Kittens eating big boy food

[1of10000fists]

Im at my witts end with my two kittens. I dont know what to do anymore. My older cat eats wet food, he has digestive issues and low blood sugar. He also eats slowly and likes to nibble all day. He eats twice a day, normally. But would like to snack on what he doesnt eat during the day and through the night. So locking him in a room to eat is cruel and doesnt work. Hes a social eater anyway. The problem is the kittens, they gobble up his leftivers as soon as we go to bed or leave the house or go outside, etc. They wont do it if we are in the room and paying attention. I started putting the big boys food in my bedroom at night, since the kittens are not allowed in there. They sneak in and gobble it up. I know this because my older boy does not lick the bowl clean, never has. Only the kittens do. And they act like theyve done something wrong, everytime they do it. They have thier own wet and dry food, and eat at the same time as the older guy when given wet food. The dry food is always out, and the adult food is very low fat, so less tasty. They eat till their bellies are fat, plus they have the dry food, TOTW. How do i get them to stop? My older boy needs his food to keep his blood sugar up and i cant lock him in a room, or vice versa. They all need access to the litter boxes. Besides, they are too old to be locked up i a room. This is their home. They know they shouldnt eat that food, as they wont do it in front of me. Ever. So they do know better, and they have they're own tasty kitten food that i sometimes put chicken broth in, just to keep them interested. How do i make them stop?

 

[minka]

Hello 10000fists,
I know you would like to think your cats "know" they aren't allowed to eat your other cat's food, but they don't. And you will never be able to teach them not to eat it. Cats don't think like us, they don't have impulse control. If the food is out, they are going to eat it.
First things first, how much are you feeding the kittens? They should be allowed to eat basically as much as they want, so if you are only giving them a small set amount, then they will be very hungry and I don't blame them at all for eating your other cats food!
As for your boy, he will just have to get used to the schedule of eating all that is given to him at meal time. All cats can be transitioned to meals (instead of free feeding) it just takes time and a little patience.

 

[katluver4life]

I have to agree. The kittens are saying they are still hungry. You could try free feeding them. How old are they?
 

 

[minka]

The problem with free-feeding I think, is that her boy cat needs some kind of special diet.
Is that correct OP?

 

[katluver4life]

Oh I'm sorry. I got the impression it was just that he wasn't having enough time to finish all his food and his main issue was low blood sugar. Typically kittens need frequent meal times. At least 3 - 4 a day. Can meal times be supervised? Giving the kittens extra meals and yet keeping the older away from it?
 

 

[smitten4kittens]

Oh I'm sorry. I got the impression it was just that he wasn't having enough time to finish all his food and his main issue was low blood sugar. Typically kittens need frequent meal times. At least 3 - 4 a day. Can meal times be supervised? Giving the kittens extra meals and yet keeping the older away from it?
 

I agree that more frequent meals (supervised) of wet food will be good for all of them. It might help the kittens stay full and frequent meals are good for the kitty with low blood sugar too.

You mentioned the kittens don't sleep in the bedroom with the older cat. Maybe you could bring his food in right before bed, so the kittens don't get to it earlier.

It is possible to feed 4 meals a day around a work schedule. When you wake up, right after work, mid-evening and right before bed. Thats how I do it.

Good luck

 

[1of10000fists]

Wow. I appreciate you responding. But I would rather you read my post completely before you do so. Please re-read and it will answer your questions.

 

[1of10000fists]

They are not hungry. They go after his food as soon as they have finished eating. With a full, fat belly they want his food. An yes, he is on a special diet. And he does not gorge himself on food. He is a light eater. I really do not want to repeat my post. I really thought this site would be helpful. Not to mention they think cats are dumb. Cats are quite intelligent, brilliant even. They know what they should and should not do. Yes, they do know better. It in how you raise them. If you raise cats to do what they please, they will do so. I did not have this problem until the 6 month mark. Since they were babies, I could leave my older boys food out and they wouldnt touch it. All night, all day. They tried, and I would tell them "no". So they eventually looked, but passed by till they were not interested. Now, they seem to think they can eat what they want. That scares me because none of my cats are allowed to eat what they are not given in their bowls. Nothing off of the floor, food or not. I have had very well mannered, trained cats that eat only what they are supposed to. They have never accidentally eaten a pill or something left on the floor that was bad for them because they were trained that they dont pick up stuff from the floor. That is the reason behind "they do not eat what does not belong to them". Its for their protection. I cannot always know what has been dropped or left behind, and they find the smallest things. When they learn only to eat their own food, it helps keep them safer. They are not and have never been feral cats. They never will be. My older boy is getting very frustrated at never having food in his bowl when he wants it and Im getting tired of buying more and more food because they are greedy, not hungry. They have vary high fat high, protein dry food and kitten wet food. My older boy doesnt bother them and their food. At 6 months, they are fat as it is, I dont believe they need more food and will not increase the amount I feed them. They need to play more and only one will play, the other refuses. They have toys all over the house, stairs to run up and down and each other, not to mention my older boy (which is why I got them). I dont mind so much, I just am frustrated at the food situation. 

