Why does my cat always seem hungry and beg for food after meals?

Your cat is still growing and may need more food than you are giving her. At this age she should get approximately 1 1/2 cans of cat food a day split into three feeds. That is approximately 8 oz of good quality wet (canned) food. Some cats need a lot of attention and lovings and petting, and if they do not get it, they will ask for food. So set aside time for playing with your cat, and talk to her or touch her every time you walk past her.

If Julian's weight seems appropriate and your vet has confirmed that his body condition is ideal you should not offer more food. Some cats have big appetites and will continually beg for food even though they are getting enough calories. If ignoring the begging is difficult you could look into using an automatic feeder for the dry food, or try hiding smaller amounts of dry food around the house so he has to 'hunt' for his meals.

It appears that Smokey is eating because he is bored. You should feed him twice or three times daily. If you feed dry food , take the daily ration and split it into two or three feeds and feed only that. You can also feed canned food, and split his daily canned food ration in two to three feeds. If you do not do this he will get fat and will likely end up as a diabetic cat when older. Be firm, do not feed him when he begs for food and only feed him his daily ration at the feeding times.

Hello. This could be a behavioral issue, or possibly a medical one. There are some intestinal disturbances that can cause extreme appetite in cats. If this is behavioral, sometimes using the anti-anxiety medication amitryptiline, can quiet some of these extreme urges. But before getting into tests & possible medications, you might try switching your cat to a canned diet. It has been shown that some cats have a longer satiety response with wet diets. You can still offer hard food, but possibly offering this in puzzles can help. Kitty Kongs & treat balls slowly release food as a cat interacts with the toy. Homemade options like milk cartons & carboard rolls with taped ends & holes punched out to retrieve treats can keep your kitties mind busy. Give this a try & then talk to your veterinarian about other options at your next visit. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's possible being a stray could play into part of it. Some cats also just really enjoy eating food. Ruling out any common issues such as parasites, metabolic issues, etc is also a good idea if you haven't already as this may also cause appetite changes along with weight changes/constant hunger. There are some timer-based feeders as well as feeding toys that allow you to schedule when your cat eats. The feeding toys are also great because you can separate his meal into smaller portions and "hide" them around the house for him to find. It encourages him to get some exercise, get enough food, but in smaller portions so he can constantly graze throughout the day without feeling like he's not being fed.

Hello. An increase in eating is not usually associated with neutering, but weight gain due to less activity is. Kovu is very young to have any of the conditions associated with an increased appetite such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism, but it might be a good idea to have this checked just to be sure. If Kovu continues to eat this way, he could become obese & could develop diabetes, so you do want to get on top of this as early as possible. See your vet to make sure there is no underlying conditions leading to his hunger. Otherwise, he may actually need a higher calorie food. Calories in cat food, both dry & wet, can be very variable in their calorie counts. Kovu might eat less of a more nutritionally dense food, so check your labels. If he just as demanding after a few weeks on a higher calorie food, you may need to actually switch him to a "light diet" where he will get more fillers & less calories. It is best to work with your vet, or ask for a referral to a veterinary nutritionist at https://www.acvn.org/ for further information. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Wow, Mau’s appetite does seem quite voracious! There are several things we can see in cats that lead to an increased appetite including hyperthyroidism (high thyroid level) and some intestinal diseases. I would have Mau evaluated by his veterinarian. They will track his weight and may run some lab work to check for underlying issues. If no problems are found, the voracious appetite can be behavioral and then the quantity of food being given would just need to be controlled more closely.