Kitty obsessed with food?

Question

It may be that I have this new cat off of dry, which he was used to. He has adapted I suppose, he is eating the dry meat stuff I got from the vet, as is my cat of 6 years. Problem is he seems as though he cant get enough food. He isnt starving by any means, I think he alone eats a whole can a day, plus the meat I give him, PLUS he chomps on the dried meat too, but..... 
I can keep him away from my other cat's special food, that she eats in stages. This Im learning to deal with. What I cant deal with is I cant even make a sandwich without him trying to hop on the table and grab it. I dont mean after I leave it for a half hour, I mean like I turn my back and he's ON IT lickedy split. Im at my wits end wit him--never seen a cat with such a voracious appetite. 

I scold him, but it does nothing. The only thing I can think to do now is to seal him in the spare room when food is being prepared. Ive run out of solutions, but I guess its a youth thing? He's three... 
He is also an inside outside cat, and its winter, that might have something to do with it too. He's a shorthair and he doesnt like the cold very much so he spends most of his time indoors. 
Also, a behavior oddity: He doesnt GET the whole playing with other cats thing. I think he was raised alone and left alone alot till he ended up at the pound. Ive had him for four months now, and he doesnt seem to understand whats right and whats wrong, he just gets scared when I holler at him. Im tired of scolding him..... goes nowhere. If I fed him as much as he wanted he;s be So fat!

   One more tidbit: Occasionally he runs into my upstairs neighbor's apartment looking for food!

♫αиgєℓ♫ · Accepted Answer

It does sound like he hasn't lived with other cats. The eating, is either your cat is really hungry all the time which I doubt OR he is worried about his dominance and that the other cat will eat his food if he doesn't. It's common with dogs so it could be the reason.

Connie S · Answer

some cats are highly food motivated.  I have eight cats, and they run the entire gambit from "will knock you down for food" to "I'll just wait for dinner thanks"

You say this cat is new to you, so you have to realize he does not understand what you want.  Training a cat take a lot of time and an extremely consistent message.  It might take you longer to make your own meal, but you have to constantly stop what you are doing and immediately address the cat's behavior.  Do not yell, do not scold.  Simply say "NO" in a disappointed fashion.    distraction also helps.  Keep a bunch of toys near by and when the cat starts showing interest in your food, throw a toy across the room to entice him into play.

as for "special food" that your other cat is getting, may I recommend you check out http://www.catinfo.org a web site run by a vet who studies feline nutrition.  Basically most specialized diets are unnecessary.  If you feed your cat a species appropriate diet, it will help a lot more then "prescription" foods.  I had two cats with urinary issues and a diabetic cat all who did much better on a high protein low plant matter high moisture content diet.  I'm feeding my cats raw food and I feed a lot less of it, and my cats stay fuller longer.

As for one cat who eats in stages with a cat who gobbles, when my cat was dying of cancer, she became hungry more often, so we installed a cat door into the bathroom that was key locked and gave her the key.  THe one we used was magnetic, but they also have infrared ones.

lastly, cats play in ways that most people think of as "wrong".  They wrestle and often look like they are trying to kill each other.    Sometimes in my household it gets a little out of hand and someone will hiss, but I don't interfere until the hissing starts, and then I simply distract the two that are fighting with a toy or a loud noise.  The book Cat vs Cat will help you understand how cats interact.  it is written by a cat behaviorist.

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Kitty obsessed with food?

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