[robert4301]

I adopted two black cats 5 1/2 months ago. They are now 10 and 14 months old. Since day one, they get NO treats or people food. They are fed twice per day at fixed times. Any uneaten food is removed after about 30 minutes.

As a result, these kitties don't bother me about food except at feeding time. Plus, I can eat without the cats pestering me for people food. I feel able to control their weight as they age, easily and without stress to the cats.

I'm almost 60 and have had cats all my life. Cats begging for food treats is sometimes cute. As I've gotten older, it's just a nuisance and definitely not good for the cats.

 

[hal1]

Yup. Toby is 11 months old now. I've never directly given him any of my food, but on 2 or 3 occasions I have slipped some in to his bowl, so that he (hopefully) didn't see the connection between my food and his.

I know he's sharp enough that if I give him some of mine while I'm eating he'll learn the the first time to always hang around me when I'm eating.

It's hard (on me), but I know it's best and what he doesn't know doesn't bother him.

 

[jusjim]

This sounds perfectly reasonable providing you apply similar rules to yourself. No treats; no cat food. :lol:

 

[robert4301]

This sounds perfectly reasonable providing you apply similar rules to yourself. No treats; no cat food. :lol:

Plenty of treats for me and I've tried cat food. Kibble isn't too bad, but canned isn't very tasty at all!

 

[cinderflower]

this sounds perfectly reasonable providing you apply similar rules to yourself. No treats; no cat food. :lol:

lol

 

[mainecoonmama]

Yeah, my two have gotten brave lately and I have caught them sniffing at my plate. *enter Mr.Water bottle* Problem solved

 

[spotty cats]

Mine eat people food and are raw fed but don't beg for food, bother us while we eat or wake us up for breakfast, more than enough cats to ensure there is no leftover food too so no need to monitor plates needing to be taken away

 

[kty78]

Mine don't beg for our food but they bug me while I'm cooking because they're just so nosy. If I get something out they have to see what it is. But now they've had 2 raw meals and Ollie tries to dig a hole in the stainless steel trash can when I throw a meat wrapper in there. I hope I'm not creating a monster.

 

[Straysmommy]

I have the opposite problem, my 3 cats totally refuse to eat from my plate or share my food or eat anything at all that is edible to humans. I bring them my leftovers of cooked meats from work but they never touch them. Princess will once in a blue moon ask for a tiny corner of the cracker I'm eating, but they won't even eat tuna or sardines together with me. It's a sad existence...

As for treats, I give them only on Tuesdays and Fridays. If for some reason I had to give them treats on another day (introductions, vet visit, door-dashing), then I skip the treat on the following Tuesday / Friday. They never ask for treats, but if they see me, even from afar, grabbing the Temptations or Greenies bag (someone brought a few to me from the US), they go absolutely crazy.

 

[Straysmommy]

There's a lot of different meats in my house very often because I cut and prepare the raw meats for the strays. However, my house cats aren't interested in anything except their raw liver, raw chicken breast and Orijen kibble. And some Natural Balance raw. They smell with interest but never touch absolutely anything else. I had a pile of just-made beef steaks from a chef-restaurant (back from a business dinner where no one touched the steaks because we were all so full) and I gave it to the strays, same as any other meat leftovers I have. The strays went crazy with happiness.

 

[Penny135]

Mia has never tried to eat off my plate or beg for food I'm making. I attributed it to the fact that I have never given her anything off my plate or food while making it and I have had her sence she was 7 weeks old. I did try to give her a treat for the first time ever on Thursday. I had gotten her some at walmart. She sniffed it, batted it around, then left it alone. Guess I wont buy anymore.

 

[littlesushi]

neither of ours beg or try to eat off our plates, or jump on the counters when we are preparing meals, though they might hang out with us in the kitchen. EXCEPT when im cutting up their raw food. somehow aster knows and will jump up and try to eat stuff off the cutting board.

 

[kty78]

Maybe I should stop opening amd plating their food on the counter because my cats will not get out of the way any time I am in the kitchen. I put them down and they just jump back up. I think I will go somewhere else to fix their food and see if that helps. They don't get on the table when we eat, just the dang counters.

 

[Goldtanker]

Midnight, the wild cat, eats in the garage, and normally gets a meal of dry food with a topping of wet food (when he returns from his all-night forays in the woods with the foxes). He loves it. Of course, since he is the luckiest cat in the world, he also gets occasional leftovers from the people who own the garage. :wink: Yesterday he got leftover grilled SWORDFISH! He liked it! Not usually available in the woods in Minnesota.

I understand that this would be an impossible situation for cats that live indoors.