New kittie - bad habits

[WannaBrie]

So my new kittie, Wilson is great, He's full of spunk and very lovey. But he has a couple things that I hope maybe someone (probably you Morea!) might have some insight into. The first thing is that he farts. No warning and no sound just suddenly the worst stink I have ever smelled!! Seems to happen either when he gets excited or just jumping up onto my lap. The bad habit he has is he is the worst beggar! I don't give him table scraps and I've been feeding him pretty good canned food twice a day. He eats one can every meal. sometimes right after eating he'll stand at the bowl and meow for more. I don't give it to him, but the begging thing drives me crazy...He sits right at our feet at the table while we're eating and meows throughout the meal, then follows me into the kitchen when I'm cleaning up. Will this pass over time since he's not getting anything? The last thing is that he was an outside kitty and cries at the door a lot. I have to be real careful that he doesn't get out every time we open the door...will he get over this?

[Aerix]

I can't offer a solution for the flatulent problems, but my cat used to do the same. You'd be sitting there, and randomly be hit with the stench. My cat is a bit older now, and doesn't do it anymore. As for the begging, keeping a regular feeding schedule is a good idea, and within time I'm sure that he will learn to adjust. My cat always gets antsy around the time when he knows he is going to be fed.

As for your last problem, I can't offer much of a solution, but I do understand that. My cat went from being one that would stay outside for a day or two before we saw him (lived in the country.) Once we moved, he had to become and indoor cat mostly. By making sure the cat knows not to go outside; i.e. telling it no, or a spray of water, he should learn a little bit. We still take him outside, he is on a leash though. Make sure the cat knows what is wrong and what is right, and he'll learn. Reward him/her with a treat when he/she does what you expect.

[WannaBrie]

Thanks Aerix, so you're saying your cat basically outgrew the flatulence thing? Wilson is pretty young (about 2) so that's good news.

[urstwile]

This article (http://www.petplace.com/cats/flatulence-in-cats/page1.aspx) talks about the flatulence thing.

What made the most sense to me was the idea of feeding the cat smaller, more frequent meals, which might also help with the begging thing.

[budafist]

Our Mentex used to be the worst begger. She would try and sit on you while you ate or swipe food off your plate. I was just really mean to her when I was eating. I'll push her away quite firmly or pick her up and put her in another room. Now she will wait quietly a few feet away until we are done and only then she can clean the plates if she wants.

[morea]

re: flatulence

- has the cat been checked for intestinal parasites?

- does the food contain fish or lots of grains? What brand do you consider "pretty good" canned food? Cats are not built to digest grains (wheat, soy, etc), and some have adverse reactions to beef and fish. The vast majority of cats are lactose intolerant - if you are feeding any milk, cheese, etc. be sure to cut that out of his diet.

- has the vet checked to see if his anal sacs are impacted? I'm not sure if that would do it, but it's possible.

- is the flatulence the only symptom? Does he vomit after eating, have diarrhea, or seem to be losing weight at all?

- check out this info: http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=27811


re: begging

- feed at regular meal times, then rinse out his dish - don't leave it so he can smell food on it.

- be consistent - never give him more when he begs, and never give him food off your plate or he will become a chronic beggar.

- you might be able to distract him with a toy when he starts begging.

- if put him in "time out" (shut him in a bedroom, etc) while you clean up, and then let him out when you're done. Once all food items are picked up, he should realize that you don't have anything to beg for.


re: door darting

- ideally, if you have a double-entry point (like a garage - go into the garage and close the door to the house, that way if he gets out with you, he is stuck in the garage. Don't open the garage door until you have safely closed the house door) use that. It always worked for me.

- Any time you go in or out the door, say "psst, psst, psst," almost like you're hissing. That works on my cats.

- Throw a favorite toy away from the door when leaving, and wait for kitty to run off after it to buy a little more time to get out the door.

- Have a safety collar and identification tags on your cat at all times in case he DOES get out.

