly had this idea I was doing something wrong.

I'm so confused. What does she think is normal? Feeding the cat at random times during the day? That's just weird

Cats are very much creatures of habit. They like routine. Especially d cats. Your MIL is nuts. Why would you confuse your poor old cat like that?