Am I feeding my cats wrong?

[Catmusicfan]

When we first got Brooklyn & Manhattan we got into a habit where we left hard food down during the day then in evening usually when I got home I would get a pattern going (in hopes to give them the comfort of habit) I talk to them let them know I was home try to see if I could find them in one of their hiding places. Then I would take care of their evening meal Fresh dry cat food (1/2 cup) and each got serving of Fancy Feast either a can each or one of those fresh food packs. Change their water and have it laid out. I would spread out treats (temptations) on the stairs in their room Where toys and litter boxes are. Also I would place treats in bedroom so they would get comfortable with our smell and what not. I have kept up this routine with Mollie.

They seem to eat throughout the night and get annoyed now when I don't have treats in the bedroom. So they seem like they aren't eating during the day and they eat mostly in every evening and throughout the night.

Am I harming them. Probably spoiling but am I harming them?

[TeapotInATempest]

1. As a fellow cat person

I think you're feeding them just fine. They may not be eating during the day because they're busy sleeping and they're probably just mad that you stopped giving them treats in the same place they got used to them. Also, keep in mind that cats are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk.

I would keep an eye on the level of dry food in the bowls, and call your vet if you notice one or both of them losing weight. You sound like you're a wonderful companion to your cats!

[janterry]

2. I don't know about harm

if you want to give them the most natural diet, then raw meat is the way to go (I say this as a vegetarian.......so, there's that).

But cats in the wild eat meat. My neighbor - when I was growing up, gave her cats raw liver. My mother (far more practical - thought it indulgent). But, as it turns out, my neighbor was probably right.

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/homemade-cat-food-and-raw-cat-food#1

[joeybee12]

3. Spoiling, not harming

Most dry has a lot of wjeat, so wet is fine. The good thing about dry is its better for their teeth. Sounds like they're getting enough of that at night.

[TeapotInATempest]

6. A grain free dry food would be a good option

There are lots of grain free options these days, luckily.

[elfin]

4. Dog owner here, but it sounds like they are "on to" you.

More treats! More treats! More treats NOW!

Wonder how they would react if you did the treat routine before you left and then just the dry and perhaps one treat and lots of lovies in the evening.

Much depends on if they have claws, I suspect.

[SamKnause]

5. I leave dry cat food out for my cat 24/7.

She eats when she is hungry.

She doesn't like tuna, but she likes the water the tuna is packed in.

She doesn't like chicken, but she likes the water the chicken is packed in.

She doesn't like canned cat food.

She likes almost any kind of broth; chicken, beef, pork.

She likes crunchy and soft cat treats but she doesn't get those very often.

She has been the same weight for 15 years.

She is thin and healthy.

[TeapotInATempest]

8. I agree with leaving dry food out all the time

Also, the water the tuna is packed in, as you mention, is a great treat. My vet recommends it for highly stressed cats to make sure they're drinking and getting some nutrients. Years ago, I trapped and brought in a feral who refused to eat or drink for 3 days (!). Giving her the water from a can of tuna turned her right around and she started eating and drinking normally. It was another 6 months before I was allowed to touch her, lol, but 14 years later she is still with me, loves me to death and likes to sleep on my head.

[Freddie]

9. Can't do that

I was doing free feeding when my boys were kittens and they were both overweight at their 1-year checkup. They also refused to eat wet food as the home I got them from only fed dry. Vet suggested limiting their dry to 1 cup per cat per day (1 half-cup serving each, breakfast and late evening) and wet food at dinner when they should be hungry. Seems to be working as they eat at least half of the can (Fancy Feast blue can) and weight seems to have stabilized.

[TeapotInATempest]

10. Interesting how they're all different, isn't it?

I suppose part of their "charm" is making us work so hard to figure out the little snowflakes!

[TexasProgresive]

12. Ours suck the juice out of can cat food.

[samplegirl]

7. I don't like dry food

Personally as most cat end up over weight and diabetic. I learned the hard way! Spent a year reversing his diabetes through diet and insulin. Finally got him off insulin so no more dry food here. Although now the have more options like grain free. Raw is best though.

[Catmusicfan]

11. I have one that is grain free.

[Catmusicfan]

13. Thanks for responding. I will look into all this.

[applegrove]

14. Put the food only in the kitchen. Their stomachs will lead them there and pretty soon They'll associ

associate the kitchen and you with good things. Better yet open the cans in front of them so They'll know you are mum.

