Cat Is Obsessed With Food
How Can I Stop It? 

Cat is obsessed with food how can I stop it? This is a very common problem for many cat owners. Indeed I myself have the same problem with one of our own cats, but it is something we have learnt to manage over the years.

I will explain on this page how we manage the problem whilst answering the following specific question asked me recently.

Question by Cindy (California)

We have a pretty large cat, about 15 pounds. He is obsessed with food. He can have food whenever he wants, we always leave food in his dish, but he begs for handouts all the time.

If he's sleeping and he hears someone opening up a wrapper in the kitchen he'll immediately rush into the kitchen to see what it is and if he can have any.

If I try to eat anything around him he gets excited and jumpy (even if it's food he doesn't like, like apple sauce or fruit for example). He'll sit up and stare at me eating in hopes that it's something he can eat. He's just so obsessed with food.

He's always hanging out around the fridge waiting for someone to come along and open it and possibly have a slice of chicken for him or something (sometimes i do wind up giving him some). If I just put my hand on the handle of the fridge, his eyes light up and he gets really excited. It's like all he thinks about is food. He eats plenty of his normal cat food, but all of the time he's hoping for something else, it's getting really annoying and it's like he has no other interests.

I want to know if there is a reason for this and how we can stop it? We think it could be because we got him off the streets when he was a kitten so he probably didn't get a lot of food, and now he's obsessed with having it at all times? Or could it be that over the years we've given him too many handouts and should stop?

Answer by Kate

Hi well yes i think you have hit the nail on the head. i do think that his obsession with food stems from both his previous life on the streets and also a learned behaviour from receiving treats over the years.

It is also true that some cats are just more naturally greedy and will eat and eat and eat regardless. This is why it is important that cat owners feed them regular meals so that they do not put on too much weight and suffer possible related illnesses.

It won't be easy for you to change his ways now as this is a long term learned behaviour, and indeed he may always be a beggar. but it is up to you as his owner to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Tips

• Feed only qualify pet food, this will ensure it has a high level of protein which will help to keep him feeling fuller for longer.
  

• Always measure out there food on a daily basis, this way you can monitor how much they are getting .
  
  
• Feed quality dry food with a small amount of wet food mixed with it. This will make it more appealing and also give the cat some moisture too. Although do always have fresh water available (not near to the food bowl though). Dry food will encourage your cat to drink and this will help keep them healthy.

• Do not leave bowls of food available for them throughout the day. Feed at regular times or only small amounts at a time throughout the day. If you are not at home, I would suggest an automatic feeder.
  

• Whenever he starts to beg for food, pick him up quietly and calmly and put him in another room and close the door for a short while.  Eventually he should learn that when he begs he gets this negative reaction and so should reduce this behavior over time.
  
  
• When you feed your cat his meals give him lots of fuss afterwards i.e a positive reaction for him, this should help him understand the difference.
  

Site Visitors Comments for Cat is obsessed with food how can I stop it?

my cat is fat too - by: Niki

My cat weighs about the same and is also obsessed with food. I've recently changed his food to Iams as the main ingredient is meat and not corn or rice in hopes that it would fill him up better.

Also, I can't remember who suggested this to me, but I've started giving him about a tablespoon or more of dry food in the morning, at supper time, and before bed, then hiding the rest of the food around the house so he has to hunt for it. I've found this has worked quite well because he's no longer eating just because the food is there. Now that he actually has to go looking for it he only eats when he's hungry. I think this also helps with the boredom of being stuck indoors.

I've tried buying him a variety of toys and I do encourage him to play more now. We've only just started this new routine, but I'm hoping he starts losing weight. I hope that was helpful. Good luck with your fat-cat!

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