Excessive begging?

[dragonchilde]

I've got an interesting problem.

My 16 year old male, Tinkerbell, is now an indoor only cat, (much to his dismay) and we have to somewhat pamper him. His teeth are bad, and he lost a LOT of weight just prior to the change, so we've been fattening him up with a pouch of soft food every night. He's old, he deserves it, and I certainly enjoy spoiling him.

Here's the problem:

He's taken to begging CONSTANTLY. To the point to where even minutes after finishing his pouch, he's begging for more! I've tried mixing some hard food with it to make it more stick-to-his-ribs, but that doesn't help.

This is a constant thing. Any time we go to the bathroom, which is where he gets his pouch, since the other cats aren't allowed any, he's there, begging. If we go to the kitchen, he begs. If we MOVE in the direction of any part of the house he might construe as being associated with food, he begs.

Recently, I've noticed he's started flinching in the bathroom. When he begs, we reprimand him with a snap of the fingers (all our cats know that's bad; hitting has never been an option) and a sharp "NO!" if he continues.

This is obviously not helping, if he's flinching, and he's a STUBBORN old bastard. Can any of you help me with this? It's not urgent, but I really don't like getting on to him, especially at his age. It's not fair, and he really does deserve the pampering. I just can't afford to feed him soft food any time he demands it, and I'm definitely not going to do so!

What would you guys do in this situation?

[smokey the elder]

I think ignoring him is the best bet. My adults only get canned food once every two days as a treat but I need to feed my foster kittens twice daily. (Everyone gets crunchies when they want). They beg constantly and I just tell them this is for the kittens and then ignore them. They get discouraged and leave.

[barncat]

Soft food and begging seem to go together. When my old ones needed it it became a nightly circus. It seemed to be more the idea of the treat than the amount as I was splitting two small cans among 8 for the younger ones (with the seniors getting a total of a can each daily).

Once the elders with bad teeth died everyone was cut off and readjusted in a few weeks.

He will learn the time food comes and tho he may beg, will get less insistant. Or you could give him a single semi-moist treat when he asks...(probably what I would do as I hate it when they say they are HUNGRY even when I know they aren't r could eat crunchies.... but then I tend to spoil my guys.)

[dragonchilde]

The worst thing about it is that he genuinely makes himself hungry. He won't eat the hard food until it's been a loooong time since he's had anything.

STubborn old fart...

Ah well. He's healthy as a horse, now, his coat looks good, and he's very alert. Not bad for a 16 year old kitty!

[kb2yjx]

Have you taken the cat to the vet to have him checked out?? His wanting food and losing weight(also could be teeth related) might be a thyroid problem?? Diabetes, too.
I am a nurse, and I had a cat that did the same thing. Turned out to be a thyroid kitty. Just a suggestion... Good luck!!

[Sus]

Well, I'm thinking along the same lines as kb2yjx... Weightloss and excessive begging in an elderly cat could be due to one of several more serious underlying health problems common to cats of age.

Other than that - the most obvious reason for weightloss and excessive begging that I know - is intestinal worms! You could try out giving him a treatment for worms before you try anything else!

Love,
Sus and the Bellacat

[dragonchilde]

No, the weight loss has been treated. He suffered from vanishing for three days, and not getting food. He's since fattened up, and now his only problem is he begs too damn much.

[catland]

One thing I read about cat behavior is that they are famous for the "well, it can't hurt to try" routine.

My Joxer, who is very healthy and of normal weight, can put on a sad face for food that would make a lab jealous. If I ignore him, then he gets the message and goes away. Because as far as he's concerned, it can't hurt to try.

and he is soooo cute when he does this.

[catmandu]

AT 16,I WOULD WAIT,FOR SPECIALS,AT YOUR LOCAL PET FOOD STRORE,AND STOCK UP,ON CANNED FOOD,IF THEY HAVE A GOOD PRICE,ON IT.
AFTER ALL,AT 16,HE IS GETTING OLDER,AND THE SAND,IN HIS DIAL,IS RUNNING OUT.
MY OLDER CATS,GOT HUMANFOOD,WITH THIER WET FOOD,AND WHEN THIER TIME CAME,I WAS JUST GLAD,THAT THEY WERE HAPPY,AS I COULD MAKE THEM.
MICHAEL,AT 14,GETS ANYTHING,HE WANTS.

[dragonchilde]

I don't mind spoiling him... but when he's begging IMMEDIATELY AFTER I give him soft food? No way. I ain't rich, and I ain't about to feed a cat on demand anytime he wants soft food. No matter how old he is...

[kb2yjx]

I will repeat my previous post: Have you taken the cat to the vet to be checked out for thyriod, diabetes, parasites, or anything else??

[dragonchilde]

Yup. Healthy as a horse. He's just old, I guess. I was just hoping for a way to reduce the constant begging. He's just so persistent. The funny thing is I can distract him, with a lap. Grab him, sit down, plop him in my lap, and he just plain goes to sleep. Senile old thing.

[NightCougar]

My oldest does the same thing. do you have a spicific time that you give him the wet food? if you make sure that it is always at the same time then he should start to relize that he wont get any till that time. i feed my cats wet only once a day and dry once a day and if i keep it rutine then he dosent beg if i stop the wet for any amount of time i have to start over with him begging.

[just me]

Have you had the vet look at his teeth?
My Muffin, last year had to have her teeth cleaned and had 6 teeth pulled.
We were leary on having it done, due to being under anestesia. But they were so bad and she lost 3 1/2 lbs. Her being 16 we were scared we were gonna lose her. Long story short we went ahead, and she did fine. She has gained back all her weight plus.
Anyway just wondering if you have had his checked, it will make a world of difference, and he will feel better. As long as his teeth are bad he probly cant eat the dry food, it hurts to chew. Im no vet, but I know from my Muffin
how she was. Maybe with his teeth fixed he can eat dry food and be content
with it and have the canned as a treat. Maybe he wont beg as much.
Maybe you could water down his dry to make it moist for him.
I really dont know. I wish you well with this and hope it all works out for you.Hes lucky to have someone who cares so much about him.
Keep us posted.