[Catmusicfan]

16. They are making big steps. Since bringing in Mollie Brooks & Manny are coming out more.

Big break thru was that yesterday Brooks came up to me slowly and sniffed my hand. I still can't touch him but that was a Huge break thru for him

[procon]

15. I also feed my two cats Fancy Feast along with a premium, kibble.

As their primary source of protein, they have a grain free kibble available all the time from either a dish or a puzzle feeder that keeps them entertained. They share one can of the wet pate, divided between a morning and evening, it's more of an appetizer than a meal.

I only give them a few pieces of Temptations as an special activity they can only get from me as the only source of those yummy treats they love. Some treats I hand feed when they sit, others I incorporate into games like hide and seek where they have to find the pieces under a towel or a plastic cup. Or try tossing a treat on the coffee table or another chair for them to chase.

Sounds like you're doing just fine, and spoiled cats are happy cats, how can anyone resist? The only thing I'd add is that cats are naturally nocturnal hunters so they tend to be more active at night, and instinctively they want to eat and play then. Cats like to eat a little, groom themselves, play, then sleep, wake up and repeat, and young cats are more active than older ones. Cats are nibblers and they have fairly small stomachs, so you might try dividing their wet food into smaller portions to stretch out their meals. I really recommend the feeding activity puzzles to keep cats stimulated and interested in 'hunting' their food... and it's hilarious to watch them, too!

[Catmusicfan]

17. I was thinking of getting those. Rescue center said oh they don't play

But it doesn't make sense. They told us Manny and Brooks where found at 4 months old and if they had been with the rescue center for 8 months (they said they were a year old.) They shouldn't be so skittish. Also they first suggested that they kept anything Brooks could hide in away from him. That made no sense. I followed their suggestion for a couple days but I felt uncomfortable When I talked to a co-worker who rescue cats often and she confirmed that that was going against their nature. She said it sounded like abuse to her. Anyways Brooks is slowly building enough confidence to come out more and longer.

When we took Mollie they said Manny and Brooks had been housed together in Feb and they all got along. Mollie and Manny seems to get I to hissing fight- not physical that I have seen but hissing . Makes me wonder if they had been housed. You would think they would remember each other.

[procon]

18. Cats love to hide in cave-like spaces where they feel save and secure.

To better socialize or familiarize timid cats to their new digs, I would close off most rooms and place some "cat caves" or safe zones like cat trees or shelves in the areas where you spend the most time. You can use cardboard boxes for caves with a couple of doorways cut in the sides, or buy one of the many cave style beds available, also some cat trees have built in hidey holes too.

Let your cats hide in plain sight in a spot where they feel safe. The goal should be to get them more exposed to you and your house and let them watch what's going on around them while they are still feeling safe inside their space. At night, you can reward them by allowing them into your bedroom, and if they want to hide they will know you are still close by and there is no escaping because you will always be the center of their world.

Behavior problems like hissing are often stress induced, and the many changes in their environment is bound to affect them. I suspect that living in a busy shelter was also very stressful especially if they were not well socialized when young. When the cats start hissing, just intervene with a distraction activity and tempt them to move apart and interact with a favorite moving toy so the hissing doesn't escalate into open warfare.

[Catmusicfan]

19. Thanks. I have tried some of those activities But what got me was that the Rescue center kept them

from having any sort of cubbies or cat caves. Anything that Brooklyn could hide in they took it away. I was able to keep Manny and Mollie from hissing. I am also going to get cat trees and a couple of shelves.

[ginnyinWI]

20. Wet food v.s. dry

So many books and articles talk about how wet food is best and dry isn't, and they make a lot of sense. And they say it is a myth about dry food being better for teeth. Well--in my experience, my cats' teeth were better when they had some dry food. It's partly genetic--either they have a good mouth PH or they don't. I have a 12 year old cat with good mouth PH and she's never needed a dental. She also loves her dry food and would eat it exclusively if she could.

I've seen cats who love dry food and are fat, and those who are thin. Cats who love wet food and are fat, and those who are thin. It's all so individual.

I feed each of my cats half their daily calories in wet and half in dry.