Survey: street cats vs "sheltered" cats

Pippin and Mithu were both adopted at 10-12 weeks old from a shelter.
I believe that they were both surrenders from homes, rather than
strays. Neither one is obsessed with food. They certainly would never
refuse an extra feeding, and they complain when it's late, but they
seem to be fine with their two cans of Fancy Feast a day.

Fizz (RB), Yogi, and now Louie, were all strays for much longer, and
all three were obsessed with food. They'd vacuum up every morsel and
try to muscle their way into Pippin and Mithu's bowls. Louie is the
worst, though, he literally eats anything he can find on the ground:
crumbs, litter pellets (Feline Pine), a gummy bear... I'm starting
to feed him more during the day, but with each meal he gets so worked
up he's like a pinball trying to get to the bowl as I put the gooshy
food in.

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

-Caroline S.

"Caroline S." wrote in message
...
Pippin and Mithu were both adopted at 10-12 weeks old from a shelter.
I believe that they were both surrenders from homes, rather than
strays. Neither one is obsessed with food. They certainly would never
refuse an extra feeding, and they complain when it's late, but they
seem to be fine with their two cans of Fancy Feast a day.

Fizz (RB), Yogi, and now Louie, were all strays for much longer, and
all three were obsessed with food. They'd vacuum up every morsel and
try to muscle their way into Pippin and Mithu's bowls. Louie is the
worst, though, he literally eats anything he can find on the ground:
crumbs, litter pellets (Feline Pine), a gummy bear... I'm starting
to feed him more during the day, but with each meal he gets so worked
up he's like a pinball trying to get to the bowl as I put the gooshy
food in.

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

-Caroline S.

Jessie and Demi were strays. Sammy was a direct transfer from the home
where she was born to us. Ozzy and Archer were rescued from a kill-shelter
and then fostered until we adopted them. None of them are obsessed with
food - they just graze even though they eat canned food, and there is
*always* food left over.

Hugs,

CatNipped

I have a shelter cat that can't seem to get enough food. He loves to eat.
I also have a stray and she is worse than the shelter cat when it comes to
food. She'd eat 24/7 if I let her. I'm not sure how this affects your
survey.

S.

"Caroline S." wrote in message
...
Pippin and Mithu were both adopted at 10-12 weeks old from a shelter.
I believe that they were both surrenders from homes, rather than
strays. Neither one is obsessed with food. They certainly would never
refuse an extra feeding, and they complain when it's late, but they
seem to be fine with their two cans of Fancy Feast a day.

Fizz (RB), Yogi, and now Louie, were all strays for much longer, and
all three were obsessed with food. They'd vacuum up every morsel and
try to muscle their way into Pippin and Mithu's bowls. Louie is the
worst, though, he literally eats anything he can find on the ground:
crumbs, litter pellets (Feline Pine), a gummy bear... I'm starting
to feed him more during the day, but with each meal he gets so worked
up he's like a pinball trying to get to the bowl as I put the gooshy
food in.

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

-Caroline S.

My cats are fine but Sadie the new dog, Is obsessed with getting her food
and eating it so fast. I don't even have to open the can, she just knows
when I pick it up.

The cats stick their paws through the dog cage and try and nab Sadie's food.
She just nops, not bite and they go away. She acts like there will never be
another feeding. Poor thing. Son has a stray cat who goes nuts if he sees
the bottom of the food dish. Won't gobble it all down but does not want to
see the bottom or he will sit and MOAN until they add more.
"Caroline S." wrote in message
...
Pippin and Mithu were both adopted at 10-12 weeks old from a shelter.
I believe that they were both surrenders from homes, rather than
strays. Neither one is obsessed with food. They certainly would never
refuse an extra feeding, and they complain when it's late, but they
seem to be fine with their two cans of Fancy Feast a day.

Fizz (RB), Yogi, and now Louie, were all strays for much longer, and
all three were obsessed with food. They'd vacuum up every morsel and
try to muscle their way into Pippin and Mithu's bowls. Louie is the
worst, though, he literally eats anything he can find on the ground:
crumbs, litter pellets (Feline Pine), a gummy bear... I'm starting
to feed him more during the day, but with each meal he gets so worked
up he's like a pinball trying to get to the bowl as I put the gooshy
food in.

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

-Caroline S.

