New cat constantly looking for food

[Bichette]

We have just adopted a cat, he’s been with us for a week now. He has settled in really well - he’s friendly and confident, not hiding away at all. The problem is he’s is CONSTANTLY looking for food. We can’t eat any meals or do any cooking with him in the same room as he is jumping on the table and work tops. He is trying to jump in the fridge whenever you open it, he’s in the dishwasher trying to lick the dirty plates and he bolts his food down as if he hasn’t been fed for a week. He doesn’t look particularly thin as he has longish fur but he feels quite bony. He weighs 4 kg but has a large frame with a big head and feet. At the shelter he was getting 1 pouch of wet food a day and 35g of dry food split into 3 meals and after a discussion with them we have upped his dry food ration to 40g but he is still hungry all the time. Apparently he was given up to the shelter as he wasn’t getting on with another cat but not surprising imo as he wasn’t neutered and wasn’t allowed out. He is now neutered and will be allowed out in a couple of weeks. Anyone have any advice? I wonder if just giving him unlimited biscuits might calm him down and help him self regulate his appetite or is that a recipe for disaster?

We have unlimited dry and wet twice a day and all our cats self regulate and are a healthy weight and size. Presume he’s had worming meds in case that’s the issue. He’s gorgeous btw!

This is untrue. The dry usually has the better meat content (unless you get a rubbish one)

@Bichette personally I do not know how you can resist the give me food stare

No it isn’t untrue. You can get rubbish dry food and rubbish wet food. But I’d still rather feed a rubbish wet food over a rubbish dry as it fills them up better (less likely to become obese), has fewer ‘filler’ carbs (unnecessary for obligate carnivores, can contribute to diabetes, and are only there to keep the food low cost), and they are getting fluids with wet food (less likely to get urinary tract problems).

You are quoting the benefits of raw not wet though. The wet is the ‘treat’ food that helps them get their fluids, but the dry is their ‘fuel’.

I haven’t mentioned anything about raw. Wet food isn’t a ‘treat’, it’s a complete diet, in the same way as birds and mice and rats are a complete diet for wild and feral cats. Ever seen a wild cat hunting a bag of Friskies? No, cos it’s shite.

Not necessarily
I only feed wet food and have done to both of my cats as they’re male. They don’t need dry food
wet food only increases hydration by a ridiculous amount (I’ll have to find the study) as when they eat dry they don’t drink enough to compensate

Wet food isn't a treat - my boys are fed an entirely wet diet.

He is beautiful! It's more natural for cats to graze through the day than eat one or two big meals - literally just discussed this with the vet today. So maybe a couple of main meals at set predictable times but then some smaller snacks through the day - if you are around to sort that. Sounds like he's experienced hunger in the past and is insecure about getting enough food.

May I introduce Lasagna.

He has stage 2 CKD. After he was diagnosed, he went down to 4 kg, mainly because he refused to eat renal diet food of any kind. He now gets a mix of cat food and poached white fish. He's 5.3 kg. He isn't a big cat, but he is now at the top end of healthy weight range.

Your boy needs more food. He's going to be a big cat, probably his ideal weight would sit at over 5 kg. No wonder he is yelling for more.

Mine all want wet food and cats with CKD need to have wet food, but a high quality dry food is also good. Mine get Lily's Kitchen, which is stupid expensive but they love it and do very well on it.