psycho kitty - or eating disorder?

[Donnachaidh]

We adopted a new cat at Christmas from the local pound. She was a year and a half old, looked very clean and healthy, but scared shitless when we looked into her cage. She was literally -dug in- to her litterbox and would not move. I took her from her cage and she stayed in a tight little ball when I held her. She was NOT happy about being in the pound.

Since then we've had her spayed, wormed, all shots - she looks like a new car, all shiny and clean. But she has a quirk that I cannot figure out. It's about FOOD. She CANNOT get enough. She CANNOT share a double dish with our other cat. She starts popping him in the head at mealtimes. It's so bad we feed him in another room, just to keep the peace.

I've had tests run after the worming, to see if they missed something. But she's clean as a whistle, so to speak. But STILL she turns into a begging machine when we get up in the morning. And it's non-stop. She's pulled apart bread wrappers to get at the bread. She tried acting bad-ass to the dog to snatch her food, but she got the message that THAT wasn't going to fly (she's not a dumb cat anyway). I'm kind of at a loss as to what is causing this problem. And if there is a real solution that will stop her anxiety about food.

We feed twice a day, canned cat food. I was thinking of setting up a dogproof area on a counter to leave out dry food. Do you think this might help? I've tried to get some background history on her (I suspect she might have been feral, or worse, in a house with too many pets and not enough food) but haven't had much luck.

I really like her and would love to help her get over this obsession. She's a very loving kitty and she needs some help. ANY advice is appreciated.

[virgdem]

1. Since you don't have any info on her background..

it is difficult to assess just what the problem is, but in my experience in owning cats and doing much reading, feral cats or homeless cats who have had to fend for themselves have an obsession with food because they have been so food deprived in their past. I would continue to feed her in another room. Have you considered free feeding a small amount of dry cat food so that she will have her appetite satisfied in between meals? I wish you good luck with your new kitty.

[Donnachaidh]

2. going to set up a dogproof dry food dish tonight

She is a doll, and I hate to see her get so crazed. Right as I type this she's curled up with her new roomie and the both of them are cleaning each other, getting ready for a nap. She's got so much potential for love, I'm hoping the dry food dish will give her some peace.

FYI, her *roomie* was a week-old feral kitten we took in. He's now the owner of every human in this home.

[mak3cats]

3. A street cat adopted me many, many years ago...

...and she was a bottomless pit. Luckily for me, she was my only pet at the time, but I had the problem of her emptying her dish every time it was filled, and then emptying her stomach because of her gluttony (I called it "scarf and barf"). I had to feed her several times a day, small amounts at a time. (Fortunately, work was close enough to my apartment so I could run home at lunchtime.) Eventually, when she realized the bowl really wasn't going anywhere, and neither was the human dispenser, her food anxiety went away.

I still miss my Shaka (this was her name) every day. She was probably about four months old when we met; a pure white Asian-looking shorthair (but filthy grey before she got cleaned up) with a very affectionate nature. I lost her over five years ago, right around what I figured was her twentieth birthday. May you have as good luck and as much joy with your new baby as I had with her!

[truedelphi]

12. What a very sweet story abt a very sweet pet. n/t

[Bluestar]

4. I adopted two kitties from the shelter 5 years ago and I had

the same problem, especially with Pepper. I changed their food to protein-based (Wellness) without any grain and it has helped tremendously--no more crying for food. Ginger is now pretty svelte and Pepper has lost some weight also. They were skinny as can be when I got them, then ballooned up from all the eating. The protein-based food helped with the cravings and their weight.

Lorien has a great post about high quality cat foods on this site. If you're feeding grocery store food, her post tells you what is in it and it's not good. I would like to add my opinion about the grain in most cat foods--I believe that the grain and resulting sugar in these cat foods causes cats to crave sugar and that makes them ravenous. Some cats are more susceptible to this than others.

Good luck with your little rescue kitty. Bless you for taking her in and loving her.

[Donnachaidh]

6. I'll certainly try the wellness foods

She's been a bit of a grain junkie -- even got into a box of donuts! Perhaps that is the problem!

Would you have a link for the Lorien site you speak of? I'd like to check it out.

I've had several rescue kittens that have had long and wonderful lives, and I'm not sure I'd ever be able to have any other sort. Our new lady, who is named Jade, for her molten jade colored eyes, is a doll. She's teaching the found feral *kitten* of ours how to be a cat. The interaction and acceptance between the two is great. I think once we get her settled down with her food anxiety they'll be two very happy furbabies.

[Bluestar]

7. Here is the link

Lorien is a cat owner and wonderful poster here. This thread is invaluable for pet owners:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=243&topic_id=4388

The post will tell you everything you need to know. I had spent hours on the web searching for this information and, surprise, found it right here on DU! Best of luck to you and your kitties. I'm with you--"mutt" kitties are the best!

[demnan]

5. Charley can never get enough to eat

I found him starving three years ago now, outside my condo, acting feral but very responsive once I started feeding him for a few weeks. He had been declawed and according to a neighbor had been living out there on his own for at least six months. I first saw him eating bread at my bird feeder. Now he is huge, maybe 20 pounds, a pampered indoor cat but still a bit insecure about food. Whenever I refill the dry food bowls he always comes to rub my hand to thank me.

Scorpio, my other rescued starved cat, doesn't seem to have that problem, although he has certainly filled out a lot over at my Mom's, and might have problems later when he gets older.

[japple]

8. Starving kitty syndrome. All of my cats are stray rescues

and the one who is the biggest problem is the one who lived in the animal shelter for a year and ate nothing but Purina dry catfood. He is still a chunky boy 6 years later, and I still can't get him to eat wet cat food. He is eating a combination diet that is mostly Innova Reduced Calorie, but he really needs to lose more weight.

New kitty, Mildred, was a starvling barn cat that was abandoned on the place next to me. She has been here one week and begs for food. All she does is walk around the house looking for food. I took her in today for spaying, and hope that she will be a little calmer when she gets back on her feet.

Some cats never recover from this syndrome and you have to learn how to live with it. I think I'm one of those who is guilty of trying to compensate by giving in when they beg for more food. The ones who eat wet food are fine. The ones who will not eat wet food tend to pack on the weight.

Good luck in finding a good diet for your cat.

[spooky3]

9. I agree with others here and believe that this is a temporary problem

but that it will take longer then seems logical for her to learn that she will never have to compete for food again. I do think your dry food in a dogproof area will go a long way toward teaching her that her life is permanently different now and there will always be enough food.

You're a good heart to take them in! I'm sure they both think they are in kitty heaven!

[DeepBlueC]

10. my cat, not as young as yours

arte himself into a cannonball. I figured it had something to do with food dominance over the other three cats, and the vet originally said that he was just a not-so-little piggy. But it turned out he had hyperthyroidism. I thought that most of those cats got skinny, but not mine. Apparently it can go either way.

[IowaGirl]

11. I definitely would try setting up the dogproof area with dry catfood. I did that with my last

siamese. The dry food is better for their teeth anyway. I used purina cat show and he lived to be over 21 years.