Hyperactive Cat

Question
Dear Tina,  I am desperate to get help.  My pregnant daughter has an extremely active orange tabby he is only 3 years old and needs constant attention.  Since our family has had a lot of cats in the past I can honestly say this cat is a genius.  He is running not only my daughters house but also my house because I cat sit him from time to time and I will be cat sitting him for months coming up while my daughter has her baby.  We can't trust him around the baby because he can jump 6 feet straight up and has jumped into the crib and all over the nursery at will.  We are worried he will jump on the baby.  He is not a malicious cat he is simply SUPER HYPERACTIVE and makes us all live his way.  He howls at the bedroom door to get in for hours keeping them up and he demands to be fed at 4:45 am and he wont stop howling until he gets fed.  Its a problem because the cat is super loved but at the same time everyone is exhausted from the pregnancy and can't seem to stop his behaviour.  Please help!!!! Barb

Answer
HI Barb,

First of all, I'd recommend taking a look at his diet, make sure he's getting a grain-free high meat protein diet such as Innova Evo or Wellness Core (grain free) dry food or Wellness canned food. If you feed Evo dry do not over-feed because it tends to make cats fat quickly.

To alleviate his demands for food, try using a tied auto-feeder to dispense his food. I use the Ergo 8 day pet feeder (do a search online) it is about $75 but worth it because you can put canned or dry food in it and set the digital timer to release the food at a certain time, including the middle of the night. This way you only need to load the feeder once a day, and he will begin to associate the feeder with his meals instead of demanding them from a human. This model has cold packs that can keep canned food fresh for hours as well. I tried and returned a Catmate feeder that I do not recommend, because the timer was hard to use and didn't dispense the food properly.

Start adding 250 mg/day of tryptophan (an amino acid) to his food. Tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin and is a natural way to help mellow out your cat and reduce his hyperactivity and anxiety about the changes in the home. You can buy this in health food stores or online:

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=VS-2537

(These are 500mg capsules, so each capsule will last you 2 days) just pull apart the capsule and sprinkle the powder in canned food.

Behaviorally, someone needs to play with him frequently throughout the day - preferably using a laser pointer or a feather on a string that he can take his aggression out on. Keep him busy! Especially right before bed time.

It also helps to create a schedule and feed him and play with him at the same time every day so he comes to anticipate his play time and his meals. He will feel more in control of his life then and more secure.

Because he could unintentionally injure the baby it is best to keep the cat out of the nursery as you are doing.

Good luck, I am sure this is a tiring time for all! My sister had her first baby last summer and also has 3 dogs and 3 cats to deal with in the household - so far everyone is doing great, and her baby is adoring the animals already. It think it is very beneficial for children to grow up with pets, who teach them empathy and compassion as well as responsibility.