I Have More Trust Issues Than This Feral..

[Jcatbird]

I immediately thought of the toys that hold treats. The cat has to work to get the treat. I don’t know if you have tried that yet but it would address his hunting for food instinct.
You could try, when you are home, a small mid meal between the other two. I don’t think that will address the feeling of hunting and eating as he feels the desire though. I believe there are some feeders that the cat can activate but I don’t know if they distribute wet food like the one you mentioned. I did have one other thought. It’s kind of unusual but might demonstrate to Finn that food will keep coming. Have you ever fed him until he just stopped eating? I did this whenever I started with a new feral. I had a few responses about the amount of food given at a time. Lol Whole plate full! It was something I did to get the cat very satisfied and to keep it from hunting. I didn’t want them wandering and I hoped to have them in good shape as I brought them in. I can a whole can of Shreds, a whole can of Fancy Feast and dry food at two feedings a day. I do know that’s a lot of food but it worked quite well. Most of the cats ate all of it in the beginning but after bulking up, they stopped and we began to have left overs. Lol Sometimes I had to continue after bringing them in but eventually all of them did stop gorging. You could try it! If Finn was full he would stop going for the food Charlie has and all gulping might end.

BJ would clean his plate every time at first. He also got treats that I was using to try and socialize him. He did lose the extra weight after coming inside. Keep in mind that ferals burn way more calories than indoor cats so they MUST eat a lot to survive. It’s going to take time for Finn to reset his body chemistry and instinctive habits.I do not think that the crying will continue forever. He still needs adjustment time. Genetics at work.

 

[Furballsmom]

Awww, just look at that adorbs little spotty nose and those little black paw beans

I agree with pearl99 and Jcatbird , you can trust them they know what they're talking about

 

[rubysmama]

At one point I left a huge bowl of food out for Finn, thinking he could graze on it throughout the day. He ate the WHOLE bowl right then and there - he had to have had a stomach ache with the amount that he put away. Regardless of whether he's just eaten - I could put a second or third bowl of food down, and he'd scarf those down, too. So I feel really badly about the days I'm gone for a long stretch of time; he has to wait til I get home because whatever I laid out in the morning was inhaled before I got out the door.

That's what Ruby was like. When I first adopted her (she'd been a stray for a while, but no idea how long) she would eat every speck of food I put in her dish, so that the dish looked dishwasher clean when she walked away. That was a problem when I was working, because she ended up with way too many hours between meals, and she would end up vomiting a clear liquid (bile) when she got too hungry. I'm not working anymore, and of course now she grazes.

Maybe Google automatic cat feeder for wet food and see if any of the results look workable.

Does anyone else feed their cats just 2x daily, who doesn't give kibble? Or is that just too long between meals?

I did, per my above comments, and for Ruby, yes it was too long between meals.

 

[Furballsmom]

they know what they're talking about

As does rubysmama

 

[pearl99]

View attachment 306123

Finn looks so much like Moo:

 

[Furballsmom]

Look at those fashionable long gloves

 

[Buffster7]

Jcatbird that's a great idea about feeding to satiation. I wonder if it would work? I was feeling Finn tonight to gage his healthy weight and realized I can't really feel his ribs much anymore unless I really search for them. I'm afraid if he gained any more weight he'd cross over to the chubby side. However, I'm very tempted to try this feeding til full, maybe just for a couple days, and see if it helps him? I did not realize that feral cats have different metabolisms. It hurts my heart to think of Finn being hungry, but then I remind myself that his weight indicates that he's not hungry. Still, it could be psychological.

rubysmama Yes, Charlie has vomited once when I got home late! I felt terrible! I usually feed them both a very large portion on the days when I'll be gone all day, but not sure if this just makes them hungrier in the long run. On the days I'm home, I do feed them a midday meal. I'll have to get serious about looking for a feeder, but I just don't know how to keep Finn from eating them both..

