What would you do?

FeebysOwner

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I thought I would create another thread on this issue with Feeby, as I don’t think it is necessarily related to my ongoing thread (I Don't Know What To Do - 15+yo Cat about her. Sorry about the length…but, here goes…

It seems that Feeby now wants to be fed more often than her current 4 meals a day. Here is what has been going on recently - all times are approximate:
  • 8AM – fed approx. 1.5 oz canned food
  • 10AM – given a bite of my breakfast/brunch
  • 11 AM – squawks* for food
  • 1 PM – fed approx. 1.5 oz
  • 3PM – given hairball treat and Glyco Flex
  • 5PM – squawks* for food
  • 6PM – fed approx. 1.5 oz
  • 8PM – given a bite of protein from our dinner
  • 10PM – occasionally acts like she wants food, but doesn’t squawk* so much
  • 11PM – fed approx. 1.5 oz
* NOT meowing – literally squawking (but that is kind of her norm for most all communication)

Other factors:
  • She has never eaten more than 1.5 oz in a single meal, so I can’t increase the amount per meal and cut back the number per day.
  • She will only eat from a dish that has a certain amount of food in it, so when I have given in to her squawking, I prepare a full meal. Then, she might eat a bite or three, or she might eat more. I refrigerate whatever is left for her next scheduled meal.
  • She requires her food to be scooped and re-scooped up to 6 times per feeding, depending on whether she is eating a ‘mini-meal’ or a full meal. She flattens out the food and doesn't seem to be able to eat it once it is flattened out. If I scoop it up into a pile again, then she starts eating again.
  • Each full meal takes anywhere from ½ to 1 hour from beginning to completion.
  • She no longer wants to eat dry food, although I do leave some out for her just in case.
  • Last Thyroid tests (April and July last year) within normal range. No other health issues identified (other than old age and arthritis!).
  • She weighs just under 16 pounds, and appears to be able to maintain this weight on her current food intake.
Does anyone else’s cat do this???? Do I give into her and possibly be feeding her some amount of food at least 6 times a day (not to mention the other ‘snacks’ she gets)? Or, should I just assume what she really is doing is trying to get attention? I have tried to play with her or just pet her and talk to her, but she is not a ‘player’, and the petting/talking only works for 5 or so minutes after I stop.

If I sound frustrated, exasperated, and a bit aggravated, it is because I am!

Thanks!
 
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jen

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So is 6 oz of canned food the proper amount for her weight on a daily basis? For my cat I don't really worry about "meals" I put her can out in the morning and it takes her all day to snack on it as she pleases. I add water to it right off the bat. Then if it gets a little dry in the afternoon/evening I add more water and stir it up. That way she is not hounding me for food. She can eat her little meals at her own pace. I have a little bag of dry on hand if she wants a snack.

She requires her food to be scooped and re-scooped up to 6 times per feeding, depending on whether she is eating a ‘mini-meal’ or a full meal.
I am not really sure what this means, but it sounds like she is training you well :lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
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FeebysOwner

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I put her can out in the morning and it takes her all day to snack on it as she pleases. I add water to it right off the bat. Then if it gets a little dry in the afternoon/evening I add more water and stir it up..."She requires her food to be scooped and re-scooped up to 6 times per feeding, depending on whether she is eating a ‘mini-meal’ or a full meal". I am not really sure what this means, but it sounds like she is training you well
I can't leave food out like that because she laps at it and flattens it out at which point in time she will not/no longer can eat it. She was a dry food only cat until 2-3 years ago, whether or not that has bearing on her canned food eating habits I don't know - and, whether or not she trained me back then is now pretty much a moot point. It is a done deal. Now, at 15+ yo, I don't think I am going to just put food out for her and tell her to eat it or not when it is flattened out. That 'ship has sailed'. But, glad I gave you a good laugh!
 

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We feed our cats five meals a day, spread out over roughly the same day you outlined. which works out really well. (I'm not including Edwina's tiny 5 a.m. snacks, so she doesn't barf bile!) (I'm also not including the small treats the cats get after Ireland gets dosed with her inhaler in the morning.)

Despite all that, the cats still squawk.

And Ireland also likes her food piled after she's flattened it. She also knows how to work the system to get more treats sprinkled on her canned food.

Maybe five meals a day would work for Feeby? That seems to be what works for our two.

Good luck, it really can be exasperating trying to figure out how to feed cats! (Ours have been squawking and staring for about an hour asking for food...)
 

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I feel for you! Getting these old ladies to eat is tough. Abby has pancreatitis and I just rescooped her food before reading this. We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do to get them to eat.

In my opinion, as long as she is eating what she needs to and maintaining her weight, I’d continue what you are doing. Abby can be ridiculous with me sometimes (when she’s not sick) and want different food, etc., but when we’re not home and it’s a cat sitter she eats fine and eats what she’s given and gets less feedings than normal (same amount of food overall). Having said that, if she starts to eat less or lose weight, I’d try altering the feeding schedule to see if it helps.

