Helping a cat break their food routine

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Mrs Kane
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Helping a cat break their food routine

Post by Mrs Kane »

Hi everyone,

So I made a thread a few months ago about wanting to own a house cat, but wanting to make sure what I was doing was right. Please see http://www.catchat.org/felineforum/view ... =13&t=2126" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for details.

Now I have one, as sudden and unintentional it may be she is still ours and the few shorts days she has been with us has been wonderful.

However there is one thing that troubles both me and my BF:
Now the previous owner said she fed her 3 times a day (a handful into the bowl each time) and that she would literally scrape the bowl clean of food within minutes of it being given to her. We thought this was very weird to see in a cat that knows it's going to be fed and doesn't have to fight with other animals for food, but once getting her that is what she has done for the past 3 days. Within minutes that bowl is cleaner than a kitchen due for a health inspection.

This worries both of us because neither of us have ever owned cats so obsessed about their food. She doesn't seem to want it until we put it in front of her, but then she gobbles it up like a dog.

This isn't really a problem per se, just a nagging feeling and I'm wondering how we can break her out of it.

Any information or avice you have please let me know. Or if you want any info from myself.
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Kay
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Re: Helping a cat break their food routine

Post by Kay »

to be honest, I wish my two would eat all their food within minutes of my putting it down, as then I could remove the dishes knowing that one has not eaten more than their fair share - as it is, I have to leave it down all night and when I find two hungry cats in the morning I have no idea which one might be putting it on

your girl's behaviour suggests she has been part of a multi-cat household, where anything left got gobbled up by another cat, so she has learned to leave nothing

she may well change over time, and you'll be back on here moaning like most of us about having a fussy cat, but meanwhile I wouldn't worry about it at all - enjoy it while it lasts
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Crewella
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Re: Helping a cat break their food routine

Post by Crewella »

I agree with Kay. I have several cats and they all tend to eat all their food at once, even though I do supervise dinner times to make sure they only eat their own as some get prescription diets.

As long as she's not bolting her food so quickly that she throws it all back up again, I wouldn't worry. :)
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bobbys girl
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Re: Helping a cat break their food routine

Post by bobbys girl »

Just a thought - you live in Spain and it gets hot in the summer. My friends in the South of Spain would feed their cat at the same time (their breakfast and evening meal) each day. She had about half an hour to eat it then the remains were thrown away - FLIES! She always had access to water and a few biscuits, but if wet food was left down any time it would be full of fly eggs in no time. (Yeuch!)

Perhaps this is what your cat is use to. BTW she's lovely! :D
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Mrs Kane
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Re: Helping a cat break their food routine

Post by Mrs Kane »

Thanks everyone! Perhaps I'm overracting to this :)

I didn't consider that dry food would go bad but perhaps that is the case. I'll have to into it.
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