Furballsmom - Every one of you ladies is worth your weight in gold with your knowledge and knows what you're talking about, and I am so appreciative of all the wisdom I've gleaned over the last few months! Couldn't/wouldn't have done this without the help.

pearl99 - WOW!! They look like siblings! It always amazes me how you can see whether an animal is loved in his/her eyes. Charlie had a really mean look about him when he took up residence here. Even my neighbor has noticed how his face and expressions have evolved and softened over the years. He has turned into a sweet boy and he looks sweet now. Similarly, Finn had a harder look to him when he first found me. I'm seeing a softness creeping into his face, too, and it melts my heart. You can tell that Moo is very well-loved, what a sweet face!

 

[Buffster7]

Oh! And this is my new best friend!
It is impossible to eat with Finn around - he is so food-obsessed that he's on my plate and in my mouth and will not be deterred. I have to put him in his cage whenever I eat, and I'd really like to get that cage out of here soon, not to mention the fact that it may not always be possible to corral him if I have guests and no cage. So I've wanted to solve this problem. Tonight a kept a can of compressed air with me. Whenever he approached my plate I would press the pump into the air - it's as effective as that Scat Cat! It took 2 tries tonight, and he gave up and laid down for the remainder of the meal!

 

[Jcatbird]

I think trying the satiation is a possibility. He may overeat a few times but I doubt it will continue. If it does then just stop but give it time so he begins to see food a little differently and his body has time to feel fully satisfied. The feeder that rubysmama would be great. I bet they can be set to a timer.
Compressed hissing! Just be sure to keep it away from his face. Mom has the alpha cat hiss!
I bet Finn did go lay down.

 

[Buffster7]

Well, we are staying up late tonight with the time change. The cats are particularly playful and happy. Should I try all sleeping together in the same bed tonight for the first time? Or does this cause squabbles when tried for the first time? It's usually just Charlie and me in my bed and Finn in his room.

 

[pearl99]

Well, we are staying up late tonight with the time change. The cats are particularly playful and happy. Should I try all sleeping together in the same bed tonight for the first time? Or does this cause squabbles when tried for the first time? It's usually just Charlie and me in my bed and Finn in his room.

What an adorable video! They look so cute and playful. My guess would be Charlie may disagree with Finn being on the bed and be squabbly, but if you have an extra hour you can separate them if it's too much and not lose a lot of sleep. As in other places they will work who gets to be where on the bed.

 

[rubysmama]

Good morning! Did you, Charlie and Finn get any sleep last night?

 

[Buffster7]

I did not end up trying it last night. Now I wish I had. But I didn't want to risk a squabble after such a lovely evening. So often they seem to struggle in the mornings - that squabble they had yesterday was in the morning, and then as they day goes on they mellow out. I wonder if we all slept together, if that would eliminate the morning grouchiness.

I must admit I really love drinking my coffee in front of the fireplace in peace, though. And Finn seems to really like his room and going to bed on his blankets on his hot water bottle. But I will have company that will stay the night on Tuesday, so I'll need his room again. Last time I had company, I put him in my large dog crate and covered it with a blanket as I was afraid he'd injure himself by falling off a shelf in his cage. It worked, but I should have tried to sleep with him last night to see how it went - had it gone well, he could have just slept with us moving forward. As it stands now, I'll need a good night's sleep for the next 3 days, demanding week coming up.

 

[Buffster7]

Look at this cat tree I found! What do you guys think? It has great reviews - mostly raving 5 star reviews with a couple 4 star reviews. My only concern would be one of them attempting to jump off the top ledge - that's too high for their joints. Are cats usually pretty smart about the heights they jump from, or is that concern valid?

