This is because of one of two things, either they still aren't used to the schedule after being free fed so they're being pains, or they just really like the wet food and want more! My cats and my friends cats have always eaten on a schedule, and they did this exact thing when they only got dry and still do it now that they only eat wet. They're just being cats. If their body score is good they're fine.

 

They've been taken off free fed for months now, and acted the same with both dry and wet food.

I am under a lot of stress already and need a way to make them happy without making them obese for my mental state. Is there anything I can add to make them think they are getting more food, but has little calories? I am unemployed at the moment, so buying a different food is unfortunately out of my budget.

 

If indoor cats, they might be bored...and looking forward to eating is the only thing that they find a lot of pleasure in.

Maybe some laser light chasing, or some kind of puzzle toy to get them to work their minds as well as their bodies will help.

I had an indoor/outdoor cat for 21 years...and I think it was because she would go out the doggy door and spend most of the day seeing things, smelling things, moving about, using her brain to figure out how to hunt things. She ate normally, (not greedily) and didn't act hungry all the time.

I have 2 indoor cats now, as I lost another cat who was an outside inside cat - she went out the doggy door one day and never came back -and I'm kind of afraid to let my 2 newer cats out now.

My one cat Kayla was also going outside sometimes with Shayle, the cat I lost, and those two cats ate normally, but once I got Song, I locked the doggy door as she was new to my home and I wanted her to settle in before letting her outside. But I never let her out....as like I said, I am now a little gun shy about doing so.

Anyway, I've noticed Kayla and Song both are greedly little eaters who acts like they are starved to death all the time. Kayla wasn't like this until I restricted her to being an indoor only cat. I started to give them more toys and playtime...getting them to play...and saw their food attraction diminish somewhat.

Hope that might help you and your kitty.

Stormy

 

I'd get him vet checked, as soon as you can, to make sure nothing medical is going on, there are a few conditions that can cause a cat to feel like it's starving.

I'll second keeping them busy with play, trick training, or other activities. Hopefully the activity will take their mind off of the food.

My cat was on 1/2 kibble, and 1/2 wet, he'd get kibble in the morning and a can of wet food at night, the piglet always finished his food in one sitting, but never begged for more until it was the next feeding time. When I was home we'd play until he was tired, he loved the cat teaser, and his foil balls, and would bring me those when he wanted to play.