Kitty eating issues

[alwaysamess]

Hello from Cobra and Tofu's mom!

Cobra, formally Siheung kitty, is doing fantastic in her new home. We are greatly enjoying her presence. I'm happy to say that all parties involved are incredibly happy and content with this whole thing.

I would like to discuss my concern about her eating issues. She was a street cat all her life before I got her. From getting to know her, she's had a hard life. She's still very shy and is still gaining confidence little by little. Her biggest issue is with food, rightfully so. Maybe you can offer some insight. The doc said she's over a year old, so for that time, she's had to fend for herself out on the unforgiving streets.

She's already made lots of progress with some issues. When she first got her, she was ready to fight Tofu if he even got 1 meter away from her while she was eating. She was downright vicious. Now, they eat out of the same bowl even though there are 2. That's huge progress, actually.

Her existing issues include trying to rob any food, even just a scrap, and running off to obsessively ingest it. I combat this by putting the food waste bag in the fridge (gross I know) and always cleaning up/rinsing everything as soon as I'm finished with it. The food waste, by the way, is taken outside almost daily. I have to always secure the regular trash because if there's even the smell of something on a wrapper, she'll sort through the entire thing. She'll take just about anything and once it made her sick. There was only a couple of drops on chocolate on the lid of an ice cream container. I just put it in the sink without rinsing it. Come on, what are a couple of drops. Well, she tracked it down and I caught her licking it clean. Later that night she had diarehha. She's also even taken orange peels. I mean, who eats orange peels? I left them out and went to the bathroom quite briefly. I came back and she'd already taken 3. This worries me because I just don't know what she's going to try to eat, like what if I forget to wash out a wine glass or she licks soap or something.

Actually, she's the perfect cat for us. She was totally one of the best decisions I ever made. Her food issues are only a tiny inconvenience for me. I just altered my routine. I just feel really sorry for her. I don't want her to feel like she needs to do that anymore. I also have to keep on my toes to keep her safe.

So after all that, if you have any experience with a kitty with food issues, could you share your experience? I know cats are very individual so no story will be alike. Is there anything I can do to help Cobra feel a little more secure? I'm already taking good care of her and she gets a huge dinner (no breakfast cuz I know she'll wake me up expecting it). She's definately gained some much needed weight since she's been here, and I think she can stand to gain some more. In all other areas, she feels quite comfortable. She and Tofu chase each other around the house regularly. She's an unbelievable cuddler, but not in bed. Only when I'm on the sofa ready to look her way. As a matter of fact, she's acting as my scarf as I type this. She loves her mommy, that's for sure.

Thanks in advance!

[Karen]

Hi there!

I'm so happy that all is going well, it makes me smile to read how smoothly Cobra has fit into your family :D

OK, I'm going to admit before I start this that my post won't be too helpful since it's going to be about dogs, not a previously-on-the-street cat, but I thought I'd share anyway.

Just today I stupidly put a plate of cookies on the low table for a guest and looked the other way and then Tada! quite a few cookies went missing! (sorry guest, these aren't fit for serving anymore.) We have even caught our dog STANDING ON the kitchen table cleaning off the plates when we ONCE forgot to push in the chairs after dinner and stepped away (thankfully no guest was there that day). She has never been a street dog, I might add, and she gets plenty of food and treats. In a similar case, when I was home last summer there was a power outage during a storm. When we heard a crack of lightening, we went to the window to see if we could see anything. This was my mom's first month with her dog, Chin Chin, keep in mind. When we returned to sit back in the lightless living room, my mother exclaimed "Hey, where's my sandwich?" Gone-dee! Also, I once caught Chin Chin chewing on a delicious bottle of Burt's Bees coconut footcream, but I admit it smelled yummy and I wanted to eat some, too.

We try to keep any desirable item out of the way, but it's really difficult because dogs are so sneaky. It sounds like Cobra is, too. With her feline advantage of being able to get to just about anything, it must be even harder (my dog can't get to the sink, thank God).

My best guess is that Cobra will need a lot of time to become secure in her food situation, after several weeks or months with her new meal routine. Maybe someone else has a more directly relevant story, but I don't think my dog will ever stop stealing food (or taking what she deems available).

[alwaysamess]

Wow! Those guys are crafty! I love the sandwich story. Liked all of them! haha!

These 2 guys are my first pets on my own. I think back to my dogs when mom and dad fed them and stuff and we had the same issues. Always watching out for those moochers! I guess I'm spoiled because Tofu had zero issues so, believe it or not, I could leave piles of steaks on the counter and come back to see Tofu either hanging next to them just like "what are those" or he wouldn't even be around. I trust Tofu around food even today. He always does sniff-checks. If I'm eating, he just comes up to check out what's going on. It's like, "Oh, hey, what's on the menu today? Ah...chicken and salad. Good choice. See ya!" He still does sniff-checks.

Tofu, of course, is not a normal cat. He's Turbocat, so I guess Turbocats don't steal. Normal cats do. But my poor little angel face Cobra feels a compulsion to even steal even not delicious food. Poor little girl!

Gosh...I hope the day never comes when she jumps onto a fry pan I'm using in desperation to steal. I could totally see her doing that. In fact, I've caught her getting ready for a raid like that. I just have to cook armed with the spray bottle to keep her at a distance.

[Karen]

Gosh...I hope the day never comes when she jumps onto a fry pan I'm using in desperation to steal. I could totally see her doing that. In fact, I've caught her getting ready for a raid like that. I just have to cook armed with the spray bottle to keep her at a distance.
That's hilarious (the part about arming yourself to cook, not the image of the frypan, that is). I hope it never comes to that!

Oh, I want to add one story: Once Sage ate a Lipton teabag and we had to induce vomitting because caffeine can be poisonous :( She would do it again in a flash, though, I know she would. Which leads me to my next thought...

Here is a link to some ASPCA poison info just in case Cobra gets to something more questionable:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_dyk

Um, yes ASPCA, I could have guessed that batteries wouldn't feel good in someone's stomach...

Wait. One more story. Chin Chin ate a dead frog once and puked it up in the middle of the night. I was halfway through cleaning it when my husband told me what she'd eaten (he didn't pull it out of her mouth as I had done the day before), then I was even more grossed out. Expected to see an eyeball or something... Shudder to think!

[alwaysamess]

EEEEWWW...*shudder* I would have wished that he never told me it was a frog in the first place. haha!

The aspca thingy is cool! Thanks!

And yes, I seriously have to cook armed. I made my homemade meatballs last night (Sat.) and I swear I heard the Mission: Impossible theme in the background. You have no idea the fiasco that underwent. She was so desperate that she was practically swinging off the chandelier. At one point, she made a flying leap, but I caught her in mid-air. I've never seen anything like this before! I was mixing up the meatball mixture and I had to pee really bad. I actually had to bring the bowl in with me to the bathroom. I had no space in the fridge for the large bowl and I couldn't leave it even for a moment.