How to Feed a Chow Hound...er Cat

I've mentioned it before, my Vicktor will eat anything, even if it's not food but smells like food! We think it's because he was abandoned maybe? and his food addiction is psychological. He inhales food, I don't even think he chews half the time. Usually he doesn't barf it up, but sometimes he does. He absolutely hates liver, so there's that, but how do we cope with such a chow hound...er cat?!

That time Vicktor opened the refrigerator & pulled out bread

 to snack on when we weren't home.

Since we have two cats we must feed them in separate rooms otherwise Vicktor would inhale his food, then go for Ginger's. Ginger eats slow and gets fed in the kitchen and Vicktor eats at the top of the basement stairs with the door closed. We stay with Ginger until she's done and then let Vicktor out. He runs for her scraps and basically licks the plate clean. We feed them in the morning and in the evening, sometimes giving them dry food as treats or just treats in between. This has worked for years. I swear we give him enough food, but you'd never know it watching him eat.

Some tips if you have a Vicktor...

1. Set a feeding schedule. Only feed them two or three times a day, and try to evenly disperse the time between meals.

2. Did you change something in their set lifestyle? Did another pet die? Are they missing someone? They could be depressed and over eating.

3. They could have worms. Round worms are intestinal parasites, one type is contagious to people, and you can usually see them in your cat's poop or vomit or if they have a pot belly appearance. If this is the case, take them to the vet right away.

4. If your cat is thin but constantly eating and drinking it might be hyperthyroidism. Take them to the vet.

5. Your cat's food might not be meeting it's nutritional needs and they are craving more. Cats have a protein based diet, usually with lots of meat. Check to make sure they are getting the right kind of cat food.

6. If you have to leave dry food out, don't leave a mountain of it. A "Vicktor" cat will eat all of it. Measure it out or better yet leave toys around with dry food in them so they get rewarded for playing!

7. Buy a Slow Feed Bowl, or put large clean rocks around the dry food, so they don't gobble it up so fast and have to eat around the rocks. Here's a super cute Slow Feed Cat Bowl...

Available here.

If it's a quick change in your kitty and they become ravenous, take them to the vet! And if they are eating things they aren't supposed to all of a sudden i.e. paper, it's a compulsive eating disorder and it could be their way of managing stress. 

If your cat is chubby...

1. You can also use a high fiber, low calorie diet to help them loose weight.

2. Check to make sure your cat isn't eating your other pets food.

3. Could be feline diabetes, take them to the vet.

4. Again. Don't leave a mountain of dry food out. A "Vicktor" cat will eat all of it. Measure it out or better yet leave toys around with dry food in them so they get rewarded for playing!

Never ever drastically change your cats diet. It can cause other health problems, consult your vet before any changes. How much should you feed them? It's usually based on the weight of the cat, so check how much they weigh and read the labels on the cat food. Read the cat treat packages too! Many of the treat instructions say only 1-2 pieces a day.

Don't forget to make sure there's enough water! How do you know if you have enough bowls out? I wrote a blog about it!

Cat NOT eating? You can read about when Ginger went on a hunger strike and the results of that in update 1 & 2!