If you feel confident that your cat's diet is appropriate, but they still ask for more food throughout the day, that can be a sign of: Medical problems. Changes in activity levels and outdoor temperatures. Psychological problems.
Primary causes of polyphagia can be behavioral or psychogenic. Reduction of stress, associating food with pleasure, simply liking a particularly palatable food — all might initiate eating too much. Failure to regulate the appetite centers because of a brain disorder is less common, but also possible.
Your cat cannot control how much she eats at a certain time. However, if you are following your veterinarian's advice with proper amounts and regular feeding, you can rest easy that she is indeed getting the right amount of food and nutrients. The bottom line.
Cats are usually pretty good at stopping when they are full. Some, however have been trained by usually well meaning owners to overeat.
If your cat suspects that you're holding out on them, they will hold out on you, too. Do you sometimes top your cat's food with that juicy and delicious wet food? Well, they know that you do and they just might pretend to starve until you give in and give them exactly what they want.
Why does your cat want you to watch her eat? According to Dr. Koski, some cats prefer the company of a companion while feeding — something known in the cat world as social or affection feeding. And while your cat might want you to watch her scarf down her meal, some cats actually like to be pet while eating!
Cats may become obsessed with food if they are depressed, stressed, or simply bored. Some cats have even been diagnosed with “psychogenic abnormal eating disorder,” a psychological condition that boosts their drive for food.
Hungry Cats Are Known to Sometimes Eat Human Bodies.
Consequences of regular overfeeding
Cats will get fatter if they're regularly overfed. This means they get less mobile, more lethargic, less active, and can eventually get sick. Obese cats can get liver or heart disease, or diabetes.
If a cat eats more food than it needs, it will become overweight and may suffer. If you underfeed your cat, it will lose weight and may become ill. Healthy adult cats should maintain a stable body weight that is neither too thin nor too fat. A vet can advise on the correct weight for your cat.
Your cat may overeat to combat negative feelings associated with boredom. Known as 'emotional eating,' a cat might eat more food than needed to cope.
Be consistent, reinforcing him on the stool while simultaneously not allowing him in your lap while you eat. Do not give in and occasionally sneak him a snack from your plate — doing so will encourage him to increase his efforts of making your food his own.
Changes in appetite
Just like with people, a common sign of stress can be seen in your cat's eating and drinking habits, Dr. Bonk said. While one person might overeat when they're stressed, someone else might totally lose their appetite.
In cases where these people owned dogs, their pets would usually go several days without resorting to eating the owner's body. However, a cat would only wait a day or two. The phenomenon is called "postmortem predation."
Your Cat May Be Experiencing Stress, Anxiety, or Depression
Cats have emotions too, and there can be several emotional or behavioral causes of loss of appetite. Losing a beloved family member, whether animal or human, can cause some cats to stop eating due to anxiety or depression.
How often should cats eat wet food? What do vets recommend? Wet food is not a special meal or an occasional treat. Cats can and should eat wet food every day because it agrees with the feline digestive system better than dry or semi-moist food.
Free feeding dry food is acceptable for the cat who exercises self-control, but some cats like to snack, and for them, free feeding can add up to extra pounds. "If a cat can maintain his weight, free choice feeding is okay," says Dr. Kallfelz.
Cats are creatures of habit, so will expect their food to be served at the same time every day. They may cry and stare at you until their food bowl is filled, then wolf it down. Don't worry – they're hungry, not starving.
When a cat loses a companion, whether animal or human, she most certainly grieves and reacts to the changes in her life. Cats alter their behavior when they mourn much like people do: They may become depressed and listless. They may have a decreased appetite and decline to play.
Your feline friend may do something similar—it's called affection eating. That's right, cats eat beyond their usual needs to get emotional comfort and fulfillment due to underlying stress or anxiety they might be feeling - just like us!
Zak studied 10 cats and 10 dogs to see how much affection they had for their humans, and it turns out dogs love their owners almost five times more than cats do, according to the Huffington Post.
According to a study1 published in 2019 in the journal Scientific Reports, cats do, in fact, recognize their own names. The lead author of the study is a behavioral scientist named Atsuko Saito from Sophia University in Tokyo, whose prior research2 demonstrated that cats can recognize their owners' voices.
Signs of a Depressed Cat
Changes in body language, including ears held back, tucked tail, and hairs standing on end. Meowing more or less than usual or making low-pitched, mournful meows. Lack of energy or a decrease in activity level. Retreating from humans or other family pets.
This gesture, called “cat head bunting” or “headbutting,” usually means "pet me" or "give me attention." Around mealtime, cats can really pull out the stops with this behavior. Cat bunting and rubbing is their way of showing they're excited that food is on its way, or a not-so-subtle encouragement to "hurry it up!"