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Cat food that stops cats yelling for food ALL DAY LONG?

47 replies

Yahboosnubs · 03/03/2013 19:16

Does anyone have any success with cat food that fills them (the cats!) up? I have two Burmese kittens (8 months old) and they yell at me all day long, even after they've just had a Whiskas pouch each. They also steal any food they can, even from my toddler's hand. The vet nurse said they might not be satisfied by their food and recommended the expensive vet produced one (royal Kanin??) and some others that I've forgotten. But I couldn't find them in the supermarket anyway. I tried the Royal Kanin just to see if it would fill them up and it seemed to do so a bit more, but I was still getting yelled at quite soon after. I now don't know if it's genuine hunger or because they're bored or what. They do go out - no cat flap but I let them in and out all day. They've been neutered (both boys) so I don't want them to put on weight. They have a Whiskas pouch each morning and night and some dried food here and there, just a smattering. Any ideas? Thanks.

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MrsPnut · 03/03/2013 19:20

We give dried food in the morning and a pouch at night but our cat begs for food all day too.

If I am in by myself and busy then she just sleeps but the minute I look like I'm going in the kitchen then she starts yowling. She has also been known to look in the dogs dish to see if there is anything to eat. She's a Maine coon and just a very greedy cat.

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Iseeall · 03/03/2013 19:26

My cat likes Iams. Available from most supermarkets. Do your cats have plenty of toys, they could be bored and want you to play/chase them. Opinion tend to be divided with regards to wet/dry food and it usually depends on trial and error and the cat.
Dry food tends to be more economical as you can put out plenty and remove it when they have finished/had enough

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cozietoesie · 03/03/2013 19:33

Just to note - that's slightly less than Seniorboy eats and he's 18 and spends most of the day on his electric blanket. He's only just maintaining his weight.

I appreciate that you don't want fat cats - but maybe they're actually a bit hungry? Personally, I'd try a little more nosh but also break it up (if timing permits) into more frequent but smaller meals. It's a long time to go between breakfast and supper for a kitten and they may have got into the habit of yowling at you in hope of some more in between - or a dried food snack. If they know that food comes more frequently, they might get their minds off it. (Seniorboy has four meals (breakfast, lunch, tea and supper.))

You should see some change in a few days with any luck - if they like a new routine.

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thecatneuterer · 03/03/2013 19:54

Yes cozietoesie, I was thinking that doesn't sound like very much food too - particularly for growing/young, active cats. Do they look well rounded OP? If not, I would certainly feed them more.

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girliefriend · 03/03/2013 19:57

Iams I would keep a bowl of iam biscuits down for them and offer a pouch of wet food once or twice a day as well.

One pouch of food for kittens is no where near enough Shock no wonder they are crying!!

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issey6cats · 03/03/2013 20:00

try tinned food as opposed to pouches as theres not much in a pouch usually reccomended amount for pouches is 3-4 a day, i feed my mob butchers classic meat in jelly and harringtons biscuits both are high in meat and low in cereal and definitely 3 meals a day as they will be on a growth spurt at this age , 1/4 tin each morning, biscuits afternoon and 1/4 tin each early evening should see them right and hopefully stop them shouting at you, by the way royal canin is one of the best foods, thier kitten biscuits are brilliant

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Chewbecca · 03/03/2013 20:00

I have a tonkinese (so half Burmese) who is also extremely vocal about food, hunting, saying hi whenever anyone comes in the house or whenever she comes in from the garden!

The boxes of sachet food say they're supposed to have 3-4 pouches per day so I would also think 2 may not be enough.

My cat has 2-3 per day plus unlimited supply of dry biscuits, the bowl is filled up whenever we notice it's getting low.

She's very lean indeed so I am sure we are not overfeeding her.

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MerryMingeWhingesAgain · 03/03/2013 20:06

My cat does this all the time even though there is food down, they are just annoying like that Grin
He heartily scoffs the first couple of bowls of any fishy dried cat food then likes to eat about 3 biscuits and miaow madly. Then the dogs eat it.

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Darmont · 03/03/2013 21:31

Our little cat is now 5 months (tabby and white shorthair CB), and she has always had Royal Kanin kitten biscuits.

We give her fish once a week, other than that don't feed her any tip bits. She never cries because she's hungry, (i don't know if that's just luck?). I do put out the food in the morning and it stays there all day so she grazes when she wants ( hope I'm not doing that wrong!)

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Yahboosnubs · 03/03/2013 23:00

Thank you for your replies. It's so difficult to know because the vet said thy were the perfect weight now so don't feed them any more. I suppose they are now a tiny bit more active though as they go outside. Maybe I'll give them some more and monitor the weight scenario.

