# Greedy Cat



## Rflow (Dec 14, 2015)

Hi Everyone,
Looking for some experienced cat owners to chime in on the issues we're currently having with our cat. He's a 6 year old neutered male. We have had him since he was a kitten (from a shelter) along with another female cat of the same age but different litter. We live on the top floor of a Glasgow tenement block and he can go outside but mostly chooses to stay indoors. There are two very territorial cats that prowl around the gardens so this may be putting him off. We've lots of indoor 
space though.
The first issue is his desperate attempts to constantly eat. He's always been a greedy fast eater but its getting increasingly difficult to deal with. This morning while my back was turned he was on the kitchen table eating out of my daughters cereal bowl as she was sitting right in front of him. He has also started jumping up at the high chair to grab food out of the baby's hand - especially if its corn on the cob! We've gone through numerous butter dishes as he knocks them over to get at the butter. Had breadbins pushed open and the bread eaten, packets of bagels torn open. He gets fed a packet of wet food in the morning and the evening. I don't give him dry food as he instantly throws it back up. At every vets appointment I've discussed it with them (at different vet surgeries too) and they can't find any medical reason why he behaves this way. He's a perfect weight for his size and they strongly recommended not free feeding as he's likely to become overweight quickly. 
My husband would happily rehome him if I would agree. I've always said no way to finding him another home but after another morning of cleaning up diarrhoea from the carpet for the 100th time after he's eaten something he shouldn't I'm feeling at my wits end.
Also, he will not poop inside the littler tray. Always right beside it. We've three trays and have tried various types of litter.
He's been like this since a kitten but in the last year or so since i've been not at work its been bloody awful. I don't think its got especially worse, just I'm around to actually witness his behaviour. 
Apart from that he's a very loving, over-affectionate cat who is fantastic with the kids. If it wasn't for the food and poop he'd be a dream. 
Our other cat on the other hand has none of these issues. Please help!!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi @Rflow, and welcome. 

He sounds more like a hungry cat than a greedy cat. 2 packets of wet food a day for an adult neutered male does not sound anything like enough food. Most wet food pouches weigh either 85 grams or 100 grams so at most he is getting 200 grams a day, and at the least he is only getting 170 grams. 

Many adult male cats need around 250 grams a day of wet food, unless they are very inactive and live indoors all the time. Some adult cats need more than 250 grams depending upon the level of protein, or less than 250 grams if they are being fed 100% raw diet.

If you are feeding supermarket foods such as Felix or Whiskas, they contain grains and added sugars, carbohydrates a cat does not need, and which cause peaks and troughs in blood sugar levels, which can make for erratic behaviour. Whiskas especially, contains a lot of jelly, so their is not much nourishment in it. So it is not always about the quantity fed, but about the quality - in terms of the protein content.

A cat who is frantic to be fed, constantly demands food, and (significantly) steals food from humans, is in my experience a cat that is hungry. To be that hungry all the time can cause a cat to develop obsessive behaviour like your cat's with regard to food.

However, it should be noted there are certain medical conditions that could also account for the hunger e.g. diabetes or overactive thyroid, but I assume your vet has done blood and urine tests to rule such things out? If not my advice would be to get the tests done a.s.a.p.

But if all blood and urine tests are negative and your cat is in good health, then I recommend increasing the amount of wet food you feed him to between 250 grams and 300 grams a day.
Divide it over at least 3 meals a day, preferably 4 as you are at home to do this. Breakfats, lunch, tea and supper.

Feed high protein, low carb food, e.g. Hilife Chopped Chicken in jelly, Sheba Fine Flakes (both from Tesco), Natures Menu, Wainwrights pots (not pouches), from [email protected] Or consider buying canned food in bulk online from The Happy Kitty Co, a UK company who import good quality fair priced German cat foods; Consider Ropocat, Granatapet and Macs especially, as these are popular with many cats.

http://www.happykittycompany.co.uk/collections/cat-food/Cat

Or have a look at some of the better quality cat foods on Zooplus UK e.g. Catz Fine Food cans, Animonda carny cans, Bozita cans, Smilla cans.

Perhaps also consider feeding your cat some fresh raw chunks of meat as a treat a couple of times a week as a treat, as these will keep him satisfied for longer being very high protein. Lamb, pork, beef from the supermarket, or rabbit if you can get hold of it.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Nothing to add to chillminx's post. Agree it does sound as though your cat is quite likely hungry as that amount of food is around half of what I would expect an adult male to eat.


