Why does my cat steal human food and how can I prevent it?

I'm so glad you took Princess in and gave her a good home! Princess should see your vet for a checkup to help rule out a physical cause for her behaviour. Your vet may want to run some tests (such as bloodwork) to help rule out any causes for the increased appetite. Check with your veterinarian to make sure that Princess is eating a diet that is sufficient in quantity and quality for her. Your vet may recommend changing to a higher fibre, more filling type of food if the behaviour continues. Visit the link below for some more information on how to stop Princess from stealing food: https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/behavior/keeping-your-cat-counter You may need to make some adjustments so you can help keep your home a low stress and comfortable place for Princess. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox. They should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day)and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for climbing, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit veterinarypartner.com, indoorpets.osu.edu and healthcareforpets.com for tips on stress reduction. Providing adequate enrichment activities and a comfortable space to live in may help reduce the food stealing.

Unfortunately the best way to completely prevent Luna from eating paper and tissues is to completely restrict her access. If you catch her in the act make a loud noise to startle her away from the object and give her an appropriate toy. She might like something that crinkles like paper.

You may want to try an automatic feeder. You can program it to release a certain amount and at a certain time. Eventually Steeve will not associate you with food anymore, although it may take a few weeks. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Great questions! Because there are so many foods cats can and can't have, I will put links to websites that detail them out. Keep in mind that while cats can have very small amounts of cheese, they are lactose intolerant, so low lactose cheese is best. Cats love tuna, but too much isn't healthy due to mercury levels. They can have small amounts of tuna in spring water. Never feed a cat onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, alcohol, and macadamia nuts among others. Also when feeding human food, make it an occasional treat, not an every day treat as that can lead to weight gain. If Luna becomes overweight, she will be prone to cardiac disease, diabetes, and joint problems among other illnesses. Hope this helps! https://www.petsworld.in/blog/10-human-foods-cats-can-eat.html http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets

This a frustrating and potentially dangerous personality quark in some cats! However, It usually does not indicate any underlying medical issue. I recommend taking great pains to make all plastic inaccessible to Luna. Some cats are very persistent about seeking out their plastic fix. The problem with this plastic habit, is that if Luna eats some plastic that is too large, it can get stuck in her stomach or intestines and require surgery to remove. If Luna ever starts vomiting suddenly, be sure to let your vet know that she's a plastic eater.

It may be impossible to train her to eat from the bowl. It’s not uncommon that pets will remove food from the bowl to eat on the ground or only eat if the food is placed on the ground. Unfortunately we don’t know why they exhibit these behaviors. I recommend to experiment with feeding her on a plate or a very wide bowl that does not come in contact with the whiskers on her muzzle or the top of her head. It could be a tactile sensation she does not like. Also observe her closely to make sure she’s not showing evidence of illness or not wanting to eat due to a medical condition. There are many reasons a cat will stop eating including sickness or dental problems. If you are not sure if Luna is healthy, have her examined by the veterinarian. Best of luck.

Uh-oh, naughty Cassie! This is tricky. In general, when we're trying to shape our pets' behavior, of course we want to reward behaviors we like and either ignore, punish, or redirect behaviors we don't like. We want our pets to learn that "good" behavior gets rewarded, and "bad" behavior does not. The tricky part here is that Cassie has started misbehaving - but every time she succeeds in stealing food, or playing with something she shouldn't, if it's a good experience for her, she is essentially "rewarding" herself. We need to stop her ability to reward herself - and I'll be honest with you, it's challenging! My advise is that Cassie not be unsupervised around *anything* that she might get into, until these behaviors stop. This is easier said than done! But, again, every time she does these behaviors and has a great time doing them, she is solidifying the behavior. We cannot punish animals after the fact - we have to respond to them in that moment or they do not make the association. So, she cannot be allowed to get into real food without someone there to intervene. Again, I realize this is not easy advice - but unfortunately behavior issues generally require time, energy, diligence, and patience to correct. So, if you have a room in the house where there is nothing Cassie can get into, I would place her there when you are not home or are unable to watch her. Otherwise, make sure she is in the same room as you so you can catch her "in the act" when she is getting into something she shouldn't. You could also invest in a large cat playpen such as this one: https://www.chewy.com/midwest-collapsible-cat-playpen/dp/45740?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=MidWest&utm_term=&gclid=CKHwxcaC9dQCFQONaQodFwwFog&gclsrc=aw.ds ...where Cassie can spend her time unsupervised (overnight, etc). Make sure to place safe toys, cat treats, etc where she is confined so she still has things to do. She can then "earn" more unsupervised freedom around the house as you work on these behaviors. If you're still running into trouble, I would recommend chatting with your vet. They will likely have recommendations for trainers or behaviorists in your area who could consult with you. I know this is not an easy fix - but I hope it helps!