Need some hungry cats advice :-)

[spiritgirl59]

Hiya friends

 

I have three cats, one aged 20 bless her, one aged 12 and another one aged 7. They are ALWAYS hungry. They are wormed regularly and have their check ups at the Vets. The 20 year old is still going strong except for the loss of sight in one eye but they are all three healthy.

 

The thing is no matter what I feed them they are constantly wanting food. Every time i go in the kitchen they follow me and miaow, even just after having a meal.

 

I wondered if any cat owners out there knew of a brand of food that is very filling?????????

 

I don't use Wh****s (not sure if I am allowed to use brand names Mods so will put stars in!) because the Vet advised me not to due to the high salt content. I use F***x most of the time, the senior version, and they love it, especially the eldest because its in small pieces and she isn't able to chew as well as she used to, but it doesn't fill them up. I give them cooked chicken and coley fish, all the right things, so WHY are they always so hungry?

 

Any suggestions will be welcome on what I can give them to make their tummies feel full for a while???

 

Love SG x

[Rooster-UK]

Are they very active?

Active cats need more food.

Cats will only normally eat when they're hungry. Are they getting a big enough portion at each meal?

[spiritgirl59]

Hiya Rooster

 

No they are not very active, it takes them all their time to get up and go out to do their "business" .

 

The eldest sleeps a lot and the other two prefer to lounge around the house.

 

I asked the Vet about portion sizes as I have given them more in the past but the two younger ones just eat until they are sick so the Vet said to give them little and often, which I am doing. He checked their weights and they are all ok except for the eldest who is thin now, but he said that's age related and nothing to worry about.

 

They get a meal every couple of hours at the moment.

 

Love SG x

[Mrsmancmonkey]

We have 3 cats, one fat cat, one normal size and then a one year old.

 

What we tend to do is share a packet of Whiska's in the morning but leave Science Plan (two cup full) for the day in a bowl and that tends to be enough and whats recommended by our vet. Science Plan is pricey but seems to do the job especially with the fat cat always stuffing his face!

 

x

[spiritgirl59]

Hiya Keeksta

 

I shall definitely try this. And I'll post back in a few days and let you know how its going. Science Plan sounds ideal because the middle cat is like your fat cat - she just stuffs her face constantly!

 

Your fat cat is not tortie and white by any chance? mine is - and my dad in law had a tortie and white who was just as greedy and ate its food like a dog not a cat

 

Love SG x

[Lula]

Hi there, I too have a 20 year old (now deaf) a 12 year old, a 9 year old and a n 8 year olfd, i always leave Hills Science Plan (senior) out with water (although they prefer rain water!!) and then they have meat in the evening. Although Science plan is expensive, there is no waste as they love it and I have two bowls out all the time so should they need a snack, they have it.

 

Although they like their meals, cats tend to like little and often.

 

Hope it helps.

[Rob S]

I have 4 of the little blighters:-) . Marley is nearing 16 but is in great health, but she is starting to stiffen up a bit. Nelson is not far off 12 and is a monster cadger when it comes to food! All my wife has to do is go anywhere near the kitchen and he is off and running heading to the food bowls! Cato and Makepeace are the 2 youngsters, both coming up to 2. They all enjoy the Whiskas pouches (and the Felix ones too) but I put Iams down during the day. They prefer the pouches, but the Iams does eventually get eaten. They all tend to have a little nibble from time to time without pigging out.

 

Mind you, if they get a sniff of tuna, there is no stopping them!!

[Mrsmancmonkey]

He is black and white like the felix cat, its funny as he bullies the other two for their food and they always just let him do it!

 

Hows it going?? x

[Ruby61]

Hi SG,

 

i think you may have conditioned your cats to ask for food all the time by responding to their demands. In the morning i feed Fatty Fatty Fat Cat Whiskas Senior biscuits with a bag of Iams chucked in - i decant them into a tupperware dispenser and mix them up. In the evening i give her a pouch. I always feed her 12 hours apart, and ignore her at other times.

 

What kind of dish do you use? I used to use ceramic dishes that sounded the same as 'people' plates, and whenever i went into the kitchen and made plate noises, all 3 of my cats would run in expecting food. I bought them all plastic dishes, and this stopped the little furry terrorists harassing me.

