Mouser Has A Behavioral Issue

[K & L]

OK, the little guy is really growing up now. He's had his first shots, of course he had tested negative, and got a clean bill of health. Our problem? He's terrible when he's eating. He growls and if you reach for his dish he jumps in the middle of it hissing and hanging on for dear life. He never had siblings (well at least after 10 days old) to compete for food, so this is very strange to me. Has anyone encountered this before? If so, how did you deal with it, and did it ever get better?

[catlady1945]

Our Louis, when he was a kitten was exactly the same. I still have a scar on my arm from when he grabbed me. We put his dish in the basement well away from the other cats. We dropped food in there and ran. He would growl while eating. He stopped doing that years ago, perhaps when he realized he could eat all he wanted. Anyway, he now eats with another cat right next to him and he is perfectly civilized.

[kimlovescats]

Tabitha has done that in the past as well.... I think it is just a survival thing that they have to "un-learn"! I think if you don't over-react then he will eventually learn that you are not a threat to him. Not much help am I?

[rg_girlca]

Yes I had this problem with my little RB girl Squirty Bums. I figured it was because she was a stray and had to fight for her food that she acted this way. So what I did, was sat on the floor, just about a foot away from her and talked very quietly to her, telling her it was okay, that I wasn't going to take her food.
Gradually the growling stopped, then after a week, I got brave and picked up her bowl, very fast, and she would hiss and try to grab the bowl. I would place it back down all the while talking to her, telling her it was okay. After about just over a week of doing this, she started to eat without growling and no longer hissed or swatted when I would touch her bowl. Then I brought my other cat, RB Captain in to feed him at the same time as Squirty Bums. She was nervous at first, but after a few days settled down.

I'm sorry this is a little long, but I was so surprised to see that someone else is going through what I did in the past.

[Laura's Babies]

Samantha, I have noticed has FINALLY quit gobbeling down all the food in just minutes. She was the neighbors cat (if you remember) that was darn near starved before the neighbor finally let me have her.. Well, with the way she ate, I had seperate bowls for each and she would run from bowl to bowl and gobble up as much as she could, not stopping until it was all gone. (No growling involved)... Today, I noticed that the bowls had food still in there hours after the food was put in them. It has taken since July for her to realize the food will always be there and I am so glad to see she has quit acting like the deprived girl she was when I got her.. So, it may take time but I think things will chill out!

[jenluckenbach]

Mickey(Chevy) did that, but more with the other cats than with the humans.
It should get better after time. HE will learn that there is no real reason to be so possesive. Just work on proving to him that you will not take it away. Pet him (if you can) while he eats and then walk away. Never take the food away because that his what he fears.
Even though it is a bad habit, it IS cute, isn't it?

[catcrazylady]

I'm going through the same thing right now. Rosco is insane about food. Abigail probably only had a couple of days left to live because she was so starved and I know Rosco was hungry but in better shape. Abigail is sweet and gentle when she eats but Rosco becomes a maniac! He will share with Abigail only but growls and snarls at everyone else. If I give him a tidbit of our dinner he will grab it and run and hide with it. He generally darts behind the entertainment center growling the whole way. I keep thinking that this will stop some day soon but so far it hasn't. They were only about 6 weeks when I caught them so you would think they would be over it by now.
I am like Jen and think it's kind of funny but its pretty sad too. I always wonder if he still remembers being that hungry. Abigail has every reason to be that way but she's not.
It has to be hilarious to see that tiny little Mouser doing that!

[JRM]

Don't know if this is helpfull, but worth a try. I saw it on Animal Planet, one of the Animal Police shows. When they have an animal with food aggression, they actually feed them little bits at a time right from their hand. They put an empty bowl on the floor and place their hand in it, dropping a few pieces of food into the bowl at a time. When the animal eats them, they drop a few more. The object is for the animal to get the idea that having your hand near their bowl is a good thing, that it means treats are coming. I've never had to try it myself, but it works for them. Good Luck!

[christa]

Ah, poor mouser!

I don't have any advice for you . . . just words of encouragement.

Poor baby . . . This little guy is growing and still learning to trust humans. I know that you'll show him as much love as you can . . . he'll settle down!

*kitty kisses* for baby Mouser!

Hang in there!

[catmandu]

Former Starys,are fairly territorial,as often,they ahd to fight,foor thier food! He wiil!

[catmandu]

Be All Right,as soon,as he learns,that there is more food,always coming! Roscoe,used to growl,like a wolf,when he was a young Cat!

[emily_the_spoiled]

I have had Emily for over three years now and she is extremely possessive of her wet food (the dry food isn't such a big deal). I only give the gang about a teaspoonfull twice a day but you would think that I never feed her by watching her with the food. She will bully the other cats away from their food if I am not watching and she definitely goes in to lick the plate clean when they are finished. I am pretty sure this comes from her time as a stray, but she has never gone without food since I got her. I figure that she is never going to change now so I make a joke about it but keep an eye on the other guys as they eat (so they actually get some food).

[K & L]

Thanks for everyone's input here! Yes, Jen it is kind of cute! I'm just worried about the granddaughter's getting too close right now when he eats. After he's done eating he's a little lover! I'll post some more pictures soon. Right now I feel like a chicken running around with it's head cut off!