If you have a cat, chances are they’ve let you know at one point in time that they’ve never been fed ever. It may be at the crack of dawn when they haven’t eaten overnight or right before a meal, but they are withering away to nothing.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to stop your cat from begging for food once you’ve met with your veterinarian to rule out potential medical causes of them begging for food as changes in your cat’s eating habits can be cause for concern. This is even true if your cat is on a weight loss plan. You don’t have to risk your cat’s health by letting them stay overweight just because they are making a lot of noise!
Disclaimer: This blog post is for general informational purposes only and will not apply to every cat. In some situations, your veterinarian may recommend something different than what I suggest. This blog does not replace or overrule veterinary advice from a licensed veterinarian so please listen to your veterinarian as they likely have a very good reason for making their recommendations.
Make Sure Your Cat Is Being Fed Enough
Start with crunching some numbers to make sure your cat’s basic caloric needs are being met. Look at what the manufacturer of you cat’s food recommends for feeding. Are you pretty far off from that number? If so, you may want to try changing ever so slightly how much they are being fed. Don’t get too aggressive with this as your goal is to reduce hunger, not plump your cat up so you can eat them.
If you’re feeling adventurous or mix types of food, you may need to do a bit of math. Chewy has a great guide on how much to feed cats that includes a chart with approximate guidelines. This is a great place to start, though individual advice should be sought from your vet or a certified nutritionist.
Make Changes Intentionally
One of the biggest problems I see when working with clients whose cats are on a weight loss plan is that the plan is implemented haphazardly or too quickly. Be very intentional about any reductions in your cat’s food as you can’t really expect a cat to be hungry and not be upset. Be methodical about the way you reduce their food intake and do so slowly. A gradual reduction in food intake may go unnoticed or be less upsetting to your cat than one that is done too rapidly as it allows them to adapt to the dietary change.
While your veterinarian can offer specific advice on what to do, one method to try is to look at the manufacturer’s feeding guidelines and compare them to what you are currently feeding your cat. Start with the suggested amount for their current weight and reduce it slightly. If you notice they become distressed after a reduction in food, go a bit slower. Monitor their behavior so the transition is not distressing and it’s slow.
Always listen to your vet about what specifically you should be doing. If your cat isn’t tolerating the weight loss plan they suggest, ask if there’s a way you can adjust it to go slower or how you can help your cat be more tolerant of being fed less. Your vet may be able to make an adjustment to the plan or provide you with some suggestions on what to do if there is a reason they can’t adjust their diet any slower.
Slow Down Feeding (Cautiously)
Cats hunt small animals like mice and birds. In nature, they have to catch multiple small prey every day to survive. Because of this, it’s more natural for cats to have multiple small meals spread throughout the day. Rather than feeding your cat in two larger meals, break them into smaller meals. Depending on your schedule, doing at least 3 or 4 meals per day is ideal. This keeps your cats from becoming hungry as quickly and reduces the need for them to beg.
A similar strategy that you can combine with multiple small meals involves using either a slow feeder or a food puzzle that can help in some situations. Some food puzzles require your cat to eat around an obstacle while others require them to complete a task or series of different tasks to get the tasty food inside. This is not only a great form of mental stimulation for your cat, but it also forces them to eat a bit slower so they think they’re eating more than they actually are.
However, use caution with this approach as it can backfire if you’re not careful. You don’t want to use food puzzles for cats that are frustrated and showing aggressive behaviors around food. You should also make the food puzzles really, really easy to start and only increase the difficulty with caution if your cat does well with them. Consider starting with a few treats in a puzzle after they’ve already been fed.
Use Training To Slow Down Your Cat
Another option is using training to deliver part of a meal to the cat. They’ll naturally be more motivated to train as they’ll be hungry already and you will be giving them their meal in a more controlled, deliberate manner which helps them feel fuller for a bit longer. They’ll have fun and you’ll have fun as well! If you’re looking to get started, a clicker training kit can help guide you with how to begin or you can set up a training session with me.
Two important caveats to this one: You should never purposefully withhold food from your cat to increase motivation for training so make sure you’re doing the training when they’d naturally be hungry anyway. This also isn’t a great method for cats that experience aggression surrounding food. If your cat doesn’t want to participate in training, they still need to get fed. Don’t make their meal completely contingent upon their participation in training as it’s not fair to without a basic need from your cat if they don’t feel like high-fiving you that day.
Second, you should only use this strategy if your cat isn’t frustrated or aggressive around food. The training should be really, really easy. You want your cat to get the food at a slower pace and help them feel effective in controlling the pace they get the food, not frustrate them further. Basically, have low standards for your training and only use behaviors your cat is already familiar with.
Use An Automatic Feeder To Spread Meals Out
I’m a big fan of automatic feeders to make sure your cat gets fed consistently and to make their lives predictable, but I also love them as you can generally control how much food you give them. That allows your cat to get small meals during the day without much effort on your part. This can be especially helpful if you aren’t home during the day. I have two from PetLibro and have found them both to be great.
Add Bulk To Meals
Have you ever eaten a rice cake? They’re pretty big, but even if you ate a whole bag of them, there aren’t a ton of calories. You’ll likely be full before you even can finish the bag.
We can apply the same thing to cats’ diets by adding some bulk to their diet (assuming your vet approves). It’s worth reaching out to your vet to ask if there is anything you could add to their food that would make it have more volume without increasing their calories. They may even suggest transitioning to a weight loss food that is naturally bulky but doesn’t have a ton of calories.
One strategy that works well for keeping your cat full is growing cat grass. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, it’s pretty easy to grow. You can even get a fun umbrella-shaped grow light (I have a few of these) if you don’t typically have a lot of natural light getting in. Start some seeds a few days apart and replant them as your cat munches on them so you always have some fresh grass available.
Skip The Punishments
Lastly, remember that your cat isn’t being naughty; they’re hungry or they may be sick. Even if your cat’s meowing and trying to convince you to feed them is driving you bonkers, you should never resort to punishment. Squirt bottles, remote punishment devices, spikes, or anti-bark collars are never the answer to this problem. They don’t address the underlying need at all and shut down communication.
The Most Important Thing To Stop Your Cat From Begging For Food
While the solution for every cat will be different, the most important things you can do to stop your cat from begging are working with your vet or certified pet nutritionist to make sure your cat is getting enough food and going slowly with any changes. Beyond that, you also want to make sure you don’t give in when your cat does beg. If your cat gets food sometimes, you’re training them if they beg for longer then eventually you’ll give in.
You may need to slow down their weight loss plan or make sure adjustments, but by making every step of the plan intentional and with your cat’s needs in mind, you can be successful.
And really, go the automatic feeder route if needed.
