We have 2 kittens that are well behaved (within reason lol) until its meal time for us.

As soon as we emerge with a plate of food they will literally ravage us until something is dropped on the floor then they will run off with it. As amusing as this is they are getting big now and more of a handful at meal times (i half a bacon sandwich the other day, a line was crossed :-) ).

The problem is, how do you discipline them? I tried the water pistol thing, which works for all other naughtiness but when there is food around they dont even flinch.

I dont wanna shout cause i know they can fall out wiht you so what would you suggest?

Also the kitchen is strictly off limits to them. Anything which looks like food they will drag off - bread, butter, crisps, anything lol

lol my 2 kittens used to do this and we just shut them out of the room when we are eating now, has to be done

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"Life may not be the party we hoped for,
but while we're here we might as well dance."

I give my cats there dinner when we have ours, so they leave us alone.

Ohh yeah sometimes I do that too if I'm feeling guilty, even when its not their dinnertime lol

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"Life may not be the party we hoped for,
but while we're here we might as well dance."

aw your a sucker They have you where they want you

First make sure you are feeding them enough, and make sure it is high quality food that meets their nutrient requirements.

Get them on a regular feeding schedule so they know when and where they will be fed, to prevent food anxiety.

Make a ritual out of their meal times, so it becomes a routine they look forward to and know is their own. As you prepare their meals talk to them, using their names, and the words eat or hungry or meal, words you want them to associate with their meal times only.

Give them each a Spot, where their dishes are placed every time. They will soon learn to wait by their own Spot for their dish.

Cut the quantity you put in the dish in half, and give two servings repeating the rituals, to help reinforce.

This will help them not associate any other time with food, including your meal times.

Never feed them from the table. When giving treats, make a little ritual, where you sit on the floor far away from the kitchen and hand feed them, one at a time, a couple of treats. NO people food.

One thing that confuses me: if they are not allowed in the kitchen, how are they stealing your food? Where do you feed them?

we feed them upstairs in there own bedroom (spoilt brats lol). They get fed 3 times per day. At the moment we are feeding them Felix Kitten as good as it looks but have learnt that this stuff isnt up to scratch, so once it runs out will switch to PAH own brand maybe. They get a full pouch each in the morning and at tea time, then half a pouch with some dry food at night time before bed.

Occasionally if we leave the kitchen door open (even for a second) they are straight in there and up on the counters, this is how they steal it.

Also if we are eating, even if its a snack they will climb on us.

I was eating a doughnut once and one of them walked down my outstretched arm to pinch it after climbing on my head while i was trying to take a bite!

I think we will have to keep locking them out, hopefully they might grow out of it. Our friends just give their cats the run of the house and they have no trouble at all.

NB - A friend suggested to us that they leave their cats bowl full all of the time, so they can just graze all day. We tried this, and they ate 2 full bowls each of dry food and still went back for the third, havnt risked it since. They had upset tummies after that one :-)

yep I'm completely under the paw lol

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"Life may not be the party we hoped for,
but while we're here we might as well dance."

Yeah they will grow out of it. All mine did it when they were kittens not out of hunger but curiousity and naughtiness
The more you put them down and put them out they will get the hint.