 

[Buffster7]

Also, does anyone have any insight as to why Charlie is so mean in the morning? He just totally went after Finn again and made him yelp repeatedly. Wouldn't stop. Finn was trying to get away and Charlie then chased him in the other room with a bottle-brush tail, so I told them to cut it out. Now Finn came to lay with me in the hearth room. Charlie came to join us - laid right beside Finn, intentionally crowding his space - then rolled over, looking playful. But then something switches in him and he swats Finn, then his ears go back and he gets that mean look on his face, and I can tell that he's about to go on the aggressor mode again. I just said "stop" low and slow, and he backed down. I feel like if I didn't interfere, Charlie would go on the attack. And that's not okay, is it? This only happens in the mornings.

Edit to add:
An hour later, they are doing better. It gets better as the day goes on, but man those mornings are rough. This vid, to me, looks more like working things out, but doesn't have the aggressive undertones that this morning's interactions had..? This morning Finn was actually hissing at Charlie when he was being pinned, and I haven't heard Finn hiss since those first couple weeks he moved in, and Charlie's bottle-brush tail would indicate anger since he was the aggressor, is that right? Here's the vid where things look much better, though Finn is still yelping. I'm definitely open to input.

 

[Furballsmom]

Yes, that video looks better
So, does Charlie have a lot of excess energy in the AM? Is he territorial of his and your time together perhaps? ...just thinking out loud...

 

[Furballsmom]

. I just said "stop" low and slow, and he backed down. I feel like if I didn't interfere, Charlie would go on the attack

That's what I would have done

 

[Buffster7]

Yes, that video looks better
So, does Charlie have a lot of excess energy in the AM? Is he territorial of his and your time together perhaps? ...just thinking out loud...

He doesn't really display excess energy in the morning. He's such a sedentary cat. Usually we wake up slowly in front of the fireplace with coffee and him on my lap purring. Then he goes and lays quietly on his own chair. By the time Finn wakes up, we've usually been up for a couple hours. Charlie doesn't act frisky or energetic, he just acts cranky and aggressive. Finn is friendly in the mornings and minds his own business - Charlie instigates. He gets friendlier as the day goes on. By the end of the day, he's happy and desperate to be friends with Finn, and Finn's just pretty much done with us all by then.

The only thing I can think of is that his CBD oil perhaps hasn't fully kicked in yet? And his Bach's vine? Maybe if he has arthritis, it's more painful in the morning which makes him mean? (He does sometimes look labored when he walks) But I'm absolutely taking stabs in the dark. I just didn't know if morning meanness was a "thing" for cats or if anyone else experienced anything like this. Ah well -hopefully it'll resolve with time.

 

[Furballsmom]

Maybe if he has arthritis, it's more painful in the morning which makes him mean

I know my boy has to take a few minutes to get himself awake and fully functional right after he's gotten up from a nap, so I definitely think it's possible that Charlie may have some aches that could make him cranky in the morning. You could consider nutrimax Dasuquin for cats, it was recommended by my vet as a joint supplement.

Oh by the way, I almost bought that cat tree but decided I didn't have the space for it, I think it's great. The dasuquin could help with their jumping down, that's why I got it for my Poppycat

 

[Buffster7]

I know my boy has to take a few minutes to get himself awake and fully functional right after he's gotten up from a nap, so I definitely think it's possible that Charlie may have some aches that could make him cranky in the morning. You could consider nutrimax Dasuquin for cats, it was recommended by my vet as a joint supplement.

Oh by the way, I almost bought that cat tree but decided I didn't have the space for it, I think it's great. The dasuquin could help with their jumping down, that's why I got it for my Poppycat

Ahh, thank you! I'll look up the Dasuquin for sure! That's another reason I really want to get Charlie's weight down - his joints. And he is declawed (not by me) which I hear causes arthritis. I've never heard of it - going to do a search for it now.

I love that cat tree! I have it in my cart and for some reason I just can't pull the trigger. Maybe it feels excessive or like I'm going overboard. But I found a good deal on one and it would be about $80 more than my previous. And that's a LOT more cat tree for $80 difference. I need to either be talked off the ledge or pushed off it, one or the other.