May 20th, 2011
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Cats are so different in their approach to food. Some can be trusted with eating from a constantly available supply without gaining a pound. Others will start bothering you as soon as they’ve wolfed down their portion for the day and not stop til the following feeding time. There are some ways to help your hungry kitty feel fuller and give your ears a break: 1) try wet food – more protein will keep your cat fuller longer, 2) feed the same amount but divide it into three or four portions, 3) do provide a few strategic protein snacks throughout the day. If your cat can’t be assuaged, check with the vet.
Kelly is a pet writer. She lives in the Boston area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat. |
and doesn’t stop. She starts meowing and then cuts it off xD
Tried these tips. Didn’t work. She’s a ‘stress’ eater. When I got her she was underweight and undernourished. Vet gave me these tips. She will not eat wet food, even when heated so she can smell it. She is still a little bit flighty and devours when she sees the food out. As if she doesn’t know when she will get her next meal.
I think she needs a kitty-therapist, seriously. I have had her 3 years and now she is overweight. I play with her a lot but, she binges every chance she gets.
My cat is one of those voracious eaters. She is 8 months old and has been this way since we got her, which was 3 weeks old. I feed her wet food 1/2 can in morning, 1/2 can in the evening. She still looks for food right after she has eaten. Starts looking for her next meal 2 hours before we feed her. The vet said it was normal, but this cat is ravenous. Looks like she hasn’t eaten in a week! She was checked for worms.
I find that one of my kitties is a habitual eater. I’m trying to break her of it but I think it’ll be a slow process. Their food is in the kitchen and being a kitten, she follows us all around the house, so whenever one of us goes into the kitchen to make or check on dinner, get a drink, do dishes, etc she follows us in and grabs a few bites. She doesnt eat a lot at once but it’s just habitual and she’s getting (well ok, is) chubby. We’ve been trying to put it up and just play with her instead but I think it’ll take work to break her of it. Her sister on the other hand, eats when she’s hungry and is a completely normal size. Go figure.
If a cat is voracious and can’t seem to get full, try worming the cat. If that doesn’t help, have the cat checked for diabetes and other infirmities. There are medical reasons a cat will eat this way.
I have a 6 and a half month kitten, I give Felix As good as it looks, 3 sachets per day, I also leave an allowance of Royal Canin kitten 36, older cats change to suit as free feeding, this seems to stabilise hunger, Nandi, perhaps you could try her copying your eating routine, when you eat she eats, eg breakfast dinner and tea. Charlie could try sachets and give one at breakfast, one at dinner and one at tea, maybe mix a few biscuits in or leave allowance for free feeding.
Forgot another tip, I also find dividing the sachet into 2 portions, one when it’s feeding time, then instead of throwing the discarded bit away, keep it in sachet and about an hour later my cat will sniff around looking for more and I give her the rest.
My cat Bob will eat non-stop if we didn’t watch him. Another of my cats had a voracious appetite but was losing weight. She ended up having Hyperthyroidism, which eventually took her life. Be careful to have your cats checked out by the vet if their appetite increases and they don’t gain weight (or they lose weight.)
i have two cats, one with normal food,and the other a kitney dieet so it’s a big problem everyday.
the always change of the food trays when i don’t watch them, and i have tried all the steps you gave us, a long time ago allready.
but i found ou that the cat with the kidney problems had an other problem it wasn’t gums it was a serious auto imuuum deseas by cats she has ulsers around her mouths like herps by humans .
so now she swollows meds for this she finely becomes some weight, but i must still sit in between of them to let them eat.LOL
so thank you for those tips but… it’s not always working.LOL
I have taken your advise on the small portions of wet food for my cat who would eat continuously off and on all day. I am on a fixed income and found that the canned food can get rather expensive even though my cat loves wet food. When I did try wet food however three times a day small portions he still follows me around the house wanting to eat more. I ignore this although it can get on my nerves, I just wish I could find some portion to give him that would be satisfying and not weight gaining. What food do you recommend?
It sounds like good advice but each cat is different. Always have your cat checked out by vet to see if there is something medical going on. Then, add some water to their food, wet food, of course. I don’t like the dry food which has too many grains in it. You want to avoid any UTI’s and bladder blockages with dry food. Sometimes a cat will eat because he/she are bored. Entertaining them keeps them healty and active. After some play, my cat will rest….Feeding some portions during the day is another tactic but you have to be there or use a timed feeder which you can get. It have two feeders attached and battery operated. You can decide when it will open to feed the cat..Hope this helps.
My 2 kitties at 7month olds pestered me day and night for food. I suspected they weren’t getting something essential whilst I was feeding them wet cat food plus they were getting pudgy. I researched and kind of had to experiment around. Then I locked onto Newman’s Own Organic kibble and this solved the problem. It is expensive, but they seem to stay full and lively and don’t whine for food anymore.
They get small portions 3 times/day between their meals and are staying trimmed down. If anyone knows of a less expensive alternative, I am open.