.jpg)
My cats have caused so many food-related problems this year. I went from giving my cats food once a day to twice a day, then three times, having to split up normal portions into weird smaller amounts. My cat’s gluttony, food thievery, mischievous behavior, and sudden desire to eat people food all prompted my decision. As spring progressed and melted into summer, I thought I’d finally sorted things out.
No, now my cats have changed their eating habits again. It all started when Jon and I left for a weekend. I put out two days’ worth of food; we weren’t going to be gone long enough to warrant having someone come over and feed them. We’ve done this plenty of other times before, but something was different this time. We came back, and there was still food left in both Cole and Chrestomaci’s bowls.
We couldn’t believe it. Usually when we travel somewhere we leave early in the morning, soon after we feed the cats for the first time in the morning. Their bowls are already empty when I fill them again with supplies for the time we’ll be gone, and they’re already circling around me like vultures as I do that. I’m always convinced they’ll eat their food faster than they’re supposed to. It was just stunning that there was any left.
Ever since then both Cole and Chrestomanci, though especially Cole, have taken to leaving some food in their bowls after most feeding times. It’s not usually very much, and it doesn’t happen every time. I’m just perplexed, given that they both exhibited such recent gluttonous behaviors. I’m especially surprised Chrestomanci isn’t eating whatever Cole leaves, because we observed him doing so earlier in the year.
Of course, being me, I didn’t take this for the gift it was. Oh no, I had to Google it, to make sure my cats haven’t contracted some illness exhibited by loss of appetite. I know I was worrying over nothing, but what I’m here to say is that if your cat suddenly starts eating less of its food, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Obviously if you’ve had some major change in your house it leaving its food is likely related to that (like Cole refusing to eat for almost three days after we moved).
However, there are still some other reasons why cats might stop eating their entire portions of food at once, or even leaving some until the next feed time. There could be something wrong with the food: check and make sure the bag hasn’t expired. Also, if it’s been very hot or humid lately (which it has here), that could affect their appetite. Even though my cats are inside the air conditioning all day, who knows, that still might have something to do with it.
Other times, cats’ appetites just might shift. It’s not that Cole or Chrestomanci are leaving all or even most of their food; at most they’re leaving a mouthful or two, and sometimes it’s just a few pieces. They have no obvious symptoms otherwise; all of their other behaviors are normal. It could be that Chrestomanci especially has finally adjusted to a more appropriate appetite. In the wild cats needed to learn how to eat less sometimes if they couldn’t get enough food, so they developed the ability to shift their appetites.
Until Cole starts losing weight (and Chrestomanci starts losing too much), or I notice that they’re dehydrated and not drinking enough either, I am not concerned. In fact I might be grateful. Part of me wants to see if I can start feeding them fewer times a day, but I probably shouldn’t push my luck.
Related Articles:
What’s Best for a Cat: Inside or Outside?
Salmonella in Dog Food Infects Humans
*(This image by Chika is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
