My cat is doing my head in!

Lilith1980

Hi all,

I moved into my new house with my cat Charlie about 3 weeks ago.

He has always been a greedy so-and-so but it seems to have gotten worse. I'm not sure if this is because we have moved or whether he is just getting more greedy.

I feed him two pouches per day of Tesco Luxury wet food which is about 45% meat. I rarely give him treats as he's an indoor cat so does s*d all throughout the day and we were feeding him more when we first got him and he piled on the pounds. I reduced his pouches a few months before we moved.

Once I have fed him, I will make myself something to eat and he will want what I am having. I had some mince beef on the kitchen counter and he was eyeing that up although I told him to leave it alone, but had to keep an eye on him. He has started jumping up onto the kitchen tops as well at which point I shout at him and put him down on the floor.

The other day I cooked some fish and put the tiniest amount of leftover in the bin. When I came home he had been in the bin for it I changed the bin bag and an hour later he pulled the bin over trying to get into it again when there was nothing in there! Unless the smell of the fish lingered??

We got him from a rescue centre in September last year, he was an indoor cat with myself and my ex husband. I am wondering whether I should get him micro-chipped and let him out - is he going stir crazy and this is his way of telling me??

Every morning he will cry at about 5am, presumably because he wants feeding. I don't go down until it is time for me to get up (about 6am) but by then he has disturbed my sleep. Hubby used to let him on the bed but I didn't want that carrying on in my new place - but weirdly he doesn't cry for me when I go to bed.

I feel like he may have behavioural problems and it's wearing my patience thin, sorry if that sounds uncaring. I do love him but it' tiring sometimes! But I wonder if I am contributing to this behaviour. He is a very clingy cat and follows me throughout the house, miaowing, so I'm not sure if this is an insecurity thing on his part from having moved. He's not spraying or anything. He has been sick a couple of times but he wolfs his food down which might explain that.

Can anyone shed some light on this please? He is on his own most of the day so maybe letting him out will keep him occupied and less likely to 'act up' indoors?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts

deano23285

i would suggest contacting a local vet and see if they have any info on the issues you mentioned above, worth a try!

spike7451

Lillith,
Sounds like my Daisy Cat...
The's some good advice here:

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/board,8.0.html

SnowyOwl_2

An increased appetite may be a symptom of some health problems, so I'd second the advice about getting the vet to check your kitty over.

It occurred to me that perhaps your cat is a bit bored and that food is the most interesting highlight of his day. Perhaps you could invest in some of those toys which you can put a few dry biscuits in and which are a puzzle for your cat to play with to make the food drop out?

I can't think of any other strategies to make Charlie work for his food...so that feeding time is more like hunting, rather than have it just put in front of him and it disappear in about two minutes.

Caffca

I would suggest have a chat with your vet to see if there is anything they think might be causing if first.

If they find nothing, is there any reason why he is an indoor cat? Was this something the rescue stipulates? If not then I would certainly think about allowing him to go outside (unless of course you are living on the 35th floor of an apartment block - that might be a bit tricky!) Boredom could be a reason, if he gets to go out and about a bit it could relieve some of that.

Mankysteve

try switching to dry food aswell. It's healthyer and we find out cats want less of it.

McKneff

Its nearly a mirror image of our cat. She wowls constanly for food, until she and our daughter came to live with us she was an indoor cat, but she goes out now all the time. Its good for her. But I'll be quite honest, it hasnt made a bit of difference wowling for food, even when she is on the windowsill 30 feet away, Im filling the kettle up and i can hear her jump of the cil and she is there under my feet within seconds wanting milk. she get a couple of tablespoons every night at 7 no other time but it really doesnt stop her wowling every time I put the kettle on. We have come to the conclusion that she is just greedy. We just ignore her now, then when the milk bottle goes back in the fridge when her wowling hasnt worked she just gives up. Its quite funny to see actually. When she realises the game is up.lol.

We leave all the downstairs open, no way she is allowed past the hall and up the stairs. She created at first and
ripped carpet edges etc. but we found something that stopped her scratching and wrecking carpets, we got some 'scratch no more' from Kleeneze, stopped her in her tracks trying to get up stairs and also stopped her padding on our lovely new sitting room rug.
She is a bit of a gypsy, sleeps anywhere and finds places to sleep that we thought would be impassible but she gets there and sleeps the sleep of the dead. We found her asleep one day in the little cupboard under the oven where i keep my baking tins. cost me a fortune for rugs and a sleeping pad and she is just not interested. I think she just wants control, she has leanred she can only control herself. Gets in OH chair, cant get her out except for OH actually tipping her out of it. Yet, if i offer her a treat and say ' sit' my god she does sit. I think if i said 'somersault' she would if she thought she was going to get some food. lol

Mankysteve

If you can let him outside do. Some will argue against me but it's my belief that all cats should have outdoor time bar ones with certain medical conditions

foreign_correspondent

has he been wormed recently?

Lilith1980

Hi all, thanks for your replies

Yes, I wormed Charlie a couple of months ago.

We did initially have him on dry food but he put on weight this way, even though we were controlling the portions. Maybe I should try introducing it again.

We kept him indoors because we were next to a main road and building site at the other flat I was in with my husband. Now I am in a terraced house down a relatively quiet street. I have no cat flap (flat is rented so can't fit one) so is it unfair to let him out and leave him out all day?? Or should I let him out just in the evenings?

I would have to get him chipped first cos we had no reason to chip him before.

Think I will get him checked at the vets in case there is anything wrong with him.

Not worth getting a Feliway plugin is it? See if that helps?

Thanks

paddypaws101

The debate over wet food versus dry, indoor cat or out will run forever...Personally I have really turned against dry food and prefer raw or high protein wet ( Hi-life, Bozita, Animonda carny etc ) It seems to fill them up an my cats are doing well on it. However once patterns of feeding, snacking are set they can be hard to break. So be careful...the odd extra snack today will lead to constant ongoing food demands.
I also prefer a cat to have outside access if possible. My oldest c at was very clingy when she was younger and kept inside. She blossomed with outside access and was much happier. Are you planning on staying at this new house for long? Then it may be worth getting a flapput into the back door and replacing the door panel at the end of tenancy if necesary. If landlord knows you have a pet they may also give permission for the flap to be permanent.