 

Sadly, Fatty Fatty Fat Cat is the only one still alive. She isn't greedy at all now - maybe because she knows no one else will eat her food?

 

to be honest, i don't think your cats are hungry. I think they are greedy.

[spiritgirl59]

Hiya friends

 

Well thank you all so much for what has been extremely helpful advice.

 

Keeksta our youngest one is called Felix cos he looks just like the Felix cat, and he can be a bully too, mind you the 20 year old gives as good as she gets and he often gets a swift clip round the head off her if he tries to shove his nose in her bowl LOL.

 

Ruby I think you have hit the nail on the head, we have been far too soft with them in the past and they associate the kitchen with food for them now all the time

 

Lula I looked for Science Plan in Tescos but couldn't see it so I got IAMS instead. I got talking to a lady who was buying some and she said she used it when she can't get hold of Science Plan. I see you have mentioned it too Rob and Ruby.

 

Since my first post I have been putting IAMS down when they start pestering. It seems to have started to do the trick.

 

I feed them wet food in the morning as before (Felix Senior Pouches as the pieces are smaller so they can't pig out and swallow huge chunks of meat whole!).

 

Then a short time later when I go into the kitchen and the follow me ritual starts, I put down some IAMS and make sure there is plenty of water for them to drink.

 

The three of them go greedily to their bowls (ceramic "Felix" bowls I got with "World of Felix" vouchers by the way, not humans dishes) and they have a good sniffter, crunch on a few IAMS and then toddle off with their tales in the air as much as to say "well she has FED me, but not what I wanted" LOL.

 

The rest of the time I am ignoring them, and they have started to go and eat a few IAMS each time and then walk off....so fingers crossed eh?

 

They then get their usual wet cat food meal at tea time, and my OH is doing the same in the late evening, when they pester him he's ignoring them or telling them to go and look in their dish where they will find a snack (being the IAMS) LOL... yes we do talk to them all the time

 

I'll pop back and let you all know how its going, but I think we have began to solve a problem between us and I appreciate your help.

 

Just to make you all smile, you should see them when they smell a chicken cooking........they sit and line up along the floor near the oven door sniffing the air, same if I am cooking fish! They are far too wily for their own good but don't we just love 'em guys?? :grin:

 

Love SG x

[Lula]

Hi Spirit Girl, you wont find science plan in Tescos or Sainsburys but at the Vets or at Pets at Home, What I do is leave 2 bowls down all the time with water and they can help themselves, but yes , mine too are proper mendicants when any meat or fish is cooking, in fact, I used to have a white cat called Norman who could smell frozen chicken coming out of the freezer

[spiritgirl59]

Hiya Lula

 

Thanks for this!

 

If IAMS stops working I will be off to the Vets for some Science Plan...

 

Up to now the 3 of them look thoroughly naffed off but have stopped pestering me. When I go into the kitchen they follow me and keep looking mournfully at the IAMS in their bowls ... no doubt wishing it was meat I dread to think what they would be saying to me if they could talk pmsl!!

 

But the main thing is they seem to have given up miaowing and tripping me up, and they DO eat the IAMS when they know there is nothing else till proper meal times bless them.

 

Love SG x

[maggieboo]

Hi Spiritgirl

 

We get Science Plan at the vets. Our cats also like Purina ProPlan, which is also quite expensive but does get eaten. We've got 2 10 month old kittens that are really fussy. Whenever we put food down for them they put their ears back and give me a long hard stare and walk off! then they come back and scrape their paws by the bowls, a bit like when they cover up what they've done after the loo! the food eventually disappears though!

[gyzmo]

Oh thank god I saw this! My 15 yr old Tabby is a fat git. Mind, he is housebound, but is only fed twice a day, though he's a fussy bleeder. As soon as I get out of bed he runs into the kitchen and constantly meows for food - I admit I do give in because it is so annoying (it's not a meow, its a whinge). Time to show him who's boss!

[gyzmo]

OK, apparently, he is!

[spiritgirl59]

LOL Gyzmo

 

Be strong mate! Mine are still in sulk mode but its working...mind you I cooked them some fish this morning so the whinging began again, but its for their tea and is cooling off in the microwave - and IAMS it is till then!!

