Does your cat always seem to be begging for food? Are they always staring at you until you fill their food bowl?
If this behavior is familiar to you, you have probably already wondered: "Why is my cat always hungry?"
It seems like my cat is always hungry
If you listen to your cat, you would fill up their food bowl all day long - all cat parents know this problem! It is pretty much impossible to even be near where the cat food is stored without gaining the attention of your four-legged friend.
In these moments, you should consider that your cat doesn't really want food. Obviously, if you give them food they will eat it, but is that what they're really trying to tell you? It may be the ritual around receiving food that your cat likes. Maybe your cat associates their bowl being filled with other things that happen in that time.
When you feed your cat, they have your undivided attention and they know it. During this time, you probably talk to your cat or give them a cuddle. You always feed them in the same place, and a full bowl is associated with pleasant sensations in your cat's brain. In reality, it is everything that goes with a full bowl that is synonymous with happiness for your cat, but your cat thinks that it is directly to do with the filled bowl.
John W.W. Bradshaw in his book The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat explains that cat parents are making a mistake when they give in every time their cat asks to be fed. According to him, the needs of your cat should be understood first.
Understanding your cat's needs
When your cat starts to meow for you to fill up their bowl, try to talk to them without getting out food and check whether they are happy. Playing before dinner time is a very good idea. You can finish the playtime with filling their bowl, but this way you have not given into your cat's whims. And for your pet, being fed after playtime (or hunting, as they understand it) seems totally normal! Their metabolism will get used to this new ritual, and your cat will become even more happy once associating playing as a time before being rewarded with food.
Also, don't forget that felines are hunters. In nature, they hunt all day long in order to eat. Their sedentary life needs to be adapted so that they can expend their energy.
Genetically, your cat isn't adapted to having food at their disposition all day long. It's not a very healthy habit for feline friends.
If you manage to transfer behavior associated with food to other activities that your cat enjoys, you will increase their physical and mental capacity. What your cat wants deep down is to spend quality time with you. They enjoy your attention and this is particularly enjoyable for them when you are getting them food.
Be careful of eating disorders and diseases
Of course, if your cat is actually hungry all day long and they seems to be losing weight, they are probably suffering from hyperthyroidism or diabetes. In this case, consult a veterinary.
If you wish to find out more about your cat's diet, take a look at this article.
Source : iheartcats