I‘m sure ignoring the squawking is tough. I get “the stare”. :lol:
 

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I also understand your aggravation. Feeby has definitely won this round. I can only add that I have frequently encountered the flattened versus scooped food issue. This includes a recent TNRed adult male, obviously not getting good nutrition before I brought him to my property and now the proud owner of a glossy coat and much more filled out frame. I wonder who scooped his food when he was on the streets or if it was a big enough issue to cause him to move on.
 
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FeebysOwner

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I wonder who scooped his food when he was on the streets or if it was a big enough issue to cause him to move on.
It might be like Feeby, ate only dry food for so many years, he has no idea what to do with canned??

Despite all that, the cats still squawk. And Ireland also likes her food piled after she's flattened it. She also knows how to work the system to get more treats sprinkled on her canned food.
Maybe five meals a day would work for Feeby? That seems to be what works for our two.
Good luck, it really can be exasperating trying to figure out how to feed cats! (Ours have been squawking and staring for about an hour asking for food...)
Feeby, too works the system, as I also started adding baby food meats to her regular food when I scoop, just to keep her eating. I will rethink how to get in yet another meal... :cringe:
I‘m sure ignoring the squawking is tough. I get “the stare”. :lol:
So, I just need to ignore her incessant squawking? Oh, man... :gaah:
 

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doesn't seem to be able to eat it once it is flattened out.
I apologise that I don't remember, but the squawking is relatively new, correct? And she squawks all the time, not just for food?

I got to wondering, are her tongue and throat normal? Are her vocal chords ok?
 
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FeebysOwner

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I apologise that I don't remember, but the squawking is relatively new, correct? And she squawks all the time, not just for food?
I got to wondering, are her tongue and throat normal? Are her vocal chords ok?
Nah, she has pretty much squawked all her life, it is just more loudly now and more incessantly - which is when I think is associated with food. She has never meowed in her life, that I remember. I have a voice deeper than Suzanne Pleshette - maybe that has something to do with it?!?! :blush:
Oh, by the way, would a different shaped bowl help?
She can't 'do' deep bowls, hers is a small Corel dish, and a lid from a cooking glassware set (see pics). For perspective, I placed a 5.8 oz can in the Corel dish. The second dish is when the food gets to be a too small of amount for her to manipulate in the Corel dish. And, then the food gets 'lapped' over the edge of that one! :ohwell:
 

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verna davies

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One of mine will only eat if the food is piled so I end up sitting on the floor with a spoon re-piling until his finished so I sympathize with you. He also gets fed small potions 6 times a day. Is Febby's hearing ok, if she is squawking louder and more insistent maybe her hearing isnt so good.
 
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FeebysOwner

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One of mine will only eat if the food is piled so I end up sitting on the floor with a spoon re-piling until his finished so I sympathize with you. He also gets fed small potions 6 times a day. Is Febby's hearing ok, if she is squawking louder and more insistent maybe her hearing isnt so good.
Sorry to hear about your guy's eating 'habits', but it is nice to know we am not alone - based on others' comments! I've thought about her hearing, and try to 'test' it, but it seems as if she can hear fine. Of course, that really doesn't mean anything! Her next geriatric check up is due in April. Assuming she has no reason to go to the vet before then ( :crossfingers: ), I will ask the vet about it then.
 
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FeebysOwner

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And, just after 10:30AM she started to squawk - although a little less insistently than normal - even followed me to the kitchen when I went to get more coffee. She finished her Meal #1 around 9:15AM, and as usual left a bit in the dish, which is her norm (can't eat it all, you know - same way she used to treat her dry food, always had to leave some as her 'reserve'). I am not squeezing in another meal NOW! Perhaps, she is waiting for a bite of my brunch?! We'll see...
 
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I promise I am not going to post all day long, but here we are at 12:30PM, Feeby got a bite of my brunch at about 11:15AM (chicken). She ate it and left before I could even consider giving her another bite. But, she's back again, and squawking... :thud:
 
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FeebysOwner

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Only a thought. One of my old cats(15yo) started asking for food every few hours, didnt finish it though, became very vocal and lost some weight. Had blood tests done and she had hyperthyroidism. She was put on meds and was great after that.
Her last thyroid test was in July and was fine (as well as the one last April) - but, yeah, I know things could have changed for her since then even though she wasn't even close to borderline. Assuming she doesn't start to lose weight on a more drastic level before April, she will be tested again then.
 
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FeebysOwner

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Why can't they make our lives easier and learn to speak our language.
It could be that she feels a little insecure and wants your attention...its working.
It may be working, but probably not in the way she would prefer... :evilgrin: My last reaction to her was: "What, what, baby-butt?????"
 
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