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## Rflow (Dec 14, 2015)

Hello both and thank you Chillminx for such a detailed response. I had thought I wasn't feeding him enough but as I mentioned both vets I had seen said he was getting adequate food for an indoor cat. It's hard trusting your instincts when it goes against medical advice. I had tried bozita before but they both turned their noses up at it but I'll give some of the other suggestions a go. We have another vets appointment in the new year so will speak to them re. thyroid. In the meantime I'll see if feeding him the extra food makes a difference. Its such a shame as he's such a good family cat in so many ways i feel horrible being so annoyed.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Well, you know your own cat better than anyone else does, and if your instinct tells you to feed more I would trust it. I have found that some vets prefer cats to be skinnier and lighter than I like them to be. NOT that I like cats to be fat, but I do like them to have a decent covering of flesh on their ribs, and to be muscular, and they won't develop muscles unless they are being fed enough calories.

But it is not just about weight......more important is 'body condition score'. You may find it of interest to look at this article by Purina, which gives details of how to assess a cat's body score, a more reliable way to judge whether a cat is over or under weight than just going on weight alone.

https://www.purina.co.uk/cats/health-and-nutrition/exercise-and-weight-management/assessing-your-cat's-body-condition#!

I am sorry I just realised I didn't answer the second part of your post about your cat not using his tray and soiling the floor. Soiling the floor can be due to the cat avoiding the tray because he associates it with pain or discomfort. If he has loose stools or diarrhoea, or at the other extreme is constipated, then either can result in him avoiding the tray. His stools need to be firm and formed but not hard.The consistency should be such that when you pick them off the floor they leave no mark.

If he is having diarrhoea frequently this no doubt accounts for him avoiding the tray at such times. Are you sure he gets diarrhoea from eating non-cat food? It's possible he may have a parasite or bacterial infection in his bowel. When was he last wormed? The only way to diagnose a bacterial infection would be having a 3 day pooled faecal sample tested at the lab. I know he does not go out much but if he used to go out he could have picked up something.

There is also the possibility the diarrhoea could be due to a food allergy. Cats with food allergies do sometimes demand food constantly. Perhaps it is because the passage of food through the intestine is too quick for them to absorb all the nutritients they need.

My cats also disliked Bozita. It may be a matter of finding a food your cat likes, that suits his tummy and feeding him more of it than you have been giving him. I'd seriously think about supplementing with some raw chunks as well, or even some home cooked meat e.g. chicken or turkey.

When he gets diarrhoea, put him on a diet of home cooked chicken for a couple of days to settle his bowel as quickly as possible. Chicken drumsticks are more nutritious than chicken breast. Serve them without the skin and with the bone removed. You can either boil the chicken or cook it in the oven in a roasting pan with one and half inches of water , and covered with baking foil. Cook for one hour at gas mark 5. .

However, I must point out that solving a soiling issue is not always straightforward and the reason why is because there may possibly be more than one cause of why your cat is soiling. It can sometimes be due to territorial behaviour, and in that case would be known as "middening". If it is middening (scent marking) it would usually be deposited in easy-to-see places such as doorways, in the middle of a room (as opposed to hidden in a corner) or even right next to the tray. As your cat does not go out, it would be likely he feels a threat to his resources and territory from your other cat. He may be a cat who would be happier as an only cat.

So the soiling might be a combination of tray avoidance due to diarrhoea, and middening due to him wanting to make a statement about his ownership of the resources and territory.

It doesn't mean the problem can't be resolved - [it can be in most cases] - but if it is not a straightforward matter, then more patience and detective work will be needed to get to the root of it.

Three trays sounds Ok for 2 indoor cats, providing the trays are not grouped together but are in three different toiletting areas. It may be worth adding a 4th tray for the moment. If they are covered trays, ensure the height is tall enough for an adult male cat to squat upright as they do when defecating. The roof should be at least 46 cms high. Also, remove the door flaps as cats do not like to be completely enclosed when they are at toilet, and litter is dusty so you don't want your cats inhaling dust into their lungs in a small enclosed space.


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## claire8234 (Mar 8, 2013)

I can't add much to the excellent advice you have been given. My 6yr old neutered boy is 5kg and eats at least 4 pouches a day, he has been known to eat six!! He isn't overweight and does go outside but doesn't venture far.

Definitely try to feed him something that is high protein, low carbs and if possible feed him 3 times a day so he isn't going to long between meals. Stitch loves a little bit of raw chicken breast or flat iron steak as a treat and it really keeps him satisfied (I shop at Aldi so it doesn't cost me much).


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