Please help - issues with my cat

In My Humble Opinion
1

I have a darling cat, Horton, who is making me crazy. He’s had a long run of health problems, from a broken hip to urinary crystals severe enough to require a PU (perineal urethrostomy) surgery. He was eating special urinary health kibbles for a year or so before he started throwing up a lot. When it got to be more than a couple of times a week, I brought him to the vet, who gave me the name of another food to try, and he also told me to switch to wet food, any kind, if the other dry one didn’t work out. Well, he refused to touch the other food, so he’s on canned food now.

Here’s my problem. We have two other cats. The cost of feeding them ALL canned food will get a little crazy, so they free-feed on their usual kibble all day and I feed Horton canned food while keeping the other cats away from him (because they are bullies and will steal it). Because he’s a little guy, Horton won’t eat more than a tablespoon or two at a time, so we end up feeding him several times a day. This would not bother me except that he has decided that one of his feeding times should be around 5am.

He’ll smack at the bedroom door and whine for over a half hour and by then I give up and have to go feed him. I mean, I’m not sleeping, at this point, so I may as well get the food out so he shuts up. At first I tried the spray bottle, but all he did was run off and come back 5 minutes later - just after I’d gotten comfy in bed again! At first I figured it wasn’t a big deal, go feed him, stand there 5 minutes while he eats, and go back to bed. But now he comes back to the bedroom after he’s done and plays the “piss mommy off” game. A couple weeks ago I decided to just let him come sleep in the bedroom (he’s not usually allowed), and he stayed for an hour and then wanted out. And then in. And back out. Sigh. It’s now a two hour ordeal every night, starting with a demand for food and then bugging me at the door for the next hour and a half. I’m not letting him in anymore, I just keep the spray bottle by the bed and open the door, find him, spray the shit out of him, and go back to bed. I think he’s finding it funny.

I need sleep. Part of why I don’t have babies yet is because I don’t like the idea of never sleeping again!! What can I do? I’ve considered a baby gate at the end of the hallway, but I’m not sure there’s a good way to set one up that the cats can’t jump over or get around somehow. I am really reluctant to keep Horton cooped up in a room all night, because it would mean a second litterbox, plus it seems mean and I’m a softie.

Any ideas? Is confinement my only hope?

2

I think this is really the most reasonable answer. Put him in there with some food and a litterbox. He’ll be fine. It’s kinder than spraying him with water in my opinion.

3

We use Sscat cat repellent at our bedroom door for my cat who likes to scratch and thump and howl at the bedroom door. We had to turn it on for a couple of nights when we got it, and now I just have to use it occasionally to refresh her memory about bedroom door etiquette.

4

Ear plugs.

5

First, I LOVE the name Horton. Adorable.

When I’ve had cats who needed to be fed separately, I’ve done twice a day feedings. No more. Morning and after work, kitty and I would go into a separate room (usually the bathroom). I would praise and pet for a little bit, then read. Kitty gets to eat the special food and whatever doesn’t get eaten either goes to the others or goes in the fridge.

In situations where you’re ending up doing hovering to fend off the other cats, I find that the cat getting the special food rarely eats much. They’re too keyed up by the excitement of the moment, so taking them into another room is calmer and my cats LOVE this special individual attention.

Cats are very habitual, in my experience. You need to establish a clear pattern and not stray from it much.

And yes, this might involve ignoring him at times. Don’t let him in the room and don’t feed him on demand or he will OWN you. :smiley:

6

I’ll keep it simple and let you judge for yourself: google meowspace

7

Wow! Thanks for that link. What a great idea.

8

I have four cats and feed them all separately. I feed once in the am and once in the pm. My cats only get canned, but it would work for any type of food.

The key is consistency in the routine.

I feed each cat in a room with a closed door - 3 in each of the bedrooms and 1 in the bathroom

I feed the cats in the same room every time, and put the plates down in the same order every time. They know which room is their place to eat, and go right in at feeding time. This only took a couple of feedings to sort out - they caught on to the routine quickly.

I like it this way because I know exactly who is eating what, and I can tell if any cat is not eating.

It takes a bit of extra effort and time (especially if you feed kibble - that takes longer to eat), but it works out well in my cat-world.

9

That Meowspace thingy sounds like a good idea if you want to spring for it, but if Horton is significantly smaller than the other cats, maybe you can design your own enclosure with an entry-hole small enough so that only he can get in.

The other solution would be to just feed him in your room and let him sleep in there, as well. There are a variety of conventional enclosures you can buy/make for food and/or litter, if you don’t want that stuff out in the open in your bedroom.