Why does my cat beg when she has food in her bowl?

Our question this week was:

Dr. Debra I have a 6-month-old cat, she is a mixed breed. The question is that she always come to me when I’m eating, I thought that she was hungry, but when I checked her bowl, it was full!!! What should I do?

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Reham M.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. Reham, it sounds like your cat is begging for food. You wrote that your cat comes to you when you are eating even though her bowl is full. Do you ever given her treats from your plate? If so – she has learned that she is rewarded for begging. This is common in both dogs and cats.

If you don’t want her to beg – make sure that you and NO ONE in your home gives her treats from the human plate. It is important to be consistent. If one person gives her something from the table – she will be presisent in continuing to beg. It is hard to break bad behaviors.

You can also fill her food and water bowl at meal time to give her something to do while you eat.

An article that might be helpful to you is Tips on Cat Etiquette – Dealing with the Begging Kitty.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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