Hi all!!
I've posted previously about introducing our new 7mth old ragdoll to our existing boy. I appreciate the support so so much and they are now thick as thieves My question is now about our new kitty and his almost trauma-like obsession with food.
BACKGROUND: Blu came from a man that was a fly in-fly out mine worker, so we adopted him because his existing owner acknowledged that he just didn't have the lifestyle for a kitten. Blu has developed a healthy connection to us, I'd say, he snuggles and loves a pat but he will also chill alone or with our other raggie, Sebastian.
Blu however is food OBSESSED! I'm talking like trying to steal our food, jumping on the counters to lick the frying pans before we have washed up etc. We feed the boys separately now as what was happening was that Blu would inhale his food in about 0.2 seconds and then he would bully Seb out of his bowl and eat his food too. It got to the point that I had to take Blu to the vet because his abdoment was so swollen and tender that I thought he had worms... nope, he was just eating for two
We feed the cats on a schedule - an AM dry food at 7am-ish and a PM wet at 6pm-ish. Blu will scream and scream for both meals from about 1.5hrs before the mealtime... both cats finish their food every time, so they never end up with food to graze on. Currently the routine is that I pop Seb's food down whilst distracting Blu with his bowl then pick Blu up whilst he's lashing and screaming for food and feed him in the bathroom with the door shut. He stays in there until Seb is all done. Blu's obsession with food seems almost trauma-based... he was very skinny when we got him so he has put on some healthy weight with us which is great but I wonder whether he was always hungry previously so is now obsessed with his mealtimes here?
Has anyone experienced similar behaviours from a cat? Any suggestions on how to calm him down and reassure him that he won't ever go hungry?
I've posted previously about introducing our new 7mth old ragdoll to our existing boy. I appreciate the support so so much and they are now thick as thieves My question is now about our new kitty and his almost trauma-like obsession with food.
BACKGROUND: Blu came from a man that was a fly in-fly out mine worker, so we adopted him because his existing owner acknowledged that he just didn't have the lifestyle for a kitten. Blu has developed a healthy connection to us, I'd say, he snuggles and loves a pat but he will also chill alone or with our other raggie, Sebastian.
Blu however is food OBSESSED! I'm talking like trying to steal our food, jumping on the counters to lick the frying pans before we have washed up etc. We feed the boys separately now as what was happening was that Blu would inhale his food in about 0.2 seconds and then he would bully Seb out of his bowl and eat his food too. It got to the point that I had to take Blu to the vet because his abdoment was so swollen and tender that I thought he had worms... nope, he was just eating for two
We feed the cats on a schedule - an AM dry food at 7am-ish and a PM wet at 6pm-ish. Blu will scream and scream for both meals from about 1.5hrs before the mealtime... both cats finish their food every time, so they never end up with food to graze on. Currently the routine is that I pop Seb's food down whilst distracting Blu with his bowl then pick Blu up whilst he's lashing and screaming for food and feed him in the bathroom with the door shut. He stays in there until Seb is all done. Blu's obsession with food seems almost trauma-based... he was very skinny when we got him so he has put on some healthy weight with us which is great but I wonder whether he was always hungry previously so is now obsessed with his mealtimes here?
Has anyone experienced similar behaviours from a cat? Any suggestions on how to calm him down and reassure him that he won't ever go hungry?