Cat question

[nisaa]

Um, okay. This bothers me and I figure it bothers my roommate too since she's home a lot during the day. Can you teach a cat patience? Or at least - how do you make him stop whining for food for 2 hours before dinner time?

This cat is NOT starving. He just hangs out and whines at me until I feed him. And I won't feed him until 4pm. He's got dry food.

I don't think I could ever have a human child if I can't handle a feline one.

Comments

[pir.livejournal.com]

That's how some cats are. Minou does that all the time.

[hawkegirl.livejournal.com]

Heh, I have sevral different things that come to mind, but with a cat, I'm wondering is there a problem feeding him at 2 if that's what he's asking for?

just like kids

[theraevyn.livejournal.com]

you ignore him until it's his time to be fed. Otherwise, you're letting him know that his annoying habit pays off. If he has dry food he's just being a pesky bitch.

My cats get dry only - that way I'm not slave to that slimey grossness in a can. They get the occasional treat like chicken juice - or tuna juice - but other than that they get what they get and LIKE IT. *iron fist of death* =D

So you aren't exactly teaching the cat patience so much as yourself. =P

Yeah...

[jennylisa.livejournal.com]

We only give the cats dry food (it's what the vet told us to do...) and we feed them pretty much whenever. It always come out to once a day. (They eat light food because they are fat.) The real problem for me is that Chasey starts meowing at 5am to go outside... I;'m not getting up to let her out, but if she comes too close to me I squirt her with the squirt gun!
;-)

Re: just like kids

[nisaa.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your iron fist words of wisdom. I thought that was what I should do.

Re: Yeah...

[nisaa.livejournal.com]

He only gets a tiny amount of wet food because he's a fat cat too. I guess he looks at that as a treat or something.

I started closing the door to the bedroom when he starts whining in the morning to be let out. I won't let him out until it's light out because he goes upstairs and bothers the neighbors' cats through the window and wakes them up.

pet me!

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

sometimes when minou is being really whiney and i think it's because he wants food, it's just because he wants attention. maybe xander is bored and wants to play? or wants rubs?

Re: just like kids

[theinated.livejournal.com]

Otherwise, you're letting him know that his annoying habit pays off.

i second that. do the pavlovian thing.

[svava.livejournal.com]

Well first of all you are dealing with a really smart and stubborn cat. I have learned many new lessons in dealing stubborn, cleaver, and in Olaf's case energetic pets. In Alexanders world he wants a treat or attention or whatever, and what does he have to distract him toward attaining his goal, not much. So quite frankly he has time to plot and pester and learn. If he whines at you, you will pet him, if he cries he gets better food. So you have to outsmart the pets

The thing I have started with Olaf which has been working is to give the dogs a treat when they are just lounging around or if they are leaving me alone while at the dinner table, that way he associates being good with a treat. I have one cat who always begs for attention so I have been extra careful to pet her when she is not begging. Of course take this all with a grain of salt because I have yet to break Rocky of doing the Anime eyes at dinner time.

Another possiblity is that he may not like the dry food or is bored with the flavor. It may help to switch it around a bit, but make sure you do it slowly and in a mixture so as not to upset his digestive system. I am sure he is really complaining if you have lite dry food, if I remember correctly all the cats hated that one.

[cat9.livejournal.com]

I (like many others here) only feed Persia dry food. Otherwise, once a day she trys to mug me to get to the wet stuff. I'm not having with that. Plus, she's trying to get fat, and the dry food keeps that under control...as long as she never learns to use the can opener, I'm all set.

[nisaa.livejournal.com]

Did I happen to mention that I recently bought a 20lb bag of Max Cat Senior? I was tired of running out of food and I thought he liked it. Hrrrmmmm . . . maybe I'll mix in some Trader Joe's cat food or something.

I like the idea of giving him a treat when he's just sitting around NOT begging. Will have to remember that one.

I think *crosses fingers* that Alexander will have a new friend to play with soon so that should help.

Thanks!

[svava.livejournal.com]

You may want to think about Science Diet cat food it is expensive but all the cats that have ever lived with me (including Alexander) love it. It took me forever to convince Roxanne to forray into new dry foods.