# Cat meows TWO hours before feeding time



## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

My 7 year old cat loves food. He loves it so much that he likes to meow hours before his feeding time. Recently I left school (a week ago) and now am on study leave. The cat is well aware that I am in the house and when it comes to about quarter to 1, he begins meowing for food (and his feeding time is at 3). He will sit outside my room and not stop meowing (which he was doing so just now). 

He will stop for the last 10-30 minutes before his feeding time if I ignore him for an hour, but that means staying in my room. This isn't much of an option as I need to go downstairs to eat, go to the bathroom etc. When I go downstairs he will follow me EVERYWHERE. He will even sit outside the bathroom.

I love my cat but things like this are frustrating.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Have you thought that he is meowing for your attention rather than food? Can he not come into your room? Or could you study in another room with him? My cats follow me around the house too but not just because they want food


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

lymorelynn said:


> Have you thought that he is meowing for your attention rather than food? Can he not come into your room? Or could you study in another room with him? My cats follow me around the house too but not just because they want food


its definitely for food. when i let him in he stays for about a minute then goes. today i let him in twice and the first time he attacked me. second time he just wanted to be let out of my room again. if it were for attention i cannot see why as all he ever does is attack me when i stroke him and doesnt like to play with any of his toys.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

What type of food and quantity do you feed him? And when are his mealtimes?
If you are suddenly at home more due to leaving school then his routine has been a bit disrupted as I expect he used to sleep all day!


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

moggie14 said:


> What type of food and quantity do you feed him? And when are his mealtimes?
> If you are suddenly at home more due to leaving school then his routine has been a bit disrupted as I expect he used to sleep all day!


He's fed at morning when my mum/stepdad wake up, then at 3, then at half 7, then at 9 and then at around 10/20 past 10. When I feed him at 3 he has half a pouch of whiskas wet food and some of his iams dry food (biscuit bites?). He absolutely loves his wet food.

And yeah he doesn't go out much (and when he does he likes to sit/sleep on the green bin outside, though recently he's been getting into fights for some strange reason).


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

You might want to consider switching his food onto something a bit better quality that should keep him fuller for longer. If he likes his wet food I'd recommend ditching the dry and finding a higher meat content wet food (others will recommend I'm sure).
Would love to see a photo of the little dude


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2016)

Is this a new thing? As well as attacking you when you pet him? The fights are new too yes?
He might benefit from a trip to the vet to make sure there is not something medical amiss.


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

ouesi said:


> Is this a new thing? As well as attacking you when you pet him? The fights are new too yes?
> He might benefit from a trip to the vet to make sure there is not something medical amiss.


None of these things are new apart from the fighting. He was ill recently and he'd walk slow and leave some of his food when he was ill. We were gonna take him to the vets but he got better after a few days.


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

moggie14 said:


> You might want to consider switching his food onto something a bit better quality that should keep him fuller for longer. If he likes his wet food I'd recommend ditching the dry and finding a higher meat content wet food (others will recommend I'm sure).
> Would love to see a photo of the little dude


I dunno if its necessarily to do with fullness. He eats anything. At dinnertime he'll lick our plates when they're in the dishwasher, and in the garden he'll eat one of the plants there :'D It's always the cause of him being ill (eating stuff he's not meant to). Once he knocked over the neighbours food bin because there was a muffin in it. The other day my sister left a cookie for 5 minutes in her room and the cat got to it, yet he was still meowing 2 hours before his feeding time.


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

moggie14 said:


> Would love to see a photo of the little dude


Will try and put one on here. Will have to email to myself though cause they're all on my phone


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)




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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

If you're right and he is desperate for food, why can't you feed him when he asks? 

Also, as moggie14 said, Whiskas pouches are not a good quality food, and you would be better feeding him a higher protein food that would keep him satisfied for longer. 

Iams dry food is one of the worst quality dry foods. Why give him any dry food at all? He'd be better on an all wet diet.

Feeding him 4 meals a day is fine, but you don't need to stick to a rigid timetable - be guided by your cat's needs. There is no point letting him be hungry and miserable for hours. Studies have shown that when cats feed themselves by catching their own prey they hunt up to 8 separate times a day!! 

At present some of your cat's meals are too close together. Feeding him every 5 or 6 hours (which suits many cats) would mean his meals would be roughly say 7.30 am, 1 pm, 5 pm and 10.30 pm.


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

chillminx said:


> If you're right and he is desperate for food, why can't you feed him when he asks?
> 
> Also, as moggie14 said, Whiskas pouches are not a good quality food, and you would be better feeding him a higher protein food that would keep him satisfied for longer.
> 
> ...


We used to do that (feeding him when he wanted it)- until he became overweight and had to be put on a diet. I will have to convince my mum about the all wet diet and about switching brands.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Just another thought - has he been wormed?


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

moggie14 said:


> Just another thought - has he been wormed?


Yes he has


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2016)

Some cats are just talkative. Sure, they will take food if you offer it, but he may be just as happy with a play session, attention, or just talking back to him.


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

So I talked to my mum and she says she does have alternative food for him, it's just a matter of seeing if he likes it and if he does then making a permanent switch. About the wet food- apparently he gets ill from having an all-wet diet plus less feeding a day.


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

ouesi said:


> Some cats are just talkative. Sure, they will take food if you offer it, but he may be just as happy with a play session, attention, or just talking back to him.


I talk to him all the time, but after about 5 minutes of talking to him/stroking him, he always wants to go outside. He'll only play if his eyes have that shiny greenish colour that shows he's playful. Otherwise it just annoys him and he won't play.


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

He loves his box


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

You should not feed him every time he asks if he gets overweight. But like I said, spread his 4 meals out more equally so they are 5 or 6 hours apart. 

Also, lots of cats who are fed dry food demand food constantly. Dry food is sprayed with a flavouring called Animal Digest which cats find addictive, so they keep asking for more. Dry food is high in calories so is very fattening but the cat does not feel full up as he does if he eats wet food. 

If you take him off the dry food the weight will fall off him naturally.


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

Good news- he is responding well to the new food and only meows an hour before. Also something strange happened today- he purred when I stroked him (he HATES being stroked almost all the time) and still wanted to be stroked after I stopped stroking him XD


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## evamoree (Jun 30, 2016)

chillminx said:


> You should not feed him every time he asks if he gets overweight. But like I said, spread his 4 meals out more equally so they are 5 or 6 hours apart.
> 
> Also, lots of cats who are fed dry food demand food constantly. Dry food is sprayed with a flavouring called Animal Digest which cats find addictive, so they keep asking for more. Dry food is high in calories so is very fattening but the cat does not feel full up as he does if he eats wet food.
> 
> If you take him off the dry food the weight will fall off him naturally.


Will try this once we've got him fully on his new dry food- don't want to bring too many changes at once.


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