They're staging a revolt!

[jazzcat]

I switched my guys from free feeding to scheduled feeding in Jan. 07. I started at three feedings a day morning, late afternoon and bedtime with the intention of getting it down to only two feedings a day. I haven't been able to do that and the afternoon feeding is hard to do because I'm not always home.

Well today is the day we are going to only two feedings and here I sit with at least five angry cats wanting their afternoon meal. I increased the amount they got this morning and I will increase the evening meal but I can tell this isn't going to be easy. Any suggestions?

Moxie is the worst about this because she can tell time and she behaves very badly when she wants to eat. She will get on the mantle and knock things off, start chewing on cords, sharpens her claws on furniture and screams her head off. This also gets the other cats started.

I need help!

[catmandu]

I DONT KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE THE COURAGE TO LIMI THE FOUND CATS FEEDINGS, AS IT EASIER JUST TO LEAVE OUT DRY FOOD WHEN THEY WANT IT.
IN THE SUMMER THOUGH THEY ONLY GET POUCHES AND CANNED FOOD AT SET TIMES AS IT GOES OFF QUICKLY IN THE HEAT.
YOUVE GOT A GOOD IDEA, BUT I THINK YOUR CATS WOULD TELL ME TO PUT A SOCK IN IT.

[Donnaj4962]

Oh my, I wish I had some suggestions for you.

I free feed Sasha as she eats hard food. Tabby at 20 can't crunch with her aging teeth, so she gets soft food. I give her 1/2 small can in the morning and the other 1/2 at night. However, if I see that her bowl is empty (usually because Sasha has helped herself! ) then I give her more.

And I understand about the nawtiness coming out when they are hungry! If Tabby doesn't like the food shs has been given or if I don't get up right away in the mornign to feed her, she paws at the mini blinds, screams in my face and then puts her paws all over my face! Of course, I am well trained and get up (no matter the hour) and make sure she is satisfied!

Good luck with the changes you are making.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Oh Lori, WHY would you do this to yourself? LOL I am joking! I tried once, failed miserably. They just got to crazy over food, and I could not handle it!

I guess if you just hold out long enough, they will get over it.. But I am not sure, they might plan a strike on using the potty pans, or worse, find it more fun to use it on your furniture

GOOD LUCK!

[jazzcat]

I guess if you just hold out long enough, they will get over it.. But I am not sure, they might plan a strike on using the potty pans, or worse, find it more fun to use it on your furniture

GOOD LUCK!

Oh my gosh, I never thought about a potty pan protest!!!! First sign of that and out comes the food, they win!

So far things are okay but I did give in and give them a little snack of their dry diet food about 6 pm but it was just a little I put in the floor for all to gobble quickly.

If this fails it's not the end of the world but I would like to get them to just two meals a day. It would make things easier if we decide to go on vacation. I'd have a hard time finding someone to come three times a day just to feed them.

[Pam]

I hear you! When Trevor was diagnosed with diabetes I obviously had to stop the free feeding. He had to eat twice a day at specific times and that was a bitter pill for him to swallow. Andy was not happy with me either but he accepted it better than Trevor did. I sometimes had a hard time even preparing meals for us humans as Trevor would jump up on the counter any time I put any kind of food up there. (It was very hard to be cutting up chicken with a big ole knife and have to deal with an angry orangie dodging the knife to try and grab that chicken.) Now that Trevor has passed I still continue to feed Andy at only two set times per day. I read on one of the diabetic kitty sites that free feeding (especially males) can actually contribute to diabetes. Trevor always had a more than healthy appetite and I am sure he ate way more than Andy when I would free feed them because at one point he was up to 20 lbs. I think your kitties will settle down and adjust in time. Getting off the free feeding was probably the hardest and you are adjusting them in stages. Good luck!

[Anikaca77]

I used to leave food out all the time and now I give a 1/2 cup of food in the morning and 1/2 cup in the evenings. I have out 7 bowls - one for each cat (they don't have separate bowls they are just bowls), and that way I figured they should be able to get enough to eat throughout the day and it usually works by the time I come home in the evening there is still some food left.

Not sure if this will help, but I know it's hard. We just had Athena who had hernia surgery and you swear you think our cats weren't fed the way they were acting the other night.

Melissa

[krazyaboutkatz]

Good luck. I wish that I could reduce my cats to only 2 feedings a day. Since I have a few that tend to eat too fast and then barf, I have to feed them very small meals. I now feed them 2 small feedings in the morning and 2 small feedings in the evening. I usually wait about 2 hours in between feeding times. It'll be very hard to find a pet sitter to feed my cats if I ever go out of town or on vacation some where.

[jazzcat]

Good luck. I wish that I could reduce my cats to only 2 feedings a day. Since I have a few that tend to eat too fast and then barf, I have to feed them very small meals. I now feed them 2 small feedings in the morning and 2 small feedings in the evening. I usually wait about 2 hours in between feeding times. It'll be very hard to find a pet sitter to feed my cats if I ever go out of town or on vacation some where.

Oh wow Tracey, that is complicated. I thought my three a day was a pain. I have a couple who will throw up if they eat too fast but it doesn't happen too often so I don't worry.

So far this is going okay, I have to give them a 'snack' around 5-6 pm or whenever I get home but it can just be a handful of diet food on the floor and they are happy enough, for now.