 

[smitten4kittens]

Wow. I appreciate you responding. But I would rather you read my post completely before you do so. Please re-read and it will answer your questions.

I did read your full post. You said they eat wet food twice a day. I think 4 times will be helpful.

You feed some dry, I think all wet is healthier,especially for a cat with blood sugar issues. Wet also keeps them fuller because it has much more protein than carb- based dry.

You said the kittens steal the older cats food, but said they WON"T if you are watching. My advice is to supervise while they eat.

You said the kittens aren't allowed in the bedroom at night but also said they are sneaking the older cats food then. Just close the bedroom door after you and the older cat and his dinner go in the room at night.

I also agree with Minka, it won't be long before your older cat learns to eat a little quicker. When I got my second cat he was a nibbler. He liked about 1/2 an hour to finish a meal. After 3 days of my other cat stealing his food he learned to finish his plate quick

I hope it works out the same for you.

 

[1of10000fists]

The cat with issues does not eat dry food. And the kittens have dry food available at all times.

 

[1of10000fists]

I cannot close the door because he needs access to the litter box and he gets nervous when the door is shut, he likes to walk around the house. Why should he suffer because of the kittens? He just got used to not eating fast, he used to throw up all his food when he first started on exclusively wet because he ate it all at once. He now knows he doesnt have to worry and eats slowly a little at a time. I will not have him eating fast again. He is normal and there is nothing wrong with the way he eats. He doesnt stuff his face and I will not force him to do so. I also will not feed the kittens more than I do, they are already fat.  

 

[katluver4life]

Your kittens are not being greedy..They are hungry. Kittens don't get fat. They are high energy, very active and need a lot of food. When you have kittens around, sometimes you have to compromise how you do things if you want results. Your not going to be able to make them stop eating your older cats food without some changes. When they get older you can return to the schedule you'd prefer them to be on.
 

 

[1of10000fists]

They are fat. They have fat hanging from their bellies. Thick fat. Even my older cat lost this layer of fat when he lost weight. I know what Im saying and overfeeding is neglect. I will not take this advice, period. I know the consequences of overweight cats, diabetes. They are too young to be this fat. Again, they are not hungry.

 

[1of10000fists]

Heres what I believe to be the answer and how I came to the conclusion.... I was about to write that they do this just to do it. For fun - and it hit me. They want to search and destroy. Its a game and they want to play. They like getting away with something and looking for hidden food. Its a prize when they find it. So this is reinforcing the behavior, regardless of the factthat they know they shouldnt eat it. The prize is better than the consequence (a "bad kitty" or "no"). They are hunting and that is the instinct, not the HUNGER or the food. The hunt. Hmmm. Very interesting.

So.... to everyone who had no idea.... next time you think you know what you re talking about and keep getting replies that say "no, thats not it" try another angle, or quit responding.

To anyone else with this problem or a similar problem, think about this. It may not be the answer, but Im gonna try hiding some of their own food at night, see if it keeps them away from the food they shouldnt eat. Readily available food is good, but boring! Im making the problem worse by "hiding" the "bad" food, making the game more fun.... which is why they do it on a full stomach. And are getting so fat!

 

[andrya]

Kittens need as much food as they are willing to eat. That is not their want, desire, play, whatever - it is their biological need while they are growing. While my kitten (now 10 months) was still growing, l was feeding my 3 cats (other two are 7.5lbs and 9.5lbs slim adults) they were eating over 2lbs of food a day. And yes, the kitten had a blubber-belly. Now he's 10 months and has never felt starving or neglected of food, or felt the need to sneak food, he's as non-food oriented as the older two and he's growing nicely into his shape. 

Also, if you're feeding them kibble, chances are they're eating a large amount of food but not getting enough bioavailable nutrition since "most" kibble is junk.

 

[AbbysMom]

OK people, let's take a few deep breaths here!!!!

A reminder to all members - If you don't like what you are reading and think someone is being rude, disrespectful, or just giving bad information, , please report the thread. Do not post in it. Whether you feel being rude is justified or not, it's not within our rules.

If you feel you can not post in a respectful manner, then please don't post.

 

[minka]

They are not hungry. They go after his food as soon as they have finished eating. With a full, fat belly they want his food.

This doesn't make any sense.
If they were full, then they wouldn't be hungry, and wouldn't be able to eat his food. You know?? :dk:

And yes, he is on a special diet. And he does not gorge himself on food. He is a light eater. I really do not want to repeat my post. I really thought this site would be helpful. Not to mention they think cats are dumb. Cats are quite intelligent, brilliant even.

No one here said cats are dumb. But you can't apply human intelligence and reasoning to cats because well, they are cats. They do not think in the same way we do.

They know what they should and should not do. Yes, they do know better. It in how you raise them. If you raise cats to do what they please, they will do so. I did not have this problem until the 6 month mark. Since they were babies, I could leave my older boys food out and they wouldnt touch it. All night, all day. They tried, and I would tell them "no". So they eventually looked, but passed by till they were not interested. Now, they seem to think they can eat what they want. That scares me because none of my cats are allowed to eat what they are not given in their bowls. Nothing off of the floor, food or not. I have had very well mannered, trained cats that eat only what they are supposed to. They have never accidentally eaten a pill or something left on the floor that was bad for them because they were trained that they dont pick up stuff from the floor. That is the reason behind "they do not eat what does not belong to them". Its for their protection. I cannot always know what has been dropped or left behind, and they find the smallest things. When they learn only to eat their own food, it helps keep them safer.