 

The 20 year old is the most naffed off, which I guess is natural because she's been spoiled all these years, and I DO feel a bit guilty because of her advanced years, but I know the IAMS is good for her and keep telling myself that when she whinges.

 

Maggieboo the expressions they make are priceless aren't they? My middle one not only sulks t the IAMS now, but turns away and flicks her tail at me in a kind of "up yours" gesture pmsl as she walks off!!.......but then when I've gone out of the kitchen she sneaks back in and eats them!!

 

Love SG x

[gyzmo]

And I thought mine was insulting (he makes a motion with his paw like swiping something away, which I am sure is catspeak for F off!). I have tried everything - Iams and the likes give him the runs (not nice) and Proplan makes him sick. He will eat certain other brands but then goes off them after a few days (like I said, fussy). Doesn't seem to have a problem when I'm eating sausages, bacon, fish or any other meat though!

[nicenish]

Hi i was wondering if anyone could help me. I have 2 indoor cats, which I feed a good sized portion of food each twice a day. The trouble is, my male cat wakes me up all through the night for food. He woke me last nite at 12.30am, 1.50am, 3am and then when he woke me up again at 4am I finally gave into him and fed him. There is always biscuits and water down for them, I don't know if it's because they are bored being indoors? I know that feeding them little and often may work, but still have a feeling my male cat will still wake me up throughout the night, is there anything else I can try? I just want a good nights sleep without getting woken up! and I cannot shut the cats out of my bedroom as they will just scratch the door or pluck the carpet up. Thanks xxx

[gyzmo]

Thing with moggies is that they think (and probably do) they own you.

 

Try feeding last thing at night, and maybe try smaller but more regular portions of food, with a helping of biccies at night.

 

But try not to give in - they will soon get the message!

[24751025]

we have seven cats and they are just brilliant. They are so loyal its unbelivable. We found that they were eating a lot of food a lot of the time and even following us round wanting feeding. We bought a huge bag of dry food and a bag of science plan and we fill a bowl every day with dry food and mix in science plan, we then give them tinned food and fresh meat that has reduced on the tescos deli counter once in the morning and once in the evening. They are now fine and more often than not we find ourselvers throwing away food that they have not eaten as the little puddings are full up. We take our little boy for a walk around the close and about half way we have a little line of five or six cats following us and it causes such a spectacle that neighbours come to there windows with there kids and watch them. They are brilliant.

[nicenish]

okay thanks for your help x

[SOD'EM]

Hi i was wondering if anyone could help me. I have 2 indoor cats, which I feed a good sized portion of food each twice a day. The trouble is, my male cat wakes me up all through the night for food. He woke me last nite at 12.30am, 1.50am, 3am and then when he woke me up again at 4am I finally gave into him and fed him. There is always biscuits and water down for them, I don't know if it's because they are bored being indoors? I know that feeding them little and often may work, but still have a feeling my male cat will still wake me up throughout the night, is there anything else I can try? I just want a good nights sleep without getting woken up! and I cannot shut the cats out of my bedroom as they will just scratch the door or pluck the carpet up. Thanks xxx

 

 

Have you tried tying the cats to the coffee table or something during the night? That way, they will not be able to go near the bedroom.

[texanbar]

Ah bless 'em. Our cat is 16 and she's adorable. Although she shouts her mieows when she's very hungry. Other than that she sleeps by the radiator or on our bed. Her annoying habit was, wacking the water bowl with her paw until she had virtually emptied it out! Must be a cat thing! So now I have raised her waterbowl (placing a ceramic cereal bowl on top of her plastic bowl) and that seems to have done the trick.

 

Can you put food around different places, we used to do that with one of ours (mind you, they seem to find it all within 5 minutes!)

 

Bless em!

xx:D

[Rustywhiskers]

hi i know its been a while since this thread started but reading really helped us - thanks. We have 3 cats & Felix is always hungry - yells at us & thinks as soon as you stand up your off to the kitchen on his behalf!

 

We bought a small packet of the science diet senior food - it works - no more constant yelling! It must be filling & continue to be as we had a quiet evening in last night.

 

we recommended!!! cheers all RW

[SOD'EM]

I recommend cyanide myself. Shuts most moggies up almost instantly.