Need Serious Help With Kitten Who Tries To Eat My Food!!!

[JGriffs722]

Hi,

I've Googled this question and have come across several others who have the same issue I am having; however, none of the posts appear to have received any responses that are working for me.

I adopted a kitten around 7 weeks - he is currently about 11 weeks old. Whenever I try to sit down to eat, he will stop at no end to get to my food. I used to eat in front of the tv, but that quickly became impossible. My kitten would climb up my legs, up my back, and up my arms, and no matter where I moved the plate (generally holding it up in the air and scooping bites into my mouth), my kitten seemed to be right there ready to grab something.

So now I only eat at the dining room table, and initially this worked as my cat was too small to get up onto the chairs/table. However now he is able to climb and once again I am unable to have any food out without him trying to get it. I am trying to make the table a cat-free area (I recently ordered cat repel mats meant for the garden to keep on the table when it's not in use to make it an undesirable location, but I'm not sure this will work. I tried the cookie sheet trick and he managed to find a way around the tins. I also tried putting double sided sticky tape on the table and this didn't seem to bother him. Then I got placemats and sprayed them with cat repellent spray, but he didn't seem to care.)

I've tried removing him from the table every time he gets on it, but this is a Sisyphean task. He just climbs right back up.I have tried the trick of leaving a lemon or pickle on my plate, and also trying to put them into his face when he comes near my plate, but he seems unbothered and just passes by to get to whatever good stuff I have. I tried a spray bottle for a bit, but stopped when I found out this could cause aggression. I currently have been locking him in the bathroom when I eat, but I don't want to have to do that every time I eat for the rest of his life.

I have been feeding him 4.5 ounces of wet cat food per day (1/2 of a 3 oz. can three times per day) and I only buy organic, grain free brands so they are high quality and full of protein. Then I also leave dry food out for him to free eat if he's ever hungry, so I don't think the issue is that he's not eating enough.

I feel like most of the answers to others that have asked this question are "just don't let him on food surfaces" or "never give him people food" which don't really help. Obviously I don't want him on food surfaces, my question is how to keep him off. I have never given him people food.

Help!!! I don't know what to do. It becomes very frustrating when I am trying to enjoy something I've made for dinner and I need to stop after every bite to put the cat back on the floor.

 

[Ardina]

Does he like the dry food? If he greatly prefers the wet food, you can try feeding him a big meal of wet right before eating your own dinner.

You can also try hissing at him when he tries to swipe your food - all cats, even tiny kittens, understand that a hiss means "back off!" Mother cats do this to teach their kittens manners.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - feed him more, and more different canned brands, I'm thinking you have brands of canned food the kitten doesn't really like.

This kitten is working way too hard to get more to eat. Kittens must be able to eat as much as they will consume. I'd strongly suggest some fancy feast and rotate this into your kittens daily routine of food.

 

[Jeani]

I'd try feeding you both at the same time. Him on the floor where he eats and you at the table.
Maybe you've already tried this?
If you think he needs something more in his diet he's that is leaving him craving, I'd try a cat nutritionest. Custom cat food is a lot of effort, but so is what your doing.
Try hissing and growling first.