Cats are not like dogs. They do as they please. You can't expect them to just listen to 'no'. They do not have the need to please their owners like dogs do. Unless you have clicker trained them and give them treats for when they ignore your boy's food, they are going to continue to eat it when you are not around.

My older boy is getting very frustrated at never having food in his bowl when he wants it

I'm sorry to say, but your boy is going to have to get used to eating at a set meal time. It's not just these kittens, any other cats you get will also eat from his bowl. Unless you have a one cat household, his food is always going to be eaten up by some other cat.

and Im getting tired of buying more and more food because they are greedy, not hungry.

Greed is a human emotion. Cats eat when they are hungry.



1of10000fists, we are only giving our opinion based on the experience we have had with kittens of our own, or the experiences that we have witnessed on this forum. If you don't want to make the changes we suggested, that is fine, but you aren't going to get different opinions by telling us our ideas are dumb. :dk:

 

[1of10000fists]

 I have trained them, several of them. No clicker. The kittens in questions had been trained until about a month ago. They started wanting to seek out other forms of entertainment. And yes, they are full when this happens. Im sorry if you cannot understand that my kittens are eating when they aren't hungry (or worse, full!)  I understand that I asked a question of all of you, but not one of you has answered it. Not one of you tried to ask why is this happening. Just assumed I was not feeding the kittens enough and assume my older cat can "deal with it". He cannot. He has health issues and needs free feeding just as much as the kittens. He just needs a different kind. And he is trained to leave the baby food alone, of course, theirs disappears faster. Do not give feeding advice to anyone without knowing the medical condition (in this case, it was disclosed in the op and still members were advising to make him eat all at once and on a schedule). It can cause terrible results. If I didn't know better and took all the advice, my older boy could go into hypoglycemic shock and die because of this terrible advice. These posts have all been advice that did not apply and had been addressed in the original post. Hence the ensuing frustration. The kittens have all they want, so does my older one, until it gets eaten. And, no, it doesnt have to be that way. I promise you. It will change. If it doesnt, I will come back and tell everyone that its still happening. Im not above publicly admitting that Im wrong, unlike many people. Cats do want to please their owners, the contrary is something people would like to believe about cats because of their differences from dogs. But all cats want to please because if they don't, they fear not being in your favor and they may not get something from you. Different cats want different things. My kittens crave affection. They dont want treats, dont care about their toys. They want me. They want love. When I tell them "no" they get offended, and run away.  But I show them I still love them, and they are fine. My cats dont run all over me, they dont own me, but I dont own them. We are equals, and we take care of each other. The kiddos are young and need to learn how to be well mannered adults and how to live with the rest of us. They will not learn if no one teaches them. 

 

[jennyr]

I have read through this thread three times and I can sense all the frustration on all sides. People are trying to help, but obviously no advice so far given is practicable. There is one thing that may have been missed, and that is WHY the kittens (and at over 6 months they are almost young cats, not kittens) seem to be so hungry. How often do you worm them? Even inside cats need worming, especially when they are young and susceptible, as all kittens get worms from their mothers and it can take two or three doses to get rid of them all. As you rightly say, young cats that age should not be fat. But the vast majority of cats do not gorge on food or overeat, certainly not on a regular basis, so you do need to analyse whether there is a physical reason for it.

The other thing is what you are feeding them. I do not see anywhere that anyone has accused you of feeding them 'junk', but it is a fact that most kibbles, even the more expensive ones, are high in carbs that a cat simply eliminates. So maybe you should look carefully at the list of ingredients and if necessary switch to a low carb or grain free dry food. This would be better for them in the long run, anyway.

You suggest getting them to 'hunt' for their food. I think that could be a good idea as it would keep them occupied. Have you tried the treat balls, that you fill with kibble or treats and that have holes in them so that the morsels fall out as the cat plays with it? I have tried that with a cat who ate too quickly so it was sick, and it worked wonders.

You also say the kittens are not interested in toys, only in you. I am not sure if you have really tried to combine the two, as in playing with them a lot, especially at bedtime, with a wand toy or other high-energy toy like Da bird. This might gradually get them to play more by themselves and divert their attention.

I know how annoying it can be to have a serious problem that you cannot seem to solve, when all advice seems to be wrong or irrelevant. But our members are trying to help, it is always difficult to put yourself in anyone else's shoes, and of course, part of the joy of cats is that they are individual personalities too, and we all have to find the key to our own furry family. Sometimes we do need the support and help of others, so I would ask you to take all posts in the spirit of cooperation that is intended, and we all hope you will end up with three happy and contented cats.

 

[jcat]

Could you make a feeding station for your older boy? Is he microchipped? One of our members, Carolina, did so with a programmable cat flap, litter box furniture and some ingenuity; she describes how and why she did it in this thread, complete with photos.