I finally bought him, for the cat, one of those gravity feeders, where they
eat and more drops down. Guess that makes the cats grazers!! Not so
stressed out anyway.
"hopitus" wrote in message
...
On Oct 13, 6:20 pm, "Granby" wrote:
My cats are fine but Sadie the new dog, Is obsessed with getting her food
and eating it so fast. I don't even have to open the can, she just knows
when I pick it up.

The cats stick their paws through the dog cage and try and nab Sadie's
food.
She just nops, not bite and they go away. She acts like there will never
be
another feeding. Poor thing. Son has a stray cat who goes nuts if he
sees
the bottom of the food dish. Won't gobble it all down but does not want
to
see the bottom or he will sit and MOAN until they add more."Caroline S."
wrote in message

...

Pippin and Mithu were both adopted at 10-12 weeks old from a shelter.
I believe that they were both surrenders from homes, rather than
strays. Neither one is obsessed with food. They certainly would never
refuse an extra feeding, and they complain when it's late, but they
seem to be fine with their two cans of Fancy Feast a day.

Fizz (RB), Yogi, and now Louie, were all strays for much longer, and
all three were obsessed with food. They'd vacuum up every morsel and
try to muscle their way into Pippin and Mithu's bowls. Louie is the
worst, though, he literally eats anything he can find on the ground:
crumbs, litter pellets (Feline Pine), a gummy bear... I'm starting
to feed him more during the day, but with each meal he gets so worked
up he's like a pinball trying to get to the bowl as I put the gooshy
food in.

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

-Caroline S.

That's pathetic but I hope your son humors the poor thing. He sounds
food-needy.

On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:25:27 -0700, Caroline S. wrote:

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

Our last two kitties (we're down to one now) were strays. Hobo was a
dirty, scrawny, half-grown kitten when he began coming by looking for a
handout. Hence his name. We learned he spent the rest of the day under
bushes in the back yard, until he finally decided to be a permanent
resident. He is now 16 years old and weighs a hefty 17 pounds. He will
eat just about anything, no matter the brand, texture, or flavor. His
transition to special CRF food was, therefore, easy. He eats every bite.

Speckles, on the other hand, was an adult when she wandered in (estimated
at 2-3 years old by the vet) but remained thin as a rail for the rest of
her 16+ years with us. Picky with her likes and dislikes, seemingly
finding more interesting things to do with her time than eating.

Jeanne

"Caroline S." wrote:

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

Will, who was a surrender, has no food issues.

I was told that Heidi was a stray, but I didn't get details and her
condition was curious. She was definitely emaciated, weighed just over
8 lbs. at her first vet visit, whereas her healthy weight is 12 lbs. Yet
she had no mats, despite being very long-haired. I don't know what to
make of that.

She is the first cat I've ever had who could not be free fed. She will
eat as long as there is kibble available. And kibble is all she will
eat. She absolutely refused any gooshy food or any human food or any
cat treat.
--

Wayne M.

On Oct 13, 2:25*pm, "Caroline S." wrote:
Pippin and Mithu were both adopted at 10-12 weeks old from a shelter.
I believe that they were both surrenders from homes, rather than
strays. Neither one is obsessed with food. They certainly would never
refuse an extra feeding, and they complain when it's late, but they
seem to be fine with their two cans of Fancy Feast a day.

Fizz (RB), Yogi, and now Louie, were all strays for much longer, and
all three were obsessed with food. They'd vacuum up every morsel and
try to muscle their way into Pippin and Mithu's bowls. *Louie is the
worst, though, he literally eats anything he can find on the ground:
crumbs, litter pellets (Feline Pine), a gummy bear... * I'm starting
to feed him more during the day, but with each meal he gets so worked
up he's like a pinball trying to get to the bowl as I put the gooshy
food in.

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

-Caroline S.

No, I think in my cats' case, it's because there are so many of them.
My boys Smeagol and Marley were both born here, in my home (I rescued
their pregnant mommy from the streets). She had 6 kittens.

Marley is laid back, knows there will always be food, so long as
Meowmie is around. Smeagol on the other hand, is mental (I'm not
being cruel, even the vet thinks so). If he sees another cat, he just
sucks up the gooshy food. If he's alone, he's rather dainty about it.

The two strays (or dumpees as I call them, and they *are* sh*ts, let
me tell you), Leonidas and Jebediah, are very much "into" their food,
but not to the point that they'll push anyone else out of the way to
get to more food.

