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Moonlight
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« on: July 23, 2008, 07:34:05 AM » |
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I have a major problem with one of my cats. She is a 2 year old spayed female tabby cat that I rescued last January from being put to sleep. Her previous owners complained that she was urinating outside the litter box and had to put the cat down. They were using a mechanical litter box and the cat was terrified of it!
Needless to say, the cat has had no accidents since I brought her home with me. However, she has always had an INSATIABLE appetite and it's driving me crazy! The cat was overweight when I first got her, but since then she's lost most of her weight. (But she's still big!) I feed her Wellness and Tiki Cat; about half of a 3oz can 4 times a day. (I believe that she should be fed twice a day, but my mother always feels sorry for her.) As soon as you feed her, she is begging for more food! (and she licks the bowl clean!) This cat will literally throw herself between my dogs to get to food and has even stolen some of their food! It's as if she would risk her life for food because it's that important to her! This can't be normal!!?! I have to sit with my other cat while he is eating just to make sure she doesn't try to steal his food. She can be sleeping upstairs and if she hears you in the kitchen, she'll be right there to beg. Sometimes she'll even get diarrhea from overeating.
I have had her blood tested for thyroid and it came out negative. My vet simply said that "some cats are just like that." However, I can't live like this! Her life is governed by food!
Does anyone know of an herbal appetite suppressant that might help? Any other suggestions?! Please help!
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JustMe
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« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2008, 07:44:04 AM » |
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Moonlight,
How much does she currently weigh? Is she a small, large, or big boned feline? Does the vet think her weight is okay?
I don't think 6 ounce of wet food is an excessive amount on a daily basis. That is what I feed mine. They range in size from 6 pounds, to almost 20 pounds.
Have you tried one 3 ounce can twice a day for a total of 6 ounces of food?
You could try feeding them in separate rooms so she can't get at your other cat's food.
Maybe she was used to fighting for her food.
I'm sure there will be plenty of other ideas.
Cats all vary in how much they want to eat. The wellness 3 ounce cans say 2 cans per 6-8 pounds of adult cat weight. My 6 pound cat eats a little less, but my other cats eat more.
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I'm living the dream.
Pet food posts are solely observations on my pets' reactions to the foods I feed them, not recommendations.
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catbird
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« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2008, 07:53:45 AM » |
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My first thought is tapeworm. The cat may be eating the food, but not absorbing enough due to the worm. Tapeworm does not always show up in a stool sample; sometimes it takes several samples to find it. Any cat can get tapeworm, even an indoor one. Meds for other sorts of worms do not kill tapeworm; a specific med is needed.
Did the blood work you had done also check for nutrition-related concerns? (Low BUN, for example, could indicate that she is not getting or absorbing enough protein.) If the cat has some type of mal-absorption disorder, she may be eating the food but not getting the nutrition, so she is driven to eat more and more.
I don't think this is an excessive amount of food, either, especially for a young cat. In fact, for a large-bodied or very active cat, it might not be quite enough.
Cats can have this pattern due to past trauma, stress, or emotional neediness, as well. In those cases, it is important to adjust the eating pattern very slowly and carefully, to avoid further stress. If this turns out to be the case, I can give you more info. I have worked with several traumatized rescue cats.
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"When Mother Nature saw fit to remove the tail of the Manx, she left, in place of the tail, more cat." --Mary Stewart
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Orange Fuzzball
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« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2008, 09:46:47 AM » |
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I concur with catbird; get those other medical possibilities checked out. A parasite like a tapeworm would prevent her from absorbing enough food; she'd be hungry and lose weight no matter what she ate.
Two 3-ounce cans a day is not a lot of food. Once you've ruled out medical issues, if she still has an issue, you can give her a bit more food and monitor her weight. If she doesn't gain weight, she might just have a higher metabolism and will do well on a bit more.
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Moonlight
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« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2008, 10:05:00 AM » |
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I will have her stool checked...However, she is NOT loosing weight! In fact, she gained again! So weight loss is certainly not the problem. It's just her constant hunger!
Would you notice any signs of anything in the stool with tapeworm?
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catbird
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« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2008, 10:13:58 AM » |
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You might or you might not see anything in the stool with tapeworm. It is more likely that you would notice shed worm segments around her anus or in places where she sleeps. They look like little dried grains of rice. However, a cat can have tapeworm without this being present.
She could be gaining weight and still be excessively hungry if she is not absorbing some nutrients properly. Her body could be driving her to get those nutrients. The diarrhea is what made me think of this.
