Expert: Jessica - 11/9/2009

Question
I have a 2 yr old female cat who was recently just fixed and has had all of her shots ect...ever since i got her as a kitten she eats nonstop. She will actually eat until she vomits. Whenever anyone moves around in the house she runs to her food bowl even though she may have just finished eating a few minutes prior to this. I have had to begin taking the food dish up at night or she will eat all night long and then my other cat who is older will have nothing to eat. Why does she eat like this?

Answer
Hi Jennifer.  I'm not sure what her history is.  If she came from a background where she went hungry sometimes, this could explain her behavior.  These cats often become food hogs because it's programmed into them that they can't be assured of the next time they'll eat.  Sometimes they'll begin to relax once they realize food is in constant supply, but it can take years.

She could be eating out of boredom.  This is another common scenario.  When she runs for the food bowl, see if you can redirect her attention to a toy.  Interactive play is an important part of a cat's day.  In fact, a recent study offered some cats food in the same place every day and some cats play time in the same place every day, on a schedule.  After the cats were released, those who received the play time returned to the area every day at their scheduled time, even more consistently than those who were given food.  Laser pointers, ribbon wands, and a great toy called Da Bird are excellent for interactive play.  Catnip treated toy mice are favorite for alone play.

Finally, she might be a carbohydrate "addict".  Dry cat foods, in general, are very carb rich.  Cats are carnivores and are meant to eat protein, so carbohydrates don't provide much energy for them (although they do promote storage as body fat).  Since carbohydrates only provide short-term energy, carb addicts find themselves needing to eat almost immediately after their last meal in order to replenish their energy.  It's a lot like the sugar rush and subsequent crash that humans experience.  A good way to stop this cycle is to keep cats on a high-protein, low-carb diet.  This way, they will have a long-lasting source of energy and won't feel as hungry all the time.  Most of the grain-free foods are a lot higher in protein than those that contain corn, rice, wheat or barley.  I feed my own cats Taste of the Wild (www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com).  They eat literally 1/2 of this food than they do of others.  Even better if you can manage it, feeding a mostly canned food diet will accomplish this.  And it will also help ensure your cats get all the water they need.  The thinking that dry food helps with dental health has largely been debunked, although I still find a couple vets living in the dinosaur ages.

I hope all goes well!

Jessica