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Why is my neutered cat constantly hungry and eating so much?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 9 months old | 11 lbs

Hello, kovu has been extremely hungry the past 2 weeks or so. He is constantly hungry and even wakes me up in the middle of the night. He is also eating 2-3 times the amount I used to feed him. (I’ve increased since he’s hungry) he eats a full bowl of dry food and 6 “Sheba perfect portions” a day. He used to eat half a bowl of dry and 2-3 portions of wet food a day. Could this be because of being neutered 2 months ago? Should he see the vet? Do I need to change his food? He acts healthy otherwis

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Linda G,  MS, DVM

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 6th, 2019

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.
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