A few months ago I adopted a new cat. I am not a new cat owner, but I've never seen a cat act like this. He is very loving and social, uses the litter box, etc, but he is constantly naughty in ways that would be small, but combined make him nerve-wracking to deal with. He compulsively eats anything and everything. I had to stop feeding my cats dry food because he would just sit and eat the entire day's worth for both him and my other cat. He steals my other cat's food at every opportunity. He tries to eat practically ANYTHING - garbage, plastic, houseplants, his toys, etc. He bothers my other cat to play, doesn't back off when my other cat hisses at him, and chases him around the house. He gets into EVERYTHING - nothing is safe from being eaten or played with in my house, he opens cupboards to get things out, I give him play time every day but it doesn't curb him. I feel like I spend half my home life chasing this cat away from eating something bad or terrorizing my other pets.
2007-12-01T08:49:27Z
I should add that I have a lot of pets and my house is pretty pet proof, at least compared to every other animal I have. I literally mean that he will try to eat or play with anything. I feel like I could have nothing in my house but a few pieces of furniture and he'd start chewing on them. I set down my glasses once when I was reading, came back five minutes later and he had hopped up on the table and started chewing on my glasses!
2007-12-01T08:49:44Z
He's been to the vet. Supposedly he's perfectly healthy.
hudsongray2007-12-01T16:11:30Z
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I had one like that, it took him 3 years to grow out of that stage (he's 16 now). We tried everything before clueing into the fact that negative reinforcement wasn't working--to him any attention was good, even negative ones. We got him to turn around by ignoring the bad (it was HARD!!!) and rewarding the good. By reward I don't mean food, I mean cupping his ribs while bending down talking to him, a lingering stroke, scratching his chin, verbal reinforcement done at a WHISPER level close to his face.
He responded completely to those.
We made food time a circus affair--I'd give a specific food call each time the bowls were being filled, added extra on the side like some canned food, and as each plate was put down, said that cat's name so they knew it was theirs. Put the cats so they eat with their backs to each other. If the one still makes a beeline to the other's bowl, try feeding the slower eater on the counter or up above eye level of the other eater.
For things like computer cords and the phone cord I had to resort to coating them with Bitter Apple to make them taste bad. You can do the same by rubbing the inside of a banana peel on them, that'll stop any cat in their tracks, it tastes awful.
Let the other cat defend himself, they'll work it out once the other gets so fed up he hits back. Take up all bags, plants, etc. out of the miscreant's way. We hung ours from the ceiling. Keep a lot of small paper balls laying around to toss or flick for him to chase. A laser pointer also works GREAT at wearing them out, you can get them running up and down stairs that way or over furniture and around the walls. Just don't shine it in their eyes.
Neither. Your dog has been living in a different environment for 6 years. Dogs are not robots that simply can be programmed from birth. Whatever was done or not done in the time he was away - is there and will be forever a part of him. He is not a puppy - nor is he the dog you remember. While this internet can be impersonal my impression from your post is you seem to have forgotten something - the dog has undergone a huge change and is going to be stressed. While I don't advocate letting him get away with "everything" - a break away from you wouldn't be a bad idea. Who wants to be tethered to a human all day? (I didn't realize people actually believed that was a training method) Put the dog in a crate when he's not being supervised and give him some down time with a bone or toy. Spend some time just getting to know him - without the drill sergeant routine. I adopted a 4 year old Doberman who had been around and when I first brought him home, he was excited to be out of a kennel but also clearly overwhelmed. Sometimes I just called him from his crate and gave him a cookie, and petted him in the kitchen , using soft tones. When I was busy, he was crated in sight and was given a bone to relax with. I didn't start drilling him on obedience from day one - in fact I waited 6 weeks and then took him to training. It would have been too much for him to start on day 1.. And he had daily walks, and play time in the back yard (fenced) with a ball, and with my other dog, not drills. He will start to come around in about 6 weeks and you can expect new behaviours to surface. Dogs take time to adjust.
It could be a nutritional deficiency or even hunger but it is probably a psychological problem triggered by stress. Sometimes it helps to have tall cat trees, furniture or shelves that cats can climb up on when you have more than one pet. That can help relieve social stress.
Another option is to manage him by placing him in a room of his own until you have the problem figured out. If he eats fabric, it can cause a fatal obstruction so it is worth putting him in a safe space.
Other things that may help with his mood are switching to a wet only food, getting rid of flea preventatives, giving him a window with a view to sit in or even taking him for a walk. Cat grass or even lettuce or green beans to eat might help him feel more full or, at least, divert his attention.