Cat Advice? Because I'm running out of earplugs...

[Kitkumi]

A little long, but we are in need of some help from other pet owners.

As in any cat - owner relationship, I accept my place at the bottom of the hierarchy with grace and understand that I am only loved for my ability to use thumbs. My furball (who begrudgingly answers to the name Stella) is pretty low maintenance and has been around for about four years now. I'm pretty sure on some level she is thankful that I took her out of the local shelter and gave her a home with regular feeding hours and treats of tuna on special occasions.

The problem here is with the feeding and I could use some suggestions >_>

When Stella came into my life, I was still living with my parents. Six months ago my fiance and I bought a house and after a short time kitty moved in to her new home. She's actually adjusted great and is more social and friendly now then I have ever seen her. Social, friendly, and ungodly LOUD come the hour or more before feeding time.

She gets fed at 8am for breakfast and 9pm for dinner, 1/4 cup of food. Except, she has decided that 8am is much too late in the day for breakfast and thus begins the song of her people at 6am instead. And 9 at night for dinner? Well that is just unheard of! And so at 8pm she begins to voice her complaints. It's a one-cat-protest. Any other time of the day she has a very dainty, quiet meow. When she's hungry its more like a rock concert sung way off key and like the lead singer is dying.

We can't get her a feeder that just keeps spitting out food because she is known to gorge herself (she got into the bag of food once... never again). We've tried locking her out of the room in the morning when she starts up, but she will actually throw herself into the door and recently that line of defense fell when she finally figured out how to OPEN said door. We just got her an automatic 2-portion feeder that you can set a timer on so that it pops open, but she forgets it is there (it will pop open but she will come wake us up anyway because she doesn't check first). We've been trying to train her with a bell so that, if she hears a bell, its food time. We then attached a bell to the lid of the feeder but it doesn't make enough noise when it opens (and there has been an unforeseen side effect of what happens when the doorbell rings )

Anyone have any other options/tips/tricks/advice we could try? She's a great cat, and I love her to death and am happy to have her (she's actually curled up beside me at the moment) but we've got to get the feeding/yeowling thing under control.

[LightingElectricDream]

Could her food not be feeding her?

what brad are you useing?

Are there more veggies then meet product?

If it has more veggies what you may be dealing with is you cat is feeling hungry because they can't dygest grains and veggies, it doesn't feed them.
You should look for a meet and rice beacus they are herbivores. so veggies are actually unhealthy for them.

You may try roasting a chicken de-boneing it, taking all the knuckles off and shred it put in in a zip lock bag and throw it in the freezer, then feed her the half a cup of chicken in the after noon. she can't gain waite on healthy food.   

Kitties are grazers they have a high protein diet and that burns off quickly.

If you don't wanna do the chicken,
then you could just move up to 3 scoops a day.


Hope this helps.

[kaoskat]

Looks like you got some great advice. Best of luck!

[Heartcease]

My cats just like to sing, no matter if their bowls are full or not.  Are you sure it's hunger?  Mine usually just want attention, and they don't care that we're sleeping.

[Icecrystalline]

My girl cries and cries and cries sometimes. It made me cry once listening to her, because I couldn't make her stop. In the end, I just ended up picking her up and gently rocking her in my arms like a baby until she purred and fell asleep. All she wanted was for mamma to stop pony spa-ing and pick her up and give her some love.

[Kitkumi]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to comment!

I'm pretty sure its hunger or she -thinks- that its time for food. I've tried picking her up when she starts but she will have none of that and typically just runs to where I keep the food container if I try to get close to her. I've tried playing with her via laser light and feather wand as well, but though she normally always goes after things like that when she starts the 'feeding time blues' she just ignores them.

The food thing is feeding her at the given times it is supposed to. In the evening I can hear it pop open and in the morning it is open, she just doesn't realize it (there have been times its open and I have had to put her in front of it for her to realize 'oh. there IS food here'). We are currently feeding her Iams weight control (she's 13 pounds, but a lot of that is also her body type). I'll have to check the contents of it. I had never thought of/heard of the veggie thing. And chicken would NOT be a problem. The only thing she likes more is tuna if she can get a hold of it lol. I'll see about safely changing her diet to see if it helps

[HawaiianRain]

What about feeding her more then twice? dividing the two portions into four or three as stated above.

[Rhini]

My cats do this too, and for a while it was just awful and never ending, but for whatever reason they've gotten better about it. They still do it occasionally, the yowling and throwing themselves at the door, but they stop much quicker and just go away. Sam used to stand there and yowl and bang for an hour if he had to, now he just goes away after a little while. The problem is I'm not sure what made them stop doing it 

I think it may just be a thing where she needs some time to adjust, and I'd look into her diet as well. My kitties get dry food in the morning, but wet food at night. I think it's a lot more filling and has a lot more actual meat in it and they really love it. 9 pm actually does sound a little late to me, I feed me cats breakfast at 7 am and dinner at 6pm. Maybe try moving up her dinner time an hour or two.

Also maybe you could put the food thing in front of your door? Just so theres no mistaking her finding the food. Then gradually move it back where its supposed to be.

[Galactica]

I don't agree that more food is a solution unless your cat is skinny.  More food, even healthy food- will make your cat fat.

My wife's cats have this problem.  The only long term solution has been earplugs and a sound machine.  When we moved to a bigger place, we gave them their own "pad" in the basement- and now they still sing for dinner, but are far far away and I can't hear them.

My other cat (who fights with the other two so can't get stuck in the basement overnight) also is a complete pain in the neck in the morning- especially in the summer when she's feeling frisky.  SHE is not food motivated though- she just wants me to get UP.  The only thing that gets her to sleep to a sane hour is to completely wear her out the day before (she likes walks, car rides and her giant hamster wheel- so we just have to make sure she has had at least a busy evening)

[Aquarel]

I don't agree that more food is a solution unless your cat is skinny.  More food, even healthy food- will make your cat fat.

My wife's cats have this problem.  The only long term solution has been earplugs and a sound machine.  When we moved to a bigger place, we gave them their own "pad" in the basement- and now they still sing for dinner, but are far far away and I can't hear them.

My other cat (who fights with the other two so can't get stuck in the basement overnight) also is a complete pain in the neck in the morning- especially in the summer when she's feeling frisky.  SHE is not food motivated though- she just wants me to get UP.  The only thing that gets her to sleep to a sane hour is to completely wear her out the day before (she likes walks, car rides and her giant hamster wheel- so we just have to make sure she has had at least a busy evening)

Giant hamster weel... 0.o that is one weird kitty you have there. Admittenly, mine's a kangaroo-wannabe (used to crawl up in the pouch of my hoodie, now it's the entire sweater that does the trick)

[melodys_angel]

Best of luck hun--looks like you found some good advice

[alkevin]

My cat also wakes me up at 6:00 a.m. and if I don´t answer, she will turn up the lights.

[HavACrumpet452]

I would just split up her food into more daily feedings, not necessarily more food.

[Aquarel]

I ment to answer or offer some advice as well, just clicked post too quickly. It looks as if you have tried a lot of possibilities here. Ours also miauw when they see me coming downstairs but they are not really that loud or demanding when it doesn't come right away.

With my moms cat (who also opened doors) we turned the crutch up so she can't jump on it and open the door. Maybe that is something you can try?

[Tiffymh1fan]

It really sounds like your doing a good job already. Just keep training her. Im sure some people will give you some good advice on here too.