Cat won't stop meowing for food until he loses his voice

giuls

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Hey all!

I'm hoping maybe you can give me some advice because this is driving me crazy.
I've got two cats both adopted at different stages and the youngest was found as a feral kitten. I got him at about 6months old and his biggest motivator is food. He scarfs it down 3x as fast as the older cat and seems to never be full even though I've bought him a slow feeder. I assume its because of his rough beginning in life. About 7-8months of living with us his attitude hasn't changed at all with food.

I can't free feed the cats as the older one is a gluttonious pig and will eat until he throws up. We actually had to put him on a diet and I have a feeling the same thing would happen to the younger cat just by how he behaved the few times I did fill their bowl to the brim because I wasn't going to be home for their dinner time. I bought an automated feeder so that it's a machine he can't meow at and it always goes at the EXACT time but our cats were too clever and figured out how to get inside and have an endless supply of food.

The problem I'm having is that even though we have scheduled feeding times and that I never put the food down until they are quiet, he will meow without stop for HOURS sometimes. And I don't mean a meow here or there its constant without barely any breaks and there have been plenty of occasions that he has lost his voice. Cooking dinner or cleaning the kitchen near dinner time is usually accompanied by desperate yowls in the background.

I've spoken to the vet about it and he seems to be a healthy cat, slightly on the skinny side but nothing drastic and they said that it's probably just because he is still growing. Outside of these times he is a perfectly healthy, active and playful young cat. The only recommendation I've had from the couple different vets I've gone to see is to change up his food and introduce some chicken necks a few times a week to keep it interesting. Right now they are on a Prescribtion diet from Hills Science Diets as they are having teeth issues.

Has anyone had anything similar and any tips on how to make it stop because it's driving me insane. This morning I ended up shutting him on the balcony as I woke up a little earlier than usual and he decided to start meowing for about 1.5hours. Everything I see online says to just ignore it and reward quiet behaviour but I've been doing that for the past 3 months and it's not really working. I even tried clicker training, which works with the older cat but I don't think the younger cat is even able to think when food is present he is a nervous wreck during these times.
Before that I just used to put the food down if he was meowing and that made the problem worse because he would just start meowing everytime someone went to the kitchen or opened the cupboard.

Any tips would be appreciated, thank you SO MUCH
 

di and bob

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It's simple, he is hungry. If he is 'slightly' on the skinny side, he needs more food. Feed him separately when you can in a different room, or give him different food than the other so he feels fuller. A cat will cry until they feel full. I know you can't monitor things when you aren't home, so try to give him more when you are. If a cat is crying until he loses his voice that is serious. He needs more food.....
 

LTS3

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Former ferals are often very food insecure and it takes time for them to learn that food will always be available for them.

How much food are you feeding to the one cat daily? It may not be enough so your cat is constantly meowing because he's starving. It's generally suggested to feed 2o to 25 calories per pound of ideal body weight daily. Canned food seems to keep tummies fuller longer than dry food.

Prescription food for dental health is a huge waste of money, and some people believe a huge marketing scam. Only routine home dental care will keep teeth clean and healthy, although some cats may still need some dental care from the vet on occasion. There is nothing in prescription dry food that will keep teeth clean. Sure the kibble size might be larger than a commercial food and the texture a little rougher but most cats just crunch once and swallow the pieces whole. TCS has an article about the whole dry food keeping teeth clean myth many people believe in, including vets: Does Dry Food Actually Clean Your Cat’s Teeth? It's perfectly ok to not feed the prescription food even if the vet insists on it :)
 

di and bob

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I have given my cats Oratene water additive for dental care for years. Have never had a tooth problem. You might try it....
 

ArtNJ

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If there is any sort of reward to meowing, if he gets fed ever for doing it, it reinforces the behavior. If he is this dedicated to meowing, he may perceive a reward even if there isn't one. Are meals scheduled at fixed times? No random snacks?

