Stealing Human Food

Question
I have 2 cats. A 6 year old male (neutered) and 7 year old female cat (not spayed). For the last 3 years, they have been living with my Mom because I wasn't able to have pets where I lived. I have just gotten both of them back and the female has some bad habits. First, the male has had health problems. He has to eat a special kind of cat food for urinary tract health so naturally he can't have a drop of human food. He has to have a baby aspirin 3 times a week. The female REALLY likes human food. My Mom gave her human food so she has developed a taste for it. Whenever I go in the kitchen, she follows to make sure she isn't going to miss out on an opportunity to steal food. If I am cooking, she is constantly jumping on the counters. If I open the fridge, she is trying to look in it. If I am sitting at the dining room table, she is trying to get on the table and take food. When I rinse the dishes, she is in the sink trying to lick the dishes while the water is running over them. It is impossible to eat in the living room. I have used a very firm tone of voice and the key words "No Bad Kitty" to no end. I have used a spray bottle. I have tried putting her in another room (she scratches at the door, wraps her front paws under the door and pulls it towards her while kicking it with her back paws creating a loud noise that sounds like the door is being ripped off).

There is always a bowl of dry cat food out and a bowl of clean fresh water (I replace the water several times a day). She acts like she hasn't had a bite to eat in a week every time there is human food around. I know she is eating the cat food because I have watched her eat it every day. She will eat cat food then try to steal human food a few minutes later.  

I thought it would take a while and she would get used to not getting human food at all and it would get better. It has been a little over a week and it is only getting worse.  Is this one of those things that it will get worse before it gets better or am I stuck with this forever? Is there anything else I can do?

Answer
Jennifer,

Why did the vet prescribe baby aspirin? Normally baby aspirin is prescribed for dogs and not normally for cats, and it is usually only used for fever or pain. Be careful
with baby aspirin. No more than a quarter of a baby aspirin every 3-4 days, with a minimum of 3 days apart. Cats do not metabolize aspirin well and it builds up in the cat's body. Watch for signs of overdose: vomiting, blood in the stool (red or black), pale gums, bruising on the skin, gums, or whites of the eyes. Never give it with NSAIDS or STEROIDS. Side effects can be fatal! NEVER use Tylenol! Tylenol is deadly poison to cats!

As far as human food goes for him, meat is OK. Cats are carnivores. It is fish and fish products that are high in magnesium that causes urinary problems. Make sure he drinks lots of water!

I personally would get a 2nd opinion from another vet if you can afford it on his condition. I would be hesitant about the baby aspirin long term.

I would suggest getting your female spayed. Going into heat too many times without being bred can cause serious infections. Plus, spaying helps some behavior problems (but not begging), and makes for a more settled cat.

The cat should be checked for worms too, especially if she had/has fleas (where they get the worms from). The worms eat what the cat eats so actually the cat isn't getting enough food, even if she eats a lot. Don't get over the counter wormer, because the worms are getting immune to the products. Get it from a vet that will give you the correct dosage for the cats weight, and the correct medicine for the type of worms the cat may have because there are numerous types of worms.

An extra note: it's important that you feed a good quality dry food, like Iams. If you use cheaper 'bargain brands' they have too many fillers in them and the cats get hungry again a lot faster. You may think they are getting a lot to eat, but in reality it's not much nourishment.

Try to keep as many "temptations" away from her and off the counter as possible. Start raising your voice at her everytime she gets on the counter or table. Say "NO! OFF THE COUNTER!" firmly so your voice scares her off, while whapping her with, or slapping down, a rolled up newspaper. When she jumps down, wait a little bit then love on her to show her she is a good kitty. That way she won't be scared of you...except when she is on something she is not supposed to be on. Cats go by association and familiar words. You want her to associate the newspaper with behavior you don't want. She will catch on pretty quick, but will probably still test you periodically. Be consistent though. Don't let her get away with it even once or it will never work. It may take awhile because bad habits are sometimes difficult to modify.

Wooden mousetraps are another device to give your cat the message about being where they should not be. Get a few of the kind that aren't prebaited and set them UPSIDE DOWN on the countertops with a sheet of newspaper or a brown paper grocery bag taped down over them (to double the safety factor). The traps are NOT meant to hurt your cat or trap a paw. Just to startle them. After they bump a trap, it jumps and closes with an noisy crack, helping to convince your cats that the area you've booby-trapped is scary and it's better to stay away from there.

Another option is to get a good squirt gun and stand where the cat can't see you. When she gets on the counter squirt her with the water gun, but stay hidden while you do it. That way the cat associates being on the counter with getting squirted and does not associate it with you.

When you WANT to give her a treat put it in her food dish, don't hand it to her from where you are. I have the butcher at the grocery store cut up beef rib bones and I give my cats one raw periodically for a treat. It keeps them busy and the fibers in the meat helps clean their teeth.

A trick I use when I want to eat without a cat bothering me is to spread a small strip of mayonnaise or butter down both front paws. Cats will instinctively lick it off and the oils on their fur will keep them busy cleaning. It is also a good supplement to keep their insides greased which helps with hairballs and constipation.

I had a cat 17 years that just ate people food and some canned cat food and was never was sick or saw a vet (except for spaying) in her life!

Tabbi