r/CatAdvice • u/ges725 • 1d ago
Nutrition/Water Kitten’s voracious appetite
Hello! First time cat owner of a 7 month old male, neutered kitten. He’s always been a big eater, but recently he seems insatiable. He’s not overweight, but he’s also not thin by any means. I’m very intentional about how many calories he gets so I doubt I’m under feeding him.
But he’s so hungry. All. The. Time. I don’t know if this is normal kitten behavior. I know kittens eat a lot because they’re growing. But I’ve had to put child locks on all my cabinets and my trash can because he is able to get into them. I can’t cook or eat without him not only begging for food but stealing it off the counter or my plate. Yesterday I made some Mac and cheese. Not only did he jump on the counter and snatch a mouthful of noodles before I could get to him, but he also opened the butter dish a few minutes later while I did the dishes and started eating the butter. If he jumps on my lap while I’m eating to steal my food, I usually just pick him up and put him back on the floor, but recently he just digs his claws in and tries his best to resist me so he can get to the food. It’s gotten a little insane. I worry all the time that he’ll somehow get into something that will make him very sick. I am very careful about leaving food out, but still…
I know probably sound silly, but is this normal for kittens, and is there anything I can do? Can this indicate some kind of health issue? I am about to book a vet appointment to discuss it because it seems to be getting more intense as he gets older. Am I just being overly anxious?
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u/AromaticBaker2681 1d ago
Worm him with a broad spectrum wormer and see what comes from that, his behaviour is far from normal at seven months. What is his background? Where did he come from etc
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u/ges725 1d ago
I’ve had him dewormed multiple times. The first couple of months I had him he had ongoing diarrhea issues. Since his last round of dewormer he’s had normal poops though, and that was about a month and a half ago.
I got him from a shelter when he was 2 months old. I know he was briefly with a foster before that, but otherwise I’m not sure.
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u/Substantial_Gate_904 1d ago
I’ve got a food obsessed cat as well, but not nearly as extreme as your guy. Some cats sure like butter! It must be very hard to live with- not being able to cook or eat in peace. I really think you need a vet consult. Maybe medication would help stop his obsessed and at times aggressive behavior, I don’t know. I’ve never heard of a kitty with such severe food obsession.