Its also possible he is hungry. I usually say that step one in these things is to rule out actual hunger. That may mean 1-2 private feedings if the other cat has a weight problem.
 
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giuls

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No snacks in between and he never meows after eating and usually struggles to finish his serving so he isn't hungry during meal times. He gets fed what the recommended amount is on the packet plus a little extra for a 5.4kg cat, same as my other bigger cat so I don't think he is starving. The vet said there is no cause of concern for his weight and that I don't need to change the serving size she thinks its just the type of cat he is. Especially since he receives the exact same amount as the larger cat and there isn't any diet happening anymore

I was told by the vet to completely rule out wet food for one of my cats as he has severe gingervitis and it has a tendency to get under his gums and make it worse. We've already had to pull out 8 teeth when he was 3 so I'm hesitant to start doing that and get hit with another huge vet bill.

I really just think the meowing is a very deeply ingrained habit he has that I have no idea how to break.

I feed them 2 times a day
 
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giuls

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I should also mention the serving portion is actually a bit too big for the other cat so he usually finishes that off as well. I don't see how he requires more food than a cat that is bigger (not fatter) than he is so I just can't see how he is starving
 

ArtNJ

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I'm sure he is not starving, but he could be hungry at times. Three feedings is known to be easier on cats.

Besides, you don't have to believe that he is actually meowing because he is hungry. You just have to believe that it is *possible* and in your interest to rule it out, given that it is relatively easy to do so and this issue is so bothersome.
 

nwc

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He's food obsessed. One of my cats has the same problem. I will give you my solution at the end of the post.

Some people will tell you to keep feeding him until he is satisfied, or to leave food out all the time, until he is no longer food insecure. I tried leaving unlimited food out for my food insecure cat, and the result was that in less than a week he became so stuffed that he would fail his jumps when trying to get on the cat shelves. He was lethargic and could barely move, and it was just sad to watch. tldr; You should trust your vet in that he is getting fed enough.

What sometimes works for me is to distract the cat with a laser pointer until he tires out and temporarily forgets that he was looking for more food. Anyways, good luck.
 
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giuls

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He's food obsessed. One of my cats has the same problem. I will give you my solution at the end of the post.

Some people will tell you to keep feeding him until he is satisfied, or to leave food out all the time, until he is no longer food insecure. I tried leaving unlimited food out for my food insecure cat, and the result was that in less than a week he became so stuffed that he would fail his jumps when trying to get on the cat shelves. He was lethargic and could barely move, and it was just sad to watch. tldr; You should trust your vet in that he is getting fed enough.

What sometimes works for me is to distract the cat with a laser pointer until he tires out and temporarily forgets that he was looking for more food. Anyways, good luck.
I'll try the laser tonight just before dinner time that sounds like it might work! Thank you :)
 

minish

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Like nwc's cat minish is also food obsessed and a glutton. She is 5 now I gave a lot of thought and tried various things. None up to date makes a non demanding totally satisfied cat but at least she's not too overweight which is more important than our peace of mind. I will make some suggestions below if you want to try.
Feeling full:
1-like suggestions above, wet food is better. Even better if you add warm water. If you are feeding only dry, you can add a meal of broth (bones, water chicken has boiled in etc) which will be low calories but filling. I also make ice cubes of broth which is great for summer feeding (like play, consumed slower and also good for cooling the cat down)
2-divide to more portions. Minish has 3-4 meal times plus additional treat. much better result than 2-3
3-try switching to only puzzle feeders at mealtimes (slower feeding so feels fuller than same portion on a dish) this may be difficult with the other cat being fed as before.
Redirection:
1-games like the laser pointer suggestion above
2-giving any kind of attention like sweet words, picking up etc. I believe part of minish's insistance on being fed again or more rests on desire for attention. I raised her by responding to all demands even if the response wasn't the one she initially wanted, I believe it's important for the cat to feel secure and confident. So it's too late for me to just ignore the meows and I'm frequently led to the kitchen :) minish has compromised and stops insisting for a while when attended to that way.
 
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