Cat only wants to eat

Cats might want to eat more often due to illness or boredom, as well as in the winter to maintain their body temperature.

What are the causes that my cat always wants to eat?

One cause of your cat only wanting to eat could be hyperthyroidism, diabetes, worm infestation or loneliness and depression in your cat.

The following causes could lead to your cat only wanting to eat:

• Diabetes in your cat

Diabetes is a very common disease in cats and results from the insulin produced causing an inadequate response.

Cats that suffer from diabetes often have other symptoms such as continuous peeing or constant thirst in addition to a large appetite. If you suspect diabetes, be sure to seek veterinary advice, as the disease can be very dangerous.

If you notice that your cat is hoarse for a long period of time and you want to know what it is all about. In our great article My cat is hoarse we explain to you what it means.

• Misinterpreting the cat’s behavior

Many cat owners often think that as soon as their cat comes to them and strokes their leg, their cat is hungry and give them something to eat. However, very often there is a misunderstanding here. Cats rather want to get attention from their owner and are not hungry at all. However, if the freshly prepared food bowl is already in front of them, hardly any cat will say no.

Quickly, your cat will realize what it needs to do for another delicious meal.

• Depression or other psychological problems

Cats are very sensitive animals and immediately notice when something changes in their environment or someone has passed away. Many cats tend to eat more food during their mourning period. But too much stress can also cause psychological problems and lead to a greater appetite. Cats are true creatures of habit and need their regular daily routine. It is therefore important that you do not change this routine, otherwise your cat will be unnecessarily stressed.

If you want to know why your cat doesn’t want to go outside and what you can do about it, we explain in our current article Cat doesn’t want to go outside.

• Worm infestation in your cat

Cats can catch threadworms very quickly. This leads to an increased feeling of hunger in your cat. The parasites in your cat’s stomach absorb all the nutrients, so your cat will want to keep eating. An external symptom is a bloated belly of your cat. If you suspect a worm infestation, you should always wash your hands thoroughly, as the worms can also jump to humans. Inform your veterinarian if your cat has a worm infestation so that he can get better quickly.

• Loneliness and boredom

Many cats are still kept alone, even though cats should always have a companion by their side. This often leads to loneliness, as a human cannot complement a cat. Also, if the owner is out of the house for hours, it quickly leads to loneliness and boredom in cats. Here it is useful to occupy a lot with your cat, should it have an increased feeling of hunger from boredom.

If your cat doesn’t have enough to do, it will go to the food bowl out of sheer boredom.

• Other feeding times

Many cats adapt to the rhythm of humans. Be it sleeping when the human is in the office during the day or eating. Cats are usually served three fixed meals a day by their owners.

However, cats are designed to spend many hours foraging and therefore eat many small meals in the wild. Some cats have still internalized this and therefore are always begging for a warm meal.

If you are wondering if you should feed your outdoor cat extra food, check out our informative article How to feed outdoor cats.

• Thyroid problems or other diseases

If your cat suffers from increased appetite and weight loss at the same time, it is due to hyperthyroidism. This disease is often caused by a benign tumor on one of the thyroid glands.

You should definitely seek veterinary advice for this condition.

Similarly, tumors or other diseases may indicate increased hunger in cats. If your cat eats more than usual for a longer period of time, it is best to inform your veterinarian.

What helps against too much hunger in my cat?

Make sure your cats can’t encourage each other to eat and give each cat its own feeding area. Also, avoid long preparation times for the food, so that your cat can not get into the hunger feeling.

Often cats are already impatiently waiting for their food. It is better if the food is prepared quickly and expeditiously.

Avoid preparing the food for a long time. By the time you prepare the food in the kitchen, your cat is already ready and can get hungry. It is best to prepare a few things and quickly put the food bowl in the usual place. If it takes a little longer to prepare the food, give your cat a small treat to distract it.

If you have more than one cat, it is important that each cat has its own bowl and feeding station.

If you want to know if there is food envy among cats and what you can do about it, we explain it succinctly in our recent article Is there food envy among cats?

In the ideal case, cats do not see each other while eating and food envy cannot occur among them. Cats can otherwise spur each other on to eat even more when their mates are right next to them.

Another solution for too much hunger in your cat is to keep him busy at length. Some cats tend to want to eat constantly just out of boredom. A new toy for your cat or a few more cuddles in the evening will make your cat’s thoughts about the next meal disappear quickly.

Why does my cat eat so much all of a sudden?

Cats consume more food in the winter to maintain energy levels to regulate body temperature.

If your outdoor cat suddenly shows increased hunger shortly before winter, this is a normal behavior of your cat. Especially due to the cold in winter, your cat needs a lot of energy outside to maintain his body temperature. Support your cat and give him more nutrient-rich food and always provide enough water sources such as fountain or water bowl in winter.

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Summary – Cat only wants to eat

Cats might want to eat more often due to illness or boredom, as well as in the winter to maintain their body temperature.

A cause for your cat only wanting to eat could be for example hyperthyroidism, diabetes, worm infestation or loneliness as well as depression in your cat.

Against too much hunger in cats it is useful that your cats can not animate each other to eat and give each cat its own feeding place. Also you should avoid long preparation times for the food, so that your cat can not get into the hunger feeling.

The fact that your cat suddenly wants to eat more may be due to the fact that cats eat more food in the winter to maintain energy levels to regulate body temperature.