Cat Eats for Sake of Eating

My husband and I have a 4 year old, spayed, female short-hair tabby (runt
of the litter). She is an indoors-only cat. For the past year and a half or
more she eats for the sake of eating. We feed her 3 to 4 times a day
(Purina One Hairball Formula). The vet told us to make sure we give her the
"main" meal at night between 6 and 8 as cats are nocturnal and that's when
they eat most of their food.

However, she knows the approximate times when we feed her and even after
she has just eaten (each time we feed her, there is always around 3 to 4
pieces of kibble left, so she isn't undereating) she will immediately start
to eat as soon as we put her food down. She does this and eats so much that
she throws up. We don't have a lot of money to spend on constantly buying
extra cat food because she feels the need to gorge and purge.

We've tried other foods. With some she doesn't feel as full so she gorges
herself. With others, she throws up more (I'm not sure if that's an allergy
or not). With others she hocks up hairballs left and right. She is not a
finicky eater, so she will eat anything we put down as long as it smells
appetizing. We've tried free-feeding and she eats out of boredom so she
urps up. We've tried feeding her at set times each day and she still urps
up on occasion because she'll just immediately start eating when fresh food
has been put down, even when she has just eaten her fill.

We live in a hot, humid area so we can't really use moist food.

Any suggestions?

I don't know how frequently I'll be on to check your suggestions so if you
could email me?

poetrydiva[AT]ev1.net

Thanks

--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com

in article , Karla Heidt via
CatKB.com at wrote on 2/12/05 10:32 PM:

My husband and I have a 4 year old, spayed, female short-hair tabby (runt
of the litter). She is an indoors-only cat. For the past year and a half or
more she eats for the sake of eating. We feed her 3 to 4 times a day
(Purina One Hairball Formula). The vet told us to make sure we give her the
"main" meal at night between 6 and 8 as cats are nocturnal and that's when
they eat most of their food.

However, she knows the approximate times when we feed her and even after
she has just eaten (each time we feed her, there is always around 3 to 4
pieces of kibble left, so she isn't undereating) she will immediately start
to eat as soon as we put her food down. She does this and eats so much that
she throws up. We don't have a lot of money to spend on constantly buying
extra cat food because she feels the need to gorge and purge.

We've tried other foods. With some she doesn't feel as full so she gorges
herself. With others, she throws up more (I'm not sure if that's an allergy
or not). With others she hocks up hairballs left and right. She is not a
finicky eater, so she will eat anything we put down as long as it smells
appetizing. We've tried free-feeding and she eats out of boredom so she
urps up. We've tried feeding her at set times each day and she still urps
up on occasion because she'll just immediately start eating when fresh food
has been put down, even when she has just eaten her fill.

We live in a hot, humid area so we can't really use moist food.

Any suggestions?

I don't know how frequently I'll be on to check your suggestions so if you
could email me?

poetrydiva[AT]ev1.net

Thanks

Why do you put down more when she finishes her meal?

Karla Heidt via CatKB.com wrote:
My husband and I have a 4 year old, spayed, female short-hair tabby
(runt
of the litter). She is an indoors-only cat. For the past year and a
half or
more she eats for the sake of eating. We feed her 3 to 4 times a day
(Purina One Hairball Formula). The vet told us to make sure we give
her the
"main" meal at night between 6 and 8 as cats are nocturnal and that's
when
they eat most of their food.

However, she knows the approximate times when we feed her and even
after
she has just eaten (each time we feed her, there is always around 3
to 4
pieces of kibble left, so she isn't undereating) she will immediately
start
to eat as soon as we put her food down. She does this and eats so
much that
she throws up. We don't have a lot of money to spend on constantly
buying
extra cat food because she feels the need to gorge and purge.

We've tried other foods. With some she doesn't feel as full so she
gorges
herself. With others, she throws up more (I'm not sure if that's an
allergy
or not). With others she hocks up hairballs left and right. She is
not a
finicky eater, so she will eat anything we put down as long as it
smells
appetizing. We've tried free-feeding and she eats out of boredom so
she
urps up. We've tried feeding her at set times each day and she still
urps
up on occasion because she'll just immediately start eating when
fresh food
has been put down, even when she has just eaten her fill.

We live in a hot, humid area so we can't really use moist food.

Any suggestions?

I don't know how frequently I'll be on to check your suggestions so
if you
could email me?

poetrydiva[AT]ev1.net

Thanks

--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com

I don't have any suggestions just sympathy. Our cat, smitten, died
last month at 21 1/2. She ate like a pig her whole life. I never
figured out why. She would eat her fill then badger us incessantly if
we were eating. We had 6 cats so I would put out the same food on
several plates. She would start on hers then run to the others' plates
to eat their's. We would have to put her into another room when we ate.
I often wonder if she didn't have enough food when she was akitten. As
I said, I don't know why but she sure was ajerk when it came to food.
And it was just as bad when she was 21 as when she was 2.

Have you had her checked by a vet to be sure this is what is going on. My
oldest cat did this constantly when he was about a year old and it became
worse from occasionally to every meal. I took him to the vet for a check up
and explained his behavior. It turned out he had a tumor on the back of his
tongue that was causing a gag reflex. Luckily the tumor was benign and the
vet was successful in removing it. For the most part he's been fine since,
he will still over eat some and chuck it up but it's maybe twice a week now
compared to every meal.

Celeste


"Karla Heidt via CatKB.com" wrote in message
...
My husband and I have a 4 year old, spayed, female short-hair tabby (runt
of the litter). She is an indoors-only cat. For the past year and a half
or
more she eats for the sake of eating. We feed her 3 to 4 times a day
(Purina One Hairball Formula). The vet told us to make sure we give her
the
"main" meal at night between 6 and 8 as cats are nocturnal and that's when
they eat most of their food.

However, she knows the approximate times when we feed her and even after
she has just eaten (each time we feed her, there is always around 3 to 4
pieces of kibble left, so she isn't undereating) she will immediately
start
to eat as soon as we put her food down. She does this and eats so much
that
she throws up. We don't have a lot of money to spend on constantly buying
extra cat food because she feels the need to gorge and purge.

We've tried other foods. With some she doesn't feel as full so she gorges
herself. With others, she throws up more (I'm not sure if that's an
allergy
or not). With others she hocks up hairballs left and right. She is not a
finicky eater, so she will eat anything we put down as long as it smells
appetizing. We've tried free-feeding and she eats out of boredom so she
urps up. We've tried feeding her at set times each day and she still urps
up on occasion because she'll just immediately start eating when fresh
food
has been put down, even when she has just eaten her fill.

We live in a hot, humid area so we can't really use moist food.

Any suggestions?

I don't know how frequently I'll be on to check your suggestions so if you
could email me?

poetrydiva[AT]ev1.net

Thanks

--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com