Question:
Meeko has some serious food issues. Especially when it comes to 'people food'. He wants it. Last week he jumped off the back of the couch and onto my omlette. If I give them a little bit of something, like a piece of tuna or a bit of beef or whatever, I have to feed him first and then when I give Pickles her's he tries to steal it from her.

And when I give them something like cat milk or a bit of tuna juice, he'll eat until he's so full his tummy looks like it could bust. The other day he made himself sick he drank too much cat milk that he stole from Pickles dish (I tried giving them their own portion).

When it comes to eating out of the food dish I get frustrated with him because if he's not eating and Pickles goes to eat out of one side of the dish and there is another side free, he will try to eat out of the same side she does. That makes Pickles go away and she won't eat anything for a few hours. She won't push him out of the way or anything.

So I'm wondering if this is normal? Should I be doing something to try and curb his behaviour?

I know his people food obsession comes from the people I got it from who threw food on the floor for him and his brothers and sister. And the kids ate their meals sitting on the floor in front of the tv where they let the kittens eat off their plates.

It gets frustrating when I can't eat anywhere in the house without him trying to get into it.


Answer:
Ah, you have a bratty cat. By simply giving him bits you have proven to him that stealing works. You have to make him realise that it doesn't pay off, no matter how persistant he is. I personally like to scruff-hiss-NO! and place them back on the floor. This will take TIME! The habbit it well placed and it will be a while before he realises it no longer works. If he is really bad, you may want to confine him to another room while you eat your dinner.
As for stealing the other cats food, do feedings and supervise. I have to supervise my 7 otherwise Samurai would eat everyones and still ask for more. I would make sure they have seperate dishes, not one of those single dishes divided into two, and place them 4-5' apart, let them eat and stay with them until finshed. My guys know their names, so I just have to 'growl' it at them and they know they have to stay away once done. Again, time and patience are what's going to work best here. If Meeko is making himself sick you REALLY need to be monitoring his intake and being much more deliberate with taking away unfinished portions.
Also, I would skip the tuna water, it's not good for them. Get them some tinned cat food if you want to treat them with some fish.


Answer:
I don't give him bits when he begs. It's usually when I'm making something to eat or finishing and I think "I'll give them a little".
I have tried seperate dishes, because I bought him his own when I got him. But he won't eat out of them. To the point that he wasn't eating because he didn't want to eat of them. He doesn't over eat his own regular food, that he's fine. He eats when he's hungry. I don't know if he's trying to share the dish with Pickles because the dish he ate from as a wee kitten he shared with his brothers and sisters and mother...but this dish isn't that big. I think he's trying to be social but Pickles doesn't like it. And she won't eat out of any bowl but the blue one they're sharing now. Both will drink out of his bowls (stainless steel...keeps the water nice and cold) but not eat. They sniff the food and walk away.


The vet said that tuna juice now and then will prevent the formation of stones in the urinary track (tract?). It's a treat to be sure. He'd be the same with wet food any how.

I'll try the scruff-hiss-no! method. My parents use a spray bottle. Sometimes I do that with him. I have one, full of water, and now I just have to pick it up and he stops what he's doing.


I wonder a lot what they did to him before I got him. I have had to wash him a few times (poop caked to his feet or bum that he refused to clean and was tracking around the apt) he goes nuts. Worse than any other cat I have ever seen in my entire life. He almost shreds me to ribbons. When I hold him by the scruff so he doesn't, he doesn't ball up, he goes right stiff and tense and it usually stress him out to the point of getting squishy poops.


Answer:
The vet said that tuna juice now and then will prevent the formation of stones in the urinary track (tract?). It's a treat to be sure. He'd be the same with wet food any how.
Sort of true...but be VERY careful! The magnesium in the fish will prevent certain types of crystals, however, it could CAUSE more common struvite crystals. Crystals (no matter what kind) is not something that you want to deal with. I would forego the tuna juice and make sure that your cats are getting lots of fluids and eating a high quality diet.

My male is the same way with food. We have separate dished and areas that are cats are fed in. Surprisingly, Max has started to eat more slowly and less this way. The presence of another cat close to his feeding area caused him to panic and eat as much as he could as fast as he could. I would give it a try...give Meeko the "usual" dish and give Pickles a new one. Maybe he won't be so hesitant that way.


Answer:
Originally Posted by Pickles
I don't give him bits when he begs. It's usually when I'm making something to eat or finishing and I think "I'll give them a little".

I have tried seperate dishes, because I bought him his own when I got him. But he won't eat out of them. To the point that he wasn't eating because he didn't want to eat of them.
imo, i would just stop giving treats all together and do scheduled, timed and seperate feedings. just put one in the bathroom with you to eat for about 10 min, then the other. it sounds like meeko just has you wrapped around his finger because he was used to one way of eating/snacking.

also, cats (and dogs) will not, by nature, let themselves starve. meeko or pickles may prefer the old bowl, but if all they have to eat out of is a new one, they will eventually use it. they won't go hungry for any longer than they can.

i hope things get better.


Answer:
Originally Posted by Formula86
imo, i would just stop giving treats all together and do scheduled, timed and seperate feedings.
Yup! I find that if you leave the food out he can make a point of ignoring it and meowing, but if you treat them almost dog like (food is out for 10-15 min, if they don't eat it gets put away) they quickly learn that they better eat what's provided because there is nothing else coming. You can also try putting something tasty in with his regular food to entice him to eat out of the desired container.


Answer:
yep, don't panic if he goes a day or two without anything to eat, most times, when he gets hungry enough, he will eat (of course there are extreme cases where they are just totally stubborn or whatever, but that is quite rare)


Answer:
Just an FYI...cats should not go more than 24 hours without a good ration of food. After 48 hours, hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) can cause serious problems. Contrary to popular belief, cats will starve themselves which will cause fatty liver and that also makes them not want to eat.
We went through this with Max when he had the cat flu and it was very stressful and expensive. It is not something to be taken lightly. If your cat does not eat for a day, you should make an effort to feed the cat and/or get to a vet.


Answer:
Originally Posted by Candycane
Just an FYI...cats should not go more than 24 hours without a good ration of food. After 48 hours, hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) can cause serious problems. Contrary to popular belief, cats will starve themselves which will cause fatty liver and that also makes them not want to eat.
We went through this with Max when he had the cat flu and it was very stressful and expensive. It is not something to be taken lightly. If your cat does not eat for a day, you should make an effort to feed the cat and/or get to a vet.
really? i did not know that...good information

do you think an otherwise healthy cat (like the one in this situation) would let itself go that long without eating something, just out of sheer stubbornness?


Answer:
I don't think I'd let him. I'd rather have them eat out of the same dish and Pickles eat when he's sleeping or playing than to having him get sick or starve himself.

I think it's a social thing for him more than anything and not so much he's stealing from her. My bigger concern was the people food.