A Cat Question?

Question

Lately, we've been noticing our cat is eating way too often. At first we used to feed him dry food which he really didn't care too much for, then we tried whiskas cat food in a can, which he didn't care for too much either but still more than the dry food. And now we have him on whiskas cuts, which are pieces of meat in with alot of gravy and he loves it!!! But, now he's always hungry for it and can never get enough. He eats more then 8 packets a day!!! HELP!!! Whats wrong, we don't want him to get too overweight which he already is cause of his eating habits now!!!!!!!Thanks!!!!!

I don't want to starve him either because he REALLY cries for food.

Answer 1

8 packets of whiskas a day is quite a lot. Some animals will overeat just like people and you could consider limiting his food. I have never looked at whiskas but I think it's like friskies which is kindof like junk food for your cat. The cheaper brands of cat food have lower nutritional value so he could be craving nutrients.
I really like Nutra, Eukanuba and Science diet for nutrition, and both my cats like all of them in both dry and canned. If his coat is healthy, his eyes are clear and he's active and happy he's probably just a greedy little thing and you could cut back on what you are feeding him to get his weight under control.
I once had a cat that would yowl and act like he was starving every time I went into the kitchen, even if I'd fed him a big meal within the previous hour. My guests would always comment on it "Don't you ever feed your cat!??" when it was really just his conditioned behavior. Sometimes it was embarassing but mostly I just thought it was funny.
I feed my cats 1/4 c each quality dry food in the morning and a slightly smaller amount of dry food at night with 1/2 can of canned cat food and they are at really good weights. Neither of them actually eats everything in the bowl at either meal (the dogs creep over as soon as they think I'm not paying attention and polish off the leftovers). They're indoor/outdoor cats and pretty physically active.
You might want to consider giving him soft food only once a day and leave kibble out for him furing the day because the kibble is better for thier teeth. If you do decide to change his food, switch to the new one gradually by mixing it with the old food. This will help him from having digestive issues. And if he doesn't eat the new food for a few days don't worry about it, it sounds like it won't hurt him.

Answer 2

Cats have been with us as pets for a very long time and they can feed themselves better than we can feed them. Just leave out a bowl of the dry food for them to eat and they will do fine...when they have done something very good (like not eating the new plant you bought while you were at your grandmothers for two days for thanksgiving) you can give them a treat of a full packet. The special taste will be a reward which the cat will expect when it does well...always reward the good and punish the bad (best bad punishment is to get a paper and roll it up then smack your hand with it making a loud pop...the cat jumps and runs then runs to find you for protection...stand tall and let them know that they are not going to be harmed while you are around...these animals are not dumb, so do not over use the smaking or they will catch you making the noise).

Answer 3

Cats are just like people when it comes to food. Lord knows I never met a twinkie I didn't like. He seems like a bit of a picky eater, which is not too unusual for a cat. What you must do is closely monitor his eating habits. Obesity can lead to many serious health problems, and allowing him to overeat could send him to an early grave. What you do is try to find him dry food that he likes (I've found that my cats HATE the expensive stuff, and love the store brand....go figure) and give him the packets only once a day. Dry food will not only fill him up faster, but it will keep his teeth cleaner. My mother in law gives her cat nothing but "wet food" and he is now 7 years old, with no teeth. Wet food also has a lot of sodium in it, which can harden his arteries...not such a good thing. He may be stubborn, but for his health, you have to be firm with him, (after all, YOU are in control, not him) and you'll both be happier for it. Also, make sure he's getting enough exercise to keep healthy.

Answer 4

Cats spoil easy. Actually, humans are easily trained by cats. First off, when was the last time you took this cat to the vet for a checkup? You may want to do that and mention the eating problem. The vet may recommend better food and amounts that work for your cat. Next up, is your cat bored? Bored cats become depressed cats and depressed cats can become overeaters. Remember, a cat is a finely tuned hunting machine. They need to be active or else they decline. Get some good toys for the feline. Finally, find out how much the cat needs to eat in a day and stick to that. You may want to use some small treats every now and then, but once again, don't let the cat train you to constantly give him treats.

Answer 5

If he's eating and not gaining weight, he could have an endocrine problem. Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism can happen in animals as well as humans. He should no way be eating 8 packages a day. Diabetic cats usually lose weight so keep an eye on his weight. Lots of weightloss in a little time could mean diabeties.

You may want to get to the vet for some bloodwork. They'll do a test that will tell you anything and everything about what could be going on.

Good luck.

Answer 6

hey well my cat kinda did the same she would only eat the dry food if she had to and she only likes the caned food with heaps of gravy in it but she only ate 2 times a day but last month she was wanting and crying for food all the time and i felt like i was just feeding her allll day she was like this for a few weeks then i realised i couldnt feed her this much so i fed her morning lunch and tea and just made her eat the dry food.. if they are that hungry they will eat it but she just knew id feed her when she would cry so she wouldnt bother...and id say no you eat your dry food i've fed you and plkace her infront of it. then she got used to this routine and i went back to feeding her morning and night and she ate the dry stuff during the day... i had to just slowly adjust her routine to something more normal cause i must admit when she was that hungry it cost a fair bit feeding all that food i know... hope it helps at all....

Answer 7

I feed canned food once in the morning and leave dry food available all the time. Most of my cats aren't overweight but I have one who is such a big glutton, he tries to steal the other cat's canned food and just can't get enough to eat.

Answer 8

If I were you I would take him to the vet. He may have worms. Feeding 8 packets of the food a day is WAY too much food. You really need to cut him down to three meals a day and make sure he drinks his water. You only hurting him by feeding him as much as you are. Sure he crys for food. He knows you will feed him. You have to take care of him. I would seriously get him to the vet and have him checked for worms. And please, cut his eating down to three times a day......... Blessed be

Answer 9

Stop feeding him so much, if you put the food out he will eat it. I have a overweight cat. I took her to the vet and they put her on a special diet food that makes her lose weight. Its Hills Science Diet R/D, the R/D is for restricted diet. Its a high protein high fiber cow cal food. My cat loved friskies but she really seemed to take well to this food

Answer 10

I think that's a little too often to be feeding him. I have two cats and I feed them once in the morning and once at night. If they don't like what I give them, sometimes they do beg. I don't give in and just ignore them. They eventually get the message that they aren't getting anything else and then go eat what was given to them.