giving in to demands?

[miese Katze]

Hello,

My cats are on "strict" eating times, I feed them three times a day at specific times so that they get as much as they need for the day spread out throughout the day. Lately they have been obnoxious hours before their meal, trying to get me to feed them NOW. They follow me around the apartment running between my feet or stopping right in front of me if I am going the wrong way. If I move one millimeter in the direction of the kitchen, they are off running to their bowls, then come back yelling at me when I'm not there. They complain and moan constantly when they don't get their food.

What I want to ask, if I give into their demands every once and a while to shut them up when I've got something important to do, will I be reinforcing their bad habits? I don't want them to think they can boss me around like that. ;)

[jazzcat]

I wished I had some good advice for you but as one cat meowmie who gives into their demands and has overweight cats I'm not much help. I would think if you do give in it will start a bad habit though - it did with mine. Maybe someone else who is successful in scheduled feeding time can help you more. Good luck!

[RedHedd]

No help here. I cave every time. Who can resist a cat that's hell-bent on tripping us until we feed them? Especially when they look so darned cute doing it and if yours is anything like my Mishi, he can be very vocal about it too. <sigh> and the vet says he's overweight! Harrumph! I say Mishi is just big boned and Mitzi is "Plush" :D

[leonsmom]

Glad to hear that I'm not only only human who constantly caves in to her determined kitty's demanding meows. My cat, Leon, likes to stand by his bowl and give me the stink-eye when he gets hungry, which is often. I too give him more than enough food, spread out four times throughout the day.

At least he no longer wakes me up by batting at my head with his paw until I wake up and either feed him or throw a pillow at him (gently, of course). :) Anyway, he's recently given up the morning wake-up call because I stood by my ground and *refused* to get up and feed him, and I also began feeding him later at night, right before we go to bed. This seems to help in the morning.

But in the evening, he still meows, sprints to the foodbowl when I stand up for any reason, and gives me the stink-eye around mealtime. Cleary I've caved too many times at this time of day, and he knows it'll work . . .

Anyway, good luck!

[MommaCat]

I have food out for both of my fur children. They get wet in the morning and dry is out all the time. Two bowls in the kitchen and one in the bathroom for Shadow.... a small bowl in the basement for Clayton when he hides or plays in his "fort"... so I guess we are not much help. My babies meow and Momma and Dadddy haul out their "cookies", toys, you name it. We are NOT great disciplinarians. I am aftraid that we ar all pushovers and the fur kids have us all pegged as soft touches.. but really.... would you have it any other way?

Think of it this way.. when your human child was hungry you fed them whether they were on their schedule or not. Humans and animals cannot be kept on a strict schedule. Life is not carved in stone... give in! have fun and relax with them!

Blesings,
Mommacat.. deb

[fuzzypaws]

My suggetion would be to mabey move the food times around...so they dont know when to meow at you. My cat meows at me too...I don't feed her a certain time each day, she meows when her bowl if not "full." SHe will not eat unless you cannot see the bottom of her little kitty bowl. When my cat meows at me I give her 1 cat treat or I turn on the Cat Channel and she wont meow for awhile.

[WistfulPassage]

Is one cat eating the other cat's food? Perhaps they aren't getting their fair share of the food, so they're always hungry?

What I do, and this seems to work pretty well. I have 4 cats. I leave 2 bowls of dry food out for them all day long. They eat this when they're really hungry. Then when I wake up I give them each a 1/4 can of wet cat food. Then again at night when I get home from work. They aren't getting any more food than they're supposed to, but they think they are. LOL

I do have a problem with pigs though. When it's time for the wet food, Our princess will pig out on hers then bully the other 3 out of their food. I have to stand by and make sure they all get their fill.

Yes- giving in to demands will definitely reinforce bad habits. They're just like kids.

[WistfulPassage]

Fuzzy Paws- There is a Cat Channel?? Where do you get this at? Our cable provider sucks! I have the Catnip video, but they got tired of that a long time ago.

Cool. I want the cat channel too...

[ActionCat007]

I would have to say do not give in to their demands, I learned the hard way. Katie and Simba would wake me up at all hours of the night demanding for there canned food. I would give them the canned food when I get up in the mornings. What I have to do now is keep them both downstairs at night and when I get up in the morning I let them up stairs.

[miese Katze]

thanks everyone for your replies!

I can't leave food just lying around for them because my cat Amelie is a little piggy and would do nothing else but eat all day. As it is, I have to make sure to put Nino's food bowl on the fridge when he is done eating so that Amelie doesn't come in and eat his food. :rolleyes:

I did the treats things for a while, then I had cats breaking into the treat cabinet and ripping the bag of treats apart, they can be very naughty sometimes!

Anyways, it's nice to know that I would be reinforcing their habits, so I'll just stick it through Amelie's "feed me" period.

Again, thanks for the advice!

[MommaCat]

You are ALOT stronger then I am.
Clayton just looks at me and I give in to him. That boy knows he has his Momma roped and tied.
SHadow ALWAYS looks pitiful so I am a hopeless mess.

Good luck!:)

Mommacat... Deb

[QueenScoopalot]

I leave dry food out for all (resident kitties & fosters) and they all get wet food once a day with the exception of nursing moms & kittens. They get wet as often as they go through it. Most of the mom cats I rescue are kept caged, as I don't want anything being transmitted to the resident herd. Nobody is obese around here really....a few plush ones!:D Over feeding leads to too many health problems that I'd rather avoid like diabetes, and if the cat stops eating hipatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). I've known a few cats that have come down with that and it usually is fatal. :( Knock on wood... it hasn't been any of mine.

[leslie flenner]

You may find that in time, Amelie will lose interest and not eat "all the time". Just a thought! I have crunchies out all the time, they get fussie (9 cats) at breakfast and supper for wet food (3 cans, sometimes 4 if they continue to fuss - you know, trip me). But after 4, I ignore them and they stop with the cries and tripping and just give up! They eat the crunchies if they're still hungry (rarely), and none are overweight!