Pandora (a dumped baby, from a kill shelter) is very into whatever
Barnabus is eating, even when it's the same thing she's eating.

Smokie and Barnabus were both brought in, very young. One was a
'store' kitty, the other was a "let's dump this momma cat and all her
kitties" at a local orchard. Neither of them has weirdness about food
either.

In fact, all the cats are pretty cool (except the mental Smeagol)
about food, unless we are eating Roast or Pork, then they absolutely
*must* have people food, and will pull the plates off the table if
given a chance (and they'll eat the potatoes and veggies too).

Smokie Darling (Annie) - the ones who should be mental about the food
are not, and the one who shouldn't be is. Hell, I'm weird so my cats
should be as well, right?

"Smokie Darling (Annie)" wrote in message
...
On Oct 13, 2:25 pm, "Caroline S." wrote:
Pippin and Mithu were both adopted at 10-12 weeks old from a shelter.
I believe that they were both surrenders from homes, rather than
strays. Neither one is obsessed with food. They certainly would never
refuse an extra feeding, and they complain when it's late, but they
seem to be fine with their two cans of Fancy Feast a day.

Fizz (RB), Yogi, and now Louie, were all strays for much longer, and
all three were obsessed with food. They'd vacuum up every morsel and
try to muscle their way into Pippin and Mithu's bowls. Louie is the
worst, though, he literally eats anything he can find on the ground:
crumbs, litter pellets (Feline Pine), a gummy bear... I'm starting
to feed him more during the day, but with each meal he gets so worked
up he's like a pinball trying to get to the bowl as I put the gooshy
food in.

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

-Caroline S.

No, I think in my cats' case, it's because there are so many of them.
My boys Smeagol and Marley were both born here, in my home (I rescued
their pregnant mommy from the streets). She had 6 kittens.

Marley is laid back, knows there will always be food, so long as
Meowmie is around. Smeagol on the other hand, is mental (I'm not
being cruel, even the vet thinks so). If he sees another cat, he just
sucks up the gooshy food. If he's alone, he's rather dainty about it.

The two strays (or dumpees as I call them, and they *are* sh*ts, let
me tell you), Leonidas and Jebediah, are very much "into" their food,
but not to the point that they'll push anyone else out of the way to
get to more food.

Pandora (a dumped baby, from a kill shelter) is very into whatever
Barnabus is eating, even when it's the same thing she's eating.

Smokie and Barnabus were both brought in, very young. One was a
'store' kitty, the other was a "let's dump this momma cat and all her
kitties" at a local orchard. Neither of them has weirdness about food
either.

In fact, all the cats are pretty cool (except the mental Smeagol)
about food, unless we are eating Roast or Pork, then they absolutely
*must* have people food, and will pull the plates off the table if
given a chance (and they'll eat the potatoes and veggies too).

Smokie Darling (Annie) - the ones who should be mental about the food
are not, and the one who shouldn't be is. Hell, I'm weird so my cats
should be as well, right?

================================================== =

Demi is like that. Most of the time she runs for us, slinks around, and
hides under the bed. But if we're eating chicken, suddenly she's our best
friend! ;

Hugs,

CatNipped

Caroline S. wrote:

How about your cats? Any correlation between food-neediness and
sheltered/street life?

Some correlate, some don't. The only one of our cats that wasn't
underweight upon arrival at our home was Mayhem, our one and only pet
store kitty. She's one of the more obsessive about food, beaten only by
Mischief who's been known to steal potatoes and bread among other
things. Mischief hasn't had a hungry day since we got him from the
shelter as a (probably) just-weaned kitten.

On the side of the kitties with more reason to be worried about food,
Itachi has a very mellow attitude about food. He's happy to get his
daily rations, and he sometimes eats too fast, but he never begs or
steals food. This is after about 2 years as the neighborhood stray.
Shadow with his unknown history but poor weight and coat upon arrival is
also pretty mellow about food. He begs when treats are clearly
available, but often leaves kibble in his dish for Mischief to finish
off. The only kitty here who really correlates is Minnie who came here
pregnant and underweight, and who starts begging a good hour before food
time. She still seems to be satisfied with twice-daily rations, though.

Maeve ^..^
--
http://moonglowminnow.wordpress.com/
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