# Cat acting out, ripping into garbage etc



## NamelessAria (Jul 12, 2013)

Hello everyone,

My cat Dexter is about 10 months old now and he is usually very well behaved. My husband and I really haven't had a lot of problems with him since we got him last July. His new behavior problems just started after we put him on a diet. 

Around 5 or 6 months old he starting getting a little bit chubby but I always heard everyone say that you shouldn't put a kitten on a diet so I just let it go and fed him as much as he wanted to eat. Now that he is moving out of the kitten phase I'm trying to put him on a more regular feeding schedule and not leaving out dry food 24/7 and such for him.

The only problem is that when he gets hungry between meals now he just gets into everything! I've woken up every morning the past week to garbage bags that were ripped open, garbage cans that were tipped over and raided, any bags of granola or anything that were left out were torn into and their contents strewn about.

The other thing Dexter is doing now that he doesn't have dry food out for him all night is about 5am he starts trying to chew the blinds in the bedroom to wake me up to feed him.

My husband and I are getting a little upset with Dexter over his new bad cat antics. We love him and we want him to be healthy. Is he really THAT hungry? Should we just keep feeding him as much as he wants, as often as he wants even though he is gaining weight and hope as he gets older he'll settle down? Should we leave him on a diet and try and deal with his behavior somehow? Any advice is really appreciated.


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## AutumnRose74 (Oct 10, 2013)

If he is doing this at night, is there a spare room you can put him in? 

Also I would switch him to a diet that is more nutritionally satisfying, like raw. The reason cats that are free fed dry food end up stuffing themselves is because dry food is not an optimal source of nutrients, so they are going to eat more because they don't feel satisfied.


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## Stef (Mar 1, 2014)

Hes only ten months old.....hes still growing....
Some breeds still grow at 5 years (maine ****) and ragamuffins can have their last growth spurt at 4 years old
I know my kitten will be one next month and he still is having growth spurts and he gets chubby then grows....
So your kitten is still growing so please feed him more.:catmilk


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## NamelessAria (Jul 12, 2013)

I wasn't sure if 10 months was old enough to not really be a kitten anymore. My husband has been insistent that Dexter isn't a kitten anymore since he was about 6 months old. It has been a constant source of contention in the home. I guess I wanted to be sure that I'm not just being one of those pet owners who can't show tough love so instead they let their pet get unhealthy and fat. If he still needs that much food I have no problem feeding him more. I just want the little guy to be healthy. 

Dexter is my first cat, and first pet really. I'm still doing a lot of learning about how to best care for him.

Currently I'm feeding Dexter Canidae canned food with some Fancy Feast canned mixed in for flavor. Dexter doesn't seem to like the taste of Canidae so I have to mix it for him or he'll taste it and then refuse to eat it. I also have been feeding Good Life dry food for what I leave out overnight (usually 3oz of food for the night) or what I put in his treat ball. I know they aren't the most healthy foods ever but the budget is a little tight right now. 

As far as meals go I feed Dexter 3 times during the day. When I wake up and have breakfast, kitty lunch and then when we eat dinner. Maybe a little snack before bed or between meals if it is going to be awhile between when we eat our human meals. If my husband is really late getting home from work and it is going to be a really late dinner, for example, I may give Dexter a little snack to hold him over till dinner. I like for him to eat when we eat so he doesn't try to steal our food.

I think when he gained most of the weight though was when my husband kept buying him Friskies dry food. My husband insisted that it was better for Dexter to feed him mostly dry food and I got tired of arguing about it. :sad: (Sorry Dex!) When I started looking into the ingredients in Friskies dry food I realized it was practically devoid of anything nutritious. I've since started feeding Dexter almost exclusively wet food except for what I leave out for him overnight when I do.


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

I agree with Stef.

Kittens generally grow in the pattern of get chubby, then they have a growth spurt and seemingly grow overnight.
It in more prominent in some cats and that has to do with their bone structure.

I've got two girls the same age but from different litters. One of them is tall and lean, the other, the opposite.
I never noticed and "chubbiness" in the tall one. I also never noticed any radical growth spurts in her either. She just seemed to grow nice and slowly and evenly.

The shorter one scared me at 11 months, or so. I thought she was turning into a little beach ball! But then it just seemed like one day I was watching her play and thought to myself that she looked different, in the face, around the neck and shoulders, she was taller, she grew overnight! lol

When I took them to the vet for their 12 month check up, I was really curious what it was going to be like when they were weighed. They both weighted the same!! Belle was only slightly taller then Sadie. Sadie was slightly more "filled out". 
They just have different frame work and seemingly grow differently.

Sadie is the hungriest one, BUT she burns it all up like crazy running around! Belle stays home more and is a more "delicate" eater.

Your Dexter isn't done growing yet. Most all cats finish growing up and out and filling in and finishing features at *around* 18 months. So, no need to think about diets for a little while yet.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

_His new behavior problems just started after we put him on a diet. _

You answered your own question. Try more play instead of less food for this youngster. I'd tear into your garbage too if I was a teenager and you cut my food quantity. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to eat your face yet!!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I'm betting that when you put him on a diet that you're under feeding him. Exactly how much food are you giving him per day? 

When you say he's getting 3 oz of dry food, are you weighing the dry food or using a measuring cup (it matters...liquid and dry measure are two different things).


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