What are you feeding her?
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"When Mother Nature saw fit to remove the tail of the Manx, she left, in place of the tail, more cat." --Mary Stewart
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Moonlight
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« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2008, 01:14:14 PM » |
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Wellness and Tiki Cat
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catbird
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« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2008, 01:26:34 PM » |
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Wellness and Tiki Cat
Different flavors? or only a few kinds? What I'm wondering about is if food sensitivities could be part of it. Food sensitivities can cause all sorts of behavioral manifestations in cats. And interfere with nutrient absorption. |
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"When Mother Nature saw fit to remove the tail of the Manx, she left, in place of the tail, more cat." --Mary Stewart
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catwoods
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« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2008, 01:46:42 PM » |
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These are all good suggestions. My former feral always wants more food; having been out on her own, I think she never got over thinking, "Gobble now, there might not be more in the future".
Checking the cat out medically is a good idea. She seems way too young for diabetes, but I had a diabetic cat who had a voracious appetite. The vet said that because her system wasn't using glucose properly, her body craved more food to get more glucose.
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« Last Edit: July 23, 2008, 09:31:39 PM by catwoods »
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lesliek
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« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2008, 06:01:05 PM » |
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I would definitely check for all types of worms,but this doesn't seem excessive for a large active cat. Have you tried some treats in between meals ? If hunger was a problem when the cat was young,they sometimes still react that way later. My Punkin gets a Tbsp more at each meal than Oreo,but he gobbles his food quickly[so quickly it sometimes comes back !] & tries to steal Oreo's & even the dogs if I don't stand there & monitor them. He was a street feral til 8-9 yrs old & I think he will always think eat now while its available !
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"the world's most inept extortionist"
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Mandycat
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« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2008, 09:26:14 PM » |
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I have to agree with all previous comments, and I don't think that 6 oz. of food a day is excessive. How much does she actually weigh? My first thought was either Hyperthyroidism or Diabetes since both cause cats to crave more food and lose weight despite what they are eating. Since you have already checked on the thyroid, you might want to have a fasting glucose test done to check for the diabetes. It might also be a good idea to have the thyroid test repeated if she loses weight even though she still wants more food if the glucose for diabetes is okay. I had a cat who developed Hyperthyroidism, but tests didn't show it right away for some reason. She had lost quite bit of weight before the test was postive. But since she wanted to eat all the time, I was very suspicious that the thyroid was the problem since her glucose was fine.
I think I would see how she would do if you fed her 3 oz. in the morning, 3 oz. in the evening, and about 1 1/2 oz. before bed. That seem to be what my cat requires. She weights 13 lbs., but is pretty big boned. I'd like her to lose a bit anyway, about a pound, since she picked up about that much after some steriods for an allergy incident last year and hasn't managed to lose it.
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kaffe
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« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2008, 10:37:37 PM » |
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If you ruled out worms, hyperthyroidism, diabetes and cushings (rare in cats but it happens), then I think this cat's desire to have more food is simply becuase she needs more than 6 oz per day. You say you feed 1/2 of a 3oz can 4 times a day. Well, that's 1.5oz per meal, right? Increase that a tad - 2oz or even 2.5oz. Also, the insatiable appetite may be a psychological "tick" which will gradually dissipate as the cat realizies that there will always be food for her everyday. Maybe the previous owners witheld food from her a few times in the past.
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"A righteous man respects the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." (Prov. 12: 10)
"The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it" (Old Chinese Proverb)
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Moonlight
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« Reply #12 on: July 27, 2008, 05:24:32 PM » |
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Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
The cat weighs about 14 pounds.
I will first have her stool checked and then take it from there.... I have tried giving her "treats" of food in between meals too, but that still doesn't seem to curb her appetite.
I will keep you posted. Thanks again!
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Don Earl
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« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2008, 05:40:52 PM » |
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Also, the insatiable appetite may be a psychological "tick" which will gradually dissipate as the cat realizies that there will always be food for her everyday.
I was wondering about something along those lines also. I've been feeding a semi feral stray since last Winter. He was skin and bones at the time and I was almost amazed at the amount of food he could pack away. He put on quite a bit of weight early on and was getting a bit on the plump side after the first few months. Since then, though, he's gotten used to it being there for him when he wants it, and he's at a pretty normal, healthy size. He doesn't try to eat everything in one sitting, but rather eats what he's hungry for, then comes back later for the rest. It might be worthwhile trying bigger portions less often. Let it eat as much as it can hold of 6 ounces once a day, then feed the remainder later on. |
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