Switching from wet to just dry food. Help!!

Kenny7212

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So my cat has an obsession with his Sheeba wet food. So much so that he begins the process of waking me up for his morning Sheeba around 5a every day. He gets one half in the morning and the other at night and then an auto feeder of a small amount of Hills Nutrition Science Diet dry food 4x throughout the day.
Problem is my husband and I are expecting our first child and between being pregnant now, and knowing we have a child coming, the screaming for food at 5am is not going to work. His auto feeder goes off with dry food at 6 - but that never makes him happy enough. I try not to budge when he starts scream-meowing but end up caving after 30min-hour. He wants that Sheeba!
Any advice on how to move fully to his dry food? Free feed it so he can eat whenever he wants? We are want to make sure he’s happy - but with how much he’s affecting my sleep, I need some reprieve as well!
 

ladytimedramon

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There are timed feeders for wet food. They are like a clamshell and pop open at the time you set.
 

FeebysOwner

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Are these the perfect portion Sheeba's? How much dry food does he eat in addition to the Sheeba? One portion twice a day is really not enough food to sustain a cat - of any size, unless he is eating a whole lot of the dry food. But it sounds like he doesn't like his dry food all that much. It may be that he is pretty hungry, especially in the morning, if he isn't being fed for 6 or more hours overnight. That and the fact that dry is really not nearly as 'healthy' as most wet cat foods, trying to convert him totally to dry is not really in his best interest health wise. It's funny because most cat owners would 'kill' to get what you have - a cat that is more interested in wet food compared to dry. A lot of people want to wean their cats off of dry food when they realize how much better the canned/wet foods are, especially when it comes to moisture and combating potential urinary issues, which can be more problematic in male cats.

Nonetheless, to start off with, have you tried change the time of the dry food feeder to 4:30 - 5AM to see if that helps any? There are also motion activated feeders that might be an option for you, so that your cat can 'open' the feeder just by going to it. If you have him microchipped, there are feeders that will open when programmed to the RFID chip. There are also timed feeders specifically for wet food, if that is part of the reason you don't give him more wet food.

Congratulations on your upcoming baby! Off topic, but you might benefit from this TCS article if you haven't seen it already.
Cats And Babies: All Your Questions Answered! – TheCatSite Articles
 

neely

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Any advice on how to move fully to his dry food? Free feed it so he can eat whenever he wants? We are want to make sure he’s happy - but with how much he’s affecting my sleep, I need some reprieve as well!
Welcome to TCS! :wave3: I agree with L Lazy Orange House Cat that canned food is much healthier than any dry food. Please read this Article for a more thorough explanation and information: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats.

You have my sympathies and I understand your need for sleep. :sleep: When I was pregnant with our first child we had four cats. My husband cleaned the litter boxes and took over the cat's feeding schedule so perhaps your spouse can share this responsibility too.
Best of luck! :alright:
 

lisahe

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I agree with FeebysOwner FeebysOwner about setting the autofeeder to open earlier. I understand that would affect the whole feeding schedule but better that than the continued early wakeups! (We've been going through that, too, but unfortunately our cats can't deal with autofeeders...)

I also agree with L Lazy Orange House Cat about not switching to only dry food. Particularly since Sheba's very decent food.

Good luck!
 

cataholic07

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Before the baby comes start the training now. When your cat is screaming for food IGNORE HIM COMPLETELY. No yelling, no moving, don't do a thing until 6 am comes. You can try playing him for 10 minutes before bed and give him a big meal. That should help him sleep in a bit longer. :) Sometimes meowing is for attention not because he's hungry. Get him on a schedule of play and feedings that you can do even with the baby. Routine is best for cats.
 

FeebysOwner

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Cats do NOT just change their habits without reason - be that health issues, inadequate feeding routines, lack of proper attention/stimulation, other changes within or outside the home which can be so many things. Not addressing these issues by researching the potential related problems to get to the bottom of the change and thinking one can correct it by 'force of will' most always end in failure. If not for the human, then for the cat.
 

livismom1

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I get a daily wake up call, nudge, or full on attack around 5 am. I either ignore or just slap a can of food down. Lol Since I don't do any dry food anymore and we are on a diet, I have learned to deal. But maybe you could give your cat the wet food at night or during one of the MANY nightly or early feedings and diaper changes you will be doing for many months to come. Say goodbye to uninterrupted sleep. Especially if you have a partner who sleeps like the dead.
 

Cat McCannon

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Three servings of Sheba per day is recommended for a ten pound cat. Dry food is unhealthy for any cat. I know having a new baby is going to take a lot of time and energy, but you can't expect your cat to thrive if all you do is give it food and clean the litter box every other day. Cats are social creatures and need interaction with the people in their lives. It's possible one reason your cat is so insistent and vocal about it's breakfast is that's how it gets attention from you. Play with your cat more.
 
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