- Provide a window seat for him where he can sit and get fresh air through a screen. (I installed special thick, pet-safe screens so the cats couldn't push through them, but that is not always necessary. If you're interested you can get rolls of the screen at places like Home Depot or Lowe's.)

- here is some more info you might find helpful:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2309.htm
http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=38689
http://www.icraeastbay.org/DoorDarting.php
http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=41470
http://www.meowfoundation.com/health/discipline.html

- My cats know the words "cat treat," and they know where the cat treats are kept in the kitchen. (Most cat treats are full of dangerous preservatives and worse, but I do give these guys feline greenies) so when I come home and they meet me at the door I ask "who wants a cat treat?" and they all run to the cupboard and wait for their greenies. (Note: you really have to be consistent about giving them a treat when you tell them that you're going to for this to remain effective.)


in time, particularly with consistent behavioral training, your cat should stop begging AND door darting, though the latter is something that you will always want to watch out for.

Hope that helps some.

[PrintDriver]

My cat is a nibbler. If you give her more than a quarter can of cat food at a time she doesn't eat it and sure as heck won't eat it if it's dried out in the dish. We give her 1/4 can in the morning but all day she has access to a dish of vet-recommended kibbles (the vet doesn't promote canned soft food for dental reasons). She gets one dish of those a day that she seems content to nibble on every couple hours. She only ever 'begs' if something comes in off the BBQ. She'll get her own plate of burger juice but never on the table. She gets the occasional treat too. She knows 'Eat your Kibbles," and "Want a Munchie?" and believe it or not, "Go to Bed!" (why do cats think sun-up is breakfast time, no matter what time or day it is?) Though occasionally we find her in the kitchen trash if something particularly tasty-smelling gets in there (greasy chinese food boxes are apparently a fave).

She's going onto a healthy 10 years now and still playing like a kitten. Our former cat lasted over 23 years on nearly the same diet (though that one begged more if anything fish was involved, and would kill for lobster, LOL!)

[Broacher]

Dang, thought this might be an exposé on the 'other' Kitty here.

(with pictures of course)

Ah well. Back to work. No more pussy fartin' around this next job.

[sigh]

[PrintDriver]

who's working?
Holiday here. :p

[urstwile]

Poor Broacher's not on holiday, he's in Canada. :( Oh well, I think they had a holiday last weekend?

[Red Kittie Kat]

Dang, thought this might be an exposé on the 'other' Kitty here.

(with pictures of course)




Oooh that sounds sexy ... :D

That would be a great title for the story of my life ... An Expose' On Kittie :D

[WannaBrie]

Re: flatulence.

Read the article. Good stuff there. I got him from the humane society, so he had a full check up from them before I could bring him home. (or at least that’s my understanding) He’s not doing any vomiting or having any diarrhea, so I suspect its either the food or the fact that he consumes it too fast. I have been feeding him only canned and have been reading the labels and getting the highest protein possible (I have read several of the articles you posted regarding feline nutrition – I wish I could afford to give him some of the foods suggested on the internet, but I am on a pretty tight budget. –I started off feeding him “fancy feast” but switched to “friskies” because he didn’t seem to be getting enough with those little cans.) I feed him one can in the morning and one at night and he pretty much eats the entire can. (I don’t leave out what he doesn’t finish – I usually throw it out after 30 mins as its never enough to refridgerate.

Thanks for the suggestions on begging. I always remove his dish after feeding and wash, but I will try the “kitty time out” thing.

Also, thanks for the links on door darting…good stuff there. I haven’t tried any treats for him, was worried about the nutrition value in those but I will try the “greenies”.

Thanks again all, especially Morea, you are always a fountain of good information!:)

[morea]

check out the prices at www.petfooddirect.com - I have heard loads of positive feedback about them. They have specials on food all the time (20-25% off retail at times, and/or free shipping), but they only ship within the US (sigh).

good luck, and let us know how it goes! :)