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Ponders · 04/03/2013 12:43

my cats are both 8 months too - they are moggies, of unknown derivation, but one of them is skinny & plays fetch so probably has some Oriental in her Grin

anyway they have a dish of Royal Canin biscuits available all the time (the \link{http://www.pet-supermarket.co.uk/Products/CN180076/royal-canin-neutered-young-female\neutered female ones}, which are quite reasonable if you buy the 10kg bag) plus wet food 2 or 3 times a day - depends how much they've eaten - some days they eat more than others.

I've been buying a variety of the high-meat foreign ones from \link{http://www.zooplus.co.uk/\zooplus} - animonda carny, bozita, cosma, almo - mostly still kitten food. zooplus is great

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Fluffycloudland77 · 04/03/2013 16:39

I fed on demand when the cat was a baby kitten and he isn't overweight, they are still growing so feed when hungry.

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BarbieDahl · 04/03/2013 16:49

Our cat used to cry for food all the time, so I switched to dry biscuits which can be left out all the time without going off/attracting flies and it's been so much better. She justs eats when and what she wants. No more smelly opened tins of catmeat in the fridge and yucky spoons. Just need to make sure they have plenty of fresh water.

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thebestpossibletaste · 04/03/2013 23:56

My one year old cat (male neutered) has wet food (Swedish, ordered from zooplus, high meat content so he feels full for longer) twice a day and dry food down all the time and he is 4 kg, perfect for his size.

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lljkk · 05/03/2013 07:25

My plan is to be out at work all day so that I don't care. Grin

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ClaimedByMe · 05/03/2013 08:12

Would you feed an 8 month old baby a quarter of the food they need each day then let it scream the rest of the time?

Your cats won't get fat they will run about and burn off what they eat!

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tabulahrasa · 05/03/2013 08:16

Mine get two pouches a day and dried food down all the time - and they're only tiny cats, one's ok the other could do with putting weight on.

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BIWI · 05/03/2013 08:22

What does it say on the side of the box re portions? I'm sure with pouches you should be giving them three a day. Also, check that you are buying big enough pouches. I noticed recently that some of the Whiskas ones, the Simply ones I think, are 85g rather than 100g which most of the others weigh.

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Lonecatwithkitten · 06/03/2013 09:08

Lots has been said about food volume so I'm not going to comment on that. However, burmese are extremely vocal cats and are well known for talking at their owners non-stop. Could your cats be chatting at you? I love orientals, but this is one of the reasons I would never have one.

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FreshLeticia · 08/03/2013 09:32

I have had Burmese for year. They are very vocal. However, I agree with other posters that they may need more food. My current boy is 18months and he has a whole pouch morning and evening and unlimited biscuits. My older British Blue has to be carefully rationed though as he will eat for Wales.
I use Royal Canin - the Iams and other cheaper stuff are not high enough in meat protein and are very fatty.
Zooplus is good, and they deliver free.
Once they are a year old, try the Royal Canin 'fit' which is a filling food for cats who are mostly indoors.
Also - Burmese are little monkeys for getting out when they shouldn't be, especially at night and they will hunt an awful lot. They are very prone to road accidents because of this.
I would make sure they have a catflap which can be closed so they can't get out then.
I have the electronic one which is chip-activated, so it has a sensor which closes it at dusk. It will awlays let them in though.
Enjoy your cats - Burmese are fabulous pets, I love them so much.

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FreshLeticia · 08/03/2013 09:33

'for years' I meant.

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Yahboosnubs · 10/03/2013 22:36

Thank you again. I have increased the food a bit and interacted with them more when they ask me to (I wasn't ignoring them but they always want to sit on me when I have to do bathtime or something similar with the DC). I've also been letting them out in the garden more frequently, which as helped as I think they were bored. Anyway, the yelling has got a bit better. I forgot how vocal they were even though Burmese were my childhood pets, and of course they settle down as they get older. They are gorgeous and I do love them utterly. Even when they vomit on the carpet. Sigh. Anyway, off to the zooplus website, thank you for that tip.

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cozietoesie · 10/03/2013 22:42

Ah - that's good that you're seeing some improvement. Well done.

Smile

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chickydoo · 10/03/2013 22:53

I have 5 Bengal cats, they are lean by nature.
They all go out, a couple are really adventurous, the others more home bodies. They have 3 pouches a day each, plus a handful of dried food. This seams to be the minimum I can feed them, I think 4 pouches is too much, they are hungry cats though.
I sometimes give them fresh chicken or fish as an extra.
I think Op, your cats need a little more to eat.

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sashh · 11/03/2013 04:33

If you know they are getting enough food put some dried food in one or two of those treat balls.

They then have to work to get the food (like wild cats do) so it feeds them and keeps them busy.

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