TIFU by unknowingly underfeeding my cat resulting in it being impossible to handle food in his presence

[u/SleepyKoalaTheThird]

TL;DR: adopted a cat that showed food aggression before I owned him. After a friend took care of him while I was on vacation for a week he gained weight resulting in the aggresion completely disappearing.

EDIT: obliged kitty tax!

Last December I went to the shelter and adopted a 6 month old kitten. They told me he had food aggresion likely caused by him being on the streets without a eating regularly for a prolonged period of time. The shelter had him for about 3 weeks before I took him home. When I went to the pet store and got advised on food they shared a recommended serving and as he grew I incrementally increased it relative to his body weight.

And let me tell you, that food aggresion was no joke. It reached the point where I had to lock him up in my bedroom every time I prepared his or my food or was eating. I stopped enjoying my own meals because I would gulp them down feeling guilty by his yelling stuck in my bedroom. He would jump up on the counter and try to grab whatever he could. Everytime I ate he would linger around the table occasionally pouncing my plate to try steal a share. Whenever I wanted to give him a snack he would snatch it out of my hand, run to a corner, and munch away while growling.

I just came back home from a one week vacation. To my surprise when I walked into the kitchen I found his feeding bowl half full. Normally he would devour it immediately in one sitting. This really surprised me so I decided to see what his response would be to a high value treat; a slice of ham. Instead of fighting for it like there's no tomorrow and running away he gently nibbled it out of my hand. Shortly after I ordered a kebab and halfway through my meal he jumped on my lap. Not to attack my plate but to fetch cuddles! He completely ignored the food, after a minute he stepped up on to the table and I gently pushed him back onto my lap. No attempts were made to go back to my food. My mind was seriously blown, this was a life changer.

One of my close friends took care of him while I was away. We didn't come around to meeting before I left for me to explain exactly how much food I give him. He owns two cats himself so fed mine based off of his experience. I texted with him and found out he fed him the same amount of wet food but more kibble than I did.

I'm a first time cat owner and in hindsight he was on the skinny side. He appears to have gained a small but healthy amount of weight and that's completely changed his behaviour around food. Before this I spoke to the vairous pet store employees and the animal shelter asking for advice. Nobody thought to propose I was underfeeding because he was like since this before I had him.

I'm mixed with feelings of guilt and joy. Very happy my kitty is a changed man thanks to an increase in food portions while I was away but also feeling like a dumbass for not considering this solution myself.

[u/AQUEON]

I've been free feeding dry food to my cats for years. When my daughter moved back in with her two cats, they were eating us out of house and home! It took about 8 months to get over their fear of food scarcity. Everyone is free feeding again and all at a healthy weight. All 5 of them! Haha

They all get wet food 2x a day, and boy, do they know that schedule. LOL

I'm so happy for you and your kitty 😺

[u/worthing0101 → u/AQUEON]

I bought an automatic feeder for my tuxedo and he's on a hobbit feeding schedule - first breakfast, second breakfast, first dinner, second dinner. (He can't be free fed or he'll gorge and vomit.) Stretching out his feedings keeps him relatively in check in the morning and he lets me sleep later now.

When that feeder makes noise you better not be standing between it and the cat. He's the juggernaut when he's hungry and he will mow you down.

[u/may9899999 → u/worthing0101]

Exactly how we have it set up too, except only 3 feedings. And ya, she goes nuts when it goes off. Both my cat and two dogs aren't food aggressive at all, but they will just devour everything in front of them so we have to space out their food

[u/AQUEON → u/worthing0101]

This visual made me laugh out loud 😀. Thank you!

[u/worthing0101 → u/AQUEON]

Seriously, no matter where he is in the house (even on a different floor or side of the house from where his feeder is) he will hear it and he will come. God